Stop in Paris (Le Havre)

[ksmommy5]

Going on a TA in may and this is a stop. First time overseas and Paris is a definite want to venture out to visit. We will be there from 8 to 8 but transfers are sold out. Is the train the best option (and easy to navigate) and is the 6 hour RT worth the less than 2 hours to explore (see the Eiffel Tower but not go up). Ty! 

[freaky_82]

Only you can know if it is worth it. 

I visited  Honfleur during our LeHavre stop. I loved it. We took the local bus and spend the day there, got to taste some mussels and Cider. 

[CruiserBruce]

Paris is a multi-day visit. I would definitely not recommend doing it the way you are proposing.

[marazul]

Where does your TA end? How many stops after Le Havre?

If you really want to visit Paris, you can go after the cruise or you can disembark in Le Havre and stay at least a couple of days there. Fly back from Paris.  

IMO, 2 to, maybe, 3.5 hours in Paris is not worth the 6+ hours bus ride.  Use the day to visit the beautiful French countryside and lovely towns like Honfleur.

Edited January 28, 2023 by marazul

[MeHeartCruising]

I love visiting Paris.  However, I don't think I would recommend doing it from Le Havre as part of a single-day cruise visit.  Is it possible?  Yes.  But I think the overall experience of the day will be negatively impacted by the lost time just getting there and back.  Save the visit for a future land-based trip where you can do the city properly.  

 

Do something closer to the ship that day.

[Hlitner]

This question has been raised a few times over the years.  We have gone from Le Havre to Paris on a couple of cruises (once on a cruise line transfer and another time using the train) and I honestly do not recommend either option.  Why?  It is just too much time in transit and too short of a day in Paris (DW's favorite city in the world).

 

We do strongly recommend visiting Paris, but not for just a few hours.  For those taking a European cruise, consider going to Paris pre or post cruise and spending a few days (or weeks).  If Le Havre is your last stop on a cruise (and the following day you debark somewhere in England) consider debarking a day early in Le Havre and heading to Paris for at least a few days.  We have done this multiple times with several cruise lines.  Just keep in mind that you need to request an early debarkation pretty far in advance and each cruise line has their own procedure.  

 

As to Le Havre, it is still a terrific port even if you do not go to Paris.  You can go to the D-Day beaches, visit Honfleur, take a train to Rouen, etc.  Lots of reasonable options.

 

Hank

[ksmommy5]

On 1/28/2023 at 10:56 AM, Hlitner said:

This question has been raised a few times over the years.  We have gone from Le Havre to Paris on a couple of cruises (once on a cruise line transfer and another time using the train) and I honestly do not recommend either option.  Why?  It is just too much time in transit and too short of a day in Paris (DW's favorite city in the world).

 

We do strongly recommend visiting Paris, but not for just a few hours.  For those taking a European cruise, consider going to Paris pre or post cruise and spending a few days (or weeks).  If Le Havre is your last stop on a cruise (and the following day you debark somewhere in England) consider debarking a day early in Le Havre and heading to Paris for at least a few days.  We have done this multiple times with several cruise lines.  Just keep in mind that you need to request an early debarkation pretty far in advance and each cruise line has their own procedure.  

 

As to Le Havre, it is still a terrific port even if you do not go to Paris.  You can go to the D-Day beaches, visit Honfleur, take a train to Rouen, etc.  Lots of reasonable options.

 

Hank

Ty! We decided to do an overnight in Paris post. I’ll look into an OYO into Honfleur and explore. 

[Hlitner]

10 hours ago, ksmommy5 said:

Ty! We decided to do an overnight in Paris post. I’ll look into an OYO into Honfleur and explore. 

That begs the question (with a difficult answer) which is where to stay in Paris.  Most Paris lovers (DW certainly falls into that group) usually start by choosing an Arrondissement (neighborhood) and then look for options in that area.  There are those who prefer the Left Bank (which includes me) and those who prefer the Right Bank.  Our two favorite areas are in the Marais (especially if our stay involves a Sunday) or St Germain des Pres (our favorite area).  Since we normally stay 1-2 weeks, location is important.  For a one or two night stay I would be less choosy and focus more on the hotel.  When we do book hotels we prefer smaller Parisian style places over the huge chain hotels.

 

Hank

[Simon-t]

11 hours ago, ksmommy5 said:

Ty! We decided to do an overnight in Paris post. I’ll look into an OYO into Honfleur and explore. 

Good decision! Paris is great but you simply will cannot begin to do it justice in a couple of hours.

 

Honfleur is a lovely picturesque town and only a short transfer from Le Havre. Another option to consider is a trip to the cliffs at Etretat, a short drive up the coast from Le Havre and a beautiful spot to spend a few hours. 

[ksmommy5]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

That begs the question (with a difficult answer) which is where to stay in Paris.  Most Paris lovers (DW certainly falls into that group) usually start by choosing an Arrondissement (neighborhood) and then look for options in that area.  There are those who prefer the Left Bank (which includes me) and those who prefer the Right Bank.  Our two favorite areas are in the Marais (especially if our stay involves a Sunday) or St Germain des Pres (our favorite area).  Since we normally stay 1-2 weeks, location is important.  For a one or two night stay I would be less choosy and focus more on the hotel.  When we do book hotels we prefer smaller Parisian style places over the huge chain hotels.

 

Hank

Ty! I’m looking at a few near the tower or in the Latin district. It’s one night so I’m not that worried about the cramped space in Europe hotels. I don’t need anything except a bed and proximity to the main attractions. 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, ksmommy5 said:

Ty! I’m looking at a few near the tower or in the Latin district. It’s one night so I’m not that worried about the cramped space in Europe hotels. I don’t need anything except a bed and proximity to the main attractions. 

