Batobus

Excellent suggestion from a fellow traveller from Spain. Such a great way to move from one place to another. We got the 2day pass and did the last sailing of the night the second day, best way to see Paris at night, then decide where you want to get off and join the festivities, as there were so many chooses on this busy August night! Highlight = seeing all the different bridges in the heart of the city along the Seine!

The Batobus experience was our surprise star of the trip! We purchased tickets at the stop next to the Eiffel Tower after a trip to the Tower’s Summit and a picnic in the grass below. We unexpectedly got the student discount after showing them our American Student ID (my husband and I are both grad students in our 30’s.) We hopped on the boat– which came right on time– and were pleasantly surprised by the view, the speed, and the leisurely atmosphere. We hopped off right in front of the Musee D’Orsay (faster than the metro).
The real win was in the evening. After a very satisfying dinner in St Germain de Pres (see my review of Relais de l’Entrecôte), we were unsure if we would be able to make it back to the Eiffel tour on the Batobus– our stated goal for the day. We went down to the Notre Dame stop, and got on just after 9pm. They weren’t clear about how far the boat would take us, but the sun was setting, the weather was perfect, and we didn’t really care! The advertised «end of service» says that the LAST boat LEAVES the Eiffel Tower at 930. What they don’t tell you is that boats will continue to run and drop you off at the Eiffel Tower PAST 930. We stayed on the leisurely boat for about an hour down the Seine. As we approached the Eiffel Tour stop, it had just been lit up for the evening. At the top of the hour (around 10 pm at this point), the Eiffel Tower started its hourly «Sparkling” — when the lights on the entire tower flicker. It was perfect timing, and we were perfectly positioned on the boat to see it and snap some amazing pictures. We were absolutely thrilled that the trip worked out perfectly. Since this was the last stop, we got off and hopped on the metro (RER line C) back to our apartment in St Michel. It was so worth the $ 10 for the day, and the last 1 hour was priceless!!! This is a must-​do for a beautiful evening in Paris! (Side note: We also snuck on a bottle of wine and two glasses for our romantic 1+ hour boat ride!)

Basically, it’s a shuttle on the river that take you to 8 – 9 tourist attractions along the river. There’s no commentator and it’s like sitting in a floating greenhouse.
It come to each station about every 20 minutes, the workers are polite, and you can get a student discount (€ 10 tickets even with US student ID!).
It’s a great bargain, and a good change from walking all over the city. My knee was dying from walking through different parts of the city before I finally decided to take this. I wish I would’ve just done it sooner!
*Highly recommend.

The coolest way to get around Paris! Not only does it drop you off and pick you up at the top Paris tourist spots but it’s also such a beautiful way to travel around the best city in the world. It is 16 euros to use the Batobus as much as you want for the day. We hopped on at the Eiffel Tower and rode it down to the Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame, Pont des Arts bridge, the Louvre, and some great shopping areas. A must do!

I wish we had discovered this transportation on the first day of our trip. There is so much to see and experience in Paris and we only had 1.5 days to do so. We planned on a river tour and subway trips to each site, and this kills two birds with one stone. It takes you very close to all sites (except perhaps the Arc De Triomphe, which is still quite a distance, walking). It was neat seeing Paris from a different perspective and then once we got to the sites, we could listen to and experience whatever kind of tour we wanted. They even came back for us as we ran to the dock at one of the stops (so nice!), as it often takes 30 – 40 minutes for another boat to loop back to each destination. If your feet are sore from exploration or you have a physical disability, please note that there will be stairs to climb at each stop, cobblestone streets to walk on and walking to some sites once the boat docks. Great deal and allows you to cover far more ground in a short amount of time. We would recommend this to anyone seeing Paris for the first time!

