Giverny Worth the trip? 3rd trip to Paris :)
 

I will be in Paris Oct 1st-6th.

I have been to Versailles (In March with no flowers)

Going back to Paris with newbies, and thought maybe they would like to go to Giverny vs. Versailles?

My BF and his uncle are avid amateur photographers. Monet is not my favorite impressionist, but I would I think enjoy seeing some scenic French Countryside to get out of the City for a bit. (We will also be in London and Rome on this 14 day trip).

Giverny is very pretty. Will you have a car? I am not sure how easy it is by train. If you want to see the countryside, that is a perfect trip. If you won't have a car you could maybe go to Chartres instead.

It's a pretty easy train trip to get there. The train leaves from Gare St.Lazare and there are trains that take 45 minutes to Vernon. From Vernon, there is a bus (walk out of the station and stay on the right side of the road, you should see it) or take a cab or rent bicycles across the street from the station. It is about a 10 minute drive to Giverny. I haven't been to gardens in October yet (but plan to) and they do plant so something is blooming all the time. Check their website (www.giverny.org) and they list what is blooming when.

So, this would get you out of the city and see some countryside. Versailles is not really achieving that. However, I like the the Chatres idea - lovely town and spectacular stained glass in the cathedral.

Have fun!

And if Van Gogh is more you cup of tea then head to Auvers-sur-Oise for equally bucolic setting, on the languid Oise river - portrain copies set up around town where the maestro painted them - Cezanne and other Impressionists as well. Go into the cornfields to see farmland and some of his most renown pictures.

To me more varied than Giverney and trains take you right there.

But Giverney is neat too.

I'd rather see Auvers-sur-Oise, also, and there is a lot more to do. I really did enjoy my trip to Giverny, though (I like Monet but don't worship him), but I was there in summer when the waterlilies were in bloom, etc. and the garden was lovely. I doubt if it's going to be all that scenic in March in the countryside or gardens. So, if those folks have no opinion (and it sounds like that don't, just are letting you decide what to do), I think Auvers would be a better idea for a photographer.

Giverny was my favorite day trip from Paris. We were there in May so the waterlilies were not in bloom, but the wisteria was mind boggling.

We also went to Chartres and for two days to Bayeux and both were great trips, but Giverny exceeded my expectations.

I have never heard of Auvers-sur-Oise and would like to know more about it. The website (www.Auvers-sur-Oise.com) is all in French. Anyone have a link for information in English? Sounds like an interesting place to visit.

I think it was very worth it!

We were there around the same you are planning on going and a lot of the garden was in bloom.

I don't know about a link for an English website, but I've been to Auvers twice in the past 2 years and love it dearly. It's easy to spend a whole day there if you wish to see everything and take your time. I'd recommend reading up on Van Gogh first since most things there have to do with him--that'll add to your enjoyment. Among the things to see: the graves of Vincent and his brother Theo, the wheatfields where he painted, the house of his doctor, opened to the public a few years ago (Dr Gachet), the inn where he lived and died while in Auvers (you can visit his little room, and I highly recommend luncheon, as it's still a restaurant). There's a museum dedicated to Absinthe, but it's only open on weekends generally [I've gone only weekdays]. The Chateau of Auvers supposedly has a really good multimedia exhibition on the Impressionists (no original paintings, just a informational exhibit), but I haven't done that either, having filled my visits with things VIncent only.

Auvers is very very unspoiled and not touristy. You will not find even one tacky souvenir shop with Vincent kitsch. That's what I love about it--the Auverois are dedicated to keeping their town from becoming a tourist trap, and you do not get the sense that the whole town is out to make money off his name (unlike, say Arles--as much as I like Arles).

If you go to the Auberge Ravoux for luncheon, you must must have the chocolate mousse. Recommended reading: a wonderful book called Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux (available now in paperback on Amazon), which combines a cookbook with excellent essays on Van Gogh. Scholarly, accurate, non-sensationalist essays without being boring.

Oh, and so as not to totally change this from a Giverny thread, I've been to Giverny too (in May though with the spring flowers) and absolutely thought it was worth the trip (I did the train/bus combo mentioned above). I have no idea how many pictures I took of those gorgeous gardens!!

After a trip to the gardens at Giverny, you will never look at a water lily or a Japanese bridge the same.

In my excitement over Auvers-sur-Oise I forgot to mention my thought that Giverny was indeed a lovely place to visit. Our visit was during the summer months. Even with the crowds, the gardens were delightful.

We had a rental car, so it was easy to get to, though. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if there was any hassle to get there. I notice, though, that there are many tours there from Paris as well.

search Fodors for Auvers-sur-Oise and you'll find lots of great posts from FodorFriends there.

It'a small rather untouched village on the Oise river - When Van Gogh left the asylum at St Remy he came here because his Doctor (Guichet) lived here and other Impressionists like Cezanne had found the light and scenes here good set up shop and canvasses here.

Van Goghs brief time here - several months before he killed himself - the blood stains still in his tiny chamber at the Auberge Ravoux in the town center.

But it was a furiously productive time - he toiled non-stop - stopping only to imbibe in the Green Fairy - Absinthe and wine at the Auberge Ravoux with other artists.

