Giverny to Paris
Mar 24th, 2003, 03:50 PM
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Giverny to Paris
Hello all. I would like to stay in Giverny from Sept 18th-22nd. We (2 adults, 2 kids) will have a car however I would like to take the train into Paris.
I see you can take the train from Giverny to Paris, but the cost would add up for 4 people going rt for 2 days. I was wondering if it would be better to drive closer to Paris and take a train or metro from the closer location? Having visited Munich we did the same, parking at a large parking lot outside Munich and riding the underground into Munich.
Also, I still have not made reservations for lodging, so if anyong has suggestions for a nice B&B in Giverny or Vernon I would appreciate it.
Thanks!!!
I see you can take the train from Giverny to Paris, but the cost would add up for 4 people going rt for 2 days. I was wondering if it would be better to drive closer to Paris and take a train or metro from the closer location? Having visited Munich we did the same, parking at a large parking lot outside Munich and riding the underground into Munich.
Also, I still have not made reservations for lodging, so if anyong has suggestions for a nice B&B in Giverny or Vernon I would appreciate it.
Thanks!!!
Mar 25th, 2003, 10:54 AM
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Giverny is rather far away from Paris for it to be a good commuting location (70 km). If you just want to go to Paris once or so, it would be okay, but if you plan to commute to Paris on several days, you might want to stay somewhere else.
I suppose on option would be to drive to one of the RER endpoints. That will be cheaper than the regular SNCF train fare from Vernon, but you'll still need RER rail passes of some kind, perhaps. For four people, it will still add up. If you buy single tickets, it still will be cheaper than the train, however.
From Vernon, you could drive to either Pontoise or St-Germain-en-Laye, as it's about in the middle of those. They are both RER stations, and each is about 35 miles from Vernon, but that may take you 45-60 minutes to get there driving. The RER train would then be about 20-30 min. into central Paris. For Pontoise, you'd have to get east from Vernon over to the N14/A15 to Pontoise. For St-Germain-en-Laye, from Vernon, you'd have to get on the N15 SE and then onto the A13 autoroute for most of the way. It has a St-Germain-en-Laye exit.
Another method is that I think that same exit to St-Germain will also take you to La Defense. That could be better as La Defense has an RER stop (line A1, the same one that ends at St-Germain-en-Laye), but it also has a metro stop (line 1 that goes to Arc, Louvre). You can use a simple single metro ticket from there into Paris, and you wouldn't need to buy a more expensive RER pass. If you need a RER/metro pass (or Mobilis one-day unlimited transportation pass), you will need to buy a zone 4 for St-Germain or zone 5 for Pontoise.
I have no idea how much it might cost you to park at those RER rail stations, however.
I suppose on option would be to drive to one of the RER endpoints. That will be cheaper than the regular SNCF train fare from Vernon, but you'll still need RER rail passes of some kind, perhaps. For four people, it will still add up. If you buy single tickets, it still will be cheaper than the train, however.
From Vernon, you could drive to either Pontoise or St-Germain-en-Laye, as it's about in the middle of those. They are both RER stations, and each is about 35 miles from Vernon, but that may take you 45-60 minutes to get there driving. The RER train would then be about 20-30 min. into central Paris. For Pontoise, you'd have to get east from Vernon over to the N14/A15 to Pontoise. For St-Germain-en-Laye, from Vernon, you'd have to get on the N15 SE and then onto the A13 autoroute for most of the way. It has a St-Germain-en-Laye exit.
Another method is that I think that same exit to St-Germain will also take you to La Defense. That could be better as La Defense has an RER stop (line A1, the same one that ends at St-Germain-en-Laye), but it also has a metro stop (line 1 that goes to Arc, Louvre). You can use a simple single metro ticket from there into Paris, and you wouldn't need to buy a more expensive RER pass. If you need a RER/metro pass (or Mobilis one-day unlimited transportation pass), you will need to buy a zone 4 for St-Germain or zone 5 for Pontoise.
