How Quickly Can We Get to the Le Havre Train Station?

[minnow76]

Hi all,

 

I am sailing on a British Isles cruise with my family (husband, mother, father and two nephews) in June. Since this is the first time to France for four in the party, we have decided to take the trek into Paris in our one day in France.

 

We are docking at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 29. There is a train leaving Le Havre at 8:02 a.m. Any thoughts on how likely we are to catch that train? If we don't choose the train, we are planning on the Paris on Your Own tour from the cruise line - but train fare is considerably less than the tour.

 

We are relatively comfortable navigating train/metro stations, and my husband was born in Paris and lived there for the first five years of his life - so he speaks French well enough to be our guide.

 

Any suggestions or comments welcome. Thanks in advance!

 

Minnow

[Hlitner]

It is really impossible to give you a definitive answer. The problem are the taxis! Most of the taxis that will be at the port are not going to be interested in the short haul to the train station. Getting to the station in time for that train will depend a bit on luck (with the taxis) and your ability to convince a driver to do the short haul. Walking to the train station (we have done it a few times) can take around 40 min....even for a very fast walker...so this is not a good option. Once in a taxi the ride will take less than 15 min.

 

Hank

[minnow76]

Thanks, Hank! That is partly what I'm afraid of (the other part being the time to actually disembark). I read somewhere on a thread here that other cruisers offered to pay double the fare just to get to the train station - but even with that, I don't know that it would be all that attractive to a driver, as compared to a full-day tour or a drive to a different city. As much as I would like to do this trip on our own, it's looking like the ship's excursion may be the safest bet.

 

Minnow

[Hlitner]

Disembarking should not be a big problem. Your ship will be docked, and the authorities normally clear ships within 15-20 min. At that point it is a matter of first come first serve at the gangplank...so get in line a bit early. There is no kind of clearance procedure once you exit the ship, so you just walk straight to the taxi queue which is in front of the small terminal building.

 

Hank

[minnow76]

Thanks again, Hank! I don't know that we've come to a firm decision, but I think we're leaning toward chancing it. With the difference in cost between the ship's tour and train tickets for all, we could offer a sizable "bonus" to any cab driver willing to make the short haul and still come out miles ahead. I think my mom is a little worried about missing the ship on the way back but with the train times and our willingness to offer incentives, it should all work for us. :D

[Hlitner]

Just do not come back at the last minute. The taxi stand at the Le Havre train station is not in front of the station....but rather is around the side. So when you walk out of the main doors of the station, turn left and walk to the corner of the station and you will see the taxi queue towards your left. We always thought that wa a bit strange and wonder if they will ever move the taxis to the front. If you have a Smartphone that works in Europe (not a problem if you have T-Mobile) you would be well advised to install Uber's app and set up an account (unless you have already done so). Uber is a great back-up to taxis and has expanded in France (not sure how good it is in Le Havre).

 

Hank

[minnow76]

There is a train arriving back in Le Havre just before 6:00 p.m. Our ship leaves at 8:00 p.m., so even in the worst case scenario, that should give us time to get back to the ship. And thank you for the tip on where to find cabs from the train station - that could be a panic-inducing moment if we didn't know where to look!

 

I do have Uber on my phone already - I thoroughly enjoy it and have no problem using it instead of an "official" cab!

 

Thanks again for all your help!

 

Minnow

[smarks]

Disembarking should not be a big problem. Your ship will be docked, and the authorities normally clear ships within 15-20 min. At that point it is a matter of first come first serve at the gangplank...so get in line a bit early. There is no kind of clearance procedure once you exit the ship, so you just walk straight to the taxi queue which is in front of the small terminal building.

 

Hank

 

Hi Hank, we will be coming in from the U.S. Do you have any idea how long it usually takes to get off the ship if your from the U.S.? So it may be hard to get a cab to Paris, would it be equally as hard to get back to the ship from the train station? Thanks for any info you can share.

[TheOldBear]

Hi Hank, we will be coming in from the U.S. Do you have any idea how long it usually takes to get off the ship if your from the U.S.? So it may be hard to get a cab to Paris, would it be equally as hard to get back to the ship from the train station? Thanks for any info you can share.

I think the answer is going to be 'it varies'.

 

There is a reply in this thread mentioning if the ship is 'cleared' then all the passport formalities have already been done, and you just walk off [and try to grab a taxi or other transport]

 

What I observed last September, arriving from Southhampton, was all passengers needed to have their passport examined / stamped - but only one official was on site for the early tours [0700]. This meant about 45 minutes from leaving the ship to getting on the tour bus. No taxis were in evidence - presumably the drivers know the ships usual schedule and start arriving when non tour passengers are allowed to exit.

