Ship's excursion From Le Havre to Paris

[crimsonbird]

We are taking the cruise line's transportation to Paris from Le Havre. We purchased the excursion that includes a brief bus tour of the city. Does anyone know where the bus drops off and picks up the passengers on such a tour? Thanks for the help

[niko40]

Not sure what tour you are doing but on our last ta i know it was a long jourmey to paris and they didnt have much time to them selves when they were there your better looking on the cruise port boards I didnt go so not much help (been to paris before whilst training for work personaly i didnt like it)

:)

Edited April 21, 2012 by niko40

[negc]

We are taking the cruise line's transportation to Paris from Le Havre. We purchased the excursion that includes a brief bus tour of the city. Does anyone know where the bus drops off and picks up the passengers on such a tour? Thanks for the help

 

The bus drops you off near the Eiffel Tower and that is where you will return to reboard the bus for your trip back to Le Havre. :) We did this tour last year and enjoyed it immensely.

Edited April 21, 2012 by negc

[crimsonbird]

The bus drops you off near the Eiffel Tower and that is where you will return to reboard the bus for your trip back to Le Havre. :) We did this tour last year and enjoyed it immensely.

 

Thank you so much for your response. We've been to Paris before, but can't seem to get enough of that beautiful city.

[cottagemama]

We did this tour as well and once we were dropped off we did the hop on hop off bus tour around the city. Gave a good overview of the city. Would love to go back again

[ollienbertsmum]

We did this tour as well and once we were dropped off we did the hop on hop off bus tour around the city. Gave a good overview of the city. Would love to go back again

 

I don't think you can be sure of what time you arrive so booking the Eiffel tower might be a bit difficult - but the queue to walk up to the first level is often much shorter than the lift, and it really is not so many steps. My daughter made us wait for the lift and we watched a group go up the stairs once she saw them get up to the first level she agreed wexshould have gone that way . .. Grrr

[negc]

I don't think you can be sure of what time you arrive so booking the Eiffel tower might be a bit difficult - but the queue to walk up to the first level is often much shorter than the lift, and it really is not so many steps. My daughter made us wait for the lift and we watched a group go up the stairs once she saw them get up to the first level she agreed wexshould have gone that way . .. Grrr

 

If you want to go up to the top, however, you probably want to take the elevators. We found that when we went directly from the bus to the tower as soon as we were dropped off, the lines were relatively short and we were able to get to the top of the tower, go back down again and still had plenty of time to go to Notre Dame, have lunch at a nearby sidewalk cafe and return to the area around the tower well before we had to be back on the bus. Another time when we decided to eat first at a cafe near the tower, we found that by the time we finished eating and got to the tower, the crowds made going to the top of the tower difficult if not impossible.

[crimsonbird]

Any other suggestions about what to do in the Eiffle Tower neighborhood since we'll have about 3 hours to explore. Restaurants, shopping??? All help in planning is appreciated. Also - what side of the bus driving into Paris is the best side for viewing?????

[ollienbertsmum]

Any other suggestions about what to do in the Eiffle Tower neighborhood since we'll have about 3 hours to explore. Restaurants, shopping??? All help in planning is appreciated. Also - what side of the bus driving into Paris is the best side for viewing?????

 

If you are a Rick Steves fan you will have heard about Rue Cler. It is a great street for foodies to explore and has several good restaurants. I brought back a wonderful cake from there - just the packaging made me excited. You will need to look on a map, but it really is about 10 minutes walk from the Eiffel tower. (I wanna go back to Rue Cler).

 

I also remember that staying just around the corner from the Eiffel Tower we were near to the Place des Invalides where Napoleon's tomb is. Now it is not the most exciting of Paris attractions, but if you feel that you are in Paris and you want to see something worthwhile but not stray too far from your pick up point, I would recommend it.

[crimsonbird]

If you are a Rick Steves fan you will have heard about Rue Cler. It is a great street for foodies to explore and has several good restaurants. I brought back a wonderful cake from there - just the packaging made me excited. You will need to look on a map, but it really is about 10 minutes walk from the Eiffel tower. (I wanna go back to Rue Cler).

 

I also remember that staying just around the corner from the Eiffel Tower we were near to the Place des Invalides where Napoleon's tomb is. Now it is not the most exciting of Paris attractions, but if you feel that you are in Paris and you want to see something worthwhile but not stray too far from your pick up point, I would recommend it.

