France
South AfricaLe Havre to Cape Town shipping route.
6,119 nautical miles direct, about 18.2 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Le Havre and Cape Town
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
Le HavreSeaCape TownShipping time from Le Havre to Cape Town
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 6,119 nm | 21.2 d | 18.2 d | 14.2 d |
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About the Le Havre to Cape Town shipping route
The shipping route from Le Havre, France to Cape Town, South Africa covers 6,119 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 9,452 km apart, so the ship sails 1.20 times the straight line distance. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
At sea, the voyage lasts 21.2 days at 12 knots, 18.2 days at 14 knots and 14.2 days at 18 knots. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Le Havre and Cape Town to plan the full ocean transit time.
224 nm of the route, 4% of it, lies inside North 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.
Container freight rates on Le Havre to Cape Town move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Cape Town (ZACPT) carriers give about 3 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.
Of the 61 port to port routes from Le Havre in this directory, Cape Town is the 28th shortest. Closer destinations include Jebel Ali (6,080 nm), Callao (6,048 nm) and Karachi (6,006 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Le Havre to Cape Town?
The port to port distance from Le Havre to Cape Town is 6,119 nautical miles (11,332 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Le Havre to Cape Town?
About 18.2 days at 14 knots and 14.2 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
224 nm sit inside ECA waters (North Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Cape Town to Le Havre has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Le Havre to
Bremerhaven454 nm - Le Havre to Hamburg500 nm
- Le Havre to
Gothenburg679 nm - Le Havre to
Gdansk1,075 nm - Le Havre to
Algeciras1,207 nm - Le Havre to Valencia1,591 nm
- Durban to Cape Town875 nm
Lagos (Apapa) to Cape Town2,619 nm
Mombasa to Cape Town2,631 nm
Santos to Cape Town3,508 nm
Buenos Aires to Cape Town3,846 nm
Salalah to Cape Town4,010 nm
How we count: sea routes follow shipping lanes and canals, time is pure steaming at 14 knots without port calls. Engine navo-distance-time 0.3.0. See all sea distance between ports or the Shipping Routes Directory.