Travel by ship or ferry to the Paralympics

No. These rules do not apply to boats: 
- with a capacity of less than 12 passengers; 
- with fewer than 3 crew members; 
- making a one-way journey of less than 500 metres; 
- historical; 
- on excursions or sightseeing tours other than cruise ships.
Your excursion on the Seine is not covered by "passenger rights" but by the classic rules of contractual relations. If it was purchased as part of a package travel, you have other rights.

If you're taking the ferry with your car, be sure to check the size limits, including roof boxes. Ask what time you should arrive.
It is generally advisable to arrive at least 1.5 hours before departure, and 2.00 hours on major departure days. If you are travelling without a car, you can arrive between 30 and 60 minutes before departure. This varies according to the airline and departure point.

Please bring your valid passport or identity card.

If your minor child is traveling alone, with one of his parents or with another adult, you may need to obtain authorization to leave the country. Find out more. In practice, many carriers refuse to carry unaccompanied minors under 16.

In the event of cancellation or a more than 90-minute delay at departure, you can choose between:

• re-routing to your final destination at no extra cost, under comparable conditions and as quickly as possible;
• A refund of your ticket (and, if applicable, a free return to your original point of departure). You must get the refund within 7 days.

In the event of a delay on arrival, you are entitled to compensation depending on the length of your trip and the time of delay on arrival.

For more information, please see our article Travelling by ship or ferry.

Compensation is not due if:

• The cancellation or delay was known before the ticket was purchased,
• The cancellation or delay is due to the passenger's fault,
• The carrier proves that the cancellation or delay is due to weather conditions compromising the safety of the journey or extraordinary circumstances (strike by port personnel, port closure, etc.).

If your trip is cancelled or delayed by more than 90 minutes, you are entitled to :

• meals and drinks in reasonable quantities, taking into account the waiting time,
• accommodation on board or ashore if necessary (with a limit of 3 nights and €80 per night) and transport to get there.

If your luggage and/or your vehicle have been lost, delayed or damaged as a result of a maritime event, you are entitled to receive compensation from the carrier up to a maximum of approximately €2,700 for your cabin luggage and €15,500 for your vehicle, including the luggage in the vehicle.

In the event of loss of or damage to other valuables (money, jewellery, works of art, etc.), you are entitled to compensation of around €4,100, provided you have kept them in a safe place with the carrier.

On the other hand, if you lose your baggage even though there has been no maritime event, your baggage remains in your custody and therefore under your responsibility.

On a ship not covered by passenger rights, please refer to the general conditions of sale. Your luggage on the ship remains your responsibility. You cannot claim compensation in the event of loss or theft.

If your ship has been involved in an accident, you are entitled to compensation in the event of personal injury, death, loss of luggage or damage to your vehicle.

If you are a passenger with a disability or reduced mobility, you are entitled to free assistance in port terminals and on board the ship.

Loss or damage to your mobility equipment entitles you to financial compensation.

Be aware that you might be unable to use your disability card from your home country to benefit in France from priority access or personal assistance. Such national cards from other EU Member States are currently not automatically recognised during a short-term stay in France. The European Commission has proposed to establish a harmonised European Disability Card but such a card won’t be available yet during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• First, contact the carrier or the booking platform you have used to purchase your tickets in writing (e-mail, online form, registered letter…), within the two months of your travel. Retain proof of your correspondence. The carrier has 1 month to acknowledge receipt of your complaint and 2 months from the date of acknowledgement to respond. Retain proof of your correspondence.
• If this effort proves unsuccessful, proceed as follows:

- If you live in France, you can receive assistance from a consumers’ association, whose contact information is available on the DGCCRF’s website. You can also report your problem with the hotel operator or the rental property owner on the SignalConso platform.

- If you live in another EU Member State, Iceland or Norway, the European Consumer Centre for your country can assist you. Visit the ECC Network website for its contact information.

- If you live in a non-EU country, contact the embassy or consulate of your country in France or report your dispute on the website econsumer.gov, via the complaint form or contact the members of consumersinternational.org.