 

Thank you so much for your two suggestions. Rue Cler it is!!!

[crimsonbird]

If you are a Rick Steves fan you will have heard about Rue Cler. It is a great street for foodies to explore and has several good restaurants. I brought back a wonderful cake from there - just the packaging made me excited. You will need to look on a map, but it really is about 10 minutes walk from the Eiffel tower. (I wanna go back to Rue Cler).

 

I also remember that staying just around the corner from the Eiffel Tower we were near to the Place des Invalides where Napoleon's tomb is. Now it is not the most exciting of Paris attractions, but if you feel that you are in Paris and you want to see something worthwhile but not stray too far from your pick up point, I would recommend it.

 

We just noticed that you are from Gibralter. We will be stopping there on May 6th....any suggestions? We plan on taking a taxi to see the monkeys and views.....but you are the expert for sure. Thanks again.

[ollienbertsmum]

We just noticed that you are from Gibralter. We will be stopping there on May 6th....any suggestions? We plan on taking a taxi to see the monkeys and views.....but you are the expert for sure. Thanks again.

 

It is a good plan. Taxi tours are popular, you can get to see the tunnels and the cave too. The price covers all the sites.

 

I noticed that there are 3 ships in port that day, but they are not all huge, I am not sure which you are on. Two are staying for 5 hours and the Brilliance does not leave until the evening so you would have time to add a Dolphin Safari from Ocean Village (you pass it as you go into town from the port). You could of course go and see the Dolphins first and then do the rock tour later on (I think last admission to the Upper Rock is 6 15 pm but I am pretty sure the gate stays open later, so you could still see the Apes). The upper rock will be less crowded once the first 2 ships have left so if you are on the Brilliance, that is an option to consider.

 

I am not sure what time the Dolphin tours go out, I think when we went last summer there was a trip at about 3.30 - I cannot get onto the website right now. The companies each say they are better, but if one boat sees dolphins the other comes up behind.

 

You can pay for joint cable car/dolphin safari ticket somehow if you are on the long day, not really sure though. There are queues for the cable car when there are ships in - so go as early as you can if you decide on that way to get up the rock. Whichever way you go you will get great views.

 

BTW if you are on the Brilliance you can walk up the rock (I do regularly). Get a (free) bus towards the lighthouse and jump off just past the old casino. Then it is a workout for about 2 hours, and you will deserve your evening meal.

[Sequim88]

We did the option with riverboat lunch. The whole tour was a LOT of riding around and seeing things ftom bus. The ride from port to Paris is long (each way) and then a lot of drinving around the city with the guide pointing out things as we rushed past. After the lunch we went to Eifel Tower area and parked but were warned there was not enough time on our tour to even consider going up. It was 80° and sunny soe we just hung out in the nearbay park and watched the locals enjoy the first nice day of Spring. Then the long ride back to the ship. We saw a lot from the outside but no "substance" so we called it the appetizer sampler tour. We now know we want to go back for the whole meal.

[ollienbertsmum]

We now know we want to go back for the whole meal.

 

And France is a country where they really know how to eat :D

 

Honestly even at Versailles we stopped at a restaurant, in many countries you would get a pie and a packet of crisps - no here we were offered a 3 course quality meal. I love Paris (sighhhhhh).

[Desertbelle]

Just a heads up....our port stop at Le Harve was canceled, due to a transportation strike, which I guess happens fairly frequently.

 

We were pretty disappointed but we stopped in Cherbourgh instead and had one of our top 3 excursions ever.

[negc]

Just a heads up....our port stop at Le Harve was canceled, due to a transportation strike, which I guess happens fairly frequently.

 

We were pretty disappointed but we stopped in Cherbourgh instead and had one of our top 3 excursions ever.

 

I'm not sure how frequently it happens. We have been to LeHavre on a number of occasions over the past several years and never experienced a cancellation. We have had other port calls cancelled for various reasons, often weather-related, so we have learned to roll with the punches and hope for the best. Last time we were in Cherbourg, we took an excellent private excursion to Mont St. Michel which was definitely one of the high points of our cruise. Our upcoming Jewel TA stops in Le Havre but omits Cherbourg so we may end up going to Rouen this time.

