Canal St Martin

Do you mean the starting place of the boat ride? When we took that, it went from near La Vilette to near Bastille. There are several Metro stops near La Vilette, depending on what you want to do (like have a meal) before you get on the boat. In high season, I'm sure the ride sells out.

There are two companies I know of that do this Paris Canal which runs from the river near the Musee d'Orsay to Villette and Cauxrama which runs a canal cruise from the Arsenal near the Bastille metro stop also to Villette. Both go through the St. Martin Canal. I know the CAuxrama runs underground near the Arsenal but don't know the exactly front end route of the Paris Canal trip.

The Seine Cruises are round trip but this one on St. Martin is one way.

The trip is one way but there is a Metro stop close by that takes you right back. You might want to visit the Science Park, which is almost right where you get off the boat. Very interesting and fun.

For the Canauxrama trip, which we enjoyed, Bastille would be the best Metro station. As I recall, the boats leave from the northeast corner of the Arsenal Basin, easiest to reach from the Metro exit that's attached to the Opera Bastille on Rue de Lyon. Cross Rue de Lyon and then Blvd. de la Bastille, and it should be on your left down the steps to where the boats are. As noted above, the boat goes through a long tunnel, emerges into daylight, then goes up the canal to Bassin de la Villette, in the northeast part of the city, where the nearest Metro is Stalingrad.

I never heard of a return trip from Villette to Arsenal, but maybe there is one. They have to get the boats back down somehow!

The actual canal trip gets some mixed reviews, look elsewhere on this site. The most picturesque section of the canal in the city centre is near Jacques Bonsergent metro station.

I like the St-Martin canal ride, especially the locks, but always warn prospective voyageurs that the first three kilometres, from Arsenal, are mostly in a tunnel, a novel but not exactly picturesque experience. The boat goes in both directions, of course. The science museum, the music museum and the new philharmonic concert hall make Villette a worthwhile destination on its own. Look at Google Maps to get a better idea of the urban landscape. It also shows Metro stations. Or check the mass transit site http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/visiting-paris/

Like Southam ( above) I enjoyed the Canal St Martin "cruise" , though young adults I was with once found it boring. Maybe it is a "mature adult" pleasure. It is certainly a good way to relax and rest the tired legs.

I am a very mature (well by age) adult and I found the canal trip like watching paint dry. It is a godsend for people with mobility issues; they can sit down and see parts of Paris they would otherwise not see. But if that is not an issue, the slowness is excruciating. You can stroll along the canal in the more picturesque parts, watch the locks (very fun a couple of times) and the interesting sideways swinging bridges and then go get coffee and stroll somewhere else. ON the boat there you are for hours. And the novelty of being in an underground tunnel gets old fast as well.

You might actually stroll along the canal and watch one of the boats going through a lock and decide if that is how you want to spend a large chunk of a day.

If it's a nice day, and you're fit enough to walk a few blocks at the time, I'd recommend strolling along the canal, either before noon or around 3 to 4 PM. There are cobblestones, so wear appropriate footwear.

You will see nothing very interesting from the boat - unless you're just interested in hydrodynamics - but you will see lots of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants if you walk down any one of the side streets leading away from Canal Saint Martin.

If you would like to go on a boat cruise, you'd probably enjoy an one-hour round-trip tour on a "bateau mouche" - go after sunset, when you'll see the city and the bridges illuminated.

"vedettes du pont neuf" is the best company to consider.

I'm with janettravels on this one. After one or two locks the entire trip was agonizingly boring and slow, with only the view of the backsides of warehouses to contemplate. It is a one way trip and we were so happy for it to end. Walking along the canal as others have advised is your best bet.

I took the Canauxrama trip. I enjoyed it mostly because the guide was very good and we found we had a lot in common, so when he wasn't "spieling" we had some interesting conversation. The ride along the canal is touted as "romantic" - it isn't. It's long, and rather boring, especially going through the locks which is very slow. I remember just watching the few locals watching the boat going through the locks. There was a portion that I thought would make a really nice stroll.