Le Havre or Paris

[threebluestars]

We are cruising in September and will be in Le Havre on Monday Sep 23.

 

I have booked a "Paris on Your Own" tour through the cruise company (Princess), but I'm second guessing due to it being only a week past the end of the Paralympics, so I don't know how traffic/blocked off areas/closed areas will be. The few cruises that got to do Paris tours pre-Olympics had not great experiences due to traffic and Olympic prep. The rest of the Paris tours were cancelled all summer because of the Olympics, but the Aug 31, Sep 12 and Sep 24 haven't been as far as I know.

 

This will be our only chance to see Paris, which is why we booked it, but the thought of 6 hours total on a bus with the potential of not getting to see the 3 sites we want to (Arc, Eiffel, Notre Dame) in the hopefully 4 hours we have there is making me consider a quieter day in Honfleur. We disembark the next day, and aren't back to the ship until 615pm at the earliest from the tour, so we'll have to rush for dinner, packing up etc. Plus I'll be responsible for getting us around Paris via the Metro and I'm a bit nervous about that.

 

With Honfleur we can take our time, be back early, have a relaxed dinner etc. But ... not see Paris.

 

If you've done Paris with a cruise tour from Le Havre was it worth it with the limited time? Or is Honfleur a better idea?

[CityDweller7]

Commenting as this is my question too.

 

Husband and I have been to Paris but the kids have not and they have their heart set on seeing the city. Wondering if the long round trip is good use of our time.

[edinburgher]

13 hours ago, threebluestars said:

to see the 3 sites we want to (Arc, Eiffel, Notre Dame)

Are you aware that Notre Dame Cathedral is still closed due to ongoing renovation/rebuilding works following the 2019 fire and not expected to re-open before the end of the year?  At present it is exterior views only.

[threebluestars]

Yeah, I knew. I was surprised to see aerial shots during the Olympics and it seems like they have a long way to go.

[Hlitner]

I have been thinking about the OP's post/question.  DW and I both are big fans of being in France and have been there on numerous cruises, driving trips, and just renting apartments.  Having traveled all over the world (far more than 100 countries) DW ranks Paris as her favorite city!  That being said, we often suggest that staying in Normandy, when ported at Le Havre, make a lot more sense then the long round trip to Paris.

 

However, the OP has made the statement that this is their ONLY chance to see Paris.  With that caveat, I would suggest going to Paris, even if only for a few hours.  That being said, we still suggest that folks wanting to see Paris try to plan a multi-day (or even multi-week) stay in the city of Lights.  Cruisers, reading this post, should also consider that if they are on a cruise that stops at Le Havre near the end of a cruise, they might consider arranging an early disembarkation and spending several days in Paris.

 

Hank

[mskaufman]

Hank is right on.  If this is your only chance to see Paris, do it.

[clairebearinaus]

The best way to see Notre Dame at the moment is from the river.  Much of the view from land is covered in hoarding and scaffolding, and the perspective from the river side is spectacular at the best of times.  I would recommend Batobus as a great way to get around, it's a HOHO ferry on the Seine, there's a stop at the Eiffel Tower (and great views from the boat) and a couple of points from which it's an easy walk to l'Arc.  You could easily hit your 3 targets in a couple of hours. 

 

The only Hop On Hop Off on the Seine river - Batobus

 

Another option would be a regular HOHO bus which will take you to all 3 sites.  With such a short time to enjoy Paris, I think a bus would be far preferable to the Metro, despite the extra cost, as you will see so much more of the city from street level.  Personally, with 3-4 hours I'd walk all of it but I understand that's not for everyone.

Edited August 7 by clairebearinaus

[mskaufman]

We had a two day Batobus ticket.  Day 1 was the day we flew in so just rode the route and took pictures.  Day 2 we had a plan of where to get on and off.  Previous poster is correct in that you have good views of ND from the river.

[shecritic]

I think if this is your only chance to see Paris, it's worth doing the tour even if it's just for a few hours. Paris is such an amazing and iconic city, I'm sure your kids would really appreciate getting to see some of the top sights like the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe even if only from the outside. While Honfleur sounds lovely and more relaxed, you'll probably regret it later if you pass up the opportunity to visit Paris. Maybe prepare your kids that you'll have to move quickly between sites so you can see as much as possible in the short time. The boat tours others mentioned sound like a great way to get around and see Notre Dame from the river.

[JWW777]

On 7/31/2024 at 3:00 PM, threebluestars said:

We are cruising in September and will be in Le Havre on Monday Sep 23.

 

I have booked a "Paris on Your Own" tour through the cruise company (Princess), but I'm second guessing due to it being only a week past the end of the Paralympics, so I don't know how traffic/blocked off areas/closed areas will be. The few cruises that got to do Paris tours pre-Olympics had not great experiences due to traffic and Olympic prep. The rest of the Paris tours were cancelled all summer because of the Olympics, but the Aug 31, Sep 12 and Sep 24 haven't been as far as I know.

 

This will be our only chance to see Paris, which is why we booked it, but the thought of 6 hours total on a bus with the potential of not getting to see the 3 sites we want to (Arc, Eiffel, Notre Dame) in the hopefully 4 hours we have there is making me consider a quieter day in Honfleur. We disembark the next day, and aren't back to the ship until 615pm at the earliest from the tour, so we'll have to rush for dinner, packing up etc. Plus I'll be responsible for getting us around Paris via the Metro and I'm a bit nervous about that.

 

With Honfleur we can take our time, be back early, have a relaxed dinner etc. But ... not see Paris.

 

If you've done Paris with a cruise tour from Le Havre was it worth it with the limited time? Or is Honfleur a better idea?

I am cruising from Le Havre in later this month, best travel suggestion from Paris to the cruise port?

[Hlitner]

On 9/9/2024 at 1:06 AM, JWW777 said:

I am cruising from Le Havre in later this month, best travel suggestion from Paris to the cruise port?

Assuming you can handle your luggage, a good option is to take the train from Paris (St Lazare Station) to Le Havre.  Once at the Le Havre station, you walk outside and towards the left and there are usually some taxis parked at the left side of the building.  The taxi will get you to the port in about 10 min and will expect to be paid in Euros.  

 

Another option is to use the Flixbus between Paris and Le Havre.  You can Google the Flixbus and look at the schedule and pick-up options.  You would still need a taxi from the Le Havre drop-off to the port (only a few short minutes).

 

There is also the possibility of doing a one-way rental car.  We do a lot of driving in France and Europe, but do not push this kind of option since most folks prefer not to drive (especially in Paris).  The usual agencies such as Hertz and Europcar will handle one-ways.  This still leaves the issue of getting from the Le Havre agency office to the port (generally not more than a mile) which would be done by taxi or perhaps the rental car agency providing a transfer (you can call them and ask).

 

A few folks, with no care about a budget, might opt to hire a taxi or car/driver.  This is probably the most expensive option since that driver would need to drive all the way back to Paris...empty.  I do not know the current cost, but it will be many hundreds of Euros.

 

Hank

 

Hank