[Hlitner]

Hi Hank, we will be coming in from the U.S. Do you have any idea how long it usually takes to get off the ship if your from the U.S.? So it may be hard to get a cab to Paris, would it be equally as hard to get back to the ship from the train station? Thanks for any info you can share.

 

If this is your first port in the EU, there could be some delay in getting the ship cleared. We have never had Le Havre as our first European port....so this is just my guess. As to cabs in Paris, you cannot just flag down a taxi like in the US (or other places). As a general rule you get Paris taxis by going to the closest taxi stand. If there are no taxis you just wait and hope one will come along in a short period of time. Another option is to call for a "radio taxi." One of the best cab companies is called "G7" and I believe they even have an English speaking number.. I am not sure if they now have an app for your phone...which might be helpful.

 

I am a big fan of Uber and that is often a great option. But Uber has been meeting with a lot of resistance in many European cities so you should check on the status of Uber close to when you take your trip. Personally we never use taxis in Paris (unless we are going somewhere with luggage) but prefer public transit. Paris has a terrific Metro system and also their RER trains. A few years ago we did arrive at the Gare St Lazare with a lot of luggage (we were staying in France for about a month) and exited the station looking for a taxi. There was a long queue of people waiting for taxis and no taxis :(. So we walked a few blocks (dragging all of our luggage) until we found another taxi stand with no queue...and also no taxis. But within 5 minutes a taxi cruised by, saw us waiting at the taxi stand and quickly stopped. This was before Uber.

 

Hank

[smarks]

I think the answer is going to be 'it varies'.

 

There is a reply in this thread mentioning if the ship is 'cleared' then all the passport formalities have already been done, and you just walk off [and try to grab a taxi or other transport]

 

What I observed last September, arriving from Southhampton, was all passengers needed to have their passport examined / stamped - but only one official was on site for the early tours [0700]. This meant about 45 minutes from leaving the ship to getting on the tour bus. No taxis were in evidence - presumably the drivers know the ships usual schedule and start arriving when non tour passengers are allowed to exit.

 

Thank you Old Bear. I did go back and read that again. Do you know if there is any way to reserve a taxi to the train station? I'm guessing not, but never hurts to ask. Thanks for the info.

Sandra

[smarks]

If this is your first port in the EU, there could be some delay in getting the ship cleared. We have never had Le Havre as our first European port....so this is just my guess. As to cabs in Paris, you cannot just flag down a taxi like in the US (or other places). As a general rule you get Paris taxis by going to the closest taxi stand. If there are no taxis you just wait and hope one will come along in a short period of time. Another option is to call for a "radio taxi." One of the best cab companies is called "G7" and I believe they even have an English speaking number.. I am not sure if they now have an app for your phone...which might be helpful.

 

I am a big fan of Uber and that is often a great option. But Uber has been meeting with a lot of resistance in many European cities so you should check on the status of Uber close to when you take your trip. Personally we never use taxis in Paris (unless we are going somewhere with luggage) but prefer public transit. Paris has a terrific Metro system and also their RER trains. A few years ago we did arrive at the Gare St Lazare with a lot of luggage (we were staying in France for about a month) and exited the station looking for a taxi. There was a long queue of people waiting for taxis and no taxis :(. So we walked a few blocks (dragging all of our luggage) until we found another taxi stand with no queue...and also no taxis. But within 5 minutes a taxi cruised by, saw us waiting at the taxi stand and quickly stopped. This was before Uber.

 

Hank

 

Thank you Hank. Good to know what to expect with the taxi's. LeHavre will be our last stop before heading to Southampton. I have so much to learn. First trip across the pond and I am trying to get it all figured out with the trains, taxis and language barriers I'm hoping for the best. Thanks for all the folks on here, I feel I will know how to manage it all when I get there. Thanks again for any and all info.

 

Sandra

[Hlitner]

Thank you Old Bear. I did go back and read that again. Do you know if there is any way to reserve a taxi to the train station? I'm guessing not, but never hurts to ask. Thanks for the info.

Sandra

 

We do not know of anyway to do this in Le Havre (you can book taxis in advance...in Paris). You can certainly find some phone numbers of local taxi companies and try to call them as you are leaving the ship. But not sure this will bear fruit. I noticed (by looking online) that there are at least 2 Radio Taxi companies in Le Havre....but they both get lousy ratings.

 

Hank

[smarks]

We do not know of anyway to do this in Le Havre (you can book taxis in advance...in Paris). You can certainly find some phone numbers of local taxi companies and try to call them as you are leaving the ship. But not sure this will bear fruit. I noticed (by looking online) that there are at least 2 Radio Taxi companies in Le Havre....but they both get lousy ratings.

