Vedettes du Pont Neuf Boat Cruises on the Seine in Paris

An Hour-Long Tour Covering the Basics

By Courtney Traub

Updated 05/28/18

Seine river cruise at Notre Dame de Paris
••• Manfred Gottschalk / Getty Images

One of several popular operators offering sightseeing boat cruises on the Seine river, the Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf company offers simple, one-hour cruise tours with audio commentary available in 12 languages. Major sights and attractions include the Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay, the Invalides, and the Louvre Museum. Overall, the basic tour gives you a glimpse of around ten major monuments.

While the Vedettes—which is named after the eponymous, elegant bridge in central Paris—does not offer lunch or dinner cruises like competitors Bateaux-Mouches or Bateaux-Parisiens, it remains one of the more solid choices for a simple cruise tour of Paris and its most recognizable attractions and monuments. If you're a first-time visitor to the city of lights, definitely consider a boat tour: it's a relatively economical, relaxing, and simple way to get an overview of the monuments situated along the Seine, learn a bit about Paris history, and, well, just enjoy the ride and fresh air.

Pros

  • No reservations required
  • The tour shows you some of the city's essential attractions in only an hour
  • A good choice if you want to stay near the Paris city center
  • Snacks and drinks are available on board at the Captain's bar

Cons

  • No lunch or dinner cruises available
  • Cruise includes fewer attractions than many competitors—not especially comprehensive
  • Only one boarding point available

Practical Information and Contact Details

Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf's fleet of four boats seat between 72 people for the smaller cruiser and 550 people for the largest one, and offer panoramic views of the city.

Boats dock and launch near the Pont-Neuf bridge, at Square du Vert Galant in the 1st arrondissement.

  • Tour Length: Tours last approximately one hour. No reservations are necessary, but in peak months they are highly recommended
  • Tel: +(33) 01 46 33 98 38
  • E-mail: info@vedettesdupontneuf.com
  • Visit the official website for prices, current departure times, and booking.

Commentary Languages Available

Commentary is available in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, and Danish.

What You'll See on the Tour

The Vedettes du Pont Neuf sightseeing cruise takes you along a circuit on which you can see the following sights and attractions:

Eating and Drinking Onboard?

While there is no lunch or dinner service available, the Vedettes boats are equipped with a "Captain's Bar" selling drinks and snacks. We don't recommend that you bring your own snacks on board. Instead, plan on eating lunch or dinner before or after the tour: it's only an hour, after all.