Taxi from Le Havre to Normandy Landing Beaches

[Meggie10]

We will be in Le Havre on September 7 and 8 and was wondering if anyone has taken a taxi to Normandy Beaches and the American and English Cemeteries? If so, how much and were the prices negotiable?

 

Thank you :):):)

[lamchops]

We will be in Le Havre on September 7 and 8 and was wondering if anyone has taken a taxi to Normandy Beaches and the American and English Cemeteries? If so, how much and were the prices negotiable?

 

Thank you :):):)

 

We were in LeHavre last November and rented a car. We drove to Bayeaux and Juno beach as well as the Canadian Cemetary and the drive was 90+ minutes. I imagine a 90 minute cab ride + wait time + 90 minutes back would not be cheap.

 

We had the car from 9am-6pm and the cost all-in with gas was about $150e which was almost half of the excursion price. We wanted a Canadian perspective and none of the excursions provided that.

[John Bull]

Negotiating a taxi at the pier is probably the most expensive & unreliable way of doing it. That's OK for places like the Caribbean or the Far East. But you wouldn't simply arrive in Ipswich & negotiate a day-trip to London. And France is no different.

If you want to take a taxi from the pier to Honfleur, 25 minutes away and fix with the same driver to collect you later in the day - that's fine.

But for an all-day assignment to the D-Day beaches? No way.

 

Renting a car is probably your best bet. To halve the cost you could post on your cruise's RollCall asking if anyone wants to share.

Alternatively, look through your RollCall to see if anyone else is looking for sharers in a private tour or for a car they've decided to rent. But it'll be their itinerary, not yours.

I see you're new to Cruise Critic - if you don't know how to find your RollCall, post your ship and sailing date on here & I or someone else will provide a link.

Alternatively you could book a car & driver in advance, that way you'll know the cost, & the driver assigned will hopefully speak some English and will know your itinerary.

 

It's a very full day, not the sort of trip to organise on the quayside. .

I see from your other thread that you had a problem with a no-show - it's rare so don't let that put you off. But make any advance payment by credit card, to secure your money.

The advice you've been given on your other thread is sound, and I just know that this thread is going to go the same way. Take the advice you've been given, or you'll probably not even get to the landing beaches.

 

Well-planned you can pack a lot in, it'll be a very rewarding day.

 

JB :)

Edited July 6, 2013 by John Bull

[Hlitner]

We will be in Le Havre on September 7 and 8 and was wondering if anyone has taken a taxi to Normandy Beaches and the American and English Cemeteries? If so, how much and were the prices negotiable?

 

Thank you :):):)

 

We understand you want to hire a taxi....not buy it! But taxis in France are expensive and you would have to negotiate a price....which could easily top 400 Euros. Keep in mind that a rental car would cost you 70 - 130 Euros,,,,,and even an excursion would be less expensive then a taxi. Another issue is that a majority of French taxi drivers speak little or no English.

 

Hank

[LondonTowner]

Both last year and this year we have had holidays staying very close to Arromanches and it is quite a long drive from there to Le Havre and even further to Utah and Omaha beaches. We take our own car, but I agree with the other posters a taxi will be very expensive for the day.

 

Apart from the WWII history, it is a really lovely part of France and once you are away from any big town the driving is easy. There is little traffic on French roads compared to the UK. I would also think about renting a car, but whatever you do, don't miss it.

[TourDeCruise]

We will be in Le Havre on September 7 and 8 and was wondering if anyone has taken a taxi to Normandy Beaches and the American and English Cemeteries? If so, how much and were the prices negotiable?

 

Thank you :):):)

 

Are you on the 6 September 2013 "Immersive Wine" cruise on the Celebrity Infinity? If so, there are a number of people who have discussed sharing taxi costs to Honfleur for Saturday the 7th and/or Sunday the 8th. Also, there are private excursions being planned including to Normandy beaches.

 

For the private excursions, most require payment that day, so if they don't show, which would be rare, you could always kick into a contingency plan of sharing a taxi with others to Etretat, Honfleur, Deauville, and/or Trouville. Or take the public bus on Saturday to Honfleur or train to Rouen. On Sunday the public transportation will be more difficult as buses & trains run less frequently, but the taxis will still be available although more expensive than a pre-arranged trip.

 

Please consider joining our rollcall to get ideas and perhaps join others for a private excursion:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1644266

 

Kathy

[gilligan and mary ann]

We rented a car on June 6 D Day, the car rental location was right at the port. we reserved it prior to leaving on the cruise. Reserved a GPS for navigation. Beautiful drive through the French country side. Had time to go to Juneau and Omaha Beach as well as stop in Honfleur for a coffee on a terrasse. Back before 5PM. Somewhere around 150 Euros for everything. Even on D-Day getting parking at the beaches was easy. I am a Canadian and as hard as it is to say I think if I had to choose one Omaha beach is a must to see.

[Hlitner]

We rented a car on June 6 D Day, the car rental location was right at the port. we reserved it prior to leaving on the cruise. Reserved a GPS for navigation. Beautiful drive through the French country side. Had time to go to Juneau and Omaha Beach as well as stop in Honfleur for a coffee on a terrasse. Back before 5PM. Somewhere around 150 Euros for everything. Even on D-Day getting parking at the beaches was easy. I am a Canadian and as hard as it is to say I think if I had to choose one Omaha beach is a must to see.

 

We have never understood the reluctance that most have about renting cars in Europe but it seems to be a normal fear among our fellow Americans and Canadians. As you have pointed out...driving in this part of France is a delight with nice country lanes (with light traffic) and a few major highways (Autostrade) to help move things along. We have managed to get to all the beaches and must agree that Omaha is the most interesting.

 

Hank

[golfadj]

How important is a guide? We found a few tour companies and they are insisting on 7 day notice if cancelling or will charge your card in full.

 

The only way we dont do it is if the ship misses the port and we obviously have no control over that.

 

Thinking now about renting a car.

[Got2Cruise]

How important is a guide? We found a few tour companies and they are insisting on 7 day notice if cancelling or will charge your card in full.

 

The only way we dont do it is if the ship misses the port and we obviously have no control over that.

 

Thinking now about renting a car.

 

The guides are very passionate and knowledgable and this information will make your visit that much more meaningful. We visited as part of a river cruise this past July. Be sure to visit the cemetery also

[LondonTowner]

We visited this part of France both this year and last year in our own car. I don't think a guide is a necessity, there is plenty of information at all of the museums. You can also find out a lot on the internet or guide book, just do a bit of research. I would prefer to rent a car and be free to do what I want to do.