Hi everyone,
In a previous thread, someone recommended that we take a sunset river cruise, but that we depart from the Notre Dame dock/stop instead of the Eiffel Tower.
I saved that info, but am having trouble finding a company that leaves from the Notre Dame stop and would love some experience based recommendations.
Regarding time: In my searches, it looks like the only ones that may sail at/around sunset include dinner; is this accurate?
All the Seine companies have evening cruises without dinner -- you can just walk up and get a ticket -- no reservations needed. I don't know of one at Notre Dame. WE have used Vedettes Pont Neuf which launches from just under Pont Neuf -- the stair down is by the statue of Henri IV in the middle of the bridge.
There is also a boat that launches at the Eiffel Tower and one that goes from a dock just upriver on the right bank from Pont d'Alma.
I like Vedettes du Pont Neuf because the boats are comfortable, the narration is live, you can sit up top, no reservation is needed, and they start and end in a part of Paris that's more interesting to me. But the differences between these companies don't matter a whole lot.
I'm sure you can get an evening cruise that doesn't include dinner, though not all the lines may offer that. I think a dinner cruise divides your attention between the scenery and the food, and there's usually much better food available onshore. But it can be a time saver if you want to eat and eyeball on a tight schedule.
Whoah; that company’s site says sunset is at 1039pm in mid June. Is that accurate?
That’s like Alaska. :)
We might do the 10:00 cruise to see things as the sun sets.
Paris is further North than Maine
Paris is further North than Maine
you learn something every day!
I like to use www.sunrisesunset.com for those times. Be sure to tick the box for Civil Twilight. I think this link will work for a calendar for Paris for June 2023. I include them in my daily itinerary so I've got an idea of what I'm working with.
Of course you can also plug in your other destinations because it looks like you are going to Italy and Switzerland?
I second Dick's posting about Vedettes du Pont Neuf: after trying several of the river cruises I think that Vedettes du Pont Neuf is by far the best. Plan to be 1 of the 1st boarding and find a seat upstairs, outside at the front. Sunset is pretty good but the absolute best was their last night time sailing (in May, I think it was 10:30 p.m.). They paused by the Eiffel Tower to watch it lighting up. Unforgettable.
Sunset is pretty good but the absolute best was their last night time sailing (in May, I think it was 10:30 p.m.). They paused by the Eiffel Tower to watch it lighting up. Unforgettable.
Do you know if this only happens on the last cruise of the night? On our date, it looks like the last departure is 2245. Won't the Eiffel Tower be lit up by then?
All the cruises stop to see the lights once they've begun for the evening. You don't have to be on the last one.
if you take one of the cruises with no food included can we bring our own food? wine ?
Re: bringing your own food or wine on a Seine cruise where refreshments are not served. I am not sure about specific rules, but I wouldn't. The seating is fairly tight, for one thing. Then there's the etiquette aspect. If you want to picnic, I would find a spot on dry land.
