Le Havre-WWII Sites-Can You Help?

[BayCalif-Ariz R Us]

DH and I will have one day in Le Havre next May 10 and we'd like to make the most of our time there. I'm not a great walker so would really like to do most of the sightseeing from a vehicle, although DH would like time as well to walk around as much as possible. We've heard about "Battlebus" and will check with them - any other suggestions about how we can maximize our time? Thanks

[teacherman]

We did this tour last September on our 1 day stop. This is the only ship tour I have ever taken on my 4 European cruises. It gave us what we wanted: a visit to Omaha Beach and the surrounding area, a visit to the American cemetary overlooking the beaches, lunch, and a visit to the museum in Caen. All of these sites are listed in "1000 Places to See Before You Die". The private tours for this stop seemed to be VERY expensive and much more information than we wanted. We had a good guide and it was an enjoyable tour.

[BayCalif-Ariz R Us]

Thank you Don and Susan. I'm surprised that I haven't had more responses here. I did email the "Battlebus" folks, but didn't hear back. Still hoping others will weigh in with suggestions. Denise

[GoWhale]

Battlebus is a great tour, but you won't be able to do anything with them from La Havre (assuming you are there for just one day). Their tours start at 8am, and will go until about 5pm, so you won't have enough time to get to Bayeux and back.

[CarolnLarry]

I am also interested in a private Normandy tour as we will be arriving there on the the 9th of May at 0700 and departing at 6. I know a lot of people have done this so please tell us what you did so we can do it too. Larry

[Seatravelers]

I am also interested in a private Normandy tour as we will be arriving there on the the 9th of May at 0700 and departing at 6. I know a lot of people have done this so please tell us what you did so we can do it too. Larry

 

Looks like we all would like the same info, lol...We will be there in Nov and would mainly like to see the American beaches, etc.. Others are going to British/Canadian beaches which we are not really interested in for the short time we will have to tour. Any info will be appreciated.

[nedfree1]

We were there with Jewel of the Seas in 2005. Four of us rented a car in Le Havre (everything done in advance) and struck out for Caen. Saw the museum there and drove to Omaha and Utah beaches, went to the cemetary in Coleville after a wonderful lunch in St. Mar Iglies (please pardon my French!), drove back to Honfleur with dinner at a very cute restaurant and back to the ship with about 15 minutes to spare! WHEW!!! The highway was 4-lane and as good as any in the states. We had a couple books to help us and a great map from the car rental.

[spongerob]

We looked for private tour options during our stop in Le Havre and found few alternatives, unfortunately. Most of the local operators run longer tours that aren't convenient for cruise passengers. The ship's tour that we selected turned out to be quite good. If I were to do it again, though, I would look into disembarking at Le Havre and arranging a few days to visit, either on my own or with a tour.

[whyme]

We looked for private tour options during our stop in Le Havre and found few alternatives, unfortunately. Most of the local operators run longer tours that aren't convenient for cruise passengers. The ship's tour that we selected turned out to be quite good. If I were to do it again, though, I would look into disembarking at Le Havre and arranging a few days to visit, either on my own or with a tour.

 

 

I have to disagree..We used 2 differant tour guides for our excursion to Normandy We were 10 people..Saw a great deal ,had time for a nice lunch and return to the ship with time to share.. Only missed the Britsh beaches ,but had a chance to see it from afar..

[cruisin4kicks]

We're doing a trans-Atlantic on RCI Jewel of the Seas and are going to be in Cherbourg, France on Saturday, May 16. We booked a private tour to see the beaches at Normandy and the other D-Day sights with a company called Overlord Tours. They're going to pick us up at the cruise ship around 8:00am. I'm pretty sure if you booked with them, they would arrange to pick you up at the dock in Le Havre.

 

This company has come highly recommended. Their website is...

 

http://www.overlordtour.com/index.htm

 

Good luck.

 

Tim

[ROCruiser]

We rented a car and did the D-Day Beaches on our own. Very easy. Picked up the car at the pier. Came with GPS and maps. We had a great day driving to the beaches and the American Cemetery. Quite an experience.