Ça tombe bien, j’ai un ami qui est conducteur de Batobus. J’ai pu le rejoindre dans sa petite cabine. C’est une large navette avec un toit en verre qui fait escale dans 8 stations de la capitale.
Le bateau part de la Tour Eiffel, passé par le Musée d’Orsay puis Saint Germain et Notre Dame jusqu’à Austerlitz. Après avoir franchi la gare, il fait le tour de l’île, il atteint Hotel de Ville, le Louvre et enfin se dirige vers les Champs-​Elysées prés du pont Alexandre III.
Comptez moins d’une vingtaine d’euros pour un billet valable de deux jours. Moins d’une dizaine d’euros pour les enfants. Des tarifs réduits existent aussi pour les possesseurs de la carte Imagine R.

It’s hard to give this amazing water tour of Paris fewer than five stars, but I must. We wanted to get the two day hop-​on, hop-​off pass, which was a great value. But, instead they gave us a one-​day pass. I explained that I would like the two day instead and the woman said that the one-​day were already charged and they couldn’t be changed. This inflexibility was extremely disconcerting, but we forged ahead and had an amazing day of true enjoyment. I suggest getting the two-​day pass if you plan to explore Paris, as the boat is a preferred option compared to the underground metro and complicated public buses. The hop-​on, hop-​off bus is another option and I believe that you may be able to buy packages of the batobus and hop-​on-​hop-​off bus together.

C’est un des meilleurs «bon plan» de la capitale. Visiter les plus beaux monuments de Paris en voguant sur la Seine c est allier l utile à l’agréable. Pour un prix raisonnable (10 € avec le navigo) permet de prendre le batobus toutes les 25 minutes et de se rendre à la tour eiffel, le musée d’orsay, au pont des arts, a notre dame, aux jardins des plantes, à l’hotel de ville, au louvre et aux champs-​elisées. 8 escales incontournables.

Im giving this operation a 2– however, the concept is fabulous! Who doesn’t love a water taxi in the Seine with hop on/​off access?
The low score is for the design flaw on these boats. They are basically floating greenhouses– there is no out door seating, and under the glass on a warm day you bake. On a hot day: heat stroke. Miserably hot with no breeze, and slow– this commute is not fun!
Seating is terrible– pack in 500 people onto a tiny boat– there is no legroom, no isles for safe walking, baby strollers filling the isles. Basically a floating safety hazard.
Love the concept, boat needs a redesign, and ridiculously expensive– 18 euro for one day.
Sad!

I’ll admit, when it was first suggested to me that we do this, I turned my nose up and scoffed. A boat tour of Paris? But then I found out it’s not really a tour, it’s a way to see the city from a different perspective and get from place to place for one flat rate.
Yup — you buy one ticket and its good for the entire day, so you can hop on and hop off as many times as you like to get to wherever you want via the Siene. Fabulous!
You purchase your tickets from one of the kiosks that are placed at each one the six stops. The Batobus will take you to the Eiffel Tower, Musee d’Orsay, The Louvre, etc. via the river all day long — last ride is at 7pm.
I loved sliding along the river, breeze in my hair and sun on my face, peering up at the gorgeous bridges and buildings that took on a whole other form. I couldn’t help but feel like I was experiencing the Paris of long, long ago — a city built on the banks of a small island that expanded along this beautiful river. You can see so many cool things and get around rather quickly — each stop is about 10 — 15 minutes apart.
There is a guide but he was really only sharing information about the bus route and stop times — this is in no way a guided tour of Paris. It’s a super fun way to get around central Paris, and something I initially snubbed ended up being one the most enjoyable parts of my trip!

Used the service during the Saturday of the France v England 6 nations match. Picked the boat up at the Eiffel Tower landing. Great viewing with the glass top. Perfect for hopping on and off. Used the service most of the day before metro to Stade de France. You see so much from the river! The only downside was no running commentary re: sights etc…15 € for the day was great value.

