Paris is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Traveling to other cities, you often hear them compare themselves with Paris. Why? Because Paris is one of the most important cities on earth. Have you ever been to Prague or Budapest? Both cities often refer to themselves as the Paris of Eastern Europe. It is a fact that Prague and Budapest are beautiful cities, even though they cannot be compared to Paris. But one of the things these cities have in common is beautiful rivers and popular river cruises. Is it worth buying a ticket for a river cruise if you visit Paris? And what about Prague and Budapest?
Many of the river cruises in Paris start close to the Eiffel Tower (near Pont de bir Hakeim/Pont D”Le’léna) and then ends near Pont d’Austerlitz. During such a trip, you can see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Musée Orsay, Musée de Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the Petit Palais, lots of bridges, Jardins du Trocadero, Invalides, and many other famous areas and landmarks.
Knowing why you want to go on a river cruise in Paris is important. Some companies offer tours in which you have to sit quietly on a chair while listening to a guide (sometimes in the middle of a boat quite far away from the windows), while other cruises are meant for you to walk around, take photos, buy drinks, and relax. Before you decide what river cruise in Paris to buy a ticket for, make sure to find out what your goal is with the trip. Would you like to know as much as possible about what you see? Is it more important to enjoy a nice drink or a meal? Read thoroughly about the different trips available to find the one suitable for you!
It is worth watching the city from a different perspective!
During a river cruise on the Seine, you will see the city from a different perspective and many beautiful buildings and areas within a short time. You will see more during daytime, but if you decide to go on a river cruise in the evening, you can see beautifully illuminated buildings and bridges, something by many considered an even more fantastic experience than during the daytime.
You can see many details and areas while on a river cruise in Paris that you cannot see during a normal guided tour in Paris or if you walk the city by yourself. Many details along the Seine and surrounding the bridges can only be seen on a river cruise, so pay close attention and listen to the guide (if there is one).
Different river cruises available in Paris.
There are plenty of river cruise options available in Paris. A very popular tour combines a 1-hour river cruise during daytime or nighttime with a drink/waffle/ice cream before or after the trip’s start. The dessert can be picked at a stand 25 meters from the boat peer, and the waffle/pancake/ice cream quality is very good. The trip itself is all about sightseeing, and on a busy day you will be on a fully packed boat with no space to move around (except for when you go to the toilet). The trip has an actual guide standing in the front and sharing information, meaning that it is about listening and learning, not chatting with your mates and walking around.
Would you rather enjoy a relaxed tour of the Seine River in the evening with a three-course menu and live music? Does it sound nice to have a large upper deck where you can walk around, dance, take photos, and enjoy the fresh air? Many cruises are offering such packages, and they are ideal for those who want to combine a river cruise with a dinner, but without an annoying guide trying to make you pay attention all the time.
These are just some options, but if you click the links, you can read information about many other tours besides what we have just described.
Are river cruises in Paris better than similar cruises in Prague and Budapest?
We already mentioned that many compare Prague and Budapest to Paris, and the cities clearly have nice rivers in common. While the Seine River flows throw Paris, Vltava flows through Prague, and the Danube through Budapest. A river cruise in any of these cities can be recommended, but if we would have to pick one of them as the very best, it would probably be a river cruise in Budapest. Why is that?
Even though Paris is a more impressive city, Budapest has a panorama that neither Paris nor Prague can compare with. You don’t see a lot in Prague during a river cruise beside the Vitus Cathedral, the Castle area, and the Charles Bridge. Paris has several beautiful buildings and bridges, but the Danube in Budapest and the city surrounding the river on both sides make it even more suitable for a beautiful river cruise experience.
This is our subjective opinion. We are not saying you shouldn’t do a river cruise in Paris. We are truly saying that you should visit all three cities, go on a river cruise, and then return here and share your thoughts about which experience you enjoyed the most.
Good luck, and we look forward to hearing from you!
