Can someone say BUCKET LIST??? OMG!!!! This was a bucket list item I never knew I wanted or needed. In searching for things to do during my trip, I saw this balloon ride over the city. We purchased the Go City Pass and this was one of the included excursions. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was something I wanted and needed to experience. We tried for several days to go on the ride. However, the weather didn't permit it. The balloon only flies when it's not too windy and the weather is appropriate. Well, finally on the 4th day, we got lucky! I checked the website and it said the balloon was flying! Imagine my sheer and utter excitement!!!! We hurriedly got dressed and headed over to Ballon de Paris. When I tell y'all we got super lucky, that's an understatement. As soon as our ride was over, they closed it for the remainder of the day due to wind. Bummer for those who were in line after us :-( Anyway, the ride itself was simply amazing. Hailing itself as the largest tethered balloon in the world, the electric winch hoisted us up almost 500 feet in the air. Wow! What amazing views of Paris. With the Eiffel Tower on our backs and the Seine River under our feet, who could ask for a more glorious experience? Bucket list item checked . This excursion costs about 20 euros or $21.64 US for adults, 15 euros for kids 3-11 and free under 3. It operates from 9am-5pm daily. However, you must constantly check before arriving to see if the balloon is flying. The website is updated in real time throughout the day. read more

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This review is specifically for Le Ballon Generali. This is a tethered hot air balloon that you can buy time on to see wonderful sights in Paris. The website is here: https://www.ballondeparis.com/en/ it is updated daily to show whether the balloon is operating or not depending on weather. If you buy tickets in advance it's 11 euros, if you buy at the door it's 12 euros. Regardless of whether you buy in advance or not you still have to wait in line - personally I don't think it's worth saving the 1 euro when you might buy in advance just to hear the balloon is not operating a certain day. Once you enter the park it'll be easy to find the balloon just by looking at the sky. It's located in the middle of a large rectangular portion of Parc André-Citroën which is surrounded by a sort of moat of water. The ticket office is near the balloon on the northern side of the rectangular area. Wait in line at the box office - they will not allow you to buy tickets until the balloon is down after the previous trip. Once the balloon comes down and you buy your ticket, head to the secondary waiting area which looks like a pen. From here you will be let onto the balloon itself. The balloon will be tethered the entire time during your flight. The views are beautiful - you're very close to the river Seine and can see the Eiffel Tower and other landmarks although they appear quite small. It might be preferable to go at night (the balloon operates until 9pm or until 30 minutes before the park closes) to see the lights of the Eiffel tower. All in all seems worth it for 12 euros to see some lovely sights. I don't think many more than maybe 20ish people would be allowed on the balloon due to space. The balloon seems to be up for ~15 minutes. Note: the only public restrooms are sort of glorified port-a-potties at the southeast corner of the park away from the balloon. They were out of toilet paper, paper towels, and soap when I saw them so pack accordingly. read more

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We came here to get a birdseye view of Paris. The balloon gives the 360 viewing of Paris from above that everyone craves. This is a tethered balloon that rotates once you are at the top. There can be weather issues so it is a good idea to check the website before heading out. Also, the line can be fairly long and it doesn't move super quickly. They only sell one flight ahead in case the weather changes. Make sure you bring sunscreen for standing in line. read more

Ballon de Paris Generali - We went up in that! - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Paris, 75

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Pros: -Fun activity Cons: -View of Eiffel Tower is partially obscured by a building--don't expect a direct shot -Waiting area has no shade Overall, a fun activity for 12 euro. Bring sunscreen because you'll be waiting for about 5-10 minutes in direct sun in the summer. Then, you'll go up for a ~10 minute ride. It was a bummer not to fully see the Eiffel Tower, but the experience was still pretty cool. read more

I did this on my bday in Paris and I had a great experience; After doing all the foot work and touring majority of Paris must see places via foot,this was great way for seeing it all at one time. You're in the air long enough not to be bored. The view is amazing and we were told what to look out for by the gentlemen who worked on the balloon. I also enjoyed the fact that you could walk around the balloon while in the air to get a true 360 view. I would definatly recommend doing this if you have the chance as you won't regret it. read more

I read about Ballon Generali de Paris on Pinterest and we had to do it. We wandered around Paris trying to find this hot air balloon and finally our GPS took us to a park. We saw no hot air balloon in sight. Confused and lost we continued into the park and finally found it. I will say that this hot air balloon is tethered to the ground, meaning it can only go so high unlike a typical hot air balloon. Don't let this fool you, we were still very high up. We walked up to the building and bought two tickets for around $12 each. In America a hot air balloon ride is around $130 so we didn't know what to expect. This balloon is said to be the largest in France and it was huge! We waited in the designated area with one other couple. When it was time to board the balloon we realized that it was just going to be the four of us. I can't even believe we paid $24 total for basically a private balloon expierence. The balloon is so large that when we were up there we weren't even able to touch the other people. The view was spectacular and I would go again in a heart beat. I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting or even living in the area. It's a hidden gem that we enjoyed. read more

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awful experience, bought tickets ahead of time, still had to queue, then they stopped exchanging tickets for an hour while an office party skipped the line. Even the balloon experience was mediocre read more