Is the Alabaster Coast (Fecamp & Etretat) Worth Seeing?

[tuft]

In Oct. we will be in LeHavre with the Reflection. We are scheduled in port from 8:00am to 11:59pm. Thanks to many positive comments we will certainly visit Honfleur. Since we will be in port for so many hours we are considering arranging a private tour to Etretat and Fecamp along with time in Honfleur. I realize Honfleur is a different direction from the other towns. Any thoughts on this? Is it worth going to Etretat, Fecamp and Honfleur in Oct. with a guide or would our time be better spent going directly to Honfleur on our own and spending the day? Thanks for any and all opinions!!

 

Peg

[Cruise Junky]

Honfleur is an absolute must in my opinion, so you've got that covered. Etretet was very nice, it's a nice village. Very crowded, but if you're doing a tour, you don't need to worry about parking. We were there for 5 days, staying in Honfleur. We visited Giverny, Rouen, D-Day beaches, Mont. St. Michel, Etretet and Fecamp and loved them all. As long as you get in Honfleur, the rest is gravy ;)

[Wine-O]

We rented a car and did all three. First headed to Fecamp, wandered around town and did the B&B tour. Then on to Etretat for lunch on the beach. I can't imagine in October that it will be that crowded as it wasn't when we were there in late September. We then headed to Honflour and back to the ship.

 

Just make sure your rental car agency has a key drop box. We had to get back by 6:00pm because that's when it closed. Since you are not leaving port until Midnight, you will have plenty of time to do all three villages.

[tuft]

In Oct. we will be in LeHavre with the Reflection. We are scheduled in port from 8:00am to 11:59pm. Thanks to many positive comments we will certainly visit Honfleur. Since we will be in port for so many hours we are considering arranging a private tour to Etretat and Fecamp along with time in Honfleur. I realize Honfleur is a different direction from the other towns. Any thoughts on this? Is it worth going to Etretat, Fecamp and Honfleur in Oct. with a guide or would our time be better spent going directly to Honfleur on our own and spending the day? Thanks for any and all opinions!!

 

Peg

 

Thanks, Cruisejunky and Wine-o. Appreciate your thoughts and recommendations!

 

Peg

[CathyCruises]

We were just there two weeks ago (still in France!) and all are beautiful. I didn't think there's enough to do in Honfleur to keep you busy all day. I think we spent about two hours meandering around. It's only 30 minutes from the port and Etretat is not much farther the other way. I agree with renting a car--you will be able to see all kinds of things. We just went to Giverney a few days ago on the train from Paris. Lots of people but when we got there it was all worth it. However everything was in bloom, not sure what October would look like.

[Wine-O]

We were just there two weeks ago (still in France!) and all are beautiful. I didn't think there's enough to do in Honfleur to keep you busy all day. I think we spent about two hours meandering around. It's only 30 minutes from the port and Etretat is not much farther the other way. I agree with renting a car--you will be able to see all kinds of things. We just went to Giverney a few days ago on the train from Paris. Lots of people but when we got there it was all worth it. However everything was in bloom, not sure what October would look like.

 

We went to Giverny in late October - don't bother, everything was dead!! :eek:

[Gran2five]

We have been to all three - Honfleur on one cruise and the Etretat and Fecamp on another. Honfleur is beautiful and the Alabaster coast is also worth visiting - renting a car would be the best. We were there in early May - October should not pose a problem for crowds etc. Enjoy.

[tuft]

We have been to all three - Honfleur on one cruise and the Etretat and Fecamp on another. Honfleur is beautiful and the Alabaster coast is also worth visiting - renting a car would be the best. We were there in early May - October should not pose a problem for crowds etc. Enjoy.

 

 

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to weigh in. Certainly sounds like all three are worth the time!!

 

Peg

[tuft]

We rented a car and did all three. First headed to Fecamp, wandered around town and did the B&B tour. Then on to Etretat for lunch on the beach. I can't imagine in October that it will be that crowded as it wasn't when we were there in late September. We then headed to Honflour and back to the ship.

