Hop on / Hop off bus - Worth it?

jeri.vickerman

We did this on our arrival day when we went to Paris. Yes it was a good way to get oriented, but. I would not count on it as a good way to actually get around. In other words, just stay on it and dont "hop off". We got off at on stop (I think it was Les Invalides) and couldn't get back on because each bus that followed was full with no one getting off. So we wasted about an hour just waiting for a bus to continue the circuit. Now this was in July and it was crowded and midday, but you see how things work. It was a great way to keep moving and stay awake, but not so much for sightseeing. We've done a HOHO in other places, one where it was the same, and one where it worked out great.

The HOHO bus is slow, infrequent, often caught in traffic, and you’ll actually see little if it is raining, and it rains a lot in April.

I would give it a miss. However, the river cruises are very interesting, and you’ll quickly get an overview of the city. Consider Vedettes du Pont Neuf which offers discount coupons on their website:

https://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/

I believe a HOHO is the ideal thing to do when you first arrive and are jetlagged. You can see some sites, get oriented and not have to use too many brain cells. When you have had a good night's sleep, use the Metro to get around. The times we've ridden the HOHO, we actually didn't do a lot of hopping off. We got off once or twice, but we mostly rode and decided what we wanted to come back and see again on our own.

I wholeheartedly agree with kayla, we love HOHO buses wherever we go. We even did the one in SF, lol. They’re a lot of fun and a great way to see where you are. They’re also great when you need a break from walking and want to sit but still want to be out and about.

We don’t use them for transportation, we don’t get on and off, we just ride the 2-3 hr circuit. We enjoy being up top, at the very back.

Obviously they are not good if it’s raining. Sitting inside on the 1st level is not recommended, not a good use of your time or money as you can’t see much.

Imo, it doesn't matter which company you go with.

We found out the hard way that sitting down on a HoHo bus after a long flight - sleep deprived and jet lagged - wound up being little more than an expensive nap. It's one of those things that sounds better in theory than it actually winds up being in practice.
Better (IMO) to stay on your feet, move around in the sunshine (hopefully) and start acclimating to your new environment.

I agree that HOHOs are a poor form of transportation from point A to B, and getting off one means taking a chance of being stuck awhile waiting for one with empty seats. In other words, "hop off" is easy, "hop on" can be hard.

As for using a HOHO on arrival day to stay awake, that kind of depends on the individual. I'm pretty sure I'd start nodding off as the motion rocked me to sleep, the way a baby sleeps in a moving car. But for someone else it might be just right.

Jeri- why do you think you will be jet lagged are you doing an all night flight and getting in early in the morning?
Things take a lot longer than you think from plane landing to checking into your hotel could be a good 90 min to 2 hours. Once you check in I would ask the front desk for restaurant recommendations and walk to the restaurant. Take your time, feel the vibe, people watch. Then just walk around or visit a park, like Jardin du Luxembourg or go over to the Trocadero and get some great photos of the Eiffel tower and check out all that is happening there (maybe grab a crepe) . Then go to bed at the normal time, wake up on Paris time in the morning.

Did the HOHO bus once on arrival day. Won't make that mistake again. DH and I had to take turns elbowing each other awake, and we were foggy brained enough that the next day neither if us remembered much of what we might have seen. Now we make a habit of walking, and familiarizing ourselves with the local area on foot.

I made that mistake once, it was warm thebus was slow and I slept. I don’t think it’s a good way to get over jet lag. It’s a good way to get a nap however😂

I have found wandering the bouquinistes along the Seine and people watching from a cafe make the best introduction to Paris in a jet-lagged fog. You stretch your legs, move for awhile, and then sit in a lovely area getting oriented to central Paris. La Brasserie at the tip of Île Saint-Louis is an ideal spot.

I wouldn’t waste the money, for all the reasons described already. Don’t under estimate the amount of traffic in Paris. You’ll spend a lot of time going no where. We did an open air bus tour of Christmas lights around Paris and traffic was horrible. That’s why the metro is the best way to get around Paris.

If you want a nice scenic tour of Paris, do the Seine cruise at Pont Neuf. It’s especially beautiful in the evening, when you’ll pass the Eiffel Tower just as it’s twinkling. Otherwise spend your time wandering a bit, scoping out the neighborhood bakeries for breakfast.

I am a fan of the HOHO bus as a way to get my bearings quickly in a new city and fill in any gaps in my advance itinerary planning. I know that many people look down on it but I’ve used in Europe (in Paris and Rome) and the US with good results. I’m not sure about the first day since it is important to walk around in the daylight to try to adjust to your location/time zone but you could grab a 2 day ticket and see how it goes.

Enjoy Paris!

We didi the Paris HOHO when we first arrived. We were too tired from walking to the hotel to want to walk anymore. We thought the HOHO was a good way to get oriented. We stayed on the top (open air) deck to stay awake. We got off at one stop, and waited a long time there for another bus that was not jammed full to come by to get back on, so my suggestion is not to get off but take a roundtrip. The stop was not far from our hotel, so it worked out fro us.

I have used the HOHO as a way to orient to cities on my travels including NYC, London, Madrid, Berlin and Paris, and I won’t use the HOHO in Paris anymore! On my 1st trip to Paris in 1999 it was great: several routes and it worked for hopping on and off. Last April there was only one route and it was very crowded and hard to get on and impossible to HOHO and get quickly get back on. There were several companies to choose from and none seemed a good value based on the limited routes and crowded conditions. If you do choose to purchase a ticket, go very early or late for a limited tour or just squeeze on and stay on moving to better seats as they become available.