I was lucky to have a free day in Paris, so I took a river cruise on the Seine. Let me tell you what it was like!

While there are many ways to experience this most beautiful River, I recommend booking your Seine River Tour online. You will see all of the sights along the River, and if you’re patient enough, you might even be able to catch a glimpse of some fish or mussels that live among its waters. The tour will take about an hour, and you can board the boat at any stops along the River. If you want to be prepared, use this map to locate them.

Getting on the Boat

Boats leave every half hour from 10am to 5pm, with more boats during peak season. Reservations are needed. Make sure to arrive early. The boats operate on a first-come, first-served basis. (This is different from the cruise companies, who take reservations and fill their boats as complete as possible. I’ll address them below.)

When the boat arrives, you will find a ticket counter, where the tour guide will collect your ticket. You can ask for a map of the stops along the River, although it is unnecessary as you can see them all from above.

Your First Stop:

Your first stop is at Pont-Neuf, one of two bridges built during Henry IV’s reign in 1578. The bridge is named after the stone that was used to build it. The stone was found when officials dug for a well and had to transport it from the quarries in Vaugirard. It took only one year to build, a feat made possible due to new construction technologies at the time and, of course, plenty of free labour.

I liked this stop on the River because it is very close to Notre Dame, which I could see from my boat. In fact, the bridge is almost directly across from the cathedral! The bridge’s construction allowed for more open space to build the city above. Today, this space houses the Luxembourg Gardens.

The Next Stop:

The next stop along the River is a short walk from Pont-Neuf; it’s called Verneuil-sur-Ave. This ornate building was originally a hunting lodge built in 1670, but today it’s used as a restaurant. It’s been entirely restored and can be visited, although I didn’t do so.

The Next Stop:

The next stop on our boat tour of the Seine is named after an island – Île aux Cygnes. The name comes from a legend involving two male swans in love with the same female. They fought over her until they accidentally killed her, whereupon they both drowned themselves in despair. The island became named for the swans. Today, it is mainly known as the site of the luxurious hotel and restaurant Four Seasons George V.

The Next Stop:

The next stop on the river boat tour lies west of the Eiffel Tower and is called Pont de Bir Hakeim. It was named after General Charles de Gaulle, who, on June 6, 1940, while standing on a balcony overlooking the Seine with members of his Free French Forces, gave a stirring and memorable speech calling on the French people to resist Nazi occupation.

When we got off our boat, we saw that this stop was directly opposite (east of) Palais de Chaillot. We visited this palace as we walked into the Jardin du Trocadéro because it is home to a museum dedicated to ocean exploration.

Musée de la Marine:

A few stops down, we came to the Musée de la Marine, an old military building converted to a museum in 1992. The exhibits include a collection of artefacts from sunken ships, including the final resting place of La Découverte, which sank in 1500 and contained important historical documents about 14th-century France.

You will see many people taking photos along the River, and I caught my own too.

Eiffel Tower and Concorde:

The next stop on our tour takes us along the Seine between the Eiffel Tower and Concorde. The name of this stop is George Sand, after the famous French feminist writer who was a frequent visitor to Paris in the early 1900s. In fact, this is where For Everyone Who Wanted To See A Woman Kissed by a Man was written. This will make a great postcard photo, which you can get free on the boat tour.

As you get closer to the River, you start seeing homes and gardens. I especially liked the poplar tree we passed as we continued along the River.

We are surrounded by monuments and buildings as we get closer to our final stop on this boat tour; it’s called Pont d’Alma. Here you can see the Eiffel Tower and the Alma bridge. If you have time, visit this stop first. There are some great shops nearby where you can pick up some souvenirs, but they are expensive, so you may want to get them on your way back from the tour instead.

As we move upward on our journey back to our starting point, we are also moving backwards in time. As we head back up the River, you will see landmarks and monuments that are hundreds of years old. If time allows, you might catch a glimpse of the Pont Neuf during your boat tour. Apart from that, you can also take Versailles Palace Tours. The palace is a Baroque-style building commissioned by King Louis XIV and is the largest royal palace in Europe.

The French Kiss:

By the time our boat arrived in front of Pont de l’Alma, a statue nicknamed “the French Kiss,” we had been on the boat for over an hour, meaning we had seen most of what there was to see along the Seine River. It was time for lunch.

When we disembarked, it was about time for lunch, so we headed to a restaurant called Le Grand Véfour. This restaurant is known to have been an opium den in the 1800s and later as a bordello, so I suspect it must be good.

Meal:

I ordered the “More Than Meets The Eye” – a plate of roast chicken liver with bacon and buttered bread, served with a plain green salad. The liver was tasty, but I admit that I was intimidated when I first saw it on the menu. Even though it’s standard fare in most fast food restaurants, I don’t eat it often. So my perception of how lousy liver tastes might be off and thus wasn’t able to appreciate the flavour properly.

I also ordered a rosé wine, which was not quite what I expected since it was pretty dry. This beverage is famous for being served in the Moulin Rouge, which is another reason it might not be as sweet as I thought.

The waiter brought us a nice baguette to go with our meal, which was a nice touch. (Baguettes are one of life’s simple pleasures)

We also noticed that this restaurant was close to Pont de l’Alma and the Eiffel Tower, so we decided to make it our afternoon destination.

Unfortunately, there was a long line for the elevator, but after about 10 minutes, we got on board and made it to the top. When we got off, I had to snap some photos of the Eiffel Tower, which is quite iconic in Paris.

We both enjoyed our boat tour in the Seine River, although it was chilly and there was a lot of traffic on the water.

Ref: https://www.itsmypost.com/river-cruise-in-paris-guide-to-the-best-seine-river-tour/