St. Martin Canal tour

We did the Canauxrama cruise - it was okay...I got a little bored but the men and male children on the cruise loved watching how the locks worked. My husband liked it better than I did - he, cheerfully, accompanies me to flea markets so I never let on I was bored. The tour ends near the science museum so if you are interested take an early cruise and combine the two.

This question is asked now and then and I always add the observation that about a third of the canal is underground. Tunnels are not exactly "scenic" when you are in them but I enjoyed the novelty of the experience. At the end of the voyage, you might look at the various museums in the vicinity of the Villette boat basin -- music, science, and La Philoharmonie, a new concert hall. If you want to see more of the lively neighbourhood on the edges of the canal, the walk back to Republic Metro station will be a major stretch-of-the-legs.
http://www.cite-sciences.fr/en/home/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit%C3%A9_de_la_Musique
Both of these museums have activities aimed at kids.

We took the Canauxrama tour a few years back and it was very good. After the tunnel you float through some interesting neighborhoods. If you're going upstream, and sitting in the front row, you might get some splashing as the lock gates open. Put the kids up there and sit one row back! ;-)

I can't remember which one we did but I don't recommend it. You can stroll along the canal and watch the locks and on a nice day it is scenic and fun and there are lots of restaurants along the way; it can make a lovely day. But sitting on the boat for that length of time is extremely boring. If you were say wheelchair bound then it would be an ideal way to get out and see some of Paris without having to travel in chair or foot -- but for the normally active person and particularly kids, it is pretty excruciating. There were a couple of kids on our trip and they were not happy campers.

The tunnels are super boring once the novelty wears off -- although on a blazing hot day they are cool.

Subjective-depends on what YOU might like! My husband and I both enjoyed it. The museums at the end of the journey are interesting. We have been to Paris many times; this was something new and different. As I said, enjoyable and novel for both of us.

Thanks for all the comments. This will be my third trip to Paris and I will be there for three weeks. I am looking for unusual things to do that most tourists don't have time for. Something interesting and novel is exactly what I had in mind.

We took the Canauxrama tour. I loved it but it was slow. My husband and children were bored out of their minds by the end. In fact, when we got off the boat, he said "now, it's official we have done everything in Paris because I never expected to be this bored here."

Brenda -- I would encourage you to get ahold of Simms' book 'An Hour from Paris' which details about 20 wonderful day trips that are not as well known as the obvious ones like Giverny, Chartres, Versailles, Fontainebleau etc. We particularly enjoyed Auvers sur Oise, Senlis, Moret sur Loing and Crecy la Chapelle -- and also enjoyed gardens at Rambouillet and Sceaux. You can see snapshots of some of these in my photo journal if you are trying to choose:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/day-trips-from-paris/

There is also a guy who operates under the name of French Mystique who is an American expat married to a French woman who does personally crafted bike tours in the countryside around Paris. This is a great way to get off the beaten track and see villages you might not otherwise visit. http://www.frenchmystiquetours.com

Be sure to add St. Denis to your list of things to do in Paris -- it is just over the line but is on the metro and is IMHO one of the most memorable sites to visit in this area. In the travel journal if you click on the Paris category off to the right of the page there are a bunch of sort off the beaten track things we have done recently that might inspire you to come up with your own list.

Nothing more fun than having serious time in Paris after you have see the tourist sites. Have a super time.