 

Just make sure your rental car agency has a key drop box. We had to get back by 6:00pm because that's when it closed. Since you are not leaving port until Midnight, you will have plenty of time to do all three villages.

 

Wine-O, when renting the car did you have to purchase additional insurance? Was it necessary to reserve the car before you left home or did you do it when the ship arrived in port? Do they have automatics? Did the roads or directions present any particular difficulties? My goodness, I am sorry to pepper you with all these questions but we do like the idea of renting a car!

[CathyCruises]

I'll chime in. We did not purchase the extra insurance, it's not required. We prebooked with Europcar.com. They are very easy to deal with. You can use a debit card which other companies do not allow. We took a taxi from the port and it was about a 5 minute ride. The roads were easy to navigate and the routes are pretty well marked, however if you are a first timer I would either bring or spring for GPS. I imagine you can get automatic but you will definitely have to pay extra for it.

 

After having the car for a week, we returned it to one of the railroad stations in Paris. You have to drive deep into the underground garage to park the car, then take the elevator up into the station to drop off the keys. The guy at the desk asked us the number of the space we had parked in, if we had filled it with gas, we handed him the keys, and he said, in essence, thanks, that's it! Could not have been easier!! That's another reason I like Europcar.

 

If you go to Etretat, be sure to drive up to the church at the top of the hill, or hike up from the beach. The views are spectacular!

[dln929]

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to weigh in. Certainly sounds like all three are worth the time!!

 

Peg

 

Good job, Peg. You will be glad you got up early to fit all three places into your day. This region of France is very beautiful.

[Wine-O]

Wine-O, when renting the car did you have to purchase additional insurance? Was it necessary to reserve the car before you left home or did you do it when the ship arrived in port? Do they have automatics? Did the roads or directions present any particular difficulties? My goodness, I am sorry to pepper you with all these questions but we do like the idea of renting a car!

 

We rented from Budget and booked in advance. The address was 87 Quai Southampton, Le Havre. They closed at 6pm with no drop box. There were a couple of other rental cars right next door, and one of they may have been Europcar, and they had a drop box. There were plenty of cars there when we rented, and I understand there is also a rental place at the cruise ship terminal if you want to wait until you get there to reserve. You might want to contact the Tourist office to get additional information. They sent me a map of where the cruise ship terminal is located so I could judge the distance to the rental agency.

 

You can request an automatic. The first time we went, we used a good map and followed road signs from town to town. The second time we had a GPS and I preprogrammed way points before we left.

 

As far as driving, it's the same as driving in the States. Hope this helps. If you are the least bit Europe savvy, you'll be just fine. But I do recommend a GPS. Maybe you could rent one from the agency.

[tuft]

Thanks, Cathycruises and Wine-O for all the great information you provided! dln929, thanks for your vote of confidence! Renting a car seems pretty straightforward and the best way to go. I appreciate all your help and great suggestions as to companies to contact. That is my homework for today!!

 

Peg

[janesapro]

Thanks, Cathycruises and Wine-O for all the great information you provided! dln929, thanks for your vote of confidence! Renting a car seems pretty straightforward and the best way to go. I appreciate all your help and great suggestions as to companies to contact. That is my homework for today!!

 

Peg

 

Is it Peg or Tuft? I thank you for asking such great questions, and thanks as well to those who responded. I had exactly the same questions and now I have so much good information. You just saved me so much time, I really appreciate it.

 

J

[tuft]

Is it Peg or Tuft? I thank you for asking such great questions, and thanks as well to those who responded. I had exactly the same questions and now I have so much good information. You just saved me so much time, I really appreciate it.

 

J

 

Hi janesapro. I didn't intend to confuse you so let me explain. "Tuft" is my username which allows me to log in and participate with so many great people like yourself on Cruise Critic. "Peg" is my given name (technically Margaret). It's just a personal preference but you will find that I always sign my posts with my name (Peg).

I'm glad you found answers to your questions as well!

 

Peg