Help with LeHavre

[drdaddy]

Hi, all. We just booked a TA for October. We are great fans of private tour operators. BUT, the DW is a bit antsy about doing this for LeHavre to Paris. We were there 10 years and took the cruiseline tour and that actually worked out great.

 

Would y'all recommend doing the ship's trip to Paris and then the do it on your own thing? We will be on Celebrity and does anyone know where we would be dropped off and picked up?

 

The DW wants to do the Louvre on this day. Can it be done in this fashion and can we hit the highlights, say early and still have time to mosey around, say on the Champs and still get the bus back? Too ambitious?

 

Thanks!

[Hlitner]

If you are only planning to spend the day in the Louvre (you could spend a week in the Louve and still not see everything) then it makes little sense to spend the big bucks for a private tour. It sounds like you only need transportation to Paris and you can do that by using the cruise lines transportation or simply taking the train (often faster). Once in Paris you can use the Metro to get to the Louvre if they drop you over by the Eiffel Tower (this seems to be a popular drop spot these days). If you take the excursion and they drop you at the Place de la Concorde you can walk to the Louvre. From the train station you would probably want to use the Metro or possibly a taxi.

 

Hank

[drdaddy]

Thanks. I hope the cruiseline might be able to tell me where the dropoff is.

 

But I know a quick visit to the Louvre is not the right thing, but can it be done AND still be able to wlak around some?

[moyaroo]

Musee d'Orsay has a great collecton of Impressionist paintings and is more accessible in a short time than the Louvre. The Louvre is big enoughto take a significant portion of your time just traveling point a to b and then figuring out how to exit. So can it be "done"? Not sure, I would say no, but like Hank we went to Paris several times before we decided to see the Louvre, other things were calling.

[drdaddy]

Other problem is we will be in Paris on Monday! Many museums closed, including Orsay, so the Louvre is probably busier, according the Rick Steves.

 

Thanks, though.

[Hlitner]

The Louvre is a huge museum and we have never felt the place was crowded as long as we avoided the room that has the Mona Lisa (the painting is quite small). Keep in mind that many tourists go to Paris to enjoy the atmosphere of Paris and not spend their time inside museums. So, if the Louvre is your goal you will be fine.

 

Hank

[KCcruisin07]

You will spend around 5 hours getting there and back, so if you go to the Louvre, you'll have little time to sightsee. Since you've been before, I guess you could be more selective. Personally I would be tempted to arrange with the ship to disembark, spend more time there, and fly back from CDG.