Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches: 70 years of cruises on the Seine

For 70 years, the Bateaux-Mouches have been sailing on the Seine in Paris. Today, cruises on the Seine are an integral part of the Parisian landscape, but in 1949, the year of the creation of the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches, it was quite a novelty!

The History of the Bateaux-Mouches: but why the name “bateau mouche”?

• Nothing to do with flies!
• The Bateaux-Mouches are so called because the 1st boat to have made trips on the Seine was called the Vieux-Mouche.
• The Vieux-Mouche was a boat that transported visitors from one site to another during the 1867 World’s Fair.
• This boat was then bought by the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches, when in 1949, Jean Bruel created his company to show people around Paris by river.
• A visionary because he foresaw the development of mass tourism to come, Jean Bruel wanted to make the Bateaux Mouches an attraction that would allow tourists to admire Paris from the Seine day and night.

Cruises on the Seine today

• On their own, the Bateaux-Mouches are the 4th largest tourist attraction in Paris. After the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and the Pompidou Centre.
• Indeed, every year, 2.6 million visitors board a Bateau Mouche.
• If we consider all the boats on the Seine, 8 million people (tourists and Ile-de-France residents) take a cruise on the Seine every year.
• Traffic on the Seine in Paris is intense since there are 90 companies and 210 boats, such as those of the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches or the Vedettes de Paris or the Batobus to name but a few.
• Today, cruises offer simple one-hour walks or food cruises that last, depending on the offer, between 1 hour 15 minutes and 2 hours 30 minutes. With children, the 1h15 cruise is ideal.

Discover our reduced rates for Bateaux-Mouches

• The adult rate is €14
• The child rate (under 11 years old) is €6
• We offer discounted rates for couples and families
• Our prices can be as high as 25% off and sometimes during our flash sales, the promotion can go up to 30%
• The sightseeing cruise is free for children under 4 years old
• In any case, our tickets are valid for 2 years, with no restrictions on days or times.

DISCOUNTED E-TICKET*
Free for children under 4 years old*Your E-tickets are undated. Immediately on your smartphone, no need to print them.