My husband and I will be visiting Paris in April.
Is there a specific night time river cruise that you recommend or enjoyed?
What is the best type of ticket to purchase to visit Notre Dame Catheral? My husband has some mobility issues. I'm a little concerned about my husband having to wait in a long line.
I appreciate your help. Thank you
Is there a specific night time river cruise that you recommend or enjoyed?
I would do a cruise that starts about 30 minutes before sunset.
Notre Dame Cathedral is free. There are free timed tickets you can get which allow you to enter without a line. Does your husband use a cane or mobility device? If so you can go to the staff member who is at the timed entry gate and they will likely let you directly in. I've been in Paris with a friend who uses a cane and I was shocked at how often a staff member came to get us out of line and ushered us in. They are so very kind.
There is a charge for the tickets to climb the towers of Notre Dame but you're probably not going to do that.
IF you decide to book the timed entry do it directly from the official website.
https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/visit/reservation-free/
I'm not one to take the river cruise but there are several and it might just be easiest to take one that is near where you will be on the evening you plan to do it.
Many of us like Vedettes du Pont Neuf. They use smaller boats with live English and French commentary. However, you will need to climb stairs to get from the street level down to the river. And also, the best seating is on the upper deck.
If stairs are an issue, you should probably choose a cruise near the Eiffel Tower area a taxi can bring you closer to the boarding ramp.
Although limited free reservations can be made 2 days in advance, you do not have to have a ticket to enter the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Usually, the wait is less than 15-20 minutes. Admission is free.
Does your husband use a cane? You will find in Paris that using a cane or other mobility device will allow you special access to most venues. Here's the information for
accessibility at Notre Dame.
Another possibility would be to attend a service at Notre Dame. There are several throughout the day, plenty of seating and you could look around the Cathedral afterwards. There is a separate entrance for those attending services.
I know that the boat dock just upriver from Pont d'Alma is ramped and good for people with mobility issues. The one at the Eiffel Tower might be, but I don't know. Vedettes Pont Neuf involves steep scary stairs right behind the statue of Henri IV on Pont Neuf. I think there is a way to access without those stairs but it is not obvious. So I'd do the one at Pont d'Alma. All the cruises take the same route.
Mine is another vote for Vedettes du Pont Neuf for reasons stated above. We purchased the Open Ticket online that is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase at 16 Euros--one Euro more than a ticket that has a scheduled date and time. We preferred that flexibility in case of rain, fatigue, just didn't feel like it that day or we extemporaneously planned something else. You do walk downstairs to the boat and upstairs for the best view, but you could sit downstairs.
The website for ND tickets has relaxed since we visited just a few weeks after it reopened. Then, tickets were strongly advised. Now it appears that it is just a suggestion. Even when we visited, we didn't need to show our tickets, but it was a rainy January day after everyone had returned to school and work. If you're going around Easter, it might be more crowded and in demand.
At the Eiffel Tower area, you will find the Vedettes de Paris which are smaller cruise boats with electric motors and live commentary in English and French. You might want to avoid the Bateaux Mouches and other large boats that have a recorded description in five languages; the last time I took one of those, it was very difficult to understand.
