Renting a car in Le Havre is the best way to explore the region, with its beautiful beaches, picturesque villages and fascinating museums!
Based on our years of experience renting cars around the world, including Normandy, here’s our complete guide to car rental in Le Havre: rental companies, car selection, access…
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
How to rent a car in Le Havre: quick answer
1. Where to rent a car
La Havre is not the easiest city in which to understand car rental companies.
They can be found in several locations in Le Havre. Choose what suits you best.
At the cruise port:
- Rent-a-car brings cars directly to the port
- For cruise passengers only
- Very practical for cruisers
Southampton quay:
- Sixt and Enterprise are just the dock
- From the cruise terminal: cab or 20min walk
- From the station: cab or 25min walk
- It’s the option we find the most pleasant; we like both agencies.
You can compare prices for selected brands on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars.com. It’s one of the best rated by users on Trustpilot!
At the station:
- Avis
- From the cruise terminal: cab or 20min walk
Further on:
- In a commercial area (with car dealers), you will also find Thrifty, Ada, Hertz and the Rent-a-car offices, a 10-minute drive from the cruise terminal.
- Further east Europcar
- And even further afield, towards the town of Harfleur, the Flizzr company.
2. When to reserve your car
Book early to get the best prices and choice of cars (there are few automatic cars in France).
3. Which car to choose
No special requirements (no mountains, unpaved roads, or villages with tiny streets).
If you’re planning to visit the D-Day landing beaches, you’ll need to take the freeway. Smaller cars with less powerful engines will be less comfortable. But they’re still good enough.
In France, almost all filling stations serve diesel and unleaded petrol.
4. Which rental company to choose
Our advice is to choose rental companies with a rating above 7.8 (our price/service quality limit).
There’s no one agency that really stands out in the region.
5. Decide on platform insurance
We have used the platform’s insurance several times and everything has gone smoothly.
Advantage: less expensive than the rental company’s, efficient for reimbursements
Disadvantage: an amount will be blocked on your credit card for the duration of the rental, so the rental company will still try to get you to buy theirs.
6. Check the car
Whatever the country, always check the car before you leave and take photos of any damage (including the roof and under the bumpers) – checklist below.
You should also check out the options for paying tolls.
See current offers in Le Havre
Based on our local experience, we detail the process for collecting your car below, followed by all our advice based on over 20 years of car rentals worldwide.
Is it worth renting a car in Le Havre?
It all depends on what you plan to do during your stay.
Here are the two different cases:
- If you’re just staying in Le Havre to visit all the museums, enjoy the (pebble) beach and explore the city, don’t bother with a car.
- But if you want to explore the beautiful region, visit villages, get out of town, you absolutely need a car. And it’s worth it. The Côte d’Albatre and Normandy region is magnificent: Etretat, Honfleur, D-Day beaches…
See our Normandy must-sees.
Car rental rules in Le Havre and France
Age
The official driving age in France is 18.
However, most car rental agencies in France require you to be 21 years old and to have held a driving license for more than a year. Be sure to read the conditions.
Permits
To be authorized to drive in France (on vacation / short trip), you can use a standard international driving license. This means a license that has:
- a license number,
- a photograph,
- a validity date,
- and is written in Latin letters.
In this case, you don’t need an international permit.
Credit card
If you take out comprehensive insurance directly with the rental company, no need to worry about the card.
However, if you use another type of insurance, a deposit must be paid at the start of the rental period. For this reason, some rental companies insist on a credit card and refuse debit cards. Make sure this isn’t a problem for you (and also for the deposit amount, which is blocked on your card and counts towards your payment limit).
Checking the car
If you don’t take out comprehensive insurance directly with the rental company, remember to take a good look around the car before you leave, and take plenty of photos. If the parking lot is dark, use your phone’s flashlight.
Things to look for:
- Check the entire exterior of the car for dents and scratches.
- Don’t forget to check the roof! It’s often forgotten, but it may be checked on your return.
- Don’t forget the underside of the bumper
- And don’t forget the rear-view mirrors
- Check for interior damage
- Check tire condition
- Check the condition of the wing (mud wing above the wheels)
- Check that the spare tire is in place and in good condition
- Check that fuel level and mileage correspond to the file
Frequently asked questions: best rental agency, prices…
Which is the best car rental company in Le Havre?
There’s no better rental company that really stands out among the classic brands. We don’t have any specific names to give you, or to avoid. All has gone well with those we’ve tested so far.
To help you choose, we recommend the following criteria:
- the type of car available
- the price
- cancellation conditions
- authorized mileage
- pick-up location – some require a shuttle to reach the rental location
- ratings on Discovercars (above 7.8, it shouldn’t be a problem)
- comments on the Internet: beware, only people who have problems tell us about them. The 98% of people who had no problems didn’t take the time to write that everything went well.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Le Havre?
Car rental prices in Le Havre depend on the time of year, the type of car, the conditions taken, and how far in advance you rent.
Prices are highest in summer, averaging around 80 euros a day (if booked well in advance).
In November and January, prices drop to around 40 euros on average.
See the best offers on our preferred platform.
What insurance should I take out? We’ve tested it all!
The question of insurance is not easy to explain. But here are a few things you should know:
The minimum insurance requirements for driving in France are included in the rental price.
All we’re offering is a way of reducing the cost in case you damage the car (which is already limited to a certain sum).
Option 1 – Use your credit card insurance
Start by checking whether your credit card includes car rental insurance. But be sure to read all the fine print, as it often contains very precise criteria and limits. Among other things, there are limits on rental periods.
Option 2 – Rental platform insurance / or specialized insurance platforms
If you go through one of the platforms, they offer insurance.
Advantage: a very attractive price, many things are covered, fast refunds (we used it several times on Discovercars and the refund was made within 7 days without difficulty).
Disadvantage: the rental company will still block the deposit on your card, insist that you take out their insurance (be careful not to double up), deduct the amount from your deposit, and you will be reimbursed by the platform when you send in the paperwork.
Option 3 – Rental company’s on-site insurance
Advantage: no deposit to block, no photos to take
Disadvantage: much higher price
Scams
We are not aware of any particular scams in Le Havre. Take all your photos, and you should be fine.
What to do if there’s a problem with the car?
Don’t lose your rental agreement.
On this page, you will find the steps to take if you have a problem with your car.
Most use a breakdown assistance service, and the number will be indicated on the contract. You can then contact the rental company to see how to replace the car.
Driving in Le Havre and Normandy
Driving rules in France
- Driving is on the right side of the road
- Seat belts are mandatory for all
- Alcohol content is 0.05%.
- The speed limits are well indicated in the red circle.
- In France, if a crossroads has no sign or indication, you give way to the person coming from your right.
- Traffic on the traffic circle has the right of way, except in a few cases where signs indicate otherwise.
- You don’t have the right to turn right at a red light, as is possible in some countries. A red light means stop.
Driving in Le Havre
Driving in Le Havre is very easy.
The town was rebuilt after the war, so the streets are wide.
Free parking is available on the waterfront every day.
In the rest of the city, parking is charged every day except Sunday.
Driving in Normandy
If you explore the region, you’ll find all kinds of roads:
- Multi-lane freeways with tolls
- Country roads with one lane in each direction
- Narrow village roads
By the way, if you’re visiting a village, choose the tourist parking lots around it, and don’t try to get in. The alleys can be really narrow!
Find out more in our article on driving in France.
What to do in the event of an accident
If people are injured or there is a conflict, the emergency number in France is 112:
The best order of action is:
- contact emergency services
- contact the police
- contact your rental company
