Booking choice: The cruise port shuttle, from $135 per person. Check dates Tour details
Most ships calling at Le Havre sell Paris as the big excursion. That's 2.5 hours each way for a few hours in the city. Étretat is the opposite deal: 35 to 45 minutes by road, and the rest of the port day on the cliffs.
You can go by shared shuttle, private transfer, local driver, the town bus or a taxi. They differ less in price than in one thing: how sure you can be of getting back to the ship.
The quick answer
Étretat is about 30 km from the Le Havre cruise terminal, 35 to 45 minutes by road. A shared shuttle costs $135 per person and a round-trip transfer $113; both give you 4 to 5 hours on a normal port day. The 2-euro LiA bus 21 works, but it leaves from the Le Havre stations, 2 to 2.5 km from the terminal. A taxi is about 50 to 85 euros each way. Read the itinerary, not the web address: one popular "Etretat" shore excursion goes to Honfleur and Deauville.
How far is Étretat from the Le Havre cruise port?
About 30 km, 35 to 45 minutes by road. The private drivers quote about 30 minutes in light traffic.
The cruise terminal is at the Pointe de Floride, on the seaward edge of Le Havre. From there the road climbs out of the city and runs north through farmland to the coast. Étretat is the nearest of the big Normandy sights: Honfleur is about the same distance in the other direction, over the Pont de Normandie, and Paris is 2.5 hours away.
If your ship docks at Honfleur instead, Étretat is about 55 km, around 50 minutes over the bridge. The shared shuttle picks up there too.
What are your options from the ship?
A shared shuttle ($135 per person), a private transfer ($113 per person), a private driver ($571 to $948 per group), the town bus (about 2 euros) or a taxi (about 50 to 85 euros each way).
Side by side, prices as of October 2026:
| Option | Price | Time in Étretat | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared shuttle | $135 per person | Your choice of return | Hourly 8:00 to 11:00, ship tracking, max 8 |
| Round-trip transfer | $113 per person | About 7-hour window | Mercedes, WhatsApp contact, no reviews yet |
| Private local driver | $571 per group up to 4 ($457 until 19 Oct 2026) | Your pace, with Honfleur | Fuel and parking included, new listing |
| Private tour with cider farm | $948 per group | About 3 hours, then Honfleur | The driver isn't a guide |
| LiA bus 21 | About 2 euros each way | Up to the timetable | Leaves from the Le Havre stations, not the port |
| Taxi | About 50 to 85 euros each way | Book the return | Fixed-price quotes, montransport |
For two people the transfer and shuttle cost $226 to $270 in total; a taxi there and back runs 100 to 170 euros and depends on finding one for the return. For four, the local driver at $457 to $571 starts to make sense, and adds Honfleur.
How does the Étretat cruise shuttle work?
A shared van leaves the terminal at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 or 11:00, drops you in Étretat, and you come back on whichever scheduled return suits you. The operator tracks your ship.
The Y GO shuttle rates 4.5 from 13 reviews. The driver waits at the terminal with a sign; the return ticket is valid for the whole service day, so keep it. The vans take up to 8 people and are listed as wheelchair accessible, and child seats are available on request. One guest wrote: "We were picked up on the dot at 9am, the pre arranged time. When we arrived in Etretat we agreed with the driver that he would pick us up at 2pm and he was spot on time again."
Not every review is that tidy. One 1-star guest had a pickup 30 minutes late and a return 20 minutes late; the operator blamed a customs check at the port. On a port day that's a real worry, which is why the next section matters. If wind closes the port, as it did for one October guest, the operator refunds: "Thanks for this company to keeping us up to date and refunding us immediately."
On the hour from the terminal, back on the return that suits your ship, with your sailing tracked in real time.
Explore the cruise port shuttle Tour detailsCan you take the bus from the cruise terminal to Étretat?
Yes, but not from the terminal. LiA bus 21 leaves from the Le Havre stations, 2 to 2.5 km away, and takes about an hour for about 2 euros.
Walk 25 to 30 minutes into town, or take the shuttle bus that runs into the centre on most ship days, or a short taxi ride. From the station area, LiA line 21 runs hourly from about 6:00 to 21:00 (from 8:00 on Sundays) and stops at several points in Étretat. Line 13 from Le Havre Grand Hameau and Nomad 509 along the coast are the backups.
The maths on a 8:00 to 18:00 call: off the ship at 8:30, at the station by 9:15, in Étretat around 10:30. Catch a bus back by 14:30 at the latest and you have about four hours. Miss it, and the next one is an hour later. Fine for confident independent travellers. For a first port day, the shuttle's tracked return is worth the money.
Private driver or private tour: is the driver a guide?