Copies of portraits are set up in front of venues where he painted them - the most famous being the Parish Church and the Cornfields behind town - still see crows there.

his final paintings were of the fields with dark clouds brooding, some say a foretelling of his mental state and soon to be self-inflicted gun shot wound.

And the village is delightful - a long narrow strip along the Oise Valley - there is also a rather Kitschy to some Chateau - the local villa which has a multi-media extravaganza re-creating the times of the Impressionists here.

Stop by the friendly Office de Tourisme in the town center and pick up a walking tour brochure that pinpoints all the venues of reproductions, including other Impressionists like Cezanne.

Everything is always open and no huge lines to navigate to get into like at Monet's Gardens (which i love as well and Giverny too, which may be an even more pictruesque, idyllic village) and everything an easy stroll from the train station.

Finally put your visit to rest at the village cemetery where you see vincent and brother Theo still rest - Vincent i guess peacefully after an anguished life.

When buying a train ticket from Paris you can get a train fare + attraction ticket that gives a reduced price for the total package of train + castle.

Wonderful information on Auvers-sur-Oise--it will be a must on our next trip. Thank you, Dejavu and others who wrote about it. From which station can you catch the train?

You can get there by train from both the Gare du Nord and the Gare St.-Lazare.

I love Giverny, but Auvers has much more to offer.

Another easy way to Auvers is to take the RER line C to Pontoise and change at Pontoise for the train to Auvers (direction: Creil).

According to my notes from my trip this past May, I caught the RER line C at St Michel station at around 7:50 or so (code NATH, direction Pontoise--Pontoise is the end of one of the lines), and my plan was to change (quickly!) to the 8:57 train from Pontoise to Auvers. However, there was a delay on the way (bomb scare at a station) so I ended up catching the 9:25 train from Pontoise. From Paris Saint Michel to Pontoise on the RER is (usually) about an hour, and from Pontoise to Auvers is about 15 minutes, maybe a minute or two less.

The Auvers train always leaves from the track next to the main station building at Pontoise. There are only a few departures from Pontoise to Auvers each morning (8:57, 9:25 and 10:23 at the time of my trip, but this would bear checking for changes) by train, but one could also take a bus from just outside the Pontoise RER station which runs in between the train times.

The SNCF offers a "forfait loisir" package for Auvers which includes transportation tickets and admission to the Chateau, but I have not done this as I was not interested in the Chateau. I hear it's a good deal. Search "Auvers forfait loisir" here or on Google and you'll find info about that, I'm sure.

There are no bloodstains in the room at the Auberge Ravoux, PalenQ. FYI.

I'm sorry I got confused and thought you were going to Giverny in March, but I realize that was when you went to Versailles. (it isn't even open in March, anyway). They have a blooming guide on the giverny website and, of course, not much is blooming in terms of flowers in October. It mentions some annuals and maybe dahlias. Of course, if you were a Monet buff, you could enjoy seeing his house and workspace, etc (I did actually enjoy the house as much as the gardens), but you aren't, so I still would vote for Auvers for an October visit. In fact, I think it would be quite nice in October.

I wouldn't take the train from the regular big train stations to Auvers, it is easier to take the RER I think. You just take the RER line C out to Pontoise (the end of the line). Pontoise is a very small station, and you get out there and wait for a local regional train to go the short further distance to Auvers. I think it's a lot easier than dealing with the big SNCF stations and those confusing suburban lines from those stations (the grand lines are much easier in the SNCF stations with the big boards).

At Pontoise, there is just a simple board showing you the next train to Auvers and at Auvers you can check for the returns to Pontoise. As I recall, I went around 9-10 in the morning, and got the train at Pontoise maybe around 11. In actuality, you can catch that train to Auvers at a prior RER stop, but I advise against it as it can be confusing as there are two stops with similar names, and the train to Auvers originates in Pontoise anyway, so you won't save any time by getting out a stop or two ahead and waiting for it. I know one person who didn't take my advice on that and did indeed get out at the wrong stop and wasted a lot of time.

You can go from Gare du Nord if you want to, though. It is pretty easy to return to Gare du Nord from Pontoise if you prefer that, as it's a small station, I just think it's much more confusing to go that way.

Oh, and PalenQ, Vincent had stopped drinking by the time he got to Auvers. There was no absinthe imbibing at the Auberge Ravoux. And it was two months in Auvers, not "several."

Sorry, but I feel obliged to defend my friend Vincent. :-)

I didn't realize that website was only in French, but I checked and I guess it is.

I'll tell you what you should do -- go to the website and click on the link entitled "office of tourisme" at the left. Then, select the "plan touristique" . That will allow you to print out a map of the village with a few major sites marked and showing the train station. The first site number one is the tourist office. That can be your first stop, and in there you'll be able to get a map and other info in English as to all the sites and things to do. If you want to play a little more, you can probably make out some of the information in French in the section on the "musees and monuments" and the "promenades dans la ville" in that section. The latter are some good walking tour routes.

<There are no bloodstains in the room at the Auberge Ravoux, PalenQ. FYI.>

there were when i visited - must have disappeared?

