Paris excursion from Le Havre

[pbrn55]

For those of you that have done the included excursion to Paris, is there time to do the Hop On Hop Off bus once there?  What's the best way to get a general  overview of the city? I'd love to hear experiences from those who have done this.   

[Frenchberet]

It’s a 3 hour bus ride from Le Havre to Paris.  What’s included in the included excursion?  
 

The Hop On Hop Off bus has 9 stops and would give you an overview of Paris and some nice photo ops.  If you don’t want to get back on another bus, you could do the Eiffel Tower and have lunch at a nice cafe.  The 7th arrondissement is a very nice safe area where you could stroll around for several hours.  Rue Cler is only a few blocks away from the ET and offers a nice glimpse of a Paris neighborhood.  Paris has a lot to offer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, Frenchberet said:

It’s a 3 hour bus ride from Le Havre to Paris.  What’s included in the included excursion?  
 

The Hop On Hop Off bus has 9 stops and would give you an overview of Paris and some nice photo ops.  If you don’t want to get back on another bus, you could do the Eiffel Tower and have lunch at a nice cafe.  The 7th arrondissement is a very nice safe area where you could stroll around for several hours.  Rue Cler is only a few blocks away from the ET and offers a nice glimpse of a Paris neighborhood.  Paris has a lot to offer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the bus ride is really 3 hours each way this means that you will be spending 6 hours of your excursion time on the bus.  Hardly worth it to me. There has to be something almost as good but a lot closer.  How about doing Paris as a DIY either pre or post cruise.

 

DON

Edited May 9, 2023 by donaldsc

[OneSixtyToOne]

2 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

If the bus ride is really 3 hours each way this means that you will be spending 6 hours of your excursion time on the bus.  Hardly worth it to me. There has to be something almost as good but a lot closer.  How about doing Paris as a DIY either pre or post cruise.

 

DON

 

Honfleur is a great place to visit. We've been there twice with Viking. Once river and once ocean.

 

https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/unmissable-sites/honfleur/things-to-do/

[pbrn55]

I have been to Paris, hubby has not but it is the only excursion he wants to do so we're goin'!  We are aware of the long bus ride but want to make the most of our short time there. 

[CILCIANRQTS]

12 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

 

Honfleur is a great place to visit. We've been there twice with Viking. Once river and once ocean.

 

https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/unmissable-sites/honfleur/things-to-do/

Second for Honfleur.

Charming little community with plenty to see and do. Easy walking.

Wouldn’t spend that long on a bus to Paris unless I hadn’t been there before.

[MikeyB]

Agreed about Honfleur.

Take the Viking river cruise that starts in Paris to really see the city.

[Peregrina651]

On 5/9/2023 at 9:18 AM, pbrn55 said:

For those of you that have done the included excursion to Paris, is there time to do the Hop On Hop Off bus once there?  What's the best way to get a general  overview of the city? I'd love to hear experiences from those who have done this.   

 

On 5/9/2023 at 5:59 PM, pbrn55 said:

I have been to Paris, hubby has not but it is the only excursion he wants to do so we're goin'!  We are aware of the long bus ride but want to make the most of our short time there. 

 

Okay then, let's get you some answers  -- or at least some suggestions of where to get answers.

 

•  Check out the Paris HOHO website. Someplace it should tell you the approximate time to do the loop without getting off the bus (although the Viking excursion does include a panoramic ride around). The website will also include a route map so that you can see how close it comes to the Viking drop off and meet-up points. (Download the HOHO route map to your  mobile).

 

• You need to find out the following directly from: 1) what the "panoramic bus tour" portion includes, what will they be driving you past; 2) if and where they will be making a pit stop upon arrival in Paris (there will be one on the road but hopefully there will also be one upon arrival; you can depart the tour here if it is near enough to the HOHO stop); 3) where the pick up point is and at approximately what time. Even so, this information should be confirmed as your journey gets closer and then again when you board the ship. as the details can change over time.

 

Contact Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com; don't bother with "chat" or the call center because they won't have the answers.

 

Having been with Viking in Paris (but not all the way from Honfleur), I suspect that there will be a pit stop at Place de la Concorde upon arrival, before the panoramic tour begins (there will be a charge for the bathroom; euro coins will be helpful here) and that the pick up point at the end of the day will be at the Winston Churchill statue, by the Petit Palais and not far from the Place de la Concorde.  Regardless, you must confirm the pick up point and time from your guide on the day of the tour.

 

If you leave the tour before the panoramic drive around, let your guide know.

 

Have a great time in Paris and don't over plan your day.