Ok, so a few years ago we stayed at an attractive local hotel called the Hotel Grandes d'Ecole which is located in the Latin Quarter.  You can google the place (they have a website).  The downside is that it is up a hill from the nearest Metro station so is a place for folks who are mobile.   The latest reviews on Tripadvisor are quite good so it sounds like "Madam" has kept the place in good condition.

 

If you do consider this place and it will be in a hot time of the year, you should inquire whether they can give you an air conditioned room.

 

Hank

[Simon-t]

1 hour ago, ksmommy5 said:

Ty! I’m looking at a few near the tower or in the Latin district. It’s one night so I’m not that worried about the cramped space in Europe hotels. I don’t need anything except a bed and proximity to the main attractions. 

If you are looking at the Latin Quarter we have stayed at the Hotel Notre Dame Saint-Michel on a couple of occasions. Great location with decent size rooms (for Paris) with views of the Seine and Notre Dame Cathedral. Lovely independent hotel with great service.

[justpeachy_76]

On 1/28/2023 at 7:56 AM, Hlitner said:

This question has been raised a few times over the years.  We have gone from Le Havre to Paris on a couple of cruises (once on a cruise line transfer and another time using the train) and I honestly do not recommend either option.  Why?  It is just too much time in transit and too short of a day in Paris (DW's favorite city in the world).

 

We do strongly recommend visiting Paris, but not for just a few hours.  For those taking a European cruise, consider going to Paris pre or post cruise and spending a few days (or weeks).  If Le Havre is your last stop on a cruise (and the following day you debark somewhere in England) consider debarking a day early in Le Havre and heading to Paris for at least a few days.  We have done this multiple times with several cruise lines.  Just keep in mind that you need to request an early debarkation pretty far in advance and each cruise line has their own procedure.  

 

As to Le Havre, it is still a terrific port even if you do not go to Paris.  You can go to the D-Day beaches, visit Honfleur, take a train to Rouen, etc.  Lots of reasonable options.

 

Hank

Hi Hank!  I am disembarking in La Havre with Princess.  They have already approved my request for early debarkation.  I'm want to arrange for transportation from the port but don't know what to expect regarding customs/immigration.  How long will it take to get off the ship and through all of that? Thank you for your help!

Cindy

[Hlitner]

44 minutes ago, justpeachy_76 said:

Hi Hank!  I am disembarking in La Havre with Princess.  They have already approved my request for early debarkation.  I'm want to arrange for transportation from the port but don't know what to expect regarding customs/immigration.  How long will it take to get off the ship and through all of that? Thank you for your help!

Cindy

In the past, our ships were cleared within a half hour and we could simply walk off with no customs or immigration.  On Princess, we always stopped at Guest Relations (a few days prior to Le Havre) to remind them of our plans for debarking.  They would give us luggage tags and pick up our luggage, during the night, which was than waiting in the terminal.  If your prior port was not an EU/Schengen port, it might be more complicated.

 

We usually just got a taxi to the train station except when we were picking up a rental car.

 

Hank

[CruiserBruce]

Where is your cruise sailing from, and at previous to the Le Havre stop? There may not be any Immigration issues. Customs is a minor thing in Europe.

[justpeachy_76]

Hello!

    Thank you for the great info.  I sail round trip from Southampton. The port before Le Havre is Edinburgh.  I'm trying to arrange a car to pick us up in Le Havre, take us to Omaha beach then on to Paris.  Figuring out when to have the car pick us up has been tricky.  I didn't know Princess would help us with our luggage.  I figured we would be hauling them off the ship ourselves.  

Cindy

[Hlitner]

6 hours ago, justpeachy_76 said:

Hello!

    Thank you for the great info.  I sail round trip from Southampton. The port before Le Havre is Edinburgh.  I'm trying to arrange a car to pick us up in Le Havre, take us to Omaha beach then on to Paris.  Figuring out when to have the car pick us up has been tricky.  I didn't know Princess would help us with our luggage.  I figured we would be hauling them off the ship ourselves.  

Cindy

The fact that you would be coming from a non-Schengen and non-EU country may (I emphasize "may") cause a slight delay at Le Havre.  I have no clue as to the current practice in such cases, since much has changed in recent years.  In theory, whenever you enter the EU (i.e. Le Havre) your Passport needs to be viewed and updated with an entry stamp.  Perhaps somebody, reading this, has more recent info.  These days, we have learned to be a bit over cautious with our advice since much has changed when it comes to European procedures.  There is also the new ETIAS (which has now been delayed until 2024) which just adds to the confusion.  There is also the EU rule that limits non-Visa visits to no more than 90 out of 180 days (this is driving many Brits to drink a few extra pints).  

 

You got Princess approval (for early disembarkation) which is great news.  But we have found, from experience, that Princess does not always notify the ship's purser so we would suggest one more "play it safe" procedure.  Once you have boarded (wait a few days to avoid the early cruise lines at Guest Relations) you should pay a visit to the Guest Relations folks and remind them of your intent to disembark early.  We also tell our cabin steward (a day or two before we leave) that we will be debarking early.  Perhaps this all sounds a bit obsessive, but we have found that the left hand does not always communicate with the other hand :).  

 

We are actually looking at doing another early disembarkation (at LeHavre) next year, so would appreciate if you later post your experience and updated advice.  With all the changes that have happened since COVID, we are all amateurs 🙂

 

Hank

[TheOldBear]

I would make the assumption that a physical passport examination and an electronic record needs to be made for disembarkation.

 

For port visits, I noticed in 2017 there was a long wait for the single agent to examine and stamp all shore excursion passports - both arriving at the terminal & returning from the tour. 

In 2019 no one in Hamburg or LeHavre wanted to see a passport - I assumed that all formalities were handled by the ship and the passenger manifest.