Luv2travel15

Hi all, I am assisting a friend of mine plan a visit to Paris next summer after disembarkation from a cruise. They will be docking LeHavre and would like to go to Paris and Versailles for a couple of days before they fly home. She is traveling w/ younger children (10ish range).

We visited Paris this past Dec. for our one-day port stop and had a private tour guide pick us up LeHavre, drive us to Paris to sightsee, then back to the ship. It was a long day but worked out very well w/ the private driver (also licensed tour guide) so I am familiar w/ the distance from port to Paris. I know the train is an option but she didn't want to go this route if there were other options. I know that there are taxi drivers at LeHavre port so that would be one consideration but know that is pricey too.

I would like suggestions from all you experts as to what would be the best way to plan her 2 day visit.

Should she go directly to Paris from LeHavre and go to Versailles the next day or stop at Versailles on way from port and then onto Paris?

What is the distance from Paris to Versailles and how much time is needed to tour there?

I know that taking the train would be the most economical but how difficult would this be w/ two small children and luggage in tow? She would have to go from the port to train station and I am not familiar w/ that option.

I would appreciate all suggestions as to the best way to coordinate her trip. She has not done much international traveling so is looking for some suggestions. Thanks so much.

Gretchen

The children should be able to handle their own small suitcases and a backpack. She should do the same.
Take a taxi to the train station and go to Paris.
I am a little concerned that you are assisting her in this with a very limited knowledge of what to do and how to do it. I think a travel agent would be a possibility here.
As for Versailles, no, not on the way and maybe not at all if she is going to be there only two days.
Is she flying home from CDG? I assume so, so she needs to get there anyway.
Taxi to Paris--you have got to be kidding.
And I suppose the cruise people would arrange all this for her for a "fee".

Christina

Versailles is just a suburb of Paris, more or less, it's about 20 km or a bit less (12 miles). There are various things to see at Versailles, the main chateau, some outer buildings, le Hameau, etc., but you would want at least half a day, I'm sure. YOu can get there in only about 20 minutes on the RER, the suburban commuter train. The stop is a bit of a walk from the chateau, but not that far (maybe 500 km? I forget, it's not bad).

BUt if you have kids and luggage and you mean to move to Versailles to stay for a while, you'd take the regular train, not the commuter train. It leaves from Montparnasse train station, I believe. You'd need a taxi on the other end to get to your hotel.

This all is unclear as to how she intends to leave to go home, I presume from a Paris airport? If so, I'd probably go to Versailles first and then to Paris. There aren't many trains from Le Havre to Versailles that are direct (mostly you would have to transfer in Paris, anyway), but there is one each day at 7:54 am from what I see. YOu could take a taxi or private driver from Versailles to Paris if you really wanted, I'd suggest staying on the Left Bank, of course, as it is closer to Versailles.

If one is willing to hire a driver to go long distances, why couldn't she take a taxi from the port to the train station in Le Havre? It's only a couple miles. I'm not saying it would be easy to travel alone with two small children and manage them and baggage on a train, it actually sounds like a handful. People do it, of course, but the children at that age should be able to pull their own small roller suitcase, and then she can have one for herself to pull (I suggest 22 inches max), as well as keeping track of the children, so it isn't impossible.

I really don't see this as very feasible without spending a fortune if she doesn't take the train, at least from Le Havre to Versailles. Or just go to Paris, stay there, and do a day trip to Versailles, I really would suggest that. There are many trains from Le Havre to Paris direct. And you won't be worrying about all the luggage during the day trip to and from Versailles, and you won't be doing the rigmarole of moving hotels. This won't be that hard -- take a taxi from the port to the Le Havre train station, then a taxi from the train station in Paris to your hotel. Then, if she wants, a taxi from the hotel to the airport to leave, of course. If they pack lightly, I think she can handle the train with the children.

Christina

I"m sorry, I just realized she intends to only spend 2 days total in Paris and Versailles? Then I wouldn't even consider going to Versailles and staying there in a hotel.

Mimar

So this is one woman and two or more children? How much luggage will she have? A taxi to the train is the obvious best solution if she's not laden with too many heavy bags. If she does have a lot of bags, can she ship one or more home -- from the cruise ship or port?

Is language part of the problem? She could buy train tickets before her trip, bypassing that hurdle. Refer her to www.seat61.com and/or Rick Steves for details on buying tickets and taking the train. And she could, in the intervening months, learn a few words of French like Bon jour and Merci and the word gare for train station. There are a lot of English speakers in the tourist trade, especially on the coast there.

Luv2travel15

Thank you all for your replies. I will pass the info along to her. Yes, it is expensive to take a taxi from LeHavre to Paris but it is an option and if she doesn't mind paying the taxi fee that is her decision. I had done a lot of research on taxis, tour guides, train, etc. when we went last year but we decided to go the private tour guide route and split the cost among 8 of us.

I do think that she and her children could manage the train as it seems simple enough. Kids are very flexible today. I do know that there are taxis at the port and that might be the best way to get to train station. She will figure it out, I just wanted other opinions.

She definitely wants to visit Versailles as her daughters have something they want to see at the palace, they have been watching travel shows.

Thanks again. I think this is steering her in the right direction.

StCirq

I don't think there are other options. I think it would be crazy to take a taxi from Le Havre to Paris. Taxi to the train station, then train to Paris is really the only sensible solution. People take trains with young children all the time; as long as they're not loaded down with luggage, it'll be fine. I used to travel solo with two young kids on trains in France all the time. If they're 10-ish they'll do fine and have an adventure.

It wouldn't make much sense to go to Versailles on the way to Paris unless they were going to spend the night there. It's not a place you can roam around in with luggage. If they must go to Versailles, that's going to severely limit their time in Paris, but I guess they know that.

Mucky

Le Havre is a port and only a port, nothing more than a port.
A train to Paris is the best option if it is possible.
A taxi will cost a fortune, if you can get one.

Muck