Edited April 23, 2012 by negc

[Sequim88]

And France is a country where they really know how to eat

 

Upcoming cruise we stop at Villefranche - port for Nice - and high on the list is finding a cafe for a Nicoise Salad (named for Nice) and a glass of wine for lunch while in Nice. Hopefuly weather will turn better than lately and we can eat outside.

[cruising_knc]

My number one, must do stop is Sainte Chapelle. It is a gothic cathedral built by Louis IX in the 13th Century to house what he believed to be the Crown of Thorns. The stained glass is remarkable, it is like being inside a jewel box. If I had to choose between seeing Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle, I'd go to Sainte Chapelle. We recently spent a week in Paris and saw quite a bit and ended up at Sainte Chapelle twice.

[crimsonbird]

It is a good plan. Taxi tours are popular, you can get to see the tunnels and the cave too. The price covers all the sites.

 

I noticed that there are 3 ships in port that day, but they are not all huge, I am not sure which you are on. Two are staying for 5 hours and the Brilliance does not leave until the evening so you would have time to add a Dolphin Safari from Ocean Village (you pass it as you go into town from the port). You could of course go and see the Dolphins first and then do the rock tour later on (I think last admission to the Upper Rock is 6 15 pm but I am pretty sure the gate stays open later, so you could still see the Apes). The upper rock will be less crowded once the first 2 ships have left so if you are on the Brilliance, that is an option to consider.

 

I am not sure what time the Dolphin tours go out, I think when we went last summer there was a trip at about 3.30 - I cannot get onto the website right now. The companies each say they are better, but if one boat sees dolphins the other comes up behind.

 

You can pay for joint cable car/dolphin safari ticket somehow if you are on the long day, not really sure though. There are queues for the cable car when there are ships in - so go as early as you can if you decide on that way to get up the rock. Whichever way you go you will get great views.

 

BTW if you are on the Brilliance you can walk up the rock (I do regularly). Get a (free) bus towards the lighthouse and jump off just past the old casino. Then it is a workout for about 2 hours, and you will deserve your evening meal.

 

Thank you so much. Yes, we are on the Brilliance - so we don't arrive until 2:30. You mentioned the free bus...where do we get it and what is the route? I know that my DH would never consider walking up the rock - but he loves the word "free".....The taxis are pretty pricy, but it seems it's a less expensive option than the cable car. Do you agree? Or can we do our own tour with the free bus? By 2:30 in the afternoon it may be a long wait for the cable car and taxis may be pre-occupied. Any suggestions in that regard? What should I shop for in Gibralter?

[HokiePoq]

Just a heads up....our port stop at Le Harve was canceled, due to a transportation strike, which I guess happens fairly frequently.

 

We were pretty disappointed but we stopped in Cherbourgh instead and had one of our top 3 excursions ever.

 

What did you do there? That is one of our ports on our upcoming Jewel of the Seas crews. Thanks for sharing.

[ollienbertsmum]

Thank you so much. Yes, we are on the Brilliance - so we don't arrive until 2:30. You mentioned the free bus...where do we get it and what is the route? I know that my DH would never consider walking up the rock - but he loves the word "free".....The taxis are pretty pricy, but it seems it's a less expensive option than the cable car. Do you agree? Or can we do our own tour with the free bus? By 2:30 in the afternoon it may be a long wait for the cable car and taxis may be pre-occupied. Any suggestions in that regard? What should I shop for in Gibralter?

 

Sorry but the free buses are just to get us around the Rock and avoid traffic congestion (not quite resolved this issue, but it is making a difference). The free buses go from the Market Place - about a 1 km walk from the ship outside the city walls. They go in all directions except up the Rock. The buses to and from the frontier cost £1. So you can take a free bus to the cable car station, to the lighthouse (south end of the rock, nice as long as it is not windy) and up to where you can walk up the rock.

 

Prices of rock tours include the cost of the entry to the Nature Reserve. so if you go by taxi or cable car, that cost is factored in. You do have a nice long stop so you have got time to go on a Dolphin safari (and have a 75% chance of seeing Dolphins - ask how many they have seen that day) and then go up the Rock by cable car or by taxi. The cable car is fun. The views should be great (can be affected by misty weather) and seeing the apes is fun, just don't attempt to feed them because that encourages them to get too close.

