Cherbourg to Paris?? Hank are you out there?

[lochncup]

Our ship stops in Cherbourg at 7am and leaves at 7pm for Le Havre. We have never been to Paris. We are thinking of taking the train to Paris from Cherbourg and staying overnight in Paris, then getting back to LeHavre in time to leave that port the next day. Is this doable and would anyone know how long the train takes and the fares? I know Paris hotels are costly but it would be worth it to have more time in this city...and it might be better for us first timers than taking a rushed ship's excursion to Paris.

PS I'm hoping you're out there, Hank, as I know you'll steer us right!

[moyaroo]

It can be done, you will need to make sure that the cruise line is OK with you "jumping ship" for a night (they should be but good to check anyway.)

 

I must confess when I saw the thread I thought OH NO! but an overnight makes it possible.

[lochncup]

Hmmm...it never even occurred to me to "get permission" from Celebrity. Why would they even care? I was just going to let them know that we wouldn't be coming back that evening....just as a courtesy so they didn't think we had accidentally not made it back to Cherbourg on time. Thanks for responding, Moyaroo. I do hope other folks chime in as I really want step by step instructions on how to do this self excursion before booking a room in Paris!

[Hlitner]

Since DW considers Paris her favorite city in the world we understand the OPs motives. Can you do this? Sure. Do you need permission from your cruise line? Not really since you are missing a night...not disembarking. However, you should notify your cruise ship (just go to the guest relations desk) that you will not be back onboard that particular night and you will catch the ship the following day. Otherwise it will cause problems since the ship will know your are missing. As to trains, its quite a trip to Paris. From Cherbourg it can take anywhere from about 3 hours to more then 5 hours depending on the actual train you choose. To get to LeHavre can easily take 3 hours...again depending on the actual train. It is also wise to take your passport (you usually need a passport to check-in to a hotel). If your cruise line is holding your passport (this happens with some lines) you need to go to the Guest Relations/Pursers desk and ask to have your passport back for your night ashore.

 

We should add that this is not the best way to enjoy Paris. Ideally, you would want to spend several days in the city (do it pre or post crusie). But if this is your only option then do it! And by the way, there are many reasonbly priced Paris hotels...especially if you stay at a small French hotel and avoid the large modern places. When it comes to Paris we generally suggest folks first decide which neighborhood (arondisement) they want to use for their hotel and then do some internet homework to find some options. Venere.com is an excellent European booking site (similar to Expedia in the USA) or sometimes you can get a good deal by booking directly with the hotel. Tripadvisor is a good source of hotel information, but we the individual reviews more valuable then their hotel rankings (their ranking system leaves much to be desired). Of course you will want to do your pre trip homework on where to eat your dinner (the best part of visiting Paris) and if you choose a good restaurant (we would hope so) its a good idea to make a reservation in advance.

 

Hank

[John Bull]

To add to Hank's reply:

- its a vaguely-hourly train service from Cherbourg to Paris, though half of them involve a change at Caen. About a 4 hour journey.

- its a direct hourly service Paris to Le Havre, about a 2-hour journey.

Good news is that both services operate out of Paris St Lazare station. It's on the edge of the city centre, but with good metro connections to the sights, so a hotel near the station would be ideal - you can leave your overnite bag on arrival & collect before the train to Le Havre..

 

One mini-word of caution.

The big risk in playing catch-up with the ship is the possibility that the ship's itinerary will change last-minute, leaving you stranded in France.

Le Havre is very reliable weather-wise, but French ports can & do get blockaded (usually fishing boats) when there are protests about government policy - even though the protests have nothing to do with ports or fishermen.

In your position, would it put me off? The hell it would. The risk is low. But do take your passports & check out how you'd catch up to the following port.

 

Don't forget to tell your cabin steward, your waiter & any dining-table companions.

 

Have a great time

 

John Bull

[Hlitner]

We forgot to mention one small (but important detail). Whenever you leave a ship on your own, and especially when you are doing an overnight, you should make sure to have the name and phone number of the ships' agents (in all the involved ports). If your ship does not provide you with the agent info for the following port (they sometimes only give you this info the night before you get to a port) just ask for the info at the Guest Relations desk. The ship's agent is your best method of getting information to the ship in case of problems. You can also ask at Guest Relations if they will give you a European cell phone number that lets you talk directly to the ship (we once had a cruise director give us his cell number).

 

Hank

[lochncup]

Gentlemen, thanks so much for your input. I did locate a schedule that shows two direct morning trains from Cherbourg to Paris...it lists 3 hours as the travel time. My husband has mobility issues...something new that just happened recently so I don't know if we'll ever have the opportunity to go to Paris again. That's why I want to at least be able to stay overnight. I know Paris is a walking city but we can't do too much of that so I think we'll just get a two day pass on one of the HOHO buses and see as much as we can in the time we have...maybe also do the boat trip. No, it's not the leisurely way we always imagined our Paris trip to be but it is what it is. One day at a time is our motto! I'll be picking your brains for more info like...can we easily grab a cab at the Cherbourg pier to the train station and many other questions I haven't even begun to formulate. I am just so grateful for this board and all of you travel mavens. Thank you again, lochncup.

[lochncup]

Hank..can you share the names of some reasonably priced hotels? And how do you define reasonably priced? Thanks!

[Hlitner]

Hank..can you share the names of some reasonably priced hotels? And how do you define reasonably priced? Thanks!

 

We have stayed in several hotels in Paris and been underwhelmed by all but one. But the place we like does not have A/C and is not what one would call a luxury property. We like that its located on a residential street in the 5th (Latin Quarter) in a charming part of Paris. This hotel is called the Hotel Des Grandes Ecoles ( http://www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com/). This hotel actually attracts quite a few Americans who regularly visit Paris and love this property. Rooms are small, services are not perfect, but for some of us it is the place we love. In the high price Right Bank area (right along the Rue de Rivoli) there is an interesting hotel tucked right between several high priced properties. Its called the Hotel Brighton but it is not cheap (check it out on the web).

 

As to reasonably priced, there are so many different hotels in Paris (in all sizes and classes) its hard to say what is reasonable. There are places for less than $100 that would not please most fellow Americans. It is fun to look at the various reviews posted on Tripadvisor to see the difference in opinions. For example, if you look at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles you will see every comment from "perfect" to "dump" written by folks all staying about the same time. You will get as many different opinions about Paris hotels and restaurants as there are people who have visited Paris.

 

Hank