What to do, what to do? Honfleur, Pont Aven, La Rochelle...

[Bruin Steve]

Here's my situation:

We have an incredibly port-intensive cruise in August...only one at sea day on a 16 night itinerary...and we have a suite with a private jacuzzi et al, so I wouldn't mind a little opportunity to spend some time on the ship...

 

We've already arranged some very intense private small group tours in some of the ports...

So, I am looking now at the "in-between" ports...the one's I've left open for the meanwhile for whatever reason...

 

The France portion of our cruise (starting on day two after leaving Dover on August 10) looks like this:

 

Aug 11 Honfleur 9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Aug 12 Saint-Malo 8:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Aug 13 Pont-Aven (Concarneau) 11:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.

Aug 14 La Rochelle 8:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.

Aug 15 Bordeaux (Le Verdon) 8:00 a.m.

Aug 16 Bordeaux (Le Verdon) 9:00 p.m.

 

We've already got private tours for Saint Malo and for day two in Bordeaux...

Here are my initial thoughts on the other four days:

 

Honfleur: We've been to Paris enough and it's not worth the three hour drive...last time we docked in Le Havre, we visited Rouen and Giverny...Frankly, we're running out ofthings to do here. the initial thought is to spend a relaxing day in Honfleur itself, then back to relax on the ship. Anyone have any experience in Honfleur who might suggest how to spend a partial day here?

 

Pont-Aven: I have heard Concarneau is worth a visit and is close to where the ship docks. Anyone with any suggestions for this port?

 

La Rochelle: This one puzzles me. I've been considering just doing the ship's Santes and Cognac full day shore excursion...or maybe one of the half days--"La Rochelle & Isla de Re" or "Marennes & Brouage"...any recommendations?

 

Bordeaux Day One: My understanding is that it is a local holiday...many wineries and other sites will be closed...We hit three wineries on our private tour the next day. Do we just leave this one to relax? Any other ideas?

 

Thanks...

 

I guess I'll start a thread on a different sub-board for nmy remaining non-France question port...Oporto, Portugal...where we dock from 8 am to 2 pm on the 18th...Thinking maybe a shorex to "the Medieval City of Guimaraes"?

[cbb]

steve,

we did your cruise with O this past April. It was the reunion cruise and there were free shuttles in every port! Concarneau is very charming; wonderful places to take great pix of the walls, boats, etc and is definitely worth the visit and easy to DIY.

We took a ship's tour to Normandy and upon arrival asked the guide when to meet the bus and did the beach ourselves. I thought the tour did a fine job hitting all of the places we wanted to see, Omaha and Cemetery, (where I sobbed) Arromanches, and Pont du' Hoc as well as a lovely lunch. I figure you've been to Normandy but the tour comes back in plenty of time for you to venture into Honfleur and then catch the tender back when you're tired.

At La Rochelle we wandered around the old town since it is beautiful and guarded by these wonderful towers and walls and then in the afternoon we decided to take the ship's tour of Green Venice. I was very glad to see it and thought it was beautiful but my husband was kinda "uhhh" about it. We also wanted to see the submarine shelters which we did from the outside.

At L' Orient we stood in line to get into the submarine shelters there but they closed the lines when they had enough tickets sold so we left and walked around and could see them from the outside--enough to satisfy us.

At Porto we took a ship's shuttle into the old part of town, wandered around and then took a cruise on the Douro River which was pretty cool and a nice way to see the waterfront. Wander some of the very narrow side streets and you'll see some wonderful tiles.

The itinerary is wonderful and it is one of our favorite O cruises. We had done the O' Baltic cruise immediately before this one (Stockholm to Dover)

so we had an excellent adventure! Heading for another B2B in April with O

[moyaroo]

Bordeaux has a lot of things to see walking. It has a charming large park, and old section. a modern art museum (IIRC) I could easily spend the day relaxing and seeing the architechture etc.

 

Honfluer is a place to mainly walk and absorb Norman seaside culture. There are several restaurants on the main square and a few on the old harbor. Drink a pommeau (they will be selling it everywhere along with its pear based cousin poireau (no relation to the Belgian detective :D )

[Jolimont]

I just returned from a land long week-end in La Rochelle and what a lovely place it is! The old port area is well-worth a visit, nice cafés and shops, the port fortifications are worth the climb (we tried the Saint Nicolas tower and loved it, a bit narrow at times, but not really strenuous).