Although we enjoyed everything we did, and saw, when we were in Paris, the visit to Giverny was the highlight of our trip to France. It is definitely worth seeing.

I just wanted to mention that while we loved Giverny, it was very crowded during the middle part of the day. We got there around 3 p.m, and stayed till it closed. This was late May and a gorgeous day; maybe it's less crowded in October. I was pretty frustrated at trying to take photos of the stunning gardens (lots of iris at that time), but found it a lot easier and more pleasant after 5 p.m. or so. We closed the place because we got chatting with a very cordial French couple. What a great memory.

I also went to Chartres and spend the entire day there. For those interested in Gothic architechture and stained glass, it's unsurpassed. If you go, take a tour with Malcolm Miller.

In terms of scenic countryside and photo opportunities, I'd have to vote for Giverny. I didn't make it to Auvers, but hope to next time.

We LOVE Giverny and have seen it twice including last October:

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/D...B59CF1094.html

I highly recommend going late in the day as you will have the whole place to yourself. We took the train and it is an easy day trip, but if I do it again I would stay over night at a charming B&B.

It helps to use Paris ( see our archives) to set up the trip by viewing paintings there. It really is a must see if you have interest in Monet and gardening.

It is prettier in August ( when we first saw it at its peak) but still lovely in October.

giverny is a much prettier village IMO but few of the hoardes, many bus tours, never venture around its quaint streets away from the constant hubbub around the gardens - which even though oft mobbed are spectacular - especially if you look at some Monet paintings before going.

but venture down to the Seine like monet did to paint and to the cemetery to Monet's tomb and around the quiet village.

I could not chose Giverny over Auvers or Avuers over Giverny - both are great. But the OP express lack of interest in Monet and seeing the countryside which perhaps is more easily manageable going to Auvers - train takes you right there and no huge mobs waiting to get into the gardens.

Time of year and day makes a difference.

I once wrote an article on Giverny and monet's house/gardens and the director told me that since the place is closed on Mon there is pent-up demand on Tue and Weds during school year are often very crowded with grandparents taking grandkids there - so Thur, Fri may be best days. Well that's what she said.

Giverny is certainly worth the trip, if, of course, you are interested in Monet and Impressionism. There's something else major to see that seldom is mentioned: Monet's magnificent collection of Japanese wood-block prints, hanging in the dining room.

A bit strange but in the house itself there is said to be no original Monet work - just lots of reproductions

When you go to Giverny be sur to also visit the American Museum. The works of the artists who visited Giverny. Lunch at the Hotel Baudy, once a real hotel where all the American artists stayed to visit Monet, They have a phopto I took ouf the artists studio out in th back. Check out the book, A Taste of Giverny.

I thought Monet's house was fascinating. He was obsessed with Japanese woodblock prints, and I loved the colors of the kitchen and dining room (individually and in contrast to each other).

Because it's just an old house, there's no way original Monets could be displayed in it. No sophisticated climate controls. No extraordinary security systems.

Giverny is a must see for art enthusiast. I suggest you eat in the hotel where most artists lived. We ate outside and had a taste of the period when Monet was flocked by his American students. We rented a car going there but I saw a day trip offered by City Rama , a tour agency located at Place Pyramides. You can also venture to go to Chartes to see a medieval cathedral. Or while in Paris you can opt to watch the local mardi gras dancing along River Sienne. it usually starts at 10pm and ends up way in the morning. Party time!!!

I imagine that the cost of exhibiting actual Monet paintings in his house would be prohibitive--all that extra security.

I imagine that the cost of purchasing a Monet original is beyond the foundation's budget as well as the above reasons

A very nice followup to a Giverny visit would be a visit to the Musee Marmatton in Paris, which holds many of the Monet waterlilies series. You will see the paintings in a whole new way after seeing the gardens firsthand.

Very true, DejaVu, or perhaps even better -- The Orangerie with the giant waterlily paintings beautifully displayed.

Myst...My mother and I did Giverny last September and I would agree that it is a beautiful place to visit especially for photographers.

We took a bike tour though which included train transportation. Total cost was 65E which included transportation, bike rental, guide and museum and garden tickets. You might want to check that out. And as some others have already said, it was the highlight of our trip.

Here's the website:
http://www.fattirebiketoursparis.com...ike-tour.shtml

I've walked to Giverny from Vernon - cross the town bridge and then follow an abandoned rail line path to Giverney - not much more than three miles i think each way - you come into Giverny is a quite part of village few tourists see, then by the cemetery and American museum to the madness around Monet's House/gardens.

Nice walk thru countryside.

My sister-in-law and I went to Giverny/Monet's House & Gardens in September, 2007 - flowers/grounds/house were gorgeous - it was a dream come true for us as we are Monet admirers - highly recommend. We too went through Fat Tire Bike Tours - excellent and unique way to travel. Bike ride no problem as long as you are in good physical shape. We would definitely do it again.

Ooops..should be September, 2005.

Wow what great ideas! I love Van Goth and Chartres sound nice too, hmmm...so many choices!

Thanks all!

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