If you decide to do the rock tour only I would walk into town and look at a few shops - duty free perfume, cosmetics, alcohol and tobacco attracts people, I think jewellery, Swarovski, Samsonite and other brands are also cheap because they are duty free. Know your prices at home before buying. You can then get a taxi towards the end of main street or walk to the cable car. By then the first 2 ships will be boarding and the Upper Rock will be less crowded (I should think).

 

If you want a good meal on the way back, Gatsby's at the side of Ocean Village (just under the sign) is popular locally, but there are other cheaper places in the square before you go through the arches. Just having a drink in the square is nice if the late afternoon is warm. It is good to people watch as locals meet up with their friends and late the children play together in the square.

 

If you like casinos there is one in Ocean Village as a change to RCL.

 

I should have written this all on the Gibraltar Forum :o

[Desertbelle]

What did you do there? That is one of our ports on our upcoming Jewel of the Seas crews. Thanks for sharing.

We did something we don't normally do, because we didn't find out about La Harve being canceled until we arrived to check in. We booked a ship excursion. I don't know the name of the excursion but it took us to the Normandy Invasion beaches (Omaha and another I can't remember now), The Normandy American Military Cemetery (breath taking), to Bayeaux (to see the cathedral, one of the most beautiful cathedrals I've been to and the Bayeaux Tapestry) and we ate lunch at a French farm (awesome food). It was all amazing. Even the bus ride through the French countryside was so lovely.

 

I don't normally tell people to book ship excursions but this one was exceptional.

[Jason12]

Just booked the Paris excursion for 4th may, tried to buy Eilffel tower tickets online but sold out till mid June:eek: and there's only one lift working so expect a long wait. Looks like the hop on hop off bus is the best bet?

[crimsonbird]

Sorry but the free buses are just to get us around the Rock and avoid traffic congestion (not quite resolved this issue, but it is making a difference). The free buses go from the Market Place - about a 1 km walk from the ship outside the city walls. They go in all directions except up the Rock. The buses to and from the frontier cost £1. So you can take a free bus to the cable car station, to the lighthouse (south end of the rock, nice as long as it is not windy) and up to where you can walk up the rock.

 

Prices of rock tours include the cost of the entry to the Nature Reserve. so if you go by taxi or cable car, that cost is factored in. You do have a nice long stop so you have got time to go on a Dolphin safari (and have a 75% chance of seeing Dolphins - ask how many they have seen that day) and then go up the Rock by cable car or by taxi. The cable car is fun. The views should be great (can be affected by misty weather) and seeing the apes is fun, just don't attempt to feed them because that encourages them to get too close.

If you decide to do the rock tour only I would walk into town and look at a few shops - duty free perfume, cosmetics, alcohol and tobacco attracts people, I think jewellery, Swarovski, Samsonite and other brands are also cheap because they are duty free. Know your prices at home before buying. You can then get a taxi towards the end of main street or walk to the cable car. By then the first 2 ships will be boarding and the Upper Rock will be less crowded (I should think).

 

If you want a good meal on the way back, Gatsby's at the side of Ocean Village (just under the sign) is popular locally, but there are other cheaper places in the square before you go through the arches. Just having a drink in the square is nice if the late afternoon is warm. It is good to people watch as locals meet up with their friends and late the children play together in the square.

 

If you like casinos there is one in Ocean Village as a change to RCL.

 

I should have written this all on the Gibraltar Forum :o

 

Thank you so much for all your help. We've printed out your info and will take you suggestions for a successful visit to Gibralter. Regards from Florida, USA

[vickiw0318]

When I was in Paris last fall, I took a "hoho" tour by boat instead of by bus. There is something called the BateauBus that has stops several places up and down the Seine. One is at the Eiffel Tower. I think I spent 14-15 euro. You do circle the Ile de la Cite/Notre Dame. There is a stop there so you could get off and wander through Notre Dame. There are also stops at the Louvre and other museums. I'd put 20 or so miles on my feet during the three days prior so I loved just sitting and watching Paris from the Seine. It seems like the whole circuit takes about an hour and a half.

 

I was in Villefranche last Saturday. (My son was living in Paris and now is living in Antibes.) There looked to be lots of interesting restaurants on the street above the dock level. (There were nice looking ones down there as well.) I didn't check any menus since I had just had the most gorgeous looking sundae one town over. (Beaulieu-Sur-Mer.) Hopefully, the poster who is looking for salade nicoise will find it easily.