The Europe CruiseFor the American voyager

Your voyage begins in Paris

From the airport to the gangway, every way there and back.

Photo: ThePromenader, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

Seine cruises usually start in Paris, at docks along the river in the west of the city. Ships sail toward Normandy, with stops such as Rouen; some lines tie up near Honfleur. Taxis from Paris airports charge a fixed fare.

I · Arrive by airCDGParis Charles de Gaulle
II · Airport to shipNot verified
III · Ways to travel3compared below
IV · BoardParisriver dock
The timetable

Every way from the airport to the ship

Tap any way for step-by-step directions.

The wayFromTimeCost
Taxi (official flat fare)CDGNot verified, traffic is often heavyEUR 56 to the Right Bank, EUR 65 to the Left Bank (2026 official flat fares)
Cruise line transferCDGVariesSet by your line
Taxi (official flat fare)ORYNot verifiedEUR 45 to the Right Bank, EUR 36 to the Left Bank (2026 official flat fares)
On the chart

Where Paris lies

Antique-style chart of River Voyages with ports markedParisAmsterdamAvignonBarcelonaBaselBudapestRomeDoverGenoaIJmuidenLyonMarseilleNurembergPassauPortoRavennaRegensburgRotterdamSavonaSouthamptonTriesteVeniceViennaA CoruñaAjaccioAmalfi and PositanoBariBastiaBilbaoCannesCherbourgCobhDublinDubrovnikFalmouthGuernseyHolyheadHonfleurHvarKoperKorčulaKotorLa SpeziaLe HavreLivornoMonacoNaplesOlbiaPortlandPortoferraioPortofino / Santa Margherita LigurePulaRovinjSaint-MaloSaint-TropezSalernoSèteŠibenikSorrentoSplitTarragonaToulonVigoVillefranche-sur-Mer and NiceWaterfordZadarZeebrugge
Step by step

From Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Not verified

Taxi (official flat fare)

Time Not verified, traffic is often heavyCost EUR 56 to the Right Bank, EUR 65 to the Left Bank (2026 official flat fares)
  1. Use the official taxi rank only.
  2. Most river docks (75007, 75015) are on the Left Bank, so expect EUR 65.
  3. Give the exact dock address.

Flat fares are set by law and change each year on February 1. They apply to trips within Paris; a dock in Courbevoie (outside Paris) is metered.

Cruise line transfer

Time VariesCost Set by your line
  1. Book with your line.

Easiest.

Step by step

From Paris Orly (ORY)

Not verified

Taxi (official flat fare)

Time Not verifiedCost EUR 45 to the Right Bank, EUR 36 to the Left Bank (2026 official flat fares)
  1. Use the official taxi rank.

Orly is closer to the Left Bank docks.

Already in town

From the city or your hotel

Taxi or metro from your Paris hotel

Time Not verifiedCost Not verified

Docks are near the Eiffel Tower and Parc André Citroën areas.

The night before

Where to stay

Arrive a day or two early. A delayed flight on sailing day is the most common way travelers miss the ship.

7th or 15th arrondissement (near the Eiffel Tower)

Close to the main river docks.

All aboard

Sailing day

Terminals & docks

No single terminal. Viking lists Place de la Résistance, 75007. Uniworld lists Port de Javel Bas (next to Pont du Garigliano and Parc André Citroën, 75015), and on some dates Courbevoie (28 Quai du Président Paul Doumer, 92400). For Rouen, Viking lists Quai de la Bourse. Your line sends the exact dock.

Check-in

  • River ships usually start boarding in the afternoon. AmaWaterways says boarding usually begins around 3:00 p.m., and you can drop bags earlier.
  • Uniworld says to confirm your boarding address and boarding time 24 hours before you arrive.
  • River docks can change at short notice. Confirm the dock address with your line the day before.

What trips people up

  • The dock can move to a suburb (Courbevoie) on some dates.
  • Paris traffic can make airport rides slow.

Do this

  • Always use an official taxi rank at the airport. The flat fare is the law.
Homeward bound

Leaving the ship: back to the airport

The same routes run in reverse. On the last morning everyone leaves at once, so lines for taxis and buses are at their longest. Book flights home for the afternoon or later, and arrange your ride in advance if you can.

The wayToTimeCost
Taxi (official flat fare)CDGNot verified, traffic is often heavyEUR 56 to the Right Bank, EUR 65 to the Left Bank (2026 official flat fares)
Cruise line transferCDGVariesSet by your line
Taxi (official flat fare)ORYNot verifiedEUR 45 to the Right Bank, EUR 36 to the Left Bank (2026 official flat fares)

Before you leave

  • Paris traffic can make airport rides slow.
  • Always use an official taxi rank at the airport. The flat fare is the law.
Linger a while

Before or after your cruise

Sources & what we could not confirm · 3 sources · checked 2026-11
Still being confirmed
  • RER B time and fare from CDG
  • Distance CDG/Orly to the docks
  • Which lines board passengers at Honfleur and dock details there
  • US nonstop flights: not verified for this page; check airline sites