Usually not. The Le Havre private tours give you a car and a driver who knows the roads. Guiding is an extra, or not offered at all.
The private tour from Le Havre ($948 per group, 4.4 from 11 reviews) gives about 3 hours in Étretat, 3 in Honfleur and a stop at a cider and Calvados farm, with a ship-return guarantee. The overview also mentions Deauville; the itinerary doesn't. It's sold as unguided, with a multilingual guide as an option. A 2-star guest who missed that wrote: "Driver spoke little English, wouldn't speak to us, wouldn't answer questions about the region or options of what to see." The owner's reply: "our drivers are not guide". Happier guests liked exactly the car: "Highly recommend as driving and parking is not easy in these locations and he dropped us off exactly where we wanted."
The private shore excursion ($571 per group up to 4, on sale at $457 until 19 October 2026) is one Le Havre driver, fuel and parking included, Étretat and Honfleur at your pace. The listing pitches it plainly: "A local driver, not a coach company." It's new, with no reviews yet.
Your own Le Havre driver for up to four, Étretat and Honfleur at your pace, fuel and parking included.
Check dates for the private shore excursionHow do you make sure you get back to the ship?
Agree a return time before you walk off, leave Étretat at least 90 minutes before all-aboard, and keep your phone charged. Every option here coordinates by phone or WhatsApp.
- Work back from all-aboard, not from sailing time. All-aboard is usually 30 to 60 minutes earlier; your ship's daily programme has the exact time.
- Allow 45 minutes for the drive and 30 more for traffic or a lost driver. In summer the roads into Étretat slow down around lunchtime.
- Save the driver's number and the exact pickup spot before you go. Two reviews on the private tour mention guests and drivers waiting in different places.
- Pick ship tracking if you're nervous. The shuttle, the local driver and the private tour all track your ship and plan the return around it.
- Wind is the wildcard. High winds can cancel a Le Havre call. Every option here cancels free up to 24 hours ahead; if the port closes on the day, ask the operator or Viator for a refund.
Which Étretat shore excursions don't go to Étretat?
Check the itinerary, not the link. A popular Vexperio shore excursion has "Honfleur and Etretat" in its web address, but the listing now visits Honfleur and Deauville.
The tour rates 4.7 from 222 reviews and costs about $54, which is why it turns up in searches for Étretat from Le Havre. Its reviews describe Honfleur, Deauville and a bonus stop in Trouville. None mention the cliffs. Nothing wrong with the tour; it just isn't this one.
Two more checks before you pay: the stop list should say Étretat with a time against it, and the pickup should be the cruise terminal, not a hotel in Paris. Several Normandy day trips that mention Étretat start in Paris, 200 km from your ship.
What if your ship docks in Honfleur?
Same plan, longer drive: about 50 minutes over the Pont de Normandie. The shared shuttle and the private tour both pick up at the Honfleur terminal.
The bridge toll for a car is 6.10 euros since 1 May 2026 (French parliament record), usually included in a transfer price. One guest did exactly this: "Our ship was docked in Honfleur, so we used this round trip service to take us to Etretat, France. We spent the day sightseeing the cliffs, the Je Gardin, lunch at Dormy House and walked the town." Dormy House is the hotel restaurant on the Aval clifftop; "Je Gardin" is the Jardins d'Étretat, 12.90 euros for adults.
Honfleur itself is worth a walk before you go back on board. Étretat and Honfleur in one day has the timings.
Picks up at Le Havre or Honfleur, on the hour, and brings you back on the return you choose.
Check dates for the cruise port shuttleFrequently asked questions
Is Étretat or Honfleur better for a Le Havre port day?
Étretat if you want views and a walk; Honfleur if you want a harbour town and cafés. They're 50 minutes apart, so a private driver can do both in 7 hours.
Can I walk from the Le Havre cruise terminal to the train station?
Yes, it's about 2 to 2.5 km, 25 to 30 minutes on foot. Bus 21 to Étretat leaves from the station area.
Is the Étretat shuttle wheelchair accessible?
The Y GO listing says the vehicles and surfaces are wheelchair accessible. The clifftop paths are not: they start with steep steps.
What happens if my ship skips Le Havre?
Every option here cancels free up to 24 hours before. If the port closes on the day, contact the operator or Viator; shuttle guests report quick refunds.
Ready to book
Choose your trip
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Cruise Terminal to Étretat Round-Trip Shuttle
- Shared van from the Le Havre or Honfleur cruise terminal
- Departures at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00
- Return on the scheduled shuttle of your choice
Le Havre Port to Étretat Round-Trip Transfer
A Mercedes there and back, your own timing in Étretat
Private Shore Excursion: Étretat & Honfleur
A local driver for up to 4, both towns at your own pace