I have no idea how much it might cost you to park at those RER rail stations, however.
Mar 25th, 2003, 05:57 PM
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Why not stay in Vernon? I's on the train line. Its a charming town with lovely small cafes, a morning market and surprisingly untouristy as everyone seems to go to Giverny then straight back to Paris.
I wouldn't think it such a good idea to stay in Giverny as the accommodation and restaurants there are pricey. Vernon would give you more of a feeling of staying in a French village and it's lovely to wander around. A great chocolate shop too.
There is a chateau nearby which is worth a visit also. Only small but the stables were based on the ones in Versailles. The architecture is interesting as the layout is designed to keep both occupants and horses cool in the heat of summer.
I wouldn't think it such a good idea to stay in Giverny as the accommodation and restaurants there are pricey. Vernon would give you more of a feeling of staying in a French village and it's lovely to wander around. A great chocolate shop too.
There is a chateau nearby which is worth a visit also. Only small but the stables were based on the ones in Versailles. The architecture is interesting as the layout is designed to keep both occupants and horses cool in the heat of summer.
Mar 26th, 2003, 09:27 AM
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Thanks Christina. I was planning on spending 2 full days in Paris and 1 day seeing Giverny and Versailles. I thought we would spend the 1st day in Paris. 2nd day traveling and 3rd day back into Paris. So really only 2 trips into Paris should not be too stressful.
We will have a car and everyone says don't take a car into Paris. So I figure a B&B in Giverny will be more relaxing with the kids than driving into and staying in a small room in Paris itself.
I really would like to check into driving to St. Germain and taking the metro from there. I just need to see what the parking situation is like.
gardenflathobart278
Vernon is an option. If you know of any nice B&B's for around $100 I am open to suggestions. I have found a great web sight for Giverny http://giverny.org/hotels/index.htm
But have not found much for Vernon. If you know of any web links or places to stay I would love to have them.
Thanks all!
We will have a car and everyone says don't take a car into Paris. So I figure a B&B in Giverny will be more relaxing with the kids than driving into and staying in a small room in Paris itself.
I really would like to check into driving to St. Germain and taking the metro from there. I just need to see what the parking situation is like.
gardenflathobart278
Vernon is an option. If you know of any nice B&B's for around $100 I am open to suggestions. I have found a great web sight for Giverny http://giverny.org/hotels/index.htm
But have not found much for Vernon. If you know of any web links or places to stay I would love to have them.
Thanks all!
Mar 26th, 2003, 10:02 AM
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Be sure to choose your days well--Giverny and Versailles are closed on Monday.
For the distances and travel times I would stay in Paris and go to Giverney and/or Versailles from there. You do not have an overabundance of time to do justice to the area--in my opinion. In fact, I would not go to both outlying places. You don't say how old the children are but their interest in one or the other could be limited.
For the distances and travel times I would stay in Paris and go to Giverney and/or Versailles from there. You do not have an overabundance of time to do justice to the area--in my opinion. In fact, I would not go to both outlying places. You don't say how old the children are but their interest in one or the other could be limited.
Mar 26th, 2003, 10:06 AM
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St-Germain is a very nice suburb outside Paris and makes a nice day trip in itself. From re-looking at the map, I think it is more convenient as a drive from Vernon than Pontoise. You might want to consider La Defense, however, because that is a big business-area suburb and I suspect parking may be a lot easier there, at least close to the metro/RER stop. I don't recall about St-GErmain, though, there may be a parking garage right there and easy access from the main highway. I went there by RER so wasn't paying attention to parking.
