Le Havre Cruise Terminal to Gare du Havre train station

[asgaga]

our cruise from MSC arrives at 9am and the train we want to get on leaves at 10 am. Is it possible to make it? if we buy tickets now and we miss the train will they allow us to exchange it for a later time?

[D&N]

17 hours ago, asgaga said:

our cruise from MSC arrives at 9am and the train we want to get on leaves at 10 am. Is it possible to make it? if we buy tickets now and we miss the train will they allow us to exchange it for a later time?

I'm assuming that's the 10:03 weekdays or 10:01 weekends to Paris?

Make sure the ticket you buy has flexible in the name. It appears to be €4,70 extra 2nd class and €4,80 more in 1st. You'll have a seat reservation on your booked train, if you travel later you will not be guaranteed a seat however since you're boarding at the start of the journey it's unlikely that you wouldn't find a seat.

If it's a shorter local journey they probably only sell flexible tickets anyway.

[onyx007]

If you have not a fully flexible ticket on a TGV - Train (usually the most expensive) then if you miss the train your ticket is gone and you cannot use it on any later train (and even if you have a fully flexible ticket you have to be very lucky that on any later train there are seats available as you only can use a TGV with booked seats...if you travel with an TER (Regional train) no problem, you can jump on any train at this day with an flexible ticket as there are no booked seats.

 

Also I heard that on the way from the pier to the railwaystation there is a draw-bridge, which might be open and therefore blocking your way. So even if you can leave the ship by 9am, it's not garantueed to be at the station by 10 am...

 

 

[D&N]

22 hours ago, onyx007 said:

If you have not a fully flexible ticket on a TGV - Train (usually the most expensive) then if you miss the train your ticket is gone and you cannot use it on any later train (and even if you have a fully flexible ticket you have to be very lucky that on any later train there are seats available as you only can use a TGV with booked seats...if you travel with an TER (Regional train) no problem, you can jump on any train at this day with an flexible ticket as there are no booked seats.

 

Also I heard that on the way from the pier to the railwaystation there is a draw-bridge, which might be open and therefore blocking your way. So even if you can leave the ship by 9am, it's not garantueed to be at the station by 10 am...

 

 

Most of what you say is correct.

There are no TGVs between Le Havre and Paris St Lazare. They are all RER Express, generally operated by the fleet of OMNEO Premium double deck trains that was delivered a few years ago. However you can't buy tickets for those journeys on the NOMAD RER website. It directs you to SNCF Connect, where it offers you flexible tickets and, at a slightly cheaper price, a ticket restricted to a particular train. That ticket can be changed before travel for a fee.

For all online purchases a coach and seat number is issued with the ticket, but a flexible ticket is available for all other trips without a reserved seat. I don't know if the local staff actually implement and enforce the seat reservations!

I understand that the fullest trips on that line are the commuter journeys in the early morning so it shouldn't be a major problem finding a seat on the 12:03 service.

 

Le Havre has one TGV service per day, but it goes to Marseille and skirts round the south of Paris.

[Hlitner]

22 hours ago, onyx007 said:

If you have not a fully flexible ticket on a TGV - Train (usually the most expensive) then if you miss the train your ticket is gone and you cannot use it on any later train (and even if you have a fully flexible ticket you have to be very lucky that on any later train there are seats available as you only can use a TGV with booked seats...if you travel with an TER (Regional train) no problem, you can jump on any train at this day with an flexible ticket as there are no booked seats.

 

Also I heard that on the way from the pier to the railwaystation there is a draw-bridge, which might be open and therefore blocking your way. So even if you can leave the ship by 9am, it's not garantueed to be at the station by 10 am...

 

 

Yes, there is a draw bridge between the port and mainland.  On many visits we have never seen that bridge open/up and imagine it is only opened on demand.  It takes us about 45 min to walk from the port to the train station (and we are fast walkers).  Getting a taxi, from the port to the train station, can be a bit difficult since many of the drivers do not want to take the short haul fares.  That being said, being politely assertive (with the drivers) will usually get you a taxi.  Sometimes the drivers of the larger taxi/vans will try and put together a full load which will also delay the transfer.

 

We agree that 10am is far from guaranteed.

Hank