 

Cruise ships cannot dock in the old port as it is too small. I think they dock in a port called Les Minimes in a more industrial area. We didn't go to that part of town but I'm sure there is public transportation as we saw lots of buses that said "Les Minimes" all over downtown. The acquarium was also very good, not as large as some (it takes 2 hours), but well laid-out, lots of delightsome kids getting so excited to see the fish up-close, it was great.

 

L'île de Ré is also lovely, can get pretty crowded, but worth a visit too. Very nice for people who like to ride bikes as the island is setup with hundreds of bike rental places, nice bike paths, and it's quite flat. But it's the size of Manhattan island, so maybe rent an electric bike to cover more ground or limit yourself to Saint Martin en Ré, the main tourist port. You can spend a whole day there and not get bored between the wine tasting, the caramels, the specialty salts, the specialty soaps, and the nice boutiques.

 

The Green Venice or Marais Poitevin was so-so for me. We took a 2hr gondola ride in the swamp with a nice looking gondolier who told us a bit about it (in French, I heard no English there), but it got old after an hour as there were no aligators or anything scary other than the chiwawa on our gondola who tried to bite my daughter's fingers off, stupid dog that it was. Definitely not worth more than 1/2 day. In the town of Coulon there are lots of boat ride providers, the first place we stopped didn't have any room for 2 hours and was 18€ per person, so we walked around and found one where we only paid 10€ and the wait was only 45mn. The town itself is quaint. There are cafés, restaurants and shops where you can pass the time, but nothing special.

 

The Cognac area would not be interesting to me as it's the only alcohol made in that area that I cannot tolerate, much too strong and no flavor other than raw alcohol. Thankfully they make many kinds of alcohol and wine in the area, one wine called Pinaud de Charentes is very sweet, not so strong, and you can find it cheap at any supermarket or very over-priced at any of the tourist boutiques.

 

Overall I really loved the area, particularly La Rochelle and L'Ile de Ré, really nice places to visit and sample local wines and cuisine.

[Cornishpastyman1]

the initial thought is to spend a relaxing day in Honfleur itself, then back to relax on the ship. Anyone have any experience in Honfleur who might suggest how to spend a partial day here?

I would say Honfleur is absolutely ideal for a partial day just wandering around. It's just the right size and has lots of interesting little shops. Given your hectic schedule I can't think of anywhere more suitable for an easy but still-interesting day. I made this from a day there in 2009

 

All the best, Tony

[ilovhywd]

We, too, have done Normandy thoroughly on both cruises and driving trips; but when we docked in LeHavre two weeks ago, we rented a car from Hertz ($80 US for the day, booked online).

 

We knew there were some picturesque cliffs in Etretat, but when we parked the car and walked to the beach and saw the cliffs, we were awestruck. They are RIGHT THERE! Many people were actually walking right up to the cliffs. Then we drove up the road and parked near the church on top of the cliff and we were able to walk all along the top of the cliffs for spectacular views. There is also an interesting memorial from a plane crash. Etretat is less than a half hour from Honfleur; perhaps you could get there by rental car or taxi. Follow signs to the big bridge - Ponte de Normandy.

 

After taking 250 photos, we left Etretat and drove to Honfleur. It was a Saturday, and the atmosphere was almost ruined by a street market (which packed up and left by 2:30). After sampling some local specialties at the street market, we then had a terrific lunch of mussels and frites at a cafe facing the harbor and then explored the many art galleries in the town.

 

It was a terrific day, enhanced by great weather!

 

Enjoy!

[Keith1010]

I just wanted to mention that the bus ride from the port that serves La Rochelle to town is about 30 minutes each way. You can spend a couple of hours walking around the town.

 

Keith

[sweep]

We have a similar port intensive cruise with O departing July 29th. We want time on the ship (Marina) as well as exploring some of the French ports. We have decided that the day in Zeebrugge will be spent wholly on the ship and that on some of the other days we will wander the port in the morning and have the afternoons back on the ship.

 

La Rochelle is perfect for wandering around for half a day. I am hoping there will be a free shuttle from the dock into the town. Ile de Re is really lovely, though, and very easy to do on your own by public bus from the town. However you would need to allow a whole day for this. We have been on land based holidays to La Rochelle and stayed on the Ile de Re so please let me know if you want any more information eg bus timetables, places to visit etc.

