Anyone Docked in Rouen

We will be sailing up the Seine to Rouen next year and wondering if anyone has docked there before. A number of cruise ships have gone that far up the Seine over the last few years, but only on the smaller ships. Fred Olsen and CMV have docked there - we will be on CMV's Magellan, the appeal being that it sails from our local port of Liverpool.

We will only be docked from 3pm until the early hours of the next day, so want to make the most of our time there and have a night out in the city as well as the afternoon. Seems the dock is a couple of miles from the old centre, so shuttle buses are needed, but sometimes they stop in the evening. Hence we are wondering if there will be taxis available to take us from the port to the city if we go back to the ship for a meal and a rest (though we may just decide to stay out and it should be easy to pick up a taxi in the city centre to return to the ship).

Any other advice or pointers of places worth seeing or bars/restaurants worth visiting.

We did this cruise last year on CMV Astoria. The cruise terminal in Rouen isn't that far from the city - about 25 minute walk but there were loads of taxis waiting so you should be able to get out and about in the evening easily. We took the HoHo bus, which was near where you enter from the terminal, which gave us an idea of what to see/do later on. It was March so the weather was not great and it rained a lot. So the cathedral is a must and we found the Saint Maclou Aitre, near the catherdral, which is tucked away but well worth a look (very spooky). Very walkable city.

Can't figure out how to edit my post. Didn't take HoHo in Rouen. We had all day (and night there) so took a morning excursion to a Calvados distillery. In the afternoon we wandered around Rouen and visited those places I mentioned. There will be a tourist info person in the port (or even on board the ship) to give you lots of info and maps.

Thank you very much for those replies, they are much appreciated.

You can edit your post for a limited time, using the "edit" tab that appears at the bottom of the new post when logged in. Looking at your posting times, the limited time would have expired (think it is about 20 mins). I am a very careless typer and use the edit function a lot - you seem to be able to edit multiple times within that time limit, which is very useful to me :)

We did this cruise last year and loved the ports. We were in Rouen for the evening and all the following day. Didn't go out ourselves the first evening, but table companions did as they wanted to see the light & music event at the cathedral. They said there were no taxis at the port, so they walked there and back. Said it was an easy walk and worth seeing.

The following day shuttles were free and ran all day. After spending the morning on the Monet's garden excursion we took a shuttle into town and spent an hour or so fitting in as much as we could. Lovely old town with beautiful buildings.

Monet's garden was on my "bucket list" so I booked it before we went, but they put on extra coaches for people booking onboard. It was stunning, but pretty crowded!

Thanks Kate, that is useful information - we will go armed with the telephone number of a taxi company, or may just stay out for a meal, given we are not due in until 3pm. I had picked up the sound and light at the Cathedral, but we will not be there until very the 29th October and it is only a summer season event, sadly.

We will be sailing up the Seine to Rouen next year and wondering if anyone has docked there before. A number of cruise ships have gone that far up the Seine over the last few years, but only on the smaller ships. Fred Olsen and CMV have docked there - we will be on CMV's Magellan, the appeal being that it sails from our local port of Liverpool.

 

We will only be docked from 3pm until the early hours of the next day, so want to make the most of our time there and have a night out in the city as well as the afternoon. Seems the dock is a couple of miles from the old centre, so shuttle buses are needed, but sometimes they stop in the evening. Hence we are wondering if there will be taxis available to take us from the port to the city if we go back to the ship for a meal and a rest (though we may just decide to stay out and it should be easy to pick up a taxi in the city centre to return to the ship).

 

Any other advice or pointers of places worth seeing or bars/restaurants worth visiting.

Rouen is a lovely city and certainly should be visited! I spent a full day there 3 years ago (I was touring Normandy by car) and enjoyed walking around the city--great pedestrian area and beautiful churches. Lots of Joan of Arc history there too. The city is well worth the visit and the Cathedral is absolutely gorgeous. Have fun!

Rouen is a lovely city and certainly should be visited! I spent a full day there 3 years ago (I was touring Normandy by car) and enjoyed walking around the city--great pedestrian area and beautiful churches. Lots of Joan of Arc history there too. The city is well worth the visit and the Cathedral is absolutely gorgeous. Have fun!

Thanks for the insight. Shame we do not have longer there, but we may well return on a land holiday as well. It is too long since we have been to France by car.

I'm happy to hear good reports abut Rouen. Our ship will be in Le Havre, and everything that I want to see most is just too far away. I would probably choose Honfleur over Rouen, but for some reason our ship doesn't offer an included excursion to Honfleur, whereas it does to Rouen. So that's what we'll do. Sure don't want to remain in Le Havre.

We are on Seabourn Quest on next May and we have an over night on Rouen. Any suggestion of restaurants for a night out?

On 9/19/2018 at 5:09 PM, poss said:

. . . Sure don't want to remain in Le Havre.

I'm not sure why you feel that way.  We've docked there many times and the last time we chose to remain in town.  There's an interesting 15th c cathedral with stained glass windows with sea-related designs, a modern art museum (from Monet etc. forward) at the mouth of the Seine (so not only interesting art, but lovely sea views), and the lovely 18th c home of a wealthy ship owner (https://travelguide.michelin.com/europe/france/haute-normandie/seine-maritime/le-havre/ship-owners-house).  All within reasonable walking distance from where the ship's bus stops in town.  And both the cathedral and historic home are among the few buildings which escaped the terrible bombing the city endured during WW II.

Hi BarbinMich, Thanks for ringing in.   The reason I said I didn't want to remain in Le Havre is that everything that I've read (books, websites) suggests that Rouen is a more interesting and lovely place than Le Havre.   Chacun a son gout.