Seine River Cruise (Updated 2018)

At the start of our Seine River Cruise, we passed the Eiffel Tower in the evening. Seine River Cruises typically begin and end in Paris. © 2014 Monica Frisk

On a Seine River cruise, you most always begin and end your trip in Paris, where ships dock within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. Cruises are usually roundtrip to Rouen, Caudebec-en-Caux or Honfleur. You should note, however, that few vessels can actually make it to the center of Honfleur for docking.

From our stateroom on CroisiEurope’s Botticelli, cameras ready as we sail into the heart of Honfleur. Few river cruise vessels can actually make it to the center of Honfleur. CroisiEurope’s vessels can as can Scenic’s ships. © 2014 Ralph Grizzle

What We Like About A Seine River Cruise

• The experience of Paris. Ships often overnight in the City of Light, giving you ample time to explore, not only during day but also in the evening. I’ve walked the distance between our boat and the Eiffel Tower twice, in fact, on two separate evenings on a couple of Seine River cruise sailings. See Two Overnights In Paris On Avalon Creativity and CroisiEurope’s Botticelli: Boarding In Paris
• Monet’s gardens in Giverny. Visiting Monet’s gardens is like walking into one of his impressionistic paintings. You can get to the gardens by bus or by bike. We chose to bike on one our visits – recommended if you’re an active traveler. Have your camera handy – and your sketch pad if you’re an aspiring artist. See Impressions Of An Impressionist’s Gardens In Giverny and Vernon & The Art Of Claude Monet.
• The Landing Beaches of Normandy. Most Seine River cruise itineraries list Normandy as a destination. However, travel to Normandy is by motorcoach rather than riverboat. I traveled to the Landing Beaches from Rouen, about 90 minutes away, with my teenage son. We watched “Saving Private Ryan” on our iPad on the way to the American Cemetery. See A Trip To The Landing Beaches & A Stunning Discovery At The American Cemetery.
• Honfleur. The extremely picturesque port inspired many well-known artists. It will inspire you to raise your camera – many times. A must see.
• Les Andelys. Ships dock within walking distance of  Chateau-Galliard, built by Richard the Lionheart in only two years between 1196 and 1198. My teenage son and I hiked to the top for incredible views. See In Les Andelys: Conquering Richard The Lionheart’s Castle
• Rouen, the “city of 100 spires,” as the writer Victor Hugo characterized the capital of Upper Normandy more than a century ago. The writer Gustav Flaubert was born here and wrote Madame Bovary more than 150 years ago. Claude Monet lived in an apartment across from the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Jeanne d’Arc, more popularly known in the English tongue as Joan of Arc, was burned at the stake and martyred in Rouen. See Roses & Ruins In Rouen, And A Young Lady Martyred & Remembered

Inspiration for Claude Monet’s Water Lilies paintings in Giverny. © Ralph Grizzle

About the Seine River

The Seine River begins in the Burgundy region of France about 20 miles northwest of Dijon. It flows in a northwesterly direction for 482 miles before emptying into the English Channel at Le Havre and Honfleur.

The Seine is indirectly connected to the Saône River through the Yonne River and Burgundy Canal. Only barge riverboats or other smaller vessels can traverse the waters between the Seine and Saône, though. On the western portion of the river, the Seine is considered navigable for some ocean-going vessels from the English Channel to the city of Rouen.

Many bridges cross the Seine River. The Pont de Normandie Bridge connects Le Havre and Honfleur; and in Paris, the Pont Neuf is one of  the city’s 37 bridges over the Seine. Pont Neuf was built around the beginning of the 17th century and is the oldest bridges in Paris.

In 1991 UNESCO added The Banks of the Seine in Paris to its list of World Heritage Sites.

Check out our video featuring our Seine River Cruise on CroisiEurope’s Botticelli

A Seine River Cruise

Although, the Seine is a winding river from Paris to the English Channel, most of the sites and scenery are historical, cultural or archaeological in nature rather than in the form of the beautiful landscape you’ll see on some of the other rivers in Europe.

There are two companies that do not travel on the Seine River – A-ROSA and Emerald Waterways.

The average itinerary length for a Seine River cruise is 8 days. Packages that combine other river cruises can be up to 23 days. The most common cruise is on the Seine, Rhône and Saône.

Prominent destinations often visited on Seine River cruise include:

• Paris
• Conflans
• Giverny
• Les Andelys
• Vernon
• Rouen
• Normandy Beaches

Also see Seine River Stateroom Size Comparisons | How Do Seine River Cruise Prices Compare? | What’s the Best Choice for a Seine River Cruise?

Companies That Offer A Seine River Cruise

This information is intended to give you an overview and a general idea of what different river cruise companies offer. With regard to itineraries – they change from year to year and sometimes within a year. The number of itineraries listed for some of the companies does not include reverse itineraries for packages that combine the Seine River with other waterways. For example, a reverse river cruise from the Seine and Rhône from Paris to Avignon would be from Avignon to Paris.

AmaWaterways Seine River Cruises

AmaWaterways features cruises on the Seine River roundtrip from Paris to Caudebec-en-Caux with an excursion to the Normandy Beaches. The company does not have packages that combine the Seine with any other river cruises.

• Packages: 8 days
• Number of Itineraries that include the Seine River: 1
  • Seine River Only: 1
• Ships on the Seine: AmaLyra

Avalon Waterways Seine River Cruises

Avalon Waterways features Seine River cruises from Paris to Caudebec-en-Caux, which is located between Rouen and Honfleur. Cruises on the Rhone and Saone rivers are between Chalon-sur-Saône and Arles. Travel between Paris and Dijon is by high-speed TGV train. Transportation between Dijon and Chalon-sur-Saône is by motorcoach. Read Ralph Grizzle’s Avalon Creativity Cruise Review: Seven Days On The Seine, Does Avalon Measure Up?

• Packages:  8 to 16 days
  • Seine River: 8 days
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône: 16 days
• Number of Itineraries that include the Seine River: 3
  • Seine River Only: 1
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône: 2
• Ships on the Seine: Avalon Creativity and Avalon Tapestry II

Interesting to Note: Avalon Waterways is the only company that includes Côte d’Azur in its Seine, Rhône and Saône river cruise packages.

CroisiEurope Seine River Cruises

CroiseEurope offers the most packages and has the largest variety. The company does not combine the Seine with other waterways but provides itineraries from Paris to Honfleur, roundtrip from Paris to Honfleur, and Honfleur to Paris. Read Ralph Grizzle’s day-by-day report, CroisiEurope Botticelli: Cruising From The Heart Of Paris To Honfleur

• Packages: 4 to 8  days
• Number of Itineraries that include the Seine River: 10
  • Seine River Only: 10
• Ships on the Seine: MS Botticeli, MS France, MS Renoir and MS Seine Princess

Interesting to Note: CroisiEurope offers Seine River cruises from into the hearts of Honfleur and Paris. No other river cruise vessels dock in Honfleur or cruise into the heart of Paris, past Notre Dame cathedral. Read about Ralph Grizzle’s evening cruise into Paris.

Emerald Waterways Seine River Cruises

Emerald Waterways does not offer cruises on the Seine River.

Riviera Seine River Cruises

Riviera River Cruises does not offer cruises on the Seine River.

Scenic Seine River Cruises

Scenic Cruises has an itinerary for the Seine River and another one that combines the Rhône and Saône rivers. Embarkation for the second cruise is  in Chalon-sur-Saône. Transportation is provided by high-speed TGV train from Paris to Dijon and motorcoach from Dijon to Chalon-sur-Saône.

• Packages: 11 to 23  days
  • Seine River Only: 11 days
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône : 23 days
• Number of Itineraries that include the Seine River: 2
  • Seine River Only: 1
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône: 1
• Ships on the Seine:

Interesting to Note: Scenic Tours is one of the only companies that includes a trip to Versailles in the Seine River cruise package.