 

sweep

[chnabo]

Here's my situation:

We have an incredibly port-intensive cruise in August...only one at sea day on a 16 night itinerary...and we have a suite with a private jacuzzi et al, so I wouldn't mind a little opportunity to spend some time on the ship...

 

We've already arranged some very intense private small group tours in some of the ports...

So, I am looking now at the "in-between" ports...the one's I've left open for the meanwhile for whatever reason...

 

The France portion of our cruise (starting on day two after leaving Dover on August 10) looks like this:

 

Aug 11 Honfleur 9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Aug 12 Saint-Malo 8:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Aug 13 Pont-Aven (Concarneau) 11:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.

Aug 14 La Rochelle 8:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.

Aug 15 Bordeaux (Le Verdon) 8:00 a.m.

Aug 16 Bordeaux (Le Verdon) 9:00 p.m.

 

We've already got private tours for Saint Malo and for day two in Bordeaux...

Here are my initial thoughts on the other four days:

 

Honfleur: We've been to Paris enough and it's not worth the three hour drive...last time we docked in Le Havre, we visited Rouen and Giverny...Frankly, we're running out ofthings to do here. the initial thought is to spend a relaxing day in Honfleur itself, then back to relax on the ship. Anyone have any experience in Honfleur who might suggest how to spend a partial day here?

 

Pont-Aven: I have heard Concarneau is worth a visit and is close to where the ship docks. Anyone with any suggestions for this port?

 

La Rochelle: This one puzzles me. I've been considering just doing the ship's Santes and Cognac full day shore excursion...or maybe one of the half days--"La Rochelle & Isla de Re" or "Marennes & Brouage"...any recommendations?

 

Bordeaux Day One: My understanding is that it is a local holiday...many wineries and other sites will be closed...We hit three wineries on our private tour the next day. Do we just leave this one to relax? Any other ideas?

 

Thanks...

 

I guess I'll start a thread on a different sub-board for nmy remaining non-France question port...Oporto, Portugal...where we dock from 8 am to 2 pm on the 18th...Thinking maybe a shorex to "the Medieval City of Guimaraes"?

 

Have a look at the Aquarium of La Rochelle:

http://www.aquarium-larochelle.com/en

also you may wish to visit Rochefort,

(Rough distance in miles from Rochefort to La Rochelle is 35KMS) follow this link:

http://www.bordeaux-map.com/tjefferson.htm

[daliflor]

I just wanted to mention that the bus ride from the port that serves La Rochelle to town is about 30 minutes each way. You can spend a couple of hours walking around the town. Keith

 

Being our first time in La Rochelle, we spent the day walking around town and enjoying a nice lunch (delicious seafood and great wine, ice-cream and coffee) by the Harbour.

 

A one thousand year old city with its eye on the future, La Rochelle is a beautiful and generous city that manages to preserve exceptional natural and architectural assets while developing its own area in an innovative, sensitive and harmonious way.

 

Some cruise lines offer free shuttles into town. However, RCI charged us $15.00 USD/ pp roundtrip this past April when we cruised "Vision of the Seas."

 

 

We have a similar port intensive cruise with O departing July 29th. We want time on the ship (Marina) as well as exploring some of the French ports...

La Rochelle is perfect for wandering around for half a day. I am hoping there will be a free shuttle from the dock into the town. Ile de Re is really lovely, though, and very easy to do on your own by public bus from the town. However you would need to allow a whole day for this. We have been on land based holidays to La Rochelle and stayed on the Ile de Re so please let me know if you want any more information eg bus timetables, places to visit etc.

sweep

 

Agreed! Had friends that went to Île de Ré for the day and enjoyed it very much! We'll certainly consider it next time as our schedule was too tight to do both this time around (the day after Easter, Monday).

 

Some images from our April 2011 experience in La Rochelle (walking tour of the city, visiting the local Market and then the St. Nicholas Tower and finally the RCI shuttle bus ride into town and back to the "Vision of the Seas" cruise ship):

 

http://lisbontoengland2011april.shutterfly.com/pictures/9181

 

 

Enjoy!

[88ladybugs]

Hi Steve -

 

We're booked on the same cruise, our first time with O. Are you doing any excursion in Biarritz?

[Bruin Steve]

Hi Steve -

 

We're booked on the same cruise, our first time with O. Are you doing any excursion in Biarritz?

