At a glance
- While the Seine is a smaller river than big hitters like the Rhine and the Danube, you’ll still find plenty of choice for a cruise, from budget options to all-out luxury
- Options are more limited for families and solo travellers, but there are operators out there catering for their needs
- A Paris boat tour, before or after your cruise, is a must-do, with many operators offering low-priced options
Why trust us
World of Cruising, along with our sister publication Cruise Trade News, has one of the UK’s most experienced teams of cruise journalists. Our experts have racked up hundreds of nights at sea and sailed with most cruise lines. Most weeks, one of our writers will be at sea or on a river. We don’t just write about cruising, we experience it.
About Seine River cruises
As one of the UK’s most popular publications for cruise enthusiasts, we usually deal with multi-night voyages – what you’d call proper cruises where you get a cabin, meals, excursions and more.
This ‘best of’ won’t be any different to any other on this site: we’ll tell you about the top sailings on the Seine, whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, all-out luxury or something suited for solo travellers or families.
Where this article will differ a little is that we’ll also add categories for the best Paris sightseeing boat tours on some of the City of Lights’ bateaux mouches.
This is because sightseeing boat trips are one of the best ways to experience Paris, and since most proper Seine cruises start in the French capital, you should be able to combine your sailing with some extracurricular sightseeing on the river.
But without further ado, let’s find out what the World of Cruising expert team’s picks are for the best Seine River cruises.
Best for affordability: CroisiEurope
CroisiEurope is a French cruise line, operating over 50 river and coastal ships in Europe, Africa and Asia. From the beginning, the company’s aim has been to make cruising more affordable while still providing a high level of service.
Why choose CroisiEurope? When looking for a full-week river cruise on the Seine, you’ll find a few options around the £1,400-per-person mark, but – in truth – the lion’s share of sailings will come in north of £1,800 per person.
With CroisiEurope, it’s not uncommon to find sailings hovering just above £1,000 per person. Granted, unlike many other cruise companies, CroisiEurope’s prices are cruise-only, so you’ll need to factor in flights and transfers.
But, as most Seine cruises start and end in Paris, a city with several airports, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding decently priced travel options. Even once you’ve taken these additional costs into consideration, CroisiEurope should come out trumps on price.
Expect a slightly stripped-back cruising experience. Excursions, for example, are not included in the fare. You can book these with CroisiEurope for a supplement (they are usually keenly priced, with some costing as little as £23) – but keep that in mind as these will add to the bill.
Overall, you’ll get the best value if you’re an independently minded traveller who doesn’t mind exploring at their own pace, rather than relying on cruise line excursions.
See offers: CroisiEurope
Best for luxury: Viking
If not the oldest player in the river cruising game, Viking, which started operating in 1997, is certainly one of the most established companies out there. With nearly three decades of experience, the Scandinavian line is a well-oiled operation, offering a sophisticated yet understated cruising experience.
Why choose Viking? The term ‘quiet luxury’ encapsulates the Viking experience; its ships harness the Scandi-chic look – nothing ostentatious, just beautifully appointed ships that feel both homely and luxurious.
When it comes to the Seine specifically, Viking has a classic eight-day Seine itinerary, Paris and the Heart of Normandy, which starts and ends in the French capital. This voyage stops in La Roche-Guyon, Vernon, Rouen, the beaches of Normandy and Les Andelys. Prices start from around £2,500 per person.
Another Viking itinerary – London, Paris and D-Day – is a go-to if you have an active interest in World War II history. This cruisetour starts with three nights in London, which serves as a base for visits to Bletchley Park, the Churchill War Rooms and Portsmouth’s D-Day Museum.
The journey then takes you to Paris from where you’ll start your Seine cruise, with more World War II-focused excursions along the way, including the Utah Beach Landing Museum. Prices start from around £3,990 per person.
Viking has a destination-focused approach, combining curated shore excursions with cultural enrichment. Tours are in small groups and led by local guides. On board, Viking completes the experience with talks, tastings and regional cuisine that reflect the character of northern France. With adult-only sailings and an emphasis on quiet elegance, Viking is a top option for a luxurious Seine cruise.
Viking’s prices include flights from the UK, transfers, full-board meals, one free excursion per port, speciality teas and coffees, bottled water, Wi-Fi, and beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner.
