Hop aboard let’s take a ride! There is no better way to spend your first full day in Paris than to take the Batobus hop on, hop off boat down the River Seine. Glide under historic bridges, see all the big museums from a river perspective and, of course, gaze in awe upon the iconic Eiffel Tower. On our Girls Trip 2023, we rode up and down the river enjoying all the sights-what a great way to get around Paris!

Not knowing what the weather would be like, we waited until we arrived in Paris and checked the forecast before heading out on our first full day with the intent to enjoy a boat ride and see the sights. Pulling up the website on my cell as we walked along the river, I found their nearest stop on www.batobus.com/. Our first planned “hop off” was at the Eiffel Tower. As it was early, we didn’t see any boats on the river yet and sure enough, the boat routes don’t begin until 10 am. You will learn soon enough that in Paris everything starts later in the day then in the US so enjoy sleeping in. Specialty shops are usually open 11-7 with a lunch break taken around 1-2. As many small shops are run by one person, they will close during their lunch hour. Coffee shops don’t open up at 6 am like their American counterparts-more like 7-8 am. Plan accordingly!

The Batobus ticket office that we found on the river walk wasn’t open yet, so as the boat pulled up to their designated dock, only those who had already purchased their tickets online were allowed on. As fast as I could get the tickets purchased on my cell wasn’t fast enough for the boat ticket taker who took off without us and we waited 20 minutes for the next one, our online tickets secured. We got the one-day pass for $20 euros, which is good for 24 hours from the time you buy it so it could technically span two days with careful planning of the purchase at a mid-day time. Boats run 10 am-7 pm on a designated route with stops at: Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Musee D’Orsay, Saint-Germain-Des-Pres, Notre Dame, Jardin Des Plantes, Hotel De Ville, Louvre, and Place De La Concorde.

Travel tip: don’t count on using the facilities on the boats-they have no bathrooms! There are seats under both open roof areas and closed roof areas depending on if you want sun on you or not. It was a hot day when we were there, so we opted for shady seats, going to the back where it was open to take pictures as we cruised by the various sites along the way.

Depending on the time of year that you visit, you’ll see the local Parisians and tourists lining the banks of the River Seine hanging out and socializing. Bring some food and wine, hope off the boat and join them to watch the world go by on the river and soak up the ambience. Stroll the street level sidewalks by the river in between boat stops to get some exercise and check out the classic green stalls filled with souvenirs, books, art and magazines.

You can take a really nice shot of the Eiffel Tower as the boat glides by. We hopped off, walked around the Eiffel Tower as best we could since there were lots of fences up and construction going on to prep for the 2024 Olympics. The Olympic countdown clock was near the dock, so we checked it out. I’m excited to watch the Olympics in Paris next year knowing we were just there enjoying this beautiful city. Hopping back on, we went up the river and around the islands in the middle of the river, île Saint-Louis and île de la Cité, which was more on the side of the city where our apartment was located. Plan an all day boat ride or just a few hours, but definitely take a ride on the River Seine while you are in Paris. Enjoy the journey!