Travel from Paris to LeHavre with lots of luggage- HELP!

There is frequent direct train service between Gare St-Lazare and Le Havre. The trip takes two hours. The standard 2nd class fare is €28.10. PREM'S (discount) fares, when available, are €15 (2nd class) and €29 (1st class). PREM'S are only available online. Book up to three months in advance at www.voyages-sncf.com. Leave France as the default country, do NOT choose cancellation insurance, and print your own ticket.

Thank you so much for the transportation information. Could you please explain what the luggage limits are, and where the luggage would be, for the various class tickets. We tried to find that information on line and could not.

This cruise is not like the leisure cruises, but rather like a floating hotel that takes us from country to country every day a different port. We will hav a lot of luggage as we will be cruising for two weeks with limited laundry capability.

Thank you for any assistance you may have

Bill

You are responsible for your own luggage so the only limit is what you can readily wrestle on and off the train. Carry-on sized luggage will fit in the rack above your seat. Larger luggage goes in the bins at the end of the carriage. Same arrangements for either 1st or 2nd class.

I strongly encourage you to try to pack a bit lighter. Click on "Travel Tips" at the top of the page you're reading now and then read the articles under the "Packing Tips" heading.

Tim is correct but you do need to rethink some of your luggage. And it can be done and I think easily. We have done six European cruises ranging from 14 to 18 days. We normally travel with a carryon size bag for each of us. When we do cruises we add one carryon size rolling bag that contains extra cruise clothes, shoes, etc. for both of us. We have done the Paris/LeHavre run. You will need a taxi from the train to the harbor. It is all fairly close. You will have lots of company that day.

Thanks again:
Not really sure how we can pack lighter. The suitcases have weight and we have weight limits of 50 lbs each. One suitcase (the folding hanging type) has the Tux and 3 formal dresses, shoes 1 pair of dress for each of us and 1 pair of walking shoes each and a sportcoat. (we wear the tennis/hiking shoes on the plane - as they are the heaviest)

The other suitcases have the slacks 1 pair each and jeans 4 pair each and tops/shirts to go with plus a sweatjacket each and a raincoat and underwear. The problem is that we are large sizes and the clothes weigh alot and we need more suitcases when the airline limits us to 50 pounds rather than the old 70 lb limit.

How do you fit your clothes in such a small amount of luggage. Looking forward to your help.

Also, the moving the suitcases is not the problem, we just don't know how many minutes they allow for that movement before the doors close.

The trains you would take start in Paris and end in Le Havre. You'll have plenty of time to get your luggage on at one end and off at the other. But I still encourage you to pack as light as possible.

Bill you're a man after my own heart. I too have trouble packing light and am absolutely amazed at how so many people can travel with just carry on. I truly admire them. I go for work as well as vacation and so need totally different clothes for each (well my excuse anyway). As far as getting all the luggage off the train in time, get the first cases off and have your wife stand at the carriage door as you hand down the others or visa versa. The conductor won't let the train pull away if he sees people are still getting luggage and themselves off the train. As far as cutting down what you are taking the old rule is put out what you think you will need and then take away half of it. Good luck anyway and enjoy the cruise.

Bill, it can be done but it does require a very different mind set. And some folks cannot do it. First, you don't take three formal dresses -- you take one and some accessories that will give you three or four different looks. You don't take four pairs of jeans --- in fact you don't take four pairs of anything. Jeans are heavy and hard to carry for. I no longer take a tux but have developed a system that eliminates both the tux and the extra sports coat. If want, I send you our packing lists -- we spent two weeks on Holland Am this summer.

I agree with Frank. 4 pairs of jeans is way too many. We take only about one week's worth of clothes, figuring that we'll do laundry after one week. Depending upon the time of year that you'll be going, you may want to rethink jean entirely. We tend to travel during the spring and fall, when the extra weight of jeans provide some nice warmth. But if you'll be travelling when it's warm, you may want to take lighter-weight pants, such as those by Dockers, Columbia, or North Face.

Hi Bill, ok, the tux and formals can't be avoided,, but four pairs of jeans each is EIGHT pairs, and frankly that is heavey!
I would wear one pair of jeans and take another, then take some lightweight slacks and for your wife a skirt or two.
My mom did a 30 day cruise with a roll on, and yes, she dressed for formal night, a long black skirt and three different silky blouses plus jewerly, so it can be done.
I think ladies can get away with lightweight tops and such that weight next to nothing( silk is wonderful for this) .
Four pairs of jeans is a bit much though, you will have to CARRY your luggage to taxi stands and into the train,, and store it with you, so really, pare it down, you will be so glad you did.

Bill, I was just rereading your question and all of the responses. I think I may have misunderstood your original posting ------

.....We will each have 2 suitcases (50lbs ea) and 1 carryon......

Did you mean to say that you EACH would have two suitcases AND 1 carryon --- EACH????. Six pieces of luggage and nearly 250 lb !!! If that is true then you really do have too much luggage. Earlier I thought you had only 2 suitcases and i carryon for both of you. Still think that is a little much but six pieces will cause a lot of problems. There is a good possibility that you and all of that luggage will not fit in one taxi.

Hey Bill..Once you're there and if you find you really REALLY need more clothes.. why not just buy some and have them shipped back home to SoCal??. I can't imagine anything more glamorous than buying a formal gown in Paris and wearing it to an event.. tres tres chic!! Seriously I overpacked this Spring when my husband and I went to Venice for two weeks.. less is definitly more

This is a no brainer. Pack less and don't take a cruise. You may be surprised to learn that Europe has laundromats and you can wear a pair of pants for longer than one day. If you're going in the summer then you don't need a coat.

Some tips:
It has become easy to buy clothes made out of quick drying wicking material. Buy some of these, especially undershirts and underwear. You can wash the under clothing in the sink at night so you can wear your outer clothing for more days without washing them. Plus the clothes will easily be dry in the morning.

It's important to bring clothes that look ok if a little wrinkled if you're going to wash in the sink.

Take no more than 3-5 changes of clothes with you. I would even say that 5 is too many. I pack exactly the same amount of clothes that Rick says he packs except I pack a few more wicking undergarments.

Do laundry about every 6-10 days. It only takes about 2-3 hours of your time which you can use to plan your next destination.