Le Havre Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Though Le Havre is usually thought of as a place to get on or off a ship, there is a bit more to this major seaport.

It is situated at the mouth of the Seine River, on the English Channel in the upper Normandy region of the country. The town's name means the port in French, and its important distinction is that it has always served as the harbor for the city of Paris, with goods being transferred between oceangoing ships and barges on the Seine. It's a good base station for exploring most of Normandy, with major sites including Mont-St.-Michel accessible in about two hours or less.

Le Havre was completely destroyed in World War II, and Auguste Perret was charged with the redesign and rebuilding of the city. As a result, most of Le Havre is quite modern and stands in stark contrast with the rest of Normandy.

Don't miss Graville Abbey, the view from St. Adresse Fort, the Seine estuary and the Ocean Dock. The town hall is situated on one of the largest squares in France, and a climb to the top of the tower offers a great view of the city. The fine-arts museum, Malraux Museum, features one of the largest impressionist painting collections outside of Paris.

About 18 mi/29 km north of Le Havre is Etretat, with its stunning white cliffs.

Location

The Le Havre ferry port is a multicommercial port situated at the mouth of the Seine River at the Terminal de Citadel. It's the second-largest ferry port in the country and has good connections to the major motorways to many popular destinations. Ferries depart to and from Portsmouth, England.

The ferry terminal facilities are minimal, but include vending machines, restrooms and free Wi-Fi in the main terminal. Just outside the port, buses marked "Centre Ville" will take you to the town center in about 10 minutes.

The Le Havre train station is just a few minutes' walk from the ferry terminal, with trains leaving regularly for Paris and other destinations. Paris is about two hours away by train.