 

Hank

 

Thank you Hank for the reply. Do you know if there are taxi stands somewhere not to far away in LeHavre. We have no trouble walking but I really don't want to spend 45 to 50 mins. walking to the train station on an already tight schedule. Maybe we could walk to the next train station and catch a cab. Any thoughts on this. Thanks. You have been a wealth of information.

 

Sandra

[Hlitner]

Thank you Hank for the reply. Do you know if there are taxi stands somewhere not to far away in LeHavre. We have no trouble walking but I really don't want to spend 45 to 50 mins. walking to the train station on an already tight schedule. Maybe we could walk to the next train station and catch a cab. Any thoughts on this. Thanks. You have been a wealth of information.

 

Sandra

 

Great question :). I will try to pain a picture. When you get off the ship there is a small terminal building (and I am assuming you will be at the normal cruise pier). Next to this small building there should be some taxis (depending on the mood of the local taxi drivers). If you do not want to use what is in the port you are gong to have to walk out of the port, and over the small bridge into a suburb of Le Havre...where you will not find any taxis. Unlike some countries, French taxi drivers do not normally cruise around looking for fares. They either hang out at regular taxi stands (such as at the port, train station, or a major hotel) or you must summon a radio taxi via a phone call (or app).

 

If you want to talk to the Le Havre Train Station (we have done it a few times) you are talking about a 45-

60 minute walk (depending on your walking speed). We actually found a short cut through the port (we walked across a field) but that only saved us about 5 minutes. It is a long walk. In a sense you are at the mercy of the taxi drivers that come to the port...and you can certainly try to get a driver to run you over to the station. We have had some success with the process, but its truly a crap shoot.

 

I would love to hear the opinions of others who are familiar with Le Havre to see if they have a different point of view or advice.

 

And now for my criticism of nearly all the cruise lines. They are well aware that some cruisers want to get to a local train station in many ports. But there is little profit in cruise lines providing shuttle service (even for a fee) to the local train station. So many cruise lines do everything possible to convince cruisers to book the cruise line excursions (sometimes for hundreds of dollars per day more than DIY). In fact, one cruise line neglected to tell cruisers about a free shuttle (provided by the port the Gexto/Bilboo that would take any cruiser (for free) from the port to Bilbao. Instead, the cruise line pushed expensive excursions and transfer options. It was only a few hours before docking that they told cruisers there was a free shuttle option......only after many had booked expensive transfers.

 

So lets be clear and cynical. Cruise lines only care about their bottom line. Yes, they want cruisers to be happy...but only when it helps their bottom line. So they use all kinds of techniques to sell their overpriced excursions and transfers....while generally withholding information that might encourage cruisers to do their own thing. Most shore lectures are aimed at promoting cruise line excursions and the lecturers often work for a third party contractor who only profits from selling excursions. At one time a few cruise lines such as HAL had port experts who had office hours and would help DIYers. But this is now very rare. And also know that the "shopping lectures" are only about promoting stores that pay a fee to be promoted. And guess who ultimately pays for those fees? We live in a cruise port for part of the year and are well aware that the shops promoted by the cruise lines are not where any of those who live here...would shop. One local jewelry store actually opens early if there is a certain cruise line coming to town....but otherwise would not even bother to open their doors until many hours later. The reason is that absence cruisers....they would be sitting on their hands. What we find somewhat amusing (as frequent cruisers) is that some cruiser swear by these shop that cater to cruisers (because not many others will pay their prices).

 

Hank

 

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Edited February 11, 2018 by Hlitner
B

[KCBailey]

I agree Hank. I want to DIY into Paris because the cruise excursion is about 4x the cost. I will try to take a taxi to train station but will walk as a backup plan. I used google maps to get walking directions but not sure if there is a preferred route or anything that will make walking a challenge e.g. is there sidewalks with in the port?

 

Also when returning do you think there will be a problem getting taxi to return to the cruise port? If walking, is there any access point you have to go through to get back into port? We have an overnight and will be returning early evening on a Sunday night in June.

[Hlitner]

I agree Hank. I want to DIY into Paris because the cruise excursion is about 4x the cost. I will try to take a taxi to train station but will walk as a backup plan. I used google maps to get walking directions but not sure if there is a preferred route or anything that will make walking a challenge e.g. is there sidewalks with in the port?

 

Also when returning do you think there will be a problem getting taxi to return to the cruise port? If walking, is there any access point you have to go through to get back into port? We have an overnight and will be returning early evening on a Sunday night in June.

