Ho Chi Minh City to Le Havre shipping route.

Ships leaving Ho Chi Minh City for Le Havre head north west and cover a sea distance of 8,812 nautical miles (16,319 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 10,262 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 26.2 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 30.6 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 20.4. Liner schedules on the lane quote 32 to 53 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 43 sailings by 3 carriers (Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and OOCL).

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 12,255 nautical miles, 3,444 more, and adds about 10.2 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.

2,159 nm of the route, 24% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA and Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Recent freight rates for VNSGN to FRLEH start at $1,993 for a 20GP and $3,271 for a 40GP ($2,919 for a 40HC). These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Le Havre (FRLEH) carriers give about 7 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Ho Chi Minh City in this directory, Le Havre is the 46th shortest. Closer destinations include Manzanillo (8,509 nm), Algeciras (7,626 nm) and Valencia (7,369 nm).