Paris > Sightseeing / Batobus water bus

Batobus water bus

ABOVE: The Batobus is a "hop on, hop off" water bus on the River Seine.

By Durant Imboden

Compagnie des Batobus operates a fleet of identical trimaran water buses, with nine stops along a circular route that covers both the left and right banks of the Seine: Tour Eiffel, Place de la Concorde, Louvre, Hotel de Ville, Jardin des Plantes, Notre-Dame, St-Germain-dés-Pres, Musée d'Orsay, and Invalides.

From these stops, you can easily reach the leading sights in central Paris. You can hop on and off the boats as often as you like.

Fares: The last time we checked in November, 2021, the online fare for an adult ranged from €17 (one-day pass) to €19 (two days), with lower rates for children. Substantial discounts are available to holders of student, RATP, or SNCF cards. If you decide to settle in for a long stay, you can buy an annual pass.

Where to buy passes: Online (see Batobus link below), at any Batobus stop, at the Paris Tourist Office, and at other authorized locations. For the best price, buy online: If you purchase a one- or two-day pass in person, you'll pay €2 extra per adult and €1 extra per child.

When the boats run: Year-round, with frequencies of 20 minutes (summer) to 30 or 45 minutes (winter). See the official Batobus Web site for seasonal hours of operation, current offers, and online ticket purchases.

Also see: Paris 'hop on, hop off' sightseeing buses

About the author:

Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (including Paris for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About our site, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

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