Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights in Le Havre:
This big port city isn't worth lingering in. But if you have time
to kill, its top sight is the
Malraux Museum
(a.k.a. “MuMa”), with a superb collection
of works by Impressionist biggies who lived and worked in Normandy: Monet, Renoir,
Degas, Manet, and others (€5, Wed-Mon 11:00-18:00, Sat-Sun until 19:00, closed Tue, 2
Boulevard Clemenceau, tel. 02 35 19 62 62,
www.muma-lehavre.fr
)
. Le Havre also has a
unique 1950s church (St. Joseph), a fine beach, a lively market hall, scenic hanging gar-
dens, and a smattering of other sights.
Getting to Paris: Trains
leavenearlyhourlyforParis'St.Lazarestation(2.25hours,
€32.80 one-way; may require change in Rouen, fewer on weekends). Most cruises offer
a “Paris on Your Own”
excursion,
which consists of an un-narrated bus ride from your
ship to Paris (generally dropping you near Place de la Concorde), then back again at an
appointed time (typically $110-130, compared to $85 for the round-trip train). A 10-hour
round-trip
taxi tour
of Paris costs €460.
Other Options:
Paris-bound trains also stop (about an hour after leaving Le Havre)
at
Rouen
, with a cobbled old town and historic ties to Joan of Arc. From Le Havre's bus
station (just behind the train station), sporadic buses go 30 minutes to the sleepy but col-
orful port town of
Honfleur
that inspired the Impressionists. While it's possible to do the
D-Day beaches
from Le Havre, most cruisers don't have quite enough time to do them
justice; they're best done with a prearranged excursion (either through your cruise line, or
booked through Normandy Sightseeing Tours,
www.normandy-sightseeing-tours.com
)
.