See offers: Viking
Best for solo travellers: Riviera Travel
Riviera Travel is another brand with a few decades of experience and know-how under its belt. Launched in the early 1980s, when it offered camping in the south of France, the company has grown into touring and then cruising over the years. Riviera Travel now operates ships on most European rivers and, in recent years, has started actively targeting solo travellers.
Why choose Riviera Travel? In the river cruising world, no other brand has made more of an effort to adapt its offering to the needs of single travellers. Riviera Travel has a range of solo-only cruises and select others where the single supplement is waived on some cabins.
The solo sailings are built around the needs of solo travellers, starting with an icebreaker event on the first day. A Tour Manager is also on hand to make sure everyone is having a good time, or helping people find dining companions if they don’t wish to eat alone.
Riviera Travel’s river cruises for solo travellers have proven popular and often sell out, so you might not always find the exact date or destination you want. But, at the time of writing this article, a Seine sailing with departures this year and next was available.
This Seine, Paris and Normandy voyage is on MS Jane Austen and follows a classic itinerary; it sails from Paris to Les Andelys, Rouen, Caudebec-en-Caux, Honfleur and Vernon before heading back to the French capital.
Prices start at £2,599 and include flights or Eurostar, seven nights’ accommodation, full-board meals, a drink package, Wi-Fi and excursions.
See offers:Riviera Travel
Best for families: A-ROSA
A-ROSA, a German company, started operating river cruises in 2002, first on the Danube, before expanding to other European rivers, including the Seine. Like Riviera Travel has done with solo travellers, A-ROSA has adapted its offering to go after a market not always well served by river cruise operators: families.
Why choose A-ROSA? When it comes to families and river cruising, there isn’t a huge amount of choice out there, with many operators being either adults-only or setting a minimum age (usually between eight to 12 years) for guests. And even the lines without age restrictions generally do not offer any special programmes or facilities.
There are a few exceptions. Adventures by Disney, the guided tour division of the Walt Disney Company, runs a few family-friendly river sailings, chartering ships from AmaWaterways. Tauck Bridges, a sub-brand of premium tour operator Tauck, is also offering family-oriented river sailings.
But if you’re looking at family-friendly cruising on the Seine, you’ll get the best range of options with A-ROSA. The German brand has two itineraries on offer (a seven-nighter and a five-nighter), with departures in spring, summer and autumn.
The ships have kids’ clubs and animation programmes, some excursions are designed with children in mind, A-ROSA supplies port guides with family information, and there are swimming lessons available during the summer holidays.
Prices start at 798€ (£680) per adult for the five-night sailing. Children up to 15 cruise free when booking a Deck 1. The price doesn’t include flights, but A-ROSA’s Premium All-Inclusive board is. This includes meals, drinks, onboard entertainment, e-bike hire and more.
See offers:A-ROSA
Best sightseeing boat tours in Paris
As mentioned at the start of this article, we’re also going to give you our views on some of the best boat tour providers in Paris. As their name suggests, these boat tours are not what we’d call proper cruises. But they’re a great way to experience Paris before or after sailing on the Seine.
Here are our top picks for sightseeing boat tours in Paris:
Bateaux Parisiens
The company offer hour-long cruises from the Eiffel Tower with individual audio guides from 17€ for adults. There’s also an option to cruise from Notre Dame for an hour with live commentary and a glass of Champagne, starting from 39€. Lunch cruises (from 79€) and dinner cruises (from €99) are also available.
Vedettes de Paris
A good option for eco-conscious travellers, Vedettes de Paris operates electric boats, with the dual benefits of being both better for the environment and silent, letting you enjoy the view without engine noise. The is a live guide, or a smartphone app, so you can listen to the commentary at your own pace. Prices start from 20€ and departures are from the Eiffel Tower.
Batobus
Batobus (‘bato’ for bateau – boat in French, and ‘bus’ for, well... ‘bus’) is – as you may have guessed – a hop-on, hop-off river shuttle; it loops around some of the top sights in Paris, stopping at the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, Orsay Museum, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Notre-Dame, the Jardin des Plantes, the Hotel de Ville, the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde. A 24-hour pass costs 23€.
Canauxrama
Although Canauxrama will set you back a little more than other boat trips (tickets start at 25€), the cruise is longer (two hours) and it’ll cover both the Seine and the Canal Saint-Martin. The Canal Saint-Martin is a 4.5 km waterway in Paris linking the Canal de l'Ourcq to the Seine. Built in the early 19th century, it winds through atmospheric neighbourhoods, iron footbridges and old locks.
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