France to USA by ship
I would like to travel from France to USA (ideally New York) with a ship. I want to use a ship because I have a long-term flying phobia; I know this is the root problem that I should solve, but this will take some time, and I am not psychologically ready yet. Thus the idea of a boat ocean crossing, and also because it can be a beautiful journey on sea.
Are there solutions still available in 2017? Time is not a problem, I have 10 days if needed, or more. Super-luxury cruise ship with 5k$ budget is not an option for me. I thought maybe cargo ships, or even ships in which you have to work (busboy / catering)?
Which are the cities connected to New York via ship? Brest or La Rochelle?
Best Answer
You don't need $5k for a cruise. For example, http://www.repositioncruises.com/holland-america-repositioning-cruises/ has
2017 October 3 – 15-day Transatlantic from Rome to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, visiting Alicante (05), Malaga (06), Cadiz (07), Funchal (09) – prices from $1200 pp.
2018 March 28 – 14-day Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Rome, visiting Ponta Delgada (05), Malaga (08) Cartagena (09) – from $900 pp.
Getting to Rome from Paris is not hard if you time it well: Monday to Thursday there's a TGV (TGV 9247) leaving Paris at 9:41am arriving to Torino Porta Susa at 16:18 with the Rome train (ES 9575) leaving at 16:30. Note: some comments suggest 12 minutes is not enough. Perhaps leave more time; there are connections with ~an hour wait time. No matter what, I would plan to arrive to Rome a day earlier than necessary -- you don't want to miss your ship because of this or that.
Many websites will recommend a route changing trains in Milan but that require changing stations there which is a hassle. Driving this is 13.5-14 hours, yes, the train is faster, only 11:14.
Amtrak has direct service from Fort Lauderdale to New York twice a day, it only takes one forever, opsie, 26-30 hours depending which train you take. This is a 21 hour drive, net.
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Answer 2
Freighters are an option. It's not really cheap but should be cheaper than 5k$, perhaps around €1500 all-in. In France, Brest or La Rochelle are not usual departure points, Saint-Nazaire or, especially, Le Havre are better options. This answer to another question provides pointers to a number of agencies who can arrange a trip like that.
One thing to note is that travelling by freighter to the US means you need a visa, even if your citizenship makes you otherwise eligible for the visa waiver programme.
Answer 3
Another option is Cunard's Queen Mary 2, the only passenger liner with regularly scheduled service between Europe and the USA. You'll have to get yourself to Southampton by train, but the ship docks in New York on the other end.
While it is expensive, they have some special offers for fares on certain sailings between $649-$1049/person (assuming double occupancy, plus taxes and fees), mainly for inside cabins. The ship runs every few weeks (occasional special trips disrupt the schedule), and they go slow, so it usually takes seven days from Southampton to New York.
Answer 4
There are such travels offered, for example http://www.cruisepeople.co.uk/transat.htm. Google 'transatlantic passenger sailings' for more.
They take about 8 days, and start around 135$/day, but other sites might offer cheaper.
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