By far the best and most economical way to introduce yourself to the layout of Paris. You can jump on and off this line and don’t have to listen to crackly speakers breaking your eardrums. Another boat comes along ever

J’ai voulu prendre le Batobus avec mes enfants pour leur faire découvrir notre ville autrement, mais j’ai trouvé les employés bien mal informés. Nous avions décidé d’embarquer à l’arrêt Louvre et la guichetière me propose de prendre l’option «chasse au trésor» pour les enfants. Il me semblait avoir vu sur le site Batobus que cette option n’étais pas compatible avec toutes les stations de départ, mais elle m’a dit qu’il n’y avait aucun problème.
Résultat, après avoir dépensé 2×3 € pour mes petits pirates, je me rends compte en embarquant que les énigmes sont incompréhensibles si on né commence pas la visite par Châtelet, puisque la Tour Eiffel est là où la chasse se termine. Je n’ai pas pu faire jouer mes enfants, et en plus en voulant récupérer notre «butin» au Bistro Parisien (à l’arrêt Tour Eiffel), la serveuse, même aimable, me dit qu’ils n’ont plus de bonbons donc qu’elle nous offre un glacé en face. Problème: nous venions juste d’acheter cette glacé ! Les parents pourraient être prévenus de l’itinéraire à suivre, et surtout de ce qu’on gagne à la fin, histoire de né pas payer avant pour quelque chose qui sera offert ensuite… J’étais assez remontée contre la personne qui m’a vendu les forfaits chasse à trésor. A sa décharge, elle m’a signalé que mon pass Navigo me permettait de payer ma place 9 € au lieu de 15 €: bon à savoir !
Sinon, la balade est très agréable, le bateau confortable, on n’attend pas trop à chaque arrêt, et les endroits desservis sont plutôt stratégiques. Nous le referons… mais sans chasse au trésor ;) NB: pas de toilettes à bord mais des distributeurs de boissons et snacks.

Der Klassiker unter den Pariser Seine-​Touren.
Ab der Haltestelle Musée D’Orsay (gegenüber dem Louvre), wo auch die im Internet vorgenommenen Reservierungen gegen Tickets eingetauscht werden, fahren die Touren-​Boote insgesamt 8 Stationen, rund um die Cité Seine-​Insel, vom Jardin des Plantes bis zum Eiffelturm an.
Während man auf den quasi schattenfreien Booten bei den östlichen Segmenten der Hop-​On– /​Hop-​Off-​Rundfahrt eher einen Brückentag hat (die Ufermauern sind dort zu hoch, um viel von der Stadt zu sehen…), gibt es in der anderen Tourhälfte ebenso interessante, wie entspannte Ausblicke auf die Uferanlagen und Gebäude.
Der Versuch einer mehrsprachigen kurzen Erläuterung der Sehenswürdigkeiten rund um die jeweilige Anlegestelle ist sicher lieb gemeint, bleibt aber aufgrund mangelder Verständlichkeit eher erfolglos. Auch, wer wirklich sonnenbaden oder den Abend genießen will, mag bei Anbietern mit Sonnendeck oder Abendprogrammen besser aufgehoben sein.
Wer jedoch einfach nur die Stadt kennenlernen möchte, ist mit dem Batobus (und seiner resoluten, aber sehr herzlichen Crew), sowie den im Paket angebotenen Busrundfahrten oder Flughafenshuttles sicher sehr gut bedient.
Tip für Online-​Reservierer: Mitbringen müssen Sie zum Erst-​Einchecken am Musée D’Orsay nur die ausgedruckte (!!) Reservierungsbestätigung — nicht den Kassenbeleg (frz. Ticket = Beleg), da selbige gegen das eigentliche Ticket eingetauscht und ordnungsgemäß abgeheftet ;-) werden muß. Vergessen? Nicht sooo schlimm: Es gibt in dem Kassenhäuschen eine Liste der bezahlten Reservierungen für den jeweiligen Tag. Etwas guter Wille (auf beiden Seiten) und ein gültiger Personalausweis funktionieren manchmal auch.

We were tired and needed a break from walking and museums so decided that this would be the perfect time to take the Batobus. We got on as took the complete circuit in one sitting and by the time that we returned to our starting point we were completely refreshed. The «bus» stops and very briefly at the stops so that is not any inconvenience. While you do not have a tour guide pointing the various buildings out to you, most of the buildings are recognizable and you shouldn’t have any trouble. I highly recommend this option versus the traditional boat tours.

