How to Cruise the Seine
For a range of budgets
When it comes to Seine-side activities, there’s picnicking or strolling façon flâneur/flâneuse along the river banks (or swimming, at least until the end of August!), and then there’s gliding on the water, preferably with a drink in hand.
The latter option isn’t created equal: you’ve got the mass tourist cruise options like Bâteaux Mouches and Vedettes de Paris (great for simple sightseeing but wouldn’t recommend dining on them), and you have more intimate cruises. For my friend
‘s birthday two years ago, a group of us went in on a surprise and rented an electric boat with Green River Cruises, kitted out with plush leather seats, a table for snacks, and, of course, a captain who led the way for a couple of hours. It is perhaps one of only a few typically touristic outings that I genuinely love, partly because it’s so rare to see the city from this perspective, in this light.Given how special it is, and how stable the weather has shockingly been (at times very hot but with far less rain than last year), it’s no wonder inquiring minds have emailed to ask which operators are worth booking for their own joyride. While I haven’t tested every single company operating public and private river cruises, I can vouch for the selection below: