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Paris > Cruises > River cruise ports
Paris River Cruise Ports
How to reach your ship if you're embarking on a Seine
river cruise, and how to reach the sights of Paris from the Port de Grenelle and
the Port de Javel Bas.
ABOVE: Two river vessels are moored at the Port
de Javel Bas with the Eifel Tower behind them.
By
Durant Imboden
 Paris
is one of Western Europe's leading river-cruise ports, with more than a dozen
weekly sailings to towns and cities along the Seine (often with excursions to
the World War II landing beaches in Normandy). For more on this topic, read:
Seine River Cruises from Paris.
 Most
river-cruise vessels arrive and depart at either of two mooring locations along
the Seine: the Port de Grenelle, near the Eiffel Tower, and the
Port de Javel Bas a few
blocks to the southwest.
(Note: A few ships are too large
for the city quays and must moor in the outlying suburb of Le Pecq, which is
beyond the scope of this article.)
 On the following pages, we give step-by-step illustrated
walking directions to the Port de Grenelle and the Port de Javel Bas from the
nearest stations of RER Line C, the commuter-rail
line that runs along the Left Bank of the Seine.
We've also provided advice on reaching the
center of Paris from your ship on days when you're sightseeing.
Please note:
-
Mooring sites can change, so don't rely on TripAdvisor,
Cruise Critic, or other forums for information on where to find your ship.
Instead, go to the port location specified on your official cruise
documents.
-
When the port is crowded, ships may tie up next to each
other, and you may need to walk through another ship to reach your vessel.
(This will be obvious--just look for your ship's name on the stern or bow.)
Usually, staff from each ship will be keeping an eye on the pier to help
passengers with luggage.
-
If you're going to your ship by
taxi from a hotel or the airport (figure 70 euros or more for the
latter), you won't need our walking directions. The taxi can deliver you to
the pier, alongside your ship.
-
If transfers are included in your cruise fare, or if you've
paid extra for a cruise transfer, the cruise line will get you to or from
the ship on time.
-
For an overview of the ports, with markers showing nearby
RER Line C stations,
click here. An annotated Google satellite map will open in a separate
browser window. You can drag, scroll, and zoom for better views. (This is a
large map, so it works best with a fast Internet connection.)
-
Tip: If you're coming
directly from Charles De Gaulle Airport,
take RER Line B to St Michel-Notre Dame,
transfer to RER Line C, and travel
westbound to Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel (for the Port de Grenelle) or
Boulevard Victor-Pont de Garigliano (for the Port de Javel Bas). See
Paris CDG Airport
Ground Transportation: Trains for more information, and be aware
that not all Line C trains go to Boulevard Victor-Pont du
Garigliano. You'll want a train headed for Versailles - Château (a.k.a.
Versaille - Rive Gauche) or Saint-Quentin-en-Yvellines.
Next page:
Directions to Port de Grenelle
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.
2nd inset photo: Viking
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