Tauck Seine River Cruises

Tauck offers a few different options for the Seine River. Two of the itineraries are roundtrip from Paris to Honfleur. The other option is a cruise on the Seine between Honfleur and Paris with travel to or from London. Whether your trip begins or ends in London will determine the direction of your river cruise. If you depart from Paris, you will travel from Calais, France to Folkestone, England via the EuroTunnel. From Folkestone you will be transported to London. If your trip begins in London, the reverse will apply.

• Packages:  10 to 23 days
  • Seine River Only:10 to 14  days
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône: 23 days
• Number of Itineraries that include the Seine River: 4
  • Seine River Only: 3
  • Seine, Rhône & Saône: 1
• Ships on the Seine: ms Swiss Sapphire

Interesting to Note: Tauck has two itineraries the combine a cruise on the Seine with a tour of London. It is the only company that includes travel on the Eurotunnel between France and England.

Uniworld Seine River Cruises

Uniworld features river cruises on the Seine River from Paris to Caudebec-en-Caux. Travel to Normandy Beaches is by motorcoach from Rouen. And travel to Honfleur is by motorcoach from Caudebec-en-Caux.

The company also has two packages that combine a cruise on the Rhône and Saône with the Seine River.You will be transported via high-speed TGV train between Paris and Lyon, depending on the direction of your itinerary.

Lyon is located at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone Rivers. It is where your cruise on the Rhône and Saône rivers will begin or end. Lyon is located at the confluence of the two rivers. A visit to Macon, France  is the only other destination visited on the Saône River. It’s about 45 miles north of Lyon. The remainder of the cruise is on the Rhône River.

The other package, Ultimate France, combines a cruise in Bordeaux on the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers and the Gironde Estuary. Travel between Paris and Bordeaux is by motorcoach.

River cruises for this package are on the 1) Seine River; 2) Bordeaux; 3) Rhône and Saône Rivers if your trips begins in Paris or the reverse order if your trip ends in Paris.

• Packages: 8 to 22 days
  • Seine River Only: 8 days
  • Seine and Other Waterways: 15 to 22 days
• Number of Itineraries that include the Seine River: 5
  • Seine River Only: 2
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône: 1
  • Seine, Dordogne, Gironde Estuary and Gironde: 1
  • Seine, Dordogne, Gironde Estuary, Garonne, Rhône and Saône: 1
• Ships on the Seine: River Baroness

Interesting to note: Uniworld is the only company that combines three river cruises in one package.

Viking River Cruises Seine River Cruises

Viking River Cruises keeps its package options simple. There are two different cruises. You can take a cruise on the Seine River, or you can take a cruise on the Seine River and a second cruise on the Rhône and Saône rivers. Boarding takes place on the Saône River in Chalon-sur-Saône, which is about 80 miles north of Lyon.

• Packages:  8 to 15 days
  • Seine River Only: 8 days
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône: 15 days
• Number of Itineraries on the Seine River: 2
  • Seine River Only: 1
  • Seine, Rhône and Saône: 1
• Ships on the Seine: Viking Neptune, Viking Pride, Viking Rinda and Viking Spirit

What’s the Best Choice for a Seine River Cruise?

The best choice really depends on your budget, how much time you have to travel and what destinations you would like to see. If you take a cruise on the Seine River only, Honfleur is the farthest port from Paris. That will allow you to experience the longest cruise in terms of distance. However, only CroisiEurope sails into Honfleur. The other companies transport guests by motorcoach from Le Havre or Rouen to Honfleur.

If you have at least two weeks to travel, a combination of the Seine, Rhône and Saône rivers is a good choice. An itinerary to or from Chalon-sur-Saône will allow you to experience more of the Saône than a cruise to or from Lyon.

Read more Seine River Cruise articles.