 

The walk route is pretty simple. Just get out of the entire port complex (over the bridge) and then turn right and walk as fast as you can :). At some point you will have to veer a bit inland...and that is where printing out a Google map or using GPS can help. No matter which streets you use, it is a pretty boring (and flat) walk. We have usually been lucky with getting a taxi to do the short haul...but it sometimes can take some time to find a willing driver.

 

One irony about France is that there has been a lot of resistance to Uber and Lyft. And yet, France has one of the worst taxi situations in Europe and could certainly use some competition. But it seems to be in the nature of the French to suffer rather than to admit they need an alternative.

 

Hank

[Al54]

The "resistance" was from taxis companies not from "The French", even if I don't know who on earth "The French" could be! Do you mean : The One with a béret and a baguette under his arm? French passengers were very happy to find an alternative to taxis and used to travel with Uber, but unfortunately, the taxis lobby is powerful.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

The "resistance" was from taxis companies not from "The French", even if I don't know who on earth "The French" could be! Do you mean : The One with a béret and a baguette under his arm? French passengers were very happy to find an alternative to taxis and used to travel with Uber, but unfortunately, the taxis lobby is powerful.

 

 

Envoyé de mon iPad en utilisant Forums

 

Your answer is convenient but more of an excuse then a fact. Yes, the efforts to ban Uber and Lyft are led by taxi drivers (all over the world). But the number of taxi drivers in Paris (and France) is a tiny part of the population and you live in a democratic country. The fact that the French (and by that I mean the French citizens) choose to allow their taxi drivers and labor unions to dictate policy is a choice! In New York City there was resistance to Uber by the taxis....made worse by the fact that NYC taxis must pay a lot of money to purchase a "medallion" which gives them the legal authority to operate. But Uber does not need to purchase a medallion since they are not functioning as a taxi...but rather as a car service. In the South of Florida (Miami and Ft Lauderdale) there was also a lot of resistance to Uber and at one point they were banned from both the cruise ports and airports. But the people spoke up, the politicians acted, and now you can use both Uber and Lyft anywhere.

 

When there was an attempt to ban Uber in NYC (and many other cities around the world) the citizens spoke up....and hence we now have Uber and Lyft in many places around the world. We have spent enough time in Paris to know that many locals do not particularly love the taxi situation. And yet, these same locals allow the situation to continue. When in Paris I often use G7 (a pretty decent taxi company)...but it means I often must make a phone call, hope somebody answers the phone, and then I order a taxi and hope that one is quickly available. With Uber or Lyft I can just open the app, put in my destination, see the prices and availability, and summon the car. And since its automatically charged to my credit card I do not have to worry about having the right amount of Euros, making sure I have some small bills (we have all had taxi drivers tell us they have no change), etc.

 

And by the way, when we are staying in France...I am the guy walking down the street with a baguette under his arm. A great tradition....and the best bread on earth :).

 

Hank

[honeyandhoney]

Hi Minnow76

We are doing the same cruise this May 2018 and want to get the train into Paris from Le Havre.

How did you go - was getting the taxi to the train station an issue?

Any tips would be much appreciated.

My email is jm.hamilton@bigpond.com

 

cheers

Janice

[jmrothermel]

I am attempting this with just me and my 14yo daughter next month. It’s considerably cheaper than the ships excursion, and faster too since they use a bus. Can someone reassure me we’ll be okay? LOL.

 

I’m worried about a taxi to and from the train station.

[Al54]

Just be careful about the french planned trains strike : 2 days a week from April 3 to June 28, I published a calendar on the British Isles cruises forum.

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

DH and I have a rule of thumb that if we are going independently, we will take the second or third to last transport time back to port to play it fairly safe. So if the last train back from Paris gets you in at 6:00, I personally still wouldn’t risk it because it could be full or on strike or delayed. Also, the lack of reliability of transport to/from the train station would make me nervous. I know the Paris on your Own is much more expensive, but I’d personally pick that for peace of mind.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

DH and I have a rule of thumb that if we are going independently, we will take the second or third to last transport time back to port to play it fairly safe. So if the last train back from Paris gets you in at 6:00, I personally still wouldn’t risk it because it could be full or on strike or delayed. Also, the lack of reliability of transport to/from the train station would make me nervous. I know the Paris on your Own is much more expensive, but I’d personally pick that for peace of mind.

 

 

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We agree that for those who have a low risk tolerance, taking the cruise line excursions is often a good idea. As to your practice of taking an earlier train back to Le Havre....Keep in mind there is usually only one train per hour. So if you come back early you would likely be leaving Paris by 1pm.....:).

 

Hank

[Ontario Cruiser]

It is one excursion I would do with ship too much can go wrong. It is a long trek for a few hours. Maybe you should look at some other ship excursions or taxi to Honfleur

Ontario Cruiser