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Voykit pocket guide · France
Le Havre
Give Le Havre one full day and one night: Perret's concrete centre, MuMa, the beach and the funicular. Two nights only if you add Étretat or Honfleur.
Le Havre is a working Channel port rebuilt in reinforced concrete after 1944 and listed by UNESCO for that reconstruction. The centre is small and walkable, the sea is at the end of the main street, and the city works best as a one-day stop on the Paris–Normandy line or as a base for Étretat and Honfleur. It is not a resort town, and the weather is Atlantic: wind and rain in any month.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wind, rain, short days)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency (English) 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–3 |
| Crêpe or galette | €5–12 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €14–22 |
| Dinner, mid-range, per person | €25–45 |
| Beer: bar / supermarket | €5–8 / €1.50–3 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | €15–20 |
| Pont de Normandie toll, car | about €6 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LEH · Le Havre – Octeville
- No scheduled flights; general aviation and occasional charters only.
- DOL · Deauville – Normandie
- Nearest scheduled airport; about 1 h by road.
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- About 2 h 30 min by road or rail via Paris.
Typical fares
- Paris → Le Havre, train
- about 2 h, most trains stop at Rouen
- Funicular, one way
- €0.40
- Ferry Le Havre → Portsmouth
- crossings from about 3 h 15 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is flat and walkable. The funicular links the lower town to the upper plateau; local buses cover the rest. Bikes can be rented at the tourist office or from the seasonal stand along the beach. The ferry terminal and train station are each a short walk or bus ride from the centre.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO-listed Perret reconstruction
- MuMa Impressionist museum
- Saint-Joseph church
- Ferry port to England
- Beach and funicular
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Étretat | Bus from Le Havre station, or drive the D940 north | About 1 h |
| Honfleur | Bus or car across the Pont de Normandie | About 1 h |
| Rouen | Train from Le Havre station | About 1 h 15 min |
| Dieppe | Train via Rouen, or drive the coast | 2–2.5 h |
| Mont-Saint-Michel | Drive, or train via Rouen and Caen | 3–4 h |
Sleep
- City centre / Hôtel de Ville
- Perret's grid, MuMa, Saint-Joseph and the funicular within a 15-minute walk; best for a short stay.
- Saint-François
- Old quarter by the harbour with bars and crêperies; noisier at night.
- Station / Docks Vauban
- Near the train station and the shopping centre; practical with bags or an early train.
- Beachfront
- Sea views and the promenade; a 20–25 minute walk from the station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo pleh |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-byen |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo ay la gar |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Atlantic weather: wind and rain arrive with little warning even in summer; carry a shell.
- The Pont de Normandie toll bridge can back up for an hour on busy summer weekends.
- Ferry and cruise arrivals land 2–3 km from the centre; check the shuttle before walking with bags.
- Some restaurants close one or two days a week outside summer: check before you go.
A calm city by day and night; the real risks are Atlantic weather, wind on the seafront and the usual pickpocketing around the station and market. Emergency number 112 works in English.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Le Havre yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO-listed Perret reconstruction
- MuMa Impressionist museum
- Saint-Joseph church
- Ferry port to England
- Beach and funicular
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Le Havre official city site: lehavre.fr/
- Le Havre tourist office: www.lehavretourisme.com/
- Wikivoyage: Le Havre, revision 5292911 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5292911
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Le Havre
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy in Le Havre; embassies are in Paris. Greece keeps a consulate at Sainte-Adresse (check the address).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/le-havre). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.