 

[Mich3554]

On 5/10/2023 at 11:48 AM, CILCIANRQTS said:

Second for Honfleur.

Charming little community with plenty to see and do. Easy walking.

Wouldn’t spend that long on a bus to Paris unless I hadn’t been there before.

Third for Honfleur.  We did this a few days ago, and it was fabulous.  We also went on market day, which was even better.  We did not get near enough time there to do what we wanted.

[pbrn55]

4 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

 

Okay then, let's get you some answers  -- or at least some suggestions of where to get answers.

 

•  Check out the Paris HOHO website. Someplace it should tell you the approximate time to do the loop without getting off the bus (although the Viking excursion does include a panoramic ride around). The website will also include a route map so that you can see how close it comes to the Viking drop off and meet-up points. (Download the HOHO route map to your  mobile).

 

• You need to find out the following directly from: 1) what the "panoramic bus tour" portion includes, what will they be driving you past; 2) if and where they will be making a pit stop upon arrival in Paris (there will be one on the road but hopefully there will also be one upon arrival; you can depart the tour here if it is near enough to the HOHO stop); 3) where the pick up point is and at approximately what time. Even so, this information should be confirmed as your journey gets closer and then again when you board the ship. as the details can change over time.

 

Contact Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com; don't bother with "chat" or the call center because they won't have the answers.

 

Having been with Viking in Paris (but not all the way from Honfleur), I suspect that there will be a pit stop at Place de la Concorde upon arrival, before the panoramic tour begins (there will be a charge for the bathroom; euro coins will be helpful here) and that the pick up point at the end of the day will be at the Winston Churchill statue, by the Petit Palais and not far from the Place de la Concorde.  Regardless, you must confirm the pick up point and time from your guide on the day of the tour.

 

If you leave the tour before the panoramic drive around, let your guide know.

 

Have a great time in Paris and don't over plan your day.

 

Thanks so much for the info.  I have some homework to do!

 

[Frenchberet]

Sounds like Paris is important to you and your husband.  You’ll figure out a way to make it work!

[pavementends]

On 5/9/2023 at 2:59 PM, pbrn55 said:

I have been to Paris, hubby has not but it is the only excursion he wants to do so we're goin'!  We are aware of the long bus ride but want to make the most of our short time there. 

 

You do you. But I wouldn't want to take 6 hours on a bus to get to Paris only to get on another bus.

 

Consider going to ONE site (Eiffel Tower?) and walking around and maybe sitting in a cafe. Actually, for sure sitting in a cafe.

 

That way you'll always have Paris, or at least a couple hours of Paris.

[Meander Ingwa]

Not sure how much time you actually have on the ground once you get to Paris.  A ho/ ho might be a good option.  I would then get off at or take the Metro up to Arc de Triomphe and walk back down the Champs Elysees through the Tulleries past the Louvre turn right across the river past Notre Dame.  This gets you a chance to be in the mix, look into shop windows of all the fancy stores etc.  Once you pass Notre Dame cross over to the Latin Quarter.  Find a cafe at a busy  intersection ( cafe le quartier on Rue Dante perhaps) and sit outside.  admire the effortless style of dress of people passing by and marvel at the audacity of the drivers.

 

If the weather is bad or you are not walkers  , if you have time I would visit the museum dOrsay to see its lovely Impressionist collection.  However a trip up the Eiffel Tower is probably the most iconic thing you can do, so do it

[Mackdogmolly]

On 5/11/2023 at 12:31 PM, Mich3554 said:

Third for Honfleur.  We did this a few days ago, and it was fabulous.  We also went on market day, which was even better.  We did not get near enough time there to do what we wanted.

And it’s easy to do on your own 

[Mich3554]

38 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

And it’s easy to do on your own 

It is.  We had a good chunk of time to wander on our own, but we did have a fabulous tour guide who pointed out parts of the city that we’d have been clueless about, had sh3 not told us the history.

I think that there is a balance you need to hit with regards to imparting information, and giving free time.  Since our guide was local, she knew where to taste and buy the homegrown ciders, and what other places to check out.  That day, a very nice balance was hit.

[Caravelmaster]

I agree that Honfleur is a neat spot.  You might also consider Rouen, which is about 50 minutes by train from Le Havre.  A round trip ticket will cost 20-40 Euros/person, depending on the hour and whether you book first or second class.  Trains are frequent.  Much of the ride is fairly scenic.  Rouen is the capital of Normandy with a rich medieval presence in the central city.  Lots of gothic flavors , wood-timbered buildings, etc. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Caravelmaster
word change