The comparison at a glance
| Offer | Ticket validity | "From" price | What is included | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bus with a Seine river cruise | 24 h or 48 h | $55 | Bus, one-hour cruise, onboard wifi, hotel pick-up mentioned on the listing | Anyone who wants the bundle with nothing to organise | See |
| Tootbus hop-on hop-off with optional cruise | 1, 2 or 3 days | €48 | Bus with audio guide; cruise if the option is chosen | Stays of 2 or 3 days | See |
| Big Bus hop-on hop-off with optional cruise | 24 h or 48 h | €39 | Bus with multilingual audio guide; cruise if the option is chosen | One day, best rating for the price | See |
| Hop-on hop-off Seine boat pass, 9 stops | 24 h or 48 h | €23 | Covered boat, 9 stops along the river | Those who prefer water to road | See |
Bus or boat: what you are really buying
A hop-on hop-off ticket lets you get on and off as often as you like for 24, 48 or 72 hours from the first validation. The double-decker follows a central route of ten stops (the Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower...) with an audio guide. The one-hour Seine cruise is either an option or included in the bundles. If a cruise alone is enough for you, see our comparison of one-hour Seine cruises or the guide to the Seine cruise.
Big Bus with a Seine river cruise
A 24- or 48-hour ticket, a one-hour cruise, onboard wifi and the bus-tracking app, from $55. The listing also mentions hotel pick-up and drop-off: read its conditions before counting on it. It costs more than the standard Big Bus with the cruise option, but everything is in one purchase. See the offer.
Tootbus hop-on hop-off, optional cruise
The best-selling bus on the page: 4.3 out of 5 from 17,927 reviews, from €48. The ticket comes in 1, 2 or 3 days (24, 48 or 72 hours after first validation), with an audio guide. Buses run every 10 to 15 minutes, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm for late September to early November 2026 according to one listing. The one-hour cruise, run by Vedettes de Paris from Port de Suffren at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, is only included if you tick the option. It is the only offer here that offers three days. See the offer.
Big Bus hop-on hop-off, optional cruise
The best rating for the price for one day: 4.4 out of 5 from 16,243 reviews, from €39. A 24- or 48-hour ticket, a loop of about 2 h 15, buses every 10 to 20 minutes, last departure from stop 1 at 5:30 pm. The audio guide includes French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese and Korean. The buses have a wheelchair ramp. The optional cruise is run by Bateaux Parisiens from pontoon no. 3 at Port de la Bourdonnais, near the Eiffel Tower stop. See the offer.
Hop-on hop-off Seine boat pass
No bus here: a covered boat that calls at 9 places along the Seine, on a 24- or 48-hour ticket. It is the cheapest in the comparison, from €23 (4.4 out of 5, 6,607 reviews). The exact list of stops is not reproduced here: check the listing. See the offer.
What is not included and the pitfalls
- The cruise. On the two "optional cruise" offers it is only included if you choose it when booking.
- The duration. The ticket runs from the first validation: board early in the morning to make the most of the 24 or 48 hours.
- Crowds. Travellers report full buses with people standing; leave early or board at a stop near the start of the line.
- Double cruising. One review finds the cruise unnecessary because you see everything from the bus; take it only if it appeals to you.
- Hours. Last departure around 5:30 to 6:30 pm depending on the season, no buses at night.
- Prices. They vary by date, and some are shown in dollars.
Which offer should you choose?
- One day, first visit: Big Bus with the optional cruise.
- Two or three days: Tootbus, the only offer with three days.
- Everything in one ticket: the Big Bus bundle with the cruise.
- Tight budget: the boat pass at €23, or Big Bus without the cruise.
- Family with a stroller or reduced mobility: Big Bus lists a ramp on its buses.
- River rather than road: the Seine boat pass.