The Batobus is really only worthwhile if you plan to take it as a bus. They don’t fill you in on the sights from the river at all, just say a sentence or two at the stop about what’s nearby. They could do a lot more to make it something interesting instead of a «bus» ride.
When we took the Batobus, we got out at St. Germain and then when we went to get back on they loaded about 30 people and then left about 10 of us standing there like idiots. (There was a lot of room on the boat.) We wound up walking. Jerks.

We had a rather unenjoyable experience with the Batobus. We bought the one day ticket and planned our day’s itinerary around using the water taxi to go from site to site. In February the maximum length of the wait at any stop is supposed to be 25 mins. We took 3 trips. We waited 20 mins for the first boat, 40 mins for the second, and nearly 1 hour for the last. It was a freezing and rather miserable day. When we requested a refund or partial refund for the disrupted service we received multiple excuses why it could not be done. We will complain via the website, but expect no results.

This was a neat way of getting around the city to a majority of the famous tourist spots while enjoying a breeze and the sights along the Seine. I didn’t pay attention to how often the buses arrived, but I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus whenever I was ready to hop on again. We knew the bus guides would not actually provide a commentary on each stop, but they did announce in French, Spanish and English all the stops and brief instructions. I would recommend using the Batobus for at least the first day to become familiarized with the layout of some of the major spots to visit in Paris.

Great way to travel the city, but it can be a little slow if you are crunched for time. You’d never guess the amount of Europeans sunbathing along the river banks (in the middle of the city…) in their speedo’s.
I highly recommend taking at least one boat ride at night to see the city lit up; if nothing else to avoid the sunbathers…

We bought the 5-​day pass to use during our 7-​day vacation in Paris. We took at least one water taxi ride each day, and it was money well spent!
Sometimes you want to get somewhere fast, and you take the Metro. Other times you walk, but when you don’t want to and aren’t in a hurry, you can hop on a Batobus to your next destination. It’s fun to float along the Seine and take in the scenery, day or night. The staff are professional and cheerful, and the water taxi idea is just genius. The stops are at major tourist attractions: Louvre, Champs, Eiffel Tower, St. Germaine, Notre Dame, Jardin des Plantes, and Hotel de Ville. Unfortunately it only goes in one direction, so sometimes it doesn’t make sense to take the Batobus but when it’s headed where you it’s a good option.

des mini bateaux mouches ! pas toujours très rapide mais si vous voulez perdre un peu de temps agréablement, n’hésitez pas à utiliser ce joli moyen de transport

Un moyen sympa de se déplacer dans Paris ! Avec un ticket pour la journée, on monte et descend au grès de nos envies.
A faire au moins une fois lors d’une belle journée ensoleillée !

I loved batobus. I purchased the all day pass and got to ride it along the Seine river. So relaxing. I seriously could just do that all day long. I think I paid 14 euro for my day pass. True it is more expensive than taking the Metro, but you get to be in the water and relax and look up at some building tops. You can’t do that on the Metro. Plus hey I am a tourist, we are allowed to splurge a little bit. But the locals don’t take this form of transit. My friend’s family had never heard of this boat, because they always take the Metro. LOL.

The cool breezes of the river, the beautiful lyrical bridges that carry you back in time, the students sitting on the river bank in little claques, drinking wine with their friends before the end of the term, all are offered you by using the Batobus as your means of transportation up and down the Seine. We blundered into a stop near Concorde on our first walk in Paris, and read the sign carefully. Thankfully we understood that the more days you paid for, the less it cost. We opted for the two day for 18 Euros pass, and then got on the boat.
Friendly staff and an international crowd of tourists made each trip an adventure, and we found ourselves planning trips around the routes. We took hundreds of photos from the boats, and learned what was close to each station. For a modest fee, It was sight seeing on steroids!
We later learned that you can combine the Batobus with the Hop-​on-​Hop-​off bus, and would definately use this next time!

