Port excursions in LeHavre and Cherbourg
 

Can I expect to find tour operators in port offering excursions in France the way they are found in the Caribbean? We are most interested in an excursion from LeHavre to Monet's Gardens in Giverny. We arrive on Sunday, Oct. 28 and the cruise ship tour is already booked.

Europe just isn't the same as the Caribbean. I think what you'll find is that every major cruise terminal will have a tour desk, but whether a particular tour is being offered will vary dramatically depending on where you are. This is a pretty popular excursion, so it's completely possible you'll find it offered at the tour desk there. To be safe, though, I'd arrange something in advance. Or you could just go on your own by taking a train to Vernon with a change in Rouen. It should take you about 2 hours to get to Vernon, but you will still have to take a taxi from there, so it might be best to band together with a few others to share the costs.

Ah ... I should have added ... please post this in the Europe forum, and you might get a better response.

Did u try Cruise Critic website to see if others going on your cruise are organizing private tours? There will be much more info on that website. If u are not familiar with it you will need to go to Boards, then your cruise line, then date of cruise to find your thread.

Here are a couple of websites: http://www.le-havre-tourism.com/
U may find some tour links here.
http://www.toursbylocals.com/Giverny-and-Rouen

I found this list of tour guides, etc. on Trip Advisor LeHarve to Giverney forums, u may want to go directly to TA as there is lots of info there.

Dominique Eudier dominique.eudier(at)wanadoo.fr
http://www.guided-normandy-tours.com

Mathias Leclere contact(at)ddayguidedtours.com
http://www.ddayguidedtours.com

William Jordan william.jordan(at)wanadoo.fr 06.76.15.72.21

Richard Hennig operadiver(at)hotmail.com

Lucie Hoffman luciehoffmann(at)msn.com
www.cap-normandie.com

François Gautron francois.gauthron(at)wanadoo.fr
http://www.bandb-bayeux.com/fr
or agencies

normandy sightseeing GUERIN Frédéric <fredericguerin(at)wanadoo.fr>
http://www.normandywebguide.com/

Perhaps u might organize a private tour yourself and get others to share the expense with you. You could post of some of the travel sites but I would go directly to the Cruise Critic thread for your cruise, you may get a better response.

Good luck. I would be happy to assist you in finding a guide as I do my own private tours when we cruise. I am not a travel agent, just love helping others plan their cruises.

May

There is an AutoEurope installation at the pier at which most cruise ships arrive. While they are normally closed on Sunday, it may be possible to arrange for a car on that day. Another alternative would be a taxi tour to Honfleur. That could be available for as little as 60 Euro.