Any recommendations for the best sightseeing Paris river cruise at night?

Dinner cruise ? Or just cruising to see the lights ? My preference would be getting dinner separately and taking a cruise which starts and ends near your hotel/apartment (we stay near Notre Dame so prefer Vedettes de Pont Neuf)

An earlier thread seemed to recommend the Vedettes de Pont Neuf quite a bit too, so that is the one we are planning to go with! If the kids can stay awake that is....

Kim

Not a dinner cruise - hubby can't eat that late. We would just like to see the lights - Eiffel Tower all lit up.

We are staying in the Louvre area.

How did you like the Vedettes de Pont Neuf?

I read that a lot of people like the Bateau-Mouches.

We would like to hear about the things we are seeing but not be overpowered by the talking or have to use a handset to hear - unless that is a better way to go.

Did you prepay for your tickets and can you just go at anytime or is it a set time. I am thinking the later cruise when the lights come on would be the more popular night cruises.

I'll look for the earlier thread.

Thank You!
Kelly

We did a night cruise with Vedettes de Pont Neuf and a day cruise with Bateaux-Mouches. We much preferred the Vedettes de Pont Neuf. Not just because of the lights at night but because it was open air on top and seemed less crowded. No reservations, just walked up at twilight and got on board.

Thanks TC

Was there commentary on the Vedettes de Pont Neuf cruise? Did it seem crowded? Did you have a line to board? We will be there the end of July so it may be busy.

Was the Bateaux-Mouches boat crowded? Were they covered and how was their commentary?

Thanks for your reply!

My hotel is suggesting www.bateauxparisiens.com but I've read negative reviews for them.

Yes, there was commentary on the Vedettes de Pont Neuf cruise with a real person who sounded interested in what she did -- not just a canned spiel. It was a full boat load, but did not seem overly crowded. Very little line to board. Would advise getting there early enough to get a good top side seat

The Bateaux-Mouches boat seemed to be a bit more crowded and it was covered. The commentary was recorded if memory serves correctly, but my memory could be wrong.

Sorry, can't offer any insight about bateaux parisiens as we've never used them.

Thanks! That helped me make up my mind.

Does it start close to the Louvre?

Does the Bateau-Mouches start at the Eiffel Tower?

It starts close to the bridge near the tip of Ile de la Cite. The Bateau-Mouches starts much closer to the Eiffel Tower. Both have web sites that will indicate their starting point in relation to other landmarks. You can also go to bing.com, click on the maps tab, type in the name and it will show you maps, aerial views, maybe even birds eye views of the areas.

I like Vedettes du Pont Neuf. My favorite time is to leave just around sunset, seeing the sights as the lights go on and the beginning, but fully floodlit before the ride ends. On their webiste, you can print out a coupon to save a couple euros on the price, or even buy open tickets for a bigger savings (good anytime). The boats leave every half hour. For me, it's worth getting there just as a boat leaves, so you're first in line for the next one, for front-row seating - probably only necessary if you are fussy about photos.

I haven't been on the Bateaux Parisien. I much preferred the Vedettes de Pont Neuf to the Bateaux Mouches. The Bateaux Mouches have only recorded commentary in multiple languages, which means that when a language is on that the large group near you doesn't understand, they will be talking loudly over it. And there will be large groups on the Bateaux Mouches. The Vedettes de Pont Neuf are smaller and have a live guide, so people are paying attention - much more pleasant.

Do heed Chani's tips for saving money from their website; you can save a bit with a discount coupon good for any trip, or save more with a specific time booked in advance.

Thank you all so much for your help! Vedettes de Pont Neuf seems to be the right fit for us!

Here's one idea to do during the day, before you shell out lottsa $$ for the night one. Batobus. It's Paris' river-bus. It follows exactly the same route as the high-priced cruises... exactly the same route.
http://www.batobus.com/