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Honfleur France Cruise Port Guide
Location:
Honfleur is a truly picturesque and charming harbor located in the Seine estuary where the Seine meets the Atlantic Coast.
The traditional port of Honfleur includes three docks : the western dock or "Old Dock", the eastern dock or Republican Dock built in 1840 and the larger Carnot Dock built later in 1892.
The port of Honfleur is accessible to ships of up 2500 tons, by a channel 500 m long, linked to the mouth of the Seine and protected since 1995 by a lock chamber. Its distinctive feature is to be both a sea and a river port.
The ships are scheduled to dock at the Quai de Seine, about 1.5km from the center of town. Taxis are generally available at the pier. From the shuttle bus stop it is a 5- to 10-minute walk to the town center.
The new terminal entirely accessible to persons with reduced mobility, hosts not only the tourist information point, generated by the Tourist Office of Honfleur, but also a boutique offering souvenirs and quality regional products from Normandy.
Webcam of the harbor.
Printable map to take along.
Cruise calendar for this port.
Watch a destination video.
Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers
Monthly Climate Averages for Honfleur France
Sightseeing:
Colorful Honfleur, located on the Seine estuary, epitomizes Normandy for many people. Birthplace of impressionism and of romanticism, this picturesque port acquired its stature through maritime relations with the Americas: it was from here that Samuel de Champlain and Cavelier de la Salle set sail. Today Honfleur is one of the most popular vacation spots in northern France.
During the summer the town is packed with scores of visitors who come to enjoy this living museum of half-timbered houses and cobbled streets. The 17th century harbor is fronted on one side by two-story stone houses with low, sloping roofs and on the other by tall, narrow buildings whose wooden fa\ccades are topped by slate roofs.
A rich collection of pre-impressionist and contemporary paintings by Norman artists can be found in the Eugene Boudin Museum.
The Maritime Museum features interesting exhibits of model ships and maritime objects which bear witness to seafarers of past centuries.
A striking site in the town center is the wooden St. Catherine's Church and its separate bell tower covered by unique chestnut-wood shingles. A number of narrow cobblestone streets lead off from the center square, each one a delightful surprise and an irresistible temptation for the avid photographer.
Vieux Bassin: this is the very heartbeat of life in Honfleur, and the appeal that brings its visitors from far and wide. This is the old port, which still operative, surrounded by the crooked slate-fronted houses that typify the place. Full of art galleries and cafés in converted salt stores permanently busy with people taking in the splendor of it all.
Tours Excursions Transportation:
It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.
Nearby Places:
The area surrounding Honfleur is one of rolling countryside and the beaches for which this part of Normandy is famous.
Deauville 11 miles away is a pretty 19th century resort, with long sandy beaches, wooden beach huts and boardwalks.
Shopping and Food
Shop throughout Honfleur for Antiques and Works of Art. There are galleries and antiquity shops abound in the old quarter. This is the specialty of the town.
There is a wealth of seafood (espensive) restaurants in Honfleur, unsurprisingly, and the catch of the day is always a reliable choice.
Seafood is naturally very popular in Honfleur, indeed you can watch the fishing boats arrive in the mornings if you rise early enough!
On Saturday the lively open-air market offers everything for a gourmet picnic, from potent cheese to excellent local cider.
Currency:
Euro
Communication:
Local emergency number: 112
Opening Hours and Holidays:
Most shops, businesses, information services, museums and banks in France stay open all day. The exceptions are the smaller shops and enterprises, which may close for lunch sometime between 12.30pm and 2pm. Basic hours of business are from 8 or 9am to 6.30 or 7.30pm Monday to Saturday for the big shops and Tuesday to Saturday for smaller shops (some of the smaller shops may open on Monday afternoon). You can always find boulangeries and food shops that do stay open, however, on days when others close – on Sunday normally until noon.
Holidays in France
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