Oui le batobus c’est génial, un bon moment de détente pour la tête et pour les pieds. Pas de rush, pas de stress, que du bonheur

The Metro seems to be the most convenient form of transportation around Paris. If you need to get somewhere far along the Seine, however, I would highly recommend taking the Batobus. There’s nothing like taking a scenic ride down one of the most famous rivers in the world. For just 14 euro (9 for students, whoo!), you have the whole day to go wherever you want along the river. The employees are all really friendly and used to dealing with tourists.
One complaint I would have is that it takes quite a while compared to a ride on the metro. However, it is worth the great views and the breeze of the river rushing past your face!

Der BatoBus ist eine der großartigen Einrichtungen der Stadt Paris. Für eine Tageskarte zum Preis von inzwischen 14EUR kann man zwischen Eiffelturm und Rathaus auf der Seine die Stadt entdecken und dabei so oft ein-​und aussteigen wie nötig.
Zusätzlich hat man eine wirklich tolle Aussicht auf schöné Teile der Stadt, bekommt einen groben Überblick und geniesst auch Strecken, die vielleicht auf der Strasse gar nicht so schön gewesen wären.
Tickets an jedem Ein-​und Ausstieg, die sind gut ausgeschildert wenn man auf das Logo achtet.

Croisière commentée

Batobus is a great way to get around and see Paris. It travels to all the major sites and you can hop on and off as you please all day with your pass. You can get some really good views of the sites from the river as well as catch some sun all the while leisurely cruising along the Seine.

C’est bien en amoureux ou vraiment que si on vient d’arriver à Paris sinon c’est bof car assez mécanique, pourquoi je né pourrai pas mettre 2,5 étoiles? Je me demande si on né peut pas faire un trajet similaire avec une petite péniche en petit comité, ça serait déjà plus intéressant…Puis en hiver ça caille comme pas possible.

Die Batobusse fahren von morgens bis abends die Seine rauf und runter.
Man kann an vielen verschiedenen Orten/​Sehenswürdigkeiten ein– oder aussteigen.
Das zum Tagespreis von nur 13EUR, Studenten zahlen 10EUR.
Also es lohnt sich wirklich, vor allem bei gutem Wetter, wenn die Sicht gut ist.

Ca y est ! Cette semaine, Bertrand Delanoë a divulgué son nouveau plan d’aménagement des quais de Paris. Les travaux devraient faire la part belle aux piétons. Exit donc les automobilistes et les bus sur plusieurs tronçons. Les travaux devraient prendre fin d’ici 2012.
La compagnie Batobus a tout à gagner dans cette nouvelle configuration de nos quais qui vont véritablement devenir le 21ème arrondissement de Paris.
Aujourd’hui, ce sont surtout les touristes qui empruntent ce mode de transport fluvial. Mais on prévoit l’aménagement de nouveaux arrêts sur la Seine. Ce qui pourra tenter certains parisiens.
Sachez que si vous possédez la carte Imagin“r”, Intégrale, Emeraude, Améthyste, ou n’importe quelle carte étudiant, vous avez le droit un tarif préférentiel.

Visiter Paris en se baladant sur la Seine.
C’est pas chouette ça ?
8 escales: Le Louvre, l’Hotel de Ville, la Tour Eiffel, Saint-​Germain des Prés, Notre-​Dame, Jardins de Plantes et Champs Elysées.
Vous êtes touristes à Paris? N’hésitez pas, c’est ce qu’il y a de mieux. Le service est bien assuré, et puis vraiment c’est quand même quelque chose de suivre le cours de la Seine.
Passer sous les plus beaux ponts, voir les monuments historiques dans toute leur perspective, et surtout profiter du beau temps quand il fait beau.
Vous êtes parisiens ?
Vous aussi faites-​le. C’est merveilleux, ça donne l’impression d’être touriste dans sa propre ville.
UN SUPER BON PLAN.
Le plus: l’abonnement à l’année coûte 60 €.