- The distance: about 200 km (125 miles), 2.5 to 3 hours each way by car.
- Time in Paris: about 4 hours on a typical 8 am to 8 pm port day.
- With a private driver: your chauffeur waits at the cruise terminal and the day is planned backwards from your all-aboard time. From €1,150 per car for 10 hours.
- Other options: the train to Paris Saint-Lazare and your ship’s own excursion. The essentials are below.
First, check your port hours
Whatever you choose, 4 to 6 hours of the day are spent on the road, so the real question is how much time is left for Paris.
Work backwards from your all-aboard time, not the sailing time. It is usually 30 to 60 minutes earlier and it is printed in your ship’s daily program. If your ship is in port for less than about 10 hours, Paris becomes a rush, and Normandy is the better plan (see below).
Traffic on the A13 motorway out of Paris is often heavy in the late afternoon, roughly 3:30 to 5:30 pm. Leaving Paris by mid-afternoon keeps the return relaxed.
Your day with a private driver
With a private driver, your car is waiting when you walk off the ship, and the whole day follows your ship’s schedule.
- At the terminal. Your English-speaking chauffeur meets you at the exit of the cruise terminal with a sign showing your name.
- On the road. A Mercedes with refreshments on board and free child seats on request.
- In Paris. Your driver drops you at the door of each stop and waits, so there is no meeting point to find.
- Back on board in time. We plan the day backwards from your all-aboard time and leave Paris with a margin for traffic.
- A guide, if you like. Add an English-speaking guide in Paris: €550 for 4 hours.
A ship won’t wait for a private car any more than for a train, which is why our drivers always keep a buffer for the A13 and bring you back to the port well before all-aboard.
Prices for a day in Paris from Le Havre
| Car | Ideal for | Price per car, 10 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes E-Class | Up to 3 passengers | €1,150 |
| Mercedes V-Class | Families and groups, up to 7 | €1,290 |
| Mercedes S-Class | First-class comfort | €1,650 |
| Mercedes Sprinter | Groups up to 18 | €1,900 |
Extra hours are available if your ship stays longer. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before, see our cancellation policy.
The price is per car, not per person. For a family of five in a V-Class, €1,290 comes to €258 each, with your own car, your own pace and no group to keep up with.
A sample day in Paris from Le Havre
- 7:30 Your driver meets you at the cruise terminal.
- 10:30 Paris: the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadéro, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Notre-Dame.
- 13:00 A quick lunch, for example in Saint-Germain or near the Louvre.
- 15:00 Drive back to Le Havre.
- 18:00 Back at the port, with time to spare before a typical all-aboard.
We adjust these times to your ship. If you dock at 6 am or stay until late evening, you get more time in Paris.
Short port day? Normandy is closer
If you have less than 10 hours, or you have already seen Paris, Normandy is right next to the port:
- Honfleur, the old harbor painted by the Impressionists, about 30 minutes away.
- The Étretat cliffs, about 40 minutes away.
- Rouen and its cathedral, about an hour away.
- Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery, about 1 hour 45 minutes away.
The day is charged at the same hourly rates. Spending a few days in Paris before or after the cruise? See our Normandy D-Day tour from Paris with a WWII historian.
When a private driver makes the most sense
Other ways to reach Paris
If you prefer another option, these are the main alternatives.
- The train to Paris Saint-Lazare takes about 2 hours 10 minutes. The station is about 3 km from the cruise terminal, so you need the port shuttle or a taxi first. Fares start around €20 one way when booked early. Delays and strikes happen, and the ship does not wait for independent travelers, so plan to be back in Le Havre at least 2 hours before all-aboard.
- Your ship’s Paris excursion costs roughly $200–250 per person for a coach with free time in Paris, and from around $350 for a guided tour. The ship waits for its own coaches; in return you follow a fixed schedule with a large group and a meeting point in Paris.
Cruise line prices vary by ship and sailing; check your cruise planner for the exact figure.
Tips from our drivers
- Book before you sail. Popular port days fill up quickly.
- Check the museum calendar. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays and the Musée d’Orsay on Mondays. On a 4-hour visit, seeing them from the outside is usually the better plan anyway.
- Keep lunch short. A two-hour French lunch takes half your time in Paris.
- Carry the port agent’s phone number from your ship’s daily program, along with your cruise card and passport.
- Keep WhatsApp on. It is the easiest way for your driver to reach you in Paris.
FAQ
How much is a private driver from Le Havre to Paris?
At ALEGA, €1,150 per car for a 10-hour day in a Mercedes E-Class (up to 3 people) or €1,290 in a V-Class (up to 7). One-way transfers between Le Havre and Paris start at €550.
How much time will we have in Paris?
About 4 hours on a typical 10-hour day with a private driver, more if your ship stays longer.
How long does it take to get from Le Havre to Paris?
By car, 2.5 to 3 hours each way for the 200 km (125 miles). By train, about 2 hours 10 minutes to Paris Saint-Lazare, plus the transfer from the cruise terminal to the station.
Will we be back at the ship in time?
We plan the day backwards from your all-aboard time, leave Paris with a margin for traffic on the A13 and bring you back to the port well before all-aboard.
Can we visit the D-Day beaches from Le Havre instead?
Yes. Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery are about 1 hour 45 minutes from the cruise port, which leaves good time there on a normal port day.
Andrei founded ALEGA in 2014 on the Champs-Élysées. His drivers meet cruise passengers in Le Havre and travelers at the Paris airports.
