Please sign in to post.

Louvre Museum / Night Time River Cruise

I will be in Paris with my Aunt and Cousin June 30 - July 3, how far in advance do you recommend the we purchase tickets. We are thinking about purchasing for July 1 as it is a Friday and the museum is open until 9:45 pm. We plan to do the Eiffel Tower that same day at 11am.

Also, I would like to purchase tickets for a night time river cruise. Can someone recommend a good tour company for this. I visited Paris in 1996 as a teenager and I thought the night time boat cruise was pretty awesome and I really think my Aunt will enjoy it.

Posted by
5298 posts

Carmen,
Do you plan to visit other museums besides the Louvre, or are you planning to visit Versailles?

If so, you may consider buying the 'Paris Museum Pass', for 2, 4 or 6 days.

The museum pass will allow you to skip the line at many of the museums (except for the security lines)

Here is the official website for the Paris Museum Pass: http://en.parismuseumpass.com

You did buy your Eiffel Tower tickets already, right?

We will be in Paris in June & plan to cruise the Seine via this company (recommended by RS' France book): http://vedettesdupontneuf.com

Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
17 posts

Thank you Priscilla!! Yes we do plan to visit Versailles and maybe a few other museums :) I will look into purchasing the pass

Posted by
1934 posts

This doesn't really answer your question, but just a thought. We also took a nighttime cruise down the seine in Sept. 2005 which was amazing! Everything lite up was so gorgeous! Then we went back in June 2014 and planned the cruise again. We never took it because I didn't consider how long it stays light in the summer. I believe the latest cruise I found finished before it even got dark. The darkness is what makes it so magical. I was disappointed to not be able to relive that experience, but also enjoyed the very long days for site seeing.

Posted by
8627 posts

You don't need to arrange a Seine cruise in advance; just go when it seems right -- a nice balmy evening (take a warm jacket). There is one that launches under Pont Neuf Vedettes Pont Neuf. You can buy tickets on line ahead and save a couple of Euro and then use them when you feel like it (you exchange the voucher at the dock). They sell them for day and evening cruises. There is a dock with the larger flat boats near Pont d'Alma on the right bank and near the Eiffel Tower on the left. If the boat is full when you arrive, there will be another one along shortly. Just not something you need to arrange ahead.

The Museum Pass is a convenience for the first trip; you can skip the long security line at the Orsay and use a special door with a short or non-existent security line. You can use a shorter security line at the Pyramid for the Louvre. There is a separate line at the Orangerie. At Versailles you have the super long security line and there is just one; just arrive about half an hour before the chateau opens and you won't have too long a wait and you can skip the ticket line once inside. With the museum pass you can also make brief museum stops without having to think about costs.

If you don't go with the pass then you can book timed Louvre tickets on line. I have been to the Louvre a couple of dozen times and never had a long wait because I used entrances other than the Pyramid, but I think there are fewer entrances and more security concerns now and so having the pass is not a bad idea -- or a timed ticket.

The one ticket you need in advance is the Eiffel tower and those go up and are sold out quickly 90 days in advance.

Posted by
2102 posts

We also used Vedettes Pont Neuf exactly as Janet has described after reading about it on this forum..thanks again. Very easy, a lot of fun. Purchased online and just walked up when we decided to go. We enjoyed the night cruise. Saved some euro too by purchasing online. Have a great trip.

Posted by
10691 posts

FYI all the boat companies--Bateaux Mouches, Bateaux Parisiens--are fine. I've been on all of them. You don't have go out of your way for only this one company. There are others too, including Canauxrama which does two runs each evening in summer, going through locks to get to the Seine.
(Company that does the canals during the day) It's twice as long only due to the locks. The later ride may be after sunset. I took the earlier one while it was still dayllight.

Posted by
696 posts

The evening cruise we took included the Eiffel Tower which was perfect. We were on the Eiffel Tower when the lights came on, and our guide pointed out key places both along the Seine as well as from the Eiffel Tower. The tickets for the cruise gave us access to all of the Eiffel Tower so I didn't have to struggle to get on the website at the exact time to get tickets. I do not remember the name of the company but I'm sure you can find a company via Google.

Posted by
6713 posts

We liked the Vedettes du Pont Neuf for the open air on top, but I agree that other companies do as good a job. It's true that nightfall will come very late when you're there, so you may want to plan for that.

It hasn't come up on this thread, but I'd also suggest you not take a dinner cruise. These cost more than the quality of the food would justify, and eating distracts you from the views around you. Why look at a plate of food when you can look at the Seine monuments? ;-)

Posted by
1014 posts

I second what Dick said. Do the cruise, not the food.

Posted by
5253 posts

Have done several and our favorite is Vedettes du Pont Neuf sitting on the top.

Posted by
346 posts

Avoid Bateaux Mouches. It caters to tour buses, and we found those on our boat to be very rude about talking non-stop when their language was not on during the narration, and they took group selfies non-stop, with not a thought about the fact that they blocked the view for others.

Posted by
7175 posts

If you are looking at museums that stay open late during your stay then note...
Thursday - Musee d'Orsay closes 9.45pm
Friday - Louvre closes 9.45pm
Saturday - Quai Branly closes 9pm
Sunday - Pompidou closes 10pm

Sunset being approx 10pm during your stay is the perfect time to join Vedettes du Pont Neuf after your Louvre visit.