Paris Canal offers canal cruises in Paris
Paris Canal is a company that offers cruises on the River Seine and on the canals in Paris such as the Canal Saint-Martin, and having over 30 years experience in the industry with three different boats, which are suitable for a family outing through to a romantic trip with a guide speaking French and English, they also offer privatisation and tailor made packages for large groups, receptions and corporate events.
About Paris Canal in Paris
The name of the this particular cruise company is called Paris Canal, and they have been in operation for well over thirty years, and have three different boats, which provide a variety of cruises both on the River Seine and on the different canals in Paris, as well as on the River Marne.
And although there are set cruises available for individuals, they can provide tailor made cruises for this such as wedding receptions, cocktail parties, corporate events including seminars, etc on any one of the three boats within their fleet.
Now the largest boat in their fleet is called La Guepe Builssonniere is elegant and comfortable, that has a spacious covered room with large windows for great views. Whereas the slightly smaller boat called Le Canotier, which translates in English to The Boater, has a more intimate and warm feeling, but has a lovely upper open promenade deck along with an open area at the front, which are ideal for nice days, rather than sitting inside.
The smallest boat in the Paris Canal fleet is called Le Martin-Pecheur, which transpates to The Kingfisher in English, and this is very well suited for canal trips, especially on the Canal de l’Ourcq, and again it has an open air deck plus a lovely sun deck at the back, or stern, as well as the normal inside space.
The Cruises with Paris Canal
The most obvious is a River Seine cruise, and lasting just over an hour you depart from the Paris Canal dock at the Port de Solferine by the Musee d’Orsay at the Quai Anatole France in the 7th Arrondissement.
And this tour takes you along the left bank so that you can admire places like the Institut de France and then goes round the Ile de la Cite so that you can see monuments like the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Conciergerie, along with some of the famous monuments on the right bank of the River Seine such as the Hotel de Ville, which is the city hall, but not forgetting the former royal castle turn museum called the Musee du Louvre.
The River Seine cruise with Paris Canal also take you up to the Eiffel Tower and past the Trocadero Gardens prior to its return at the Musee d’Orsay, and along your journey you will also get to see many of the bridges in Paris including the oldest called the Pont Neuf and the most elaborate of the Pont Alexandre III.
And for an adult this is a cost of €14 as of 2014, with a reduced price of €12 for senior citizens and people aged between 12 and 18, yet children under the age of 11 are only a cost of €7 and under 4s go free.
However, one of the most popular cruises with Paris Canal is the Canal Saint-Martin Cruise, and you can opt to enjoy the approximately two and a half hour cruise starting at 9.30am from the Musee d’Orsay dock where you arrive at the Parc de la Villette at around 12.30pm. Or you can go from their dock at the Parc de la Villette, which leaves at 2.30pm and arrives back by the Musee d’Orsay at around 5pm.
Whichever option you choose, you will get to enjoy the same magnificent sights and historical monuments in Paris, and this is a quick rundown of some sights you get to see like the Port d’Arsenal with its fabulous view to the July Column located at the Place de la Bastille.
You then go under this square in Paris within the truly mysterious vault or tunnel that is over 1km long and emerge on the Canal Saint-Martin with its romantic towpaths, footbridges and the locks.
You will be able to see a bust statue at the Square Frederic Lemaitre, the historical building of La Rotonde de la Villette that was constructed in the 1700s, then on to the Bassin de la Villette. And after navigating the Pont Levant de la Rue de Crimee, which is the only lift bridge in Paris, you will reach the Canal de l’Ourcq and the Parc de la Villette where you get to see places such as The Geode and the Cite des Sciences museum prior to disembarking.
Also, on this Canal Saint-Martin cruise there is a guide who tells you different bits of history, stories and anecdotes in French, then in English, so you have the opportunity to discover and learn more about the history of Paris like from when the canal was first constructed, etc.
Now children are more than welcome on board for this cruise, although it is not advisable for young children due to the length of time it takes, as they could get rather bored. And the cost of this cruise with Paris Canal is €20 for an adult as of 2014 with a reduced price of €17 for people up to the age of 18 and senior citizens, however, children 11 years old and under are a cost of €13.
Accessing Paris Canal Cruises
As you have probably gathered, there are actually two departure points available for the Canal Saint-Martin cruise. The first is the Quai Anatole France at the Port de Solferino in the 7th Arrondissement by the Musee d’Orsay and the nearest Metro station is the Solferino stop serving line 12. The other dock for boarding is at the Parc de la Villette by the Folie des Visites du Parc in the 19th Arrondissement and the nearest Metro station to this is the Porte de Pantin stop serving line 5. But when it comes to the River Seine cruises with Paris Canal, these depart and return from the Port de Solferino dock.
Yet we would like to point out that they only run on set days depending upon the time of year. And from October through to April they run a limited number of excursions on a Monday to Friday, but from May to September there are additional cruises available and the company also operates on a Saturday as well.
It seems that booking tends to be required for most of the excursions, especially during the winter months, and this can be done via their website or by telephone. Alternatively you can book in person at their office located on the Quai de la Loire at the Bassin de la Villette, with the nearest Metro station to here being the Jaures stop serving lines 2, 5 and 7.