[SkystheLimit]

For those that have rented cars at Le Havre, what car rental companies are near the dock?

 

Tried a couple on line but did not have any luck for a one day rental. Thanks for any help.

[Mrs007]

If you are looking for a smaller more independent tour, I would suggest you contact Michelle and Eric in Domfront, Fr. They have a bed and breakfast and offer independent tours http://www.normandytownandcountry.com/

 

We used Eric to give us a small group tour of Fecamp and Etretat when we stopped in LeHavre last May. They were referred to us by the LeHavre visitors bureau. They are licensed. We had such a wonderful day - still one of our favorite memories. I think you would be very pleased with Eric.

[NAJNLA]

We rented a car and did the D-Day Beaches on our own. Very easy. Picked up the car at the pier. Came with GPS and maps. We had a great day driving to the beaches and the American Cemetery. Quite an experience.

 

Would you mind telling us which company you rented your car from, what size was it, and approximately how much did it cost? Do they charge for miles driven or a fixed daily rate?

[Mrs007]

OOOPs, guess I should have made it more clear. Eric http://www.normandytownandcountry.com/ also gives wonderful, informative D-Day Beaches tours.

[ericosmith]

OOOPs, guess I should have made it more clear. Eric http://www.normandytownandcountry.com/ also gives wonderful, informative D-Day Beaches tours.

 

I'll second the recommendation for Eric. He will take you places and explain things that you would never be able to find in a rental car.

[BayCalif-Ariz R Us]

I'm reaching out to all my fellow cruisers for some assistance in finding a good tour guide - individual or company - for our one day in Le Havre on Sunday, May 10. Your comments are much welcomed. Denise

[Gail in California]

I am trying to research this port also & happened upon a few things that might be of interest to you.

 

There is Battlebus Tours, Handmaid Tours, D-Day Guide (Nigel Stewart).,LeHavre Taxis.

I personally don't know anything about them but they are recommended by others. On the Battlebus website they have listed on their "Other Gudes" page a list of other recommended guides in case they are too busy. I think that's pretty nice.

 

Hope this helps.

Several were at 80-85 Euros for an 8 hr. day= $ 107 USD

Now I need to figure out what I'm going to do!

[Gail in California]

I learned today that rental car agencies are closed on Sundays.

[Gail in California]

Battlebus Tours will not pickup from LeHavre- too far away. They refer to

Normandy Town & Country Tours.

[ericosmith]

Battlebus Tours will not pickup from LeHavre- too far away. They refer to

Normandy Town & Country Tours.

 

That is the Eric that's refered to earlier. Even when Battlebus was booking, you got the tour from Eric. So really, nothing has changed other than direct booking rather than going through Battlebus.

[Gail in California]

Look into Overlord Tours. They pick up in LeHavre & are reasonably priced with a group.

[BayCalif-Ariz R Us]

Thank you all - we consider ourselves fortunate to have gotten Hand Maid tours - will share with at least one other couple, possibly two but no more than 6 of us. With six, it will be cheaper than the Princess excursion. It turns out our day to tour Normandy is also Mothers' Day - will be wonderful to have the opportunity to honor my folks at the same time..........

[ROCruiser]

Sorry that I have not checked back on this thread. I am at work right now and don't have all the info. I will post when I get home with more information. We picked up and returned the car right at the pier. Driving condition is like in the US, very easy!

[ROCruiser]

Would you mind telling us which company you rented your car from, what size was it, and approximately how much did it cost? Do they charge for miles driven or a fixed daily rate?

 

The car we rented July 08 was a cat B with A/C for 95Euros from 8:00AM~9:00PM with unlimited mileage. We also rented a GPS for 10Euros. The condition of the car was great, looked new and can comfortably seat 4. Don't remember what make it was. I do have a picture of the car but don't know how to download it on the thread. Pick-up and drop-off right at the pier.

http://www.rentacar.fr/agenceliste.asp

You may also email them at: le_havre@rentacar.fr

 

We had a memorable trip!