The descent of the Seine offers a magnificent view of Paris and its monuments that would be a shame to miss. The Bateaux-Mouches are often favored by tourists, but there is an alternative: the Batobus. So, which one to prefer? Here is my comparison.
In summary:
The Bateaux-Mouches are ideal for a guided cruise with guaranteed seating and an incredible view of Paris, but they do not make stops. The Batobus, on the other hand, allows you to move between the city’s tourist sites, but without audio commentary or guided tours. Both offer different experiences, suited to different needs.
Bateaux-Mouches
Paris’ Bateaux-Mouches are very popular with tourists wishing to discover the capital from a new perspective. Seated on the deck or behind a glass panel, enjoy an unparalleled view of the City of Light and its wonders.
These large, intimate atmosphere ships set sail at various times of the day and night.
Whether a simple 1h10 cruise or accompanied by an excellent 2h20 dinner, Bateaux Mouches is the leader of the name and it is from this company that the term we use in everyday language comes.
However, there are other companies offering similar services such as Vedettes du Pont Neuf and Bateaux Parisiens.
Route: Concorde – Louvre Museum – City Hall – Conciergerie – Ile de la Cité – Notre-Dame – Ile Saint-Louis – Pont Neuf – Orsay Museum – Invalides – Eiffel Tower – Chaillot Palace
Pros:
- The possibility to enjoy a guided cruise. Ideal to discover more about Paris, its heritage and its monuments. The guide, present on the boat, will be happy to answer all your questions and inquiries.
- The affordable price of cruises without extra, at €15 for adults and €5 for children, for Bateaux Mouches company.
- Enjoy an exclusive discount of up to 10% with a combined offer for the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, or the Montparnasse Tower.
- Guaranteed seating, on the terrace or sheltered under the air-conditioned planetarium, for optimal comfort. An advantage for the elderly, fragile or young children.
- The boats are, in general, larger and more comfortable than the Batobus. You will be able to move from your seat to the deck during the entire cruise.
- Bateaux-Mouches offer the possibility to enjoy a meal during the ride on the Seine. A 1h45 lunch cruise costs from €80 and a 2h15 dinner cruise costs from €115.
- Unlike the Batobus, with Bateaux-Mouches, you can start the day or night to admire two very different versions of Paris.
Cons:
- While simple cruises are quite accessible (€15), dinner cruises are relatively expensive.
- No stops during the cruise. If you want to visit one of the monuments you pass, you will have to retrace your steps from the mainland.
- Bateaux Mouches cruises offer a relatively short cruise duration, around one hour (or two hours for dinner cruises).
Batobus
Much less known to tourists, but particularly appreciated by locals, the Batobus, of the company of the same name, are more like a means of transport, like the metro or bus with stops all along the river.
However, unlike the metro or bus, the Batobus have the good fortune to offer a breathtaking view of the city and a rare calm within the capital.
The Batobus circuit is similar to that of Bateaux-Mouches and consists of nine stops to bring you closer to the greatest monuments of the Seine such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Louvre and many others.
Like the Bateaux-Mouches, they offer balconies and a panoramic view from inside the air-conditioned glass panel.
Route: Jardin des Plantes – City Hall – Louvre – Place de la Concorde – Eiffel Tower – Invalides – Orsay Museum – Saint-Germain-des-Prés – Notre-Dame
Pros:
- Small boat, a bit more intimate than the others.
- There are 2 daily packages: one for 24h and one for 48h. The 24h pass is priced at €21 for adults (€10 for children and free for children under three) and the 48h one at €23.50.
- Enjoy an exclusive discount of up to 10% with a combined offer for the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum, or the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution.
- Batobus are a good alternative to traditional public transport. They are generally less crowded than buses and metro trains and offer a more playful vision and setting.
- For locals, the annual passes at €60 for adults and €38 for children, offering maximum profitability.
- Regular shuttles, more regular than the Bateaux Mouches with, on average, a shuttle every 20 to 25 minutes.
- Of course, the main advantage of the Batobus are the many stops they offer at key points of the capital such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Jardin des Plantes and many others for a visit that does not stop at the facade of buildings.
Cons:
- Despite the fact that the shuttles run every day of the year, they stop quite early. The last departures are at 7pm (and even at 5pm on weekdays in November and December). This will not give you the chance to enjoy a night cruise or use the Batobus to return from your evenings.
- The quite high price of the 24h pass, compared to cruises without extra offered by Bateaux Mouches.
- The route does not offer audio commentary or guided tours.
- Although less crowded than buses or metro, it can happen that the shuttles are full at certain times, forcing you to stand for the duration of the journey or to wait for the next shuttle.
- The 20-25 minute wait between each boat and the limited number of stops are not enough to completely replace another public transport on a daily basis.
Conclusion: Batobus or Bateaux-Mouches?
- If you want a peaceful and guided tour of the capital with guaranteed seating, opt for a Bateaux Mouches promenade cruise.
- If you want an independent visit to the capital, like the “hop-on, hop-off” buses, and be able to take the boat as many times as you want for up to 48h, then the Batobus are for you.
- If you want to sit down for a meal on a boat while watching Paris’s monuments pass by, then choose a lunch cruise or a dinner cruise. It’s really an incredible experience. There are more companies doing dinner cruises in Paris, but Bateaux-Mouches is definitely one of the best.
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