Travelling To Le Havre

Le Havre is in an excellent location for travelling around. There are many travel options available, with the most popular being train, air and sea. The town is home to two ports, which both get very busy during the peak season. The nearest airport is Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, which involves a 3-hour journey by car to reach Le Havre.

Once you are in Le Havre, many attractions are within easy walking distance of each other, although the bus and taxi services are both very efficient and good value for money.

By car

There are two major international routes that pass through Le Havre. They include the A13 motorway, which leads to Paris and onwards towards Eastern Europe. It also leads south to the south of France, Spain and Italy. The A29 links Copenhagen to Lisbon via Le Havre.

Paris can be reached in about 3 hours from Le Havre by car, while Rouen can be reached in 1 hour 30 minutes, and Dieppe is only an hour away. The Pont de Normandie, between Le Havre and Honfleur, links upper and lower Normandy and is a very popular route which can get quite congested.

It is very important to heed to the road rules when driving in France. Seat belts both in the front and rear are compulsory everywhere. Speed limits are implemented rigorously, with radar traps being a common occurrence and anyone caught travelling at more than 25kmh above the speed limit can have their licence confiscated on the spot. Minor speeding and other traffic offences can result in on-the-spot fines.

By rail

Le Havre is home to an extensive rail network, allowing much of Europe to be accessed from the town. There are regular trains to Paris, from where you can connect with many other cities in France and across Europe. It is possible to reach Paris in less than 3 hours. The trains are regular, efficient and clean, and offer an excellent service. Despite being more expensive than other transport such as buses, travelling on the train is guaranteed to be more comfortable and enjoyable.

By bus

Le Havre sees two main bus services which cover the entire Normandy region. One service runs along Cte d'Alabtre and the other to Fcamp via tretat. During the peak months of July and August, many of the buses run the D-Day Circuit 44. This is a special service allowing visitors the chance to squeeze in as many D-Day sights as is possible in one day.

The bus routes connect many towns to Le Havre including: Rouen, Dieppe, Fcamp, tretat, Caen, Honfleur, Deauville, Trouville, Cabourg and Arromanches.

By air

Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport is the closest international airport to Le Havre. The airport is situated 23kms outside of Paris and is the busiest in France, handling over 200,000 passengers per day.

The airport consists of three terminals which are all connected by free shuttle buses. Terminal 1 services international flights, with the exception of Air France flights. Terminal 2 services Air France flights and Terminal 3 is purely for charter flights.

Banks, exchange bureaux and ATMs can be found in all three terminals as well as post offices, information services and medical facilities. Restaurants and bars are in abundance and business facilities are offered in Terminal 1.

The rapid RER train service connects the airport with Paris city centre. Fast trains run every 15 minutes and take 35 minutes to the city centre. Bus services run to the city centre every 10 minutes and taxis can be found 24 hours outside Arrivals. Once you are in the centre of Paris, it is possible to catch a train, hire a car or take a bus to Le Havre, with the journey taking approximately 3 hours by road or rail.

By ferry

There are two ferry terminals to be found in Le Havre. The British Terminal (Terminal de Grande Bretagne) can be found very close to the rail and bus stations. This terminal offers three sailings a day to Portsmouth, UK. The Irish Terminal (Terminal Irelande) is located nearer the town centre and offers services to and from Ireland.
Both ferry terminals provide small tourist information booths during the summer months.

Taxis

Taxis operate throughout Le Havre and are best pre-booked. Taxis are found on the streets throughout the town as well as at the port. It is important to negotiate a rate before embarking on a long journey to avoid disputes at the other end. Your hotel should be able to assist you when booking a taxi.