We’ll Always Have Paris; Getting There from a Cruise is the Trick

Citroen sightseeing in Paris — Paris is always an experience--Photo by Wallace Immen

So much to see and so little time. It’s always a dilemma trying to figure out how to get to Paris when you’re only stopping in France for one day on a cruise ship in Le Havre, which is two hours by road or rail from the City of Light.

On a recent trip we were even closer. On a cruise on the Viking Cruises, we docked in Honfleur at the mouth of the Seine that’s south of the busy port of Le Havre. An option for the day to was to take a complimentary tour to Rouen, a city of architectural charms and a history that includes the unforgiveable trial and execution of Joan of Arc.

But Paris is always Paris and who could resist an opportunity to stroll the boulevards on a warm, sunny day?

So it came down to a choice: Do the hour and a half ride on a bus organized by the ship or go completely on our own by train.

Crowded café in the Marais district–Photo by Wallace ImmenThe SNCF French rail system website includes dozens of exceptions for different days of the week, holidays and diversions for track repair. If your ship comes in to Le Havre, several of the trains between Paris and Le Havre require a layover in Rouen to change trains. To get to and from train stations also assumes there are enough cabs willing to take you to the pier.

Tthe issue is always whether your train is actually running on time or whether the train staff might be “en grève,” on strike, which is an all too real possibility. I decided that with limited time and the possibilities of delays, it would be better to go with the ship’s bus shore excursion.

An important consideration on any day excursion from a ship is that if you plan something on your own, you are truly on your own. If there’s a snag, the ship could sail without you. If you join the excursions arranged by the ship, you’re guaranteed you’ll get back to the ship before sail- away.

Paris flower stall — It’s a city that lives on light and color–Photo by Wallace Immen

The Paris on your own also gave the option to be dropped off at one of several different points in the city, as long as we all agreed to meet at an assembly point near the Place de la Concorde at 4:30.

On weekdays when traffic can get gridlocked. Fortunately, we were arriving on a Sunday, when it was actually easy to drive the length of the Champs Élysées and take a spin around the Arc de Triomphe.

Even with our tour of city highlights, we still had five hours free time to wander and unless you happen to want to walk the entire length of the city in one day that’s a significant amount of time to explore.

And what a day it turned out to be. My wife and I decided to revisit a stay we’d made in Paris in our wayward youths, wandering the streets of the third and fourth arrondissements on the Right Bank checking out the cafes and admiring the galleries and boutiques. The ancient zones have become considerably gentrified in recent years, but still retain their arty charm.

Arty character in Paris — Colorful character in the Marais–Photo by Wallace Immen

The Marais is crammed with history and architecture and home to fabulous art galleries and the Picasso Museum. The area’s liveliest street is the Rue des Rosiers, a center of the Paris Jewish community, which has lineups for its restaurants and shops selling kosher food.

We also strolled around Les Halles, the historic market district where a big redevelopment reshaped the Forum des Halles, the vast underground mall that’s one of France’s busiest shopping centers.

The day’s excursion was definitely worth it. Pictures tell it better than words:

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