Unsinkable49
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Posts posted by Unsinkable49
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Due to limited bus service to Honfluer, we opted to share a taxi van with three other couples and visited Deauville and Honfleur. This turned out to be a great option and certainly less stressful, as we didn't have to worry about transportation and getting back to the ship on time.
Another option may be to visit Rouen by train. It's about a one hour train ride, with several daily trains.
How did you find/contact the taxi van. Please do not tell me that it was through Radio Taxi as they have not responded to any of our many email requests.
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That's basically what they do:D it's just a taxi transfer. but they will take you here and there if you so desire and take you back to Le Havre.
Very strange that you have had no luck at all. :confused:
We have basically given up radio taxi. Since they do not answer our emails, we worry about how reliable they are. Reading their website I only see organized tours. When does your ship land in Le Havre? We do not sail until May. Would it be possible for you to email me a description of how it worked for you with that company?
Will a taxi meet you at port and drive you to Honfleur and then pick you up many hours later? That is the transportation that we seek or else it is just taking the bus.
Marianne
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Does anyone know if their is a shuttle from the port where the ship docks in Le Havre to bring you into the town? It is a mile walk from the dock to the town.
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We are using SCA radio taxis - here is the link to their website
You seem to have better luck then we have experienced with radiotaxi. Between my friend and I we have emailed them 5 times and never gotten a response.
We do not want to go on an organized tour. Our aim is to get transportation to and from Honfleur and go off by ourselves.
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The taxis are allowed to drive into the port and in theory there should be some at the cruise ship terminal. I say in theory, because French taxi drivers have a mind of their own. We have been to French ports where there were zero taxis (this has happened to us at Cannes) because they were all parked a few blocks away as the drivers enjoyed their morning cafe au lait and newspapers. The last time we were in Le Havre we took the train to Rouen and we returned at about 5 pm (ship was not leaving until 11). Guess what? Not a single taxi at the train station and a bunch of locals a bit angry trying to get taxis to come (they were calling them on their cells). One told us that the drivers were probably having dinner. We ended up walking back to the ship (about a 30-40 min walk).
Hank
Hank, you are terrific! I truly appreciate the excellent advice including anecdotes that you relate.:) Have you ever tried to take the bus from Le Havre to Honfleur? We will have an uptodate bus schedule and of course will arrive at the depot ahead of time.
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There will be some taxis at the port, but taxis in France are very expensive for anything but local transportation.
Hank
We have given up taking a taxi from Le Havre to Honfleur. The best price we have found is $150 but the taxi would only give us 3 hours to tour while we want to stay all day. Our ship docks at 7 AM and departs at 9 PM.
We choose not to walk from the dock to the bus station. You mentioned that there are some taxis waiting by the port. At some ports security will not allow the taxis near the ship. Is that the case? I understand that the walk takes upwards to a half hour.I have been told that the distance from the port is a mile. Doable but then we have to find the bus depot.
We are sailing on the Celebrity Constellation and coming to Le Havre on Saturday May 19th. Landing at Quai Pierre Callet.
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You are correct that the bus service between LeHavre and Honfleur is awful. Taxis in France are quite expensive and you are talking about a 16 mile taxi ride (each way). Not sure of the exact fare for that distance but would expect it to be at least 60 Euros each way. For us, the solution in this region is to simply rent a car for the day. A rental will actually cost less then a round trip taxi ride to Honfleur and give you the flexibility to go to some other places (Deuville is not far from Honfleur).
Our cruise ship will arrive in Le Havre on Saturday May 19, 2013. We understand from reading most of your posts that the bus service is awful but is a taxi really as much as 120 Euros round trip? We do not want a tour. Just transport to and from the ship.
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Yes, in fact Cabo Girao is under construction at the moment and has been closed to visitors. As it's one of Madeira's most visited spots, I hope work is finished soon, but honestly I have no idea how things are progressing.
They're building a glass floor on the lookout and rearranging the surrounding area as well.
We have this spectacular site included on our tour on May 13, 2013. I guess we will need to keep a close watch to see if it will be completed on time.
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Pleasure and enjoy your day in Madeira.
I have been reading reviews of Cabo Girao on the Trip Adviser website. Many of the comments were from people who were disappointed when they went there as the view was blocked by construction.:( Is this still going on? What are they constructing?
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Hi Unsinkable,
Yes, by all means take some time to explore Funchal town too. After a 30 to 40 minute walk you'll be reaching your cruise ship - that's if you're not falling down by too much Madeira Wine, of course... LOL. Be careful with Poncha too - it's rather strong!
The basket ride is fun, so if you like the idea go for it.
