Book a two-and-a-half-hour canal trip with Canauxrama ( 00 33 142 391500 , www.canauxrama.com ; £ 13 ; departures from Port de l 'Arsenal ) -- you 'll sail under the ancient vaults of the Bastille , along the lovely Canal St Martin ( a favourite local hangout ) , all the way to the Parisian weekend playground Bassin de la Villette .