Our ship pulls into La Harve for the day and we are wondering what our choices we have for a day trip within striking distance of bus or train routes?
Thanks!
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
If you google "Le Havre tourism" (note spelling) you'll get some ideas and Viator has some tours from Le Havre on their website that may be of interest.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Here's the introduction to that chapter of Rick's Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook:
To reach Paris from the port city of Le Havre, it's about a 2.5-hour train ride each way. If you’d rather stick closer to your ship, consider these alternatives: the harbor town of Honfleur (30 minutes by bus); the historic D-Day beaches (an hour or so to the west); and the pleasant small city of Rouen (one hour by train).
Most visitors arriving at Le Havre will zip into Paris. While the round-trip is time-consuming, if this is your one chance to experience the City of Light, it’s hard to resist. On the other hand, several good, easier-to-visit options sit much closer to Le Havre--worth considering for those who’ve already been to Paris (or want to save it for a longer visit). Here are your basic options:
Paris: With just a few hours in Paris, you’ll need to be selective--but if that’s all the time you have, you can still see a lot.
Honfleur: An easy (though relatively infrequent) bus ride from Le Havre, this sleepy, colorful port town that inspired the Impressionists can fill a lazy day.
D-Day Beaches: The historic beaches of the WWII Allied invasion, west of Le Havre, are best visited with a guide.
Rouen: About halfway to Paris on the train line, this city (with a cobbled old town and historic ties to Joan of Arc) is worth a day.