Most of the visitors to Giverny are American and Japanese. If you fit into either of these categories, you should like it.

So by inference, the French don't care much for it?

I'm afraid not. One of my colleagues took her mother there last weekend. She said the gardens were 'okay' but the exposition was nothing but Japanese prints and neither one of them had any interest in them.

Is that the 97 year old mom? in which case she may have trouble seeing?

Ha! No, this was a younger mother, whose home town is Versailles, so perhaps her criteria are different.

I love Giverny. I've been there twice. The first time a Parisien friend drove me in her car which was back in 90s. The second time was two years ago when unfortunately I had to take the very expensive Cityrama tour bus, but I was taking my mom who's in her late 70s and to go by train and then taxi would have been too much for her. I enjoyed it both times though. Happy Travels!

bookmarking

We'll be in Paris at the end of November. Anything blooming or doing at Giverny at that time?

is Monet's house at Giverny still open in late November? I think they close part of the year, although I'm not sure when exactly.

I think the gardens at Giverny close for the season on October 31. You may want to double check on www.giverny.org.

Anyone who wants to visit should try late spring when the wisteria is in bloom over the Japanesse bridge.

Giverny is beautiful whenever you go. It is also a good place for kids. When I took mine, I had trouble getting them out of there. Then I thought, "Hmm. Maybe." We went over to the Marmottan and saw some of Monet's paintings there--and the "got" it. The trick with kids and art galleries is to make the visits short and only see what you have prepared them for. Mine were 11 & 13 at the time of our Giverny/Marmottan excursion.

They are now grown and gone and--sigh!--have long since ceased to travel with me.

Why would you expect gardens to be worth looking at in late November in Northern Europe? Sometimes I wonder if people understand geography or have ever looked at a map to see where Europe is in reference to the equator.

The OP is going to Giverny at the beginning of October. I presume the fall colors would still be in view. Maybe not as lush as spring, but I personally think Monet's garden would be worth it anytime it is open.

We went in October. Gardens were so-so, and I suppose for that reason I found Monet's house more interesting than the gardens (other than the pond!).

bookmarking, thank you