Seine River Cruise in Paris

Almost every sight on a first trip to Paris sits within a few hundred metres of the Seine. A boat puts them in order for you: the Eiffel Tower, the glass roof of the Grand Palais, the long façade of the Louvre, the Conciergerie, the back of Notre-Dame with its flying buttresses, and more than a dozen bridges, each one different. On a first evening in the city, an hour on the water does more for your sense of direction than any map.

It is also one of the most touristy things you can do here, and we think that's fine. Parisians don't take these boats, but plenty of them will tell you the view from the river is the one they'd show a visiting friend.

Three kinds of boat

The one-hour sightseeing loop. This is what most people mean by a Seine cruise. Big open-deck or glass-roofed boats leave from a handful of piers, run east past the islands as far as the Île Saint-Louis, turn and come back, with recorded or live commentary in several languages. You don't need to book far ahead outside July and August. For most first-timers, this is the one to choose.

The hop-on hop-off boat. A river shuttle with nine stops between the Eiffel Tower and the Jardin des Plantes, running on a day or two-day pass. It sounds ideal and suits some people well: families with tired legs, anyone crossing the city several times in one day, or a wet day when walking is miserable. As a sightseeing trip it's slower than the loop, the commentary comes through an app rather than over the speakers, and in summer the boats can be full at the busiest stops. Treat it as transport with a view.

The dinner cruise. Two to two and a half hours with a set menu, tablecloths and a window seat if you're lucky. Some are formal with a dress code, others are closer to a floating brasserie. The food is rarely the reason to go; you're paying for the setting. For a birthday or an anniversary it can be lovely. For a good meal, eat on land and take the one-hour boat afterwards.

What time of day

Go in the hour around sunset. You see the stone buildings in warm light on the way out, and on the way back the bridges and the quays are lit. Being on the water when the Eiffel Tower sparkles on the hour is the moment people remember. In June the sun sets late, so this can mean a boat after 9pm. In winter it's done by late afternoon.

Daytime boats are calmer and better for photos of the architecture. A midday cruise in August, on an open deck with no shade, is the one we'd avoid.

Which bank to board

It matters less than people think, because the loops all cover the same central stretch. Pick the pier nearest to what you're doing before or after. The piers below the Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank are the busiest and suit an evening at the tower. The Pont de l'Alma, on the Right Bank, is a short walk from the Champs-Élysées. The small pier at the Square du Vert-Galant, on the tip of the Île de la Cité under the Pont Neuf, is the most central and the easiest to pair with Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle.

For a one-hour loop, the main thing to decide is open deck or covered boat. Open decks are better from May to September. From November to March, a glass-roofed boat keeps you warm and still gives a view, though reflections on the glass spoil photos after dark.

Look for these things when you compare:

• Where the boat leaves from, and that the loop covers both the Eiffel Tower and the islands.
• Whether the commentary is live, recorded or in an app.
• Ticket flexibility. Many one-hour tickets are open-dated or valid for any departure that day, which helps if it rains.
• For dinner cruises: the dress code, the menu, and whether a window table is guaranteed or only "subject to availability".

Most operators sell tickets online and at the pier. Booking ahead makes sense for dinner cruises, sunset departures in summer and groups. Some city passes and combined tickets include a cruise, so check what you already hold before buying.

When the Seine floods, usually in winter or early spring, the river is closed to boats because they can't pass under the bridges. Operators refund or rebook, but check the official site on the day. See our best time to visit guide for the seasons.

• Sit on the side facing the bank you care about. Heading east from the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre is on your left and the Musée d'Orsay on your right. The boat turns, so you'll get both eventually, but the first pass is the less crowded one.
• Bring a layer. Even on a warm evening, the wind on the open deck is cooler than on the quay.
• Arrive fifteen minutes early at the busy piers in summer. The best seats go to the first people on board.
• Keep an eye on your bag while you queue on the quays near the Eiffel Tower, where pickpockets work the crowds.
• Combine it with a walk. Take the boat, then walk the stretch of river you liked most. Our things to do list has the riverside walk from Notre-Dame to the tower.
• With children, one hour is about right. A two-hour dinner cruise tests anyone under ten.