Best boat trip on the Seine

I like Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf for their open-air top deck, good live narration, and convenient starting point in the heart of the city. No need to reserve ahead, just go when the weather's right and you want to get off your feet for awhile.

Others may have other choices, few have tried them all. My only other suggestion would be not to do a dinner cruise, so you can enjoy your beautiful surroundings without being distracted by food. Eat onshore and focus on the food there.

Agree with Dick.

Agree with the travelers who posted above. We boarded at the base of the Eiffel Tower, just down the steps to the river.
Bought our tickets out of a machine on the dock and had to wait only about 15 minutes for our night cruise (1 hour) along the Seine. It was winter - so dark early enough to see all the city lights. It was magical and we sat up on the top deck and had a lovely view of Paris.

It doesn't matter. Take the one that is convenient when you want to go.

Pick the location most convenient for you -- we usually stay near the Latin Quarter, so Vedettes de Pont Neuf is a favorite.

They are basically the same.
You should go in the nighttime, so the bridges and monuments are all illuminated.

We've taken several different ones and Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf is, in our opinion, the best. The night cruises when the lights of the city are on are much better than those during the day.

If you do go with Vedettes de Pont Neuf (and I preferred them too), note their web promo discounts. One is good only for a specific sailing, but another is good for any boat.

The problem with Bateaux-Mouches was that the recorded narration was in multiple languages. When a language was on that a group didn't understand, they simply talked - very loudly - over it. Since it gets a lot of tour groups, each language in turn got drowned out, and that included English. By contast, on the Vedettes de Pont Neuf, the guide spoke French live, then used a recording for English, and the boat was smaller. Everyone was much better behaved, and both the French and English could be heard. I think it's cheaper to boot.

I find the experience of a Seine cruise different by day and by night, and enjoy them both.

They are usually handing out discount coupons for Vedettes du Pont Neuf on the sidewalk in front of Notre Dame.