monnyc

I'm planning the following trip and would appreciate your input. I will be traveling with my mother who is recovering from a knee injury, so I need to take her comfort into consideration first, even if it is not the most cost effective option. Here's what I had in mind for our trip to Paris:
Leave from London to Paris, most likely by train on a Wed morning. Go straight to Hertz from the train station (or airport, haven't decided yet).
Get to Giverny, check in at the hotel - probably will not have time to do much this day.
Thu: Leisurely enjoy Maison et Jardin and Musée des Impressionnismes.
Fri: Leave in the morning for Paris to enjoy our 10-day stay.

Would the trip from London and then to Giverny be too much for one day?
Is it too much time in Giverny? My mom loves Monet and I would not want to rush her because of bus schedules and lines.

We plan on Visiting Versailles at some point, would it be better to drive from Giverny to Versailles before gong to Paris or take a day trip later?

I do not plan on keeping the car in Paris, I just though it would be more comfortable after reading about all the long lines for buses and to enter the Maison et Jardin. Would there be another short trip wort taking before going to Paris, perhaps Chartres?

DalaiLlama

You can do it in one day if you can get up early and catch an early train to Paris. There is a huge incentive to do that - the price! On a randomly chosen date of Wed. Sep. 22 I input one adult and one senior, with apologies if that is not correct... ;-), and I get a combined fare for both of GBP77 at 05:25AM then GBP130 at 6:55 and 7:27 and GBP161 at 8:02 and 8:55.

The train from London arrives at Paris-Nord. The trains for Vernon (the station for Giverny) leave from St.-Lazare - too much of a hassle to transfer with bad knees, so getting a car is probably the best. Again, if you are early, getting out of there by late morning or sooner, traffic won't be as bad as later on.

It is only 50 miles or so, a good part of it on a toll road (so have change in case your credit card is not accepted, probably not being a chip-and-pin card).

Giverny is exactly halfway between Rouen and Paris. Chartres is south of Giverny, equidistant from Giverny and from Paris.

monnyc

Thank you for your reply. We would not travel by train the same day we arrived in Paris. That would be an option for a one-day trip during our 10-day stay (we would have all the luggage w/ us coming from the US and then London).
Appreciate the tip on bringing change for toll.

basingstoke2

Remember that when you get to Vernon you will still need a bus (free) or taxi to Giverney.

DalaiLlama

You are welcome. Now I'm not sure I understand your plan. Train from London to Paris, which gets you to Paris Nord station, walk to Hertz, get a car, drive to Giverny, right?

Then stay for a few nights in Giverny, right?

You wrote "We would not travel by train the same day we arrived in Paris." That's what I understood, hence my mention of the toll roads.

But how can we help you with "Go straight to Hertz from the train station (or airport, haven't decided yet)" - not sure where the airport comes into this.

The visit of Versailles on the way back to Paris to surrender the car makes sense since Versailles can easily be on the way from Giverny to Paris Gare du Nord.

Did I miss something I should have picked up on?