If you have no particular reason to stay in Vernon, you might consider some small place closer to Paris, such as Auvers-sur-Oise. It is a lovely small town (great Van Gogh tour and sites of interest) and right on the suburban rail line and would be easier and quicker to get into Paris. With kids, their chateau with multimedia exhibit might be of more interest to kids than the Monet digs. It also wouldn't be a bad drive from there to Giverny when you wouldn't to go there. There isn't much there but one inn and some B&Bs. If I had a choice between Auvers-sur-Oise and Vernon (which I found quite dull aside from Giverny) to stay a few days, I'd choose Auvers for several reasons. If you are at all interested, their web site www.auvers-sur-oise.com has town info, as well as accommodations links. There are 3 nearby chambres d'hotes on there (B&Bs) as well as one hotel in the area.
Vernon is quite small and only has one hotel I know (3* Normandy, 50 rms, see www.fhr.fr), but rates are modest out there, of course. There is an 4* "B&B" in Giverny with 5 rms, La Reserve (as cigalechanta mentions above), due to the tourism there--I think it's fairly recent. It may not be the kind of B&B you're thinking of. It is on www.otedis.com, a Eur. hotel booking site. I wouldn't assume a room in a B&B will be a lot bigger than a hotel in Paris, though.
That's another reason I'd stay in Auvers, I think as small as it is, it has more accommodations options. It will be easier to get into Paris from there than Vernon as you can just drive to the small Auvers train station; the train from there goes to Pontoise where you transfer to the RER to Paris. BP has a web site with routes and time estimates and says 50 min from Vernon to either Pontoise or St-Germain-en-Laye.
For general accommodations info in various towns, see www.gaf.tm.fr
You can also check out Karen Brown's guide for B&Bs around there, as well as this French B&B assn.:
http://www.fleurs-soleil.tm.fr/gener...'hotes.htm
If you have no particular reason to stay in Vernon, you might consider some small place closer to Paris, such as Auvers-sur-Oise. It is a lovely small town (great Van Gogh tour and sites of interest) and right on the suburban rail line and would be easier and quicker to get into Paris. With kids, their chateau with multimedia exhibit might be of more interest to kids than the Monet digs. It also wouldn't be a bad drive from there to Giverny when you wouldn't to go there. There isn't much there but one inn and some B&Bs. If I had a choice between Auvers-sur-Oise and Vernon (which I found quite dull aside from Giverny) to stay a few days, I'd choose Auvers for several reasons. If you are at all interested, their web site www.auvers-sur-oise.com has town info, as well as accommodations links. There are 3 nearby chambres d'hotes on there (B&Bs) as well as one hotel in the area.
Vernon is quite small and only has one hotel I know (3* Normandy, 50 rms, see www.fhr.fr), but rates are modest out there, of course. There is an 4* "B&B" in Giverny with 5 rms, La Reserve (as cigalechanta mentions above), due to the tourism there--I think it's fairly recent. It may not be the kind of B&B you're thinking of. It is on www.otedis.com, a Eur. hotel booking site. I wouldn't assume a room in a B&B will be a lot bigger than a hotel in Paris, though.
That's another reason I'd stay in Auvers, I think as small as it is, it has more accommodations options. It will be easier to get into Paris from there than Vernon as you can just drive to the small Auvers train station; the train from there goes to Pontoise where you transfer to the RER to Paris. BP has a web site with routes and time estimates and says 50 min from Vernon to either Pontoise or St-Germain-en-Laye.
For general accommodations info in various towns, see www.gaf.tm.fr
You can also check out Karen Brown's guide for B&Bs around there, as well as this French B&B assn.:
http://www.fleurs-soleil.tm.fr/gener...'hotes.htm
Mar 26th, 2003, 10:56 AM
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Wonderful advie Christina!!! Your advice is exactly what I have been looking for. I really wanted to find a small village on the subway line outside Paris. Everyone seemed to like Giverny so I ran with it. But after reading what you say about Auvers-sur-Oise I think I'll change my focus and look for a place there instead.
BTW, the 2 children are a boy (9) and a girl (6).
She is just dying to see where Madeline and the Hunchback are from.
Thanks again!
BTW, the 2 children are a boy (9) and a girl (6).
She is just dying to see where Madeline and the Hunchback are from.
Thanks again!
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