I guess we will take a taxi back to our ship unless there is some sort of shuttle that we can take. Do you know of any of the latter? Are taxis expensive?
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Camara de Lobos you mean. Tour providers are always willing to tailor itineraries to cater for their clients needs, so just let them know you'd like to visit Camara de Lobos. It's not much of a touristy thing only, it's a normal fishing town, so worth seeing.
We are on the same tour as UsTwo thoughtfully designed by Joan. As you know the sites include: Monte, Pico dos Barcelos, Eira do Serrado, Camara de Lobos, ad Cabo Girao. This is a half day tour and we will be on Maderia from 9:00 AM til we must be back on board no later than 5:30 PM (or to be safe, until 5 PM). What do you suggest that we do after the tour? Not sure if we are daring enough to do the basket ride although it looks marvelous! Does it make sense to wander around the town for the afternoon? Obviously we will indulging in many glasses of Maderia wine. How far is the port from the town? Will it be possible to walk back to the ship? Assuming I am not too tipsy by then!
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Pleasure and enjoy your day in Madeira.
Biara you are such a treasure and give us so much guidance for visits to Madeira!
Do you give guided tours? If not can you recommend someone who does? Do we actually need a tour guide to see the best of the Madeira?
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Thank You!In Madeira we have two artificial sandy beaches, in Calheta and Machico and a natural black sand beach - Praínha, in Caniçal. I'd say you'll probably find Praínha a better beach, even thought the sand is black, because the other two are not really by the open sea.From the port to Praínha it's about 30 minutes by taxi and you can even combine the beach with a bit of sightseeing, if you like.
I must warn you though, that from the street down to Praínha beach, it's a 5 minute downhill walk.
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Sorry to belabor the issue, but are there any sandy beaches accessible from the port?Hello Unsinkable,Porto Santo has this beautiful 9km golden sandy beach, but it's Madeira's sister island, so not very doable to go there on a cruise visit. Very recently, some cruise liners started docking there, but it won't be the case with your cruise.
There's lots to see in Madeira, though, either in Funchal or round the island.
I know there are lovely places to explore on Madeira, but swimming in the sea is something I long to do. Our cruise ends in Amsterdam and we have rented a studio apartment there for a month. I know having lived in Holland for 4 years awhile ago, that swimming in the North Sea is not an option.
Perhaps sight seeing might be best...
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I just came upon this thread so please forgive me if I am asking a question already answered. We will be arriving by cruise ship in May 13. I understand that the beach Porto Sando (I am probably misspelling this) is nine miles of sandy beach. Is this true? How far is it from the port? How do you get there from the port? Are we foolish to spend our time there rather than exploring the island itself?You're welcome.Here, we drive on the right side of the road.
Hlitner is right, better see each side of the island on separate days.
FOXTROT, remember to include the inland highlights on your tour, such as the Nun's Valley, Pico do Areeiro, Paul da Serra.
Most of Madeira's beaches are pebbled, but Prainha, in Canical, is a natural dark sand beach - you'll have to walk downhill to get there, though, with the unavoidable uphill walk on the way back. In Machico and Calheta we have artificial yellow sand beaches of easy access.
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This is great news! We are on the 4/29 sailing that is in Souda on 5/9, and this was the only port I hadn't figured out. Crisis averted :)
We want to explore the Cretan countryside rather than spend all our time in town. This fellow was recommended on a website for Crete. Has anyone had experience with him? Here is the tour:
Hi Marianne
Yes we can do a tour who include Akrotiri Stavros the place where Zorbas was made
and the monastery of Gouvenertou. the grave of the Beninzeos and then the old Venetian market in Chania and the Venetian port with the Turkish mask and the Venecian light house
after that we will drive to Aptera a minoan town 4000 years old the small villages of stilos Vamos, on the way we will stop for local coffee with the local people and in the end lunch in a traditional taverna to taste the local food and drinks
As you know my tours are private by taxi , i can hold only 4 people.
is there anything you like to visit that is not in that tour
you have to know Crete is a large island to see everything in that short visit is not possible
Lefteris
He charges 40 Euro per hour. The five hour tour that he describes would come to 200 E for 2 couples. But we hope to have info from someone who has toured with him before.
Marianne
Marianne
I live in Funchal - Madeira Island. I can advice
in Other Mediterranean and Black Sea Ports
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We have arranged to go on a tour of Madeira. However, we had hoped to also take the catamaran after the tour ended. Given the way too short a time our ship will be docked, and given the schedule of the catamaran, it is impossible to do both. Do you recommend the land tour or the ocean one? I know that it depends on our interests, but which would you do if your time on Madeira is only a matter of hours?:confused: