It is now possible to visit Paris aboard an amphibious bus, which makes part of its route on the Seine. We tell you everything about this unusual initiative and about the vehicle that is no less so, designed with Volvo Trucks and named Marcel le Canard.
A strange vehicle has been circulating in the streets of Paris since July 2021. This leggy white and blue bus, baptized Marcel the Duck, features a bow resembling that of a boat. It’s normal : it is an amphibious bus, the only one in France approved for both road traffic and navigation according to its designers and owners, named “Les Canards de Paris”. They offer guided tours of the capital aboard this famous Marcel.
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Volvo Trucks as a partner
The Ducks de Paris amphibious bus project dates back to 2014. Since then, the company has notably worked with Volvo Trucks to design its vehicle. The propeller bus is a plug-in hybrid; it is its 45 hp electric motor that propels it on the water. Its hull is aluminum, which allows it to be relatively light. The heat engine, the chassis, the passenger compartment and the vehicle’s electrical system were built in France. A second bus, with an electric power of 90 hp, is already in preparation. The Ducks of Paris also ensure that CO emissions2 de Marcel are compensated by tree plantations managed by Reforest’Action.
A new look at Paris
The itinerary proposed by the Ducks of Paris lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and focuses on the west of the capital. Actors comment and animate the crossing. The tour starts from the Champ de Mars then passes by the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, the Alexandre III bridge, the Petit and Grand Palais, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe before heading to the Île de Monsieur. This is where the ramp is from which the vehicle is launched. It is therefore then from the Seine that tourists can observe from an unusual angle. the towers of La Défense, the park of Saint-Cloud or the musical Seine of the Seguin island, then salute the Statue of Liberty before returning to dry land for the finish. On the budget side, count 35 € for an adult and 20 € for a child between 2 and 12 years old. Reduced rates are provided for large families and groups. To book, visit the website Paris Ducks.
