A quick fix to tired feet or general walking malaise can be had for a pittance. Bateaux Mouche prowl the Seine in style and if you don’t mind feeling like you’re on a cattle car smooshed together with a lot of other international tourists, get over it and buy a ticket.

A ‘bateau mouche’ is a term used generically for such tourist boats on the Seine and does translate literally as “fly boats” (“fly” meaning the insect); however, the name comes from the fact that they were originally manufactured in boatyards situated in the Mouche area of Lyon.

Time your cruise:  Daytime cruises take about 1-1/2 hours.

High season (April to September)
10•15am – 11•00am – 11•30am – 12•15pm
1•00pm – 1•45pm – 2•30pm – 3•00pm
3•30pm – 4•00pm – 4•30pm – 5•00pm
5•30pm – 6•00pm – 6•30pm – 7•00pm

Low season (from October to March)
11•00am* – 12•00 – 1•00pm – 1•45pm
2•30pm* – 3•15pm – 4•00pm – 4•45pm – 5•30pm*
6•15pm – 7•00pm – 7•45pm – 8•30pm* – 9•20pm
Extra departures on weekends from 10:15am
A minimum of 50 passengers is required for the boat to leave the quay

Fares: It’s  best to go directly to their site. Lunch and dinner cruise prices can change. Click here: http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/en/tarifs.php  The company has nine general cruise boats and 6 restaurant boats.

Board here: Pont de l’Alma
75008 Paris
Metro: Alma – Marceau

“Nighttime is probably the right time to be with the one you love” when you’re in Paris. The boats blast the banks with light and all the monuments look pretty sensational. Seasick prone? Not a problem, the super wide hulls are totally stable. Best seat, front row…but of course. Shimmery and golden as they glide the river, this boat ride is a nice time-out. Of course there are other boats that basically cruise the same route, but this one has been on the job since 1949. Experience counts.

Once you’re rested, refreshed and ready to hit the town, get back on track with No Worries Paris, best walking guide for the city of light.