 

First, welcome to Cruise Critic...

Come on over to the Roll Call thread for this cruise:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=29724260#post29724260

 

Many of us have been on there for over a year planning for ports and other aspects of the cruise...

 

Biarritz is one port where we've planned nothing as of yet...

It was a late addition to the itinerary and none of the few shorexes were of particular interest to us...though we may decide late to do one...otherwise, we may grab a taxi and visit local Basque villages...that or head over to Bayonne, maybe San Sebastian. I've been to San Sebastian, but my wife hasn't

[88ladybugs]

Thanks, Steve.

 

We booked this cruise just recently so I have a lot of work/planning to do. I'm thinking of booking ship's excursion for Mt. Michel,Ortoporto, Seville and maybe Bordeaux. I will aslo post on the other thread to see if anyone is looking for a couple to join on a private tour. Although, most folks have probably already made such arrangements.

[John Bull]

Thanks, Steve.

 

I'm thinking of booking ship's excursion for Mt. Michel,.

 

A lot of folks porting in Cherbourg or even Le Havre make the long drive to Mont St Michel. Makes it one helluva long day with a numb butt, though most seem to think it worth the effort.

From nearby St Malo it's a no-brainer

JB :)

[TERRIER1]

First, welcome to Cruise Critic...

Come on over to the Roll Call thread for this cruise:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=29724260#post29724260

 

Many of us have been on there for over a year planning for ports and other aspects of the cruise...

 

Biarritz is one port where we've planned nothing as of yet...

It was a late addition to the itinerary and none of the few shorexes were of particular interest to us...though we may decide late to do one...otherwise, we may grab a taxi and visit local Basque villages...that or head over to Bayonne, maybe San Sebastian. I've been to San Sebastian, but my wife hasn't

 

We had a similar itinerary with Oceania on the Marina in June. Just a heads up that St Jean de Luz (Biarritz) is a tender port and we didn't make it in. The weather was nice but there were rolling waves and a decision was made to move on. We had a sea day instead.

[English Jane]

Concarneau is a sweet litttle town that is worth an hour or two walking around.

 

Pont Aven is a place not to be missed - lots of art galleries. You can also take a lovely boat ride from the centre of town down the river to the sea - I think it was about an hour and a half - absolutely stunning.

[Jayne E]

First, welcome to Cruise Critic...

Come on over to the Roll Call thread for this cruise:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=29724260#post29724260

 

Many of us have been on there for over a year planning for ports and other aspects of the cruise...

 

Biarritz is one port where we've planned nothing as of yet...

It was a late addition to the itinerary and none of the few shorexes were of particular interest to us...though we may decide late to do one...otherwise, we may grab a taxi and visit local Basque villages...that or head over to Bayonne, maybe San Sebastian. I've been to San Sebastian, but my wife hasn't

Hi Steve,

We're on 8/10 cruise also (on roll call). Your posts have been so informative but we seem to make last minute plans (7 days). Are there any pretty beaches at our ports with chairs available? Haven't read anything about a beach day. Agree that 15 port days need some relaxation time mixed in but as of now, we may have too many!!

Jayne

[njhh]

Back to Honfleur, for art enthusiasts, this place was a gathering site for the first plein air painters becuase the light is so brilliant in spring. If you have an eye, this place is a wonder for compositional studies and photography. You can find a wonderful little art museum with watercolor studies from the plein air movement.

Check out the museum site:

http://en.ot-honfleur.fr/discover-honfleur/arts-and-museums/eugene-boudin-museum/

 

They do not speak English and they close for lunch, but it is well worth the trouble if you are interested in the history of impressionism.

 

Also, this is the birthplace of the composer Erik Satie!

 

One of my favorite cruise stops. Enjoy!

 

Nancy

[cadreamer]

We were in La Rochelle in September on the Marina. We took a private tour to Cognac and we were very impressed with the tour. We went to Hennessey, Remy Martin and Courvoisier. We (6 of us all form the Marina)spent 2 hours at Remy Martin where we had a very informative tour and had yummy gourmet appetizers with the tasting. We learned variations on how to serve Cognac making it more like a cocktail.It was quite unique and we know it was far superior to the ship's bus tour which only went to Hennessey. They picked us up at the ship so we did not have to take the shuttle into the town. We highly recommend this tour offered by ex-pat Brits. See http://www.cognacwinetours.com