tessietoes

We're currently in Paris and have decided our 1 day trip next week will be to Monet's Giverny. Any tips and info to make the most of this day is much appreciated. What day and time are best, restaurants where we can have a late lunch, specific art within/surrounding area not to be missed, best route, possible car service, train info...basically anything & everything you may want to share. Thanks so much!

schnauzer

My suggestion would be to take the earliest train, from memory it is about 8am, the bus from Vernon station to Giverny waits outside and you pay as you get on. Once at Monet's garden I would go straight to the Lily ponds and then work back to the house. There is a bit of a walk from the bus stop to the entrance to the garden, just so you don't think the bus drops you at the door!

Make sure you go and look at the American Impressionist Art Museum in Giverny, some super stuff to be seen. Have a coffee there before you go around. Walk all around the village, seeing the cemetary if you have time. Lunch is good at The Hotel Baudy which is at the other end (sort of) of the village, 10 mins walk perhaps? So not far. It by far the best food, at least when I was last there. If the weather is good they have a lovely outside terrace, order a salad, duck or whatever, good generous serves, the gelato or ice cream is lovely for dessert if you can fit it in.

Watch your return bus/train schedules, they don't seem to work as smoothly as on the way there. Sometimes on a Saturday there aren't that many buses in the afternoon and there is a long wait between them. Not so much of a problem on a lovely day but if the weather is rubbish make sure you get down there (bus stop) reasonably early (before the bus' scheduled departure) as they get very crowded. I am sure you can google bus departure times and then then train times back to Paris and come up with a plan. It is super day, have fun! I wouldn't bother driving unless you want to go elsewhere on the same day. But if you see the gardens, see the art museum have a coffee, have a good wander around and have lunch, then that will most likely be enough for one day. Enjoy, ps the house is worth a visit, it is extra $$ to the garden. It isn't mind blowing but there is some interesting Chinese art he collected. I haven't been for five years so forgive me if my info isn't 100% accurate. The second time I went I skipped the house and the weather wasn't so good so I went home about 2.30. Schnauzer

schnauzer

Forgot to say, there used to be a lag between arriving back at Vernon station by the bus and the train back to Paris, I just wandered around Vernon to fill in the time. Might not be the case anymore. I think the station in Paris is Gare St Lazare. But check of course, I bought my ticket the day or so before from an SNCF ticket office, or you could buy at a station, it just took the stress out of having to buy tickets early in the morning.

mamcalice

All of the information above is quite accurate with an exception or two. The ticket for the garden includes the house at no extra charge. We were there this past September and the lines for the ticket booth were quite long so get your tickets ahead of time if you can. We ate lunch on the terrace of the American Museum - very good.

tessietoes

Awesome...thanks so much for taking the time to write all this schnauzer! And for more wonderful info, mamcalice. Even more excited to go there now. Cannot get enough of his paintings and to see where he lived to create his masterpieces is really special. We haven't gone to the Marmottan yet but it's on the list...definitely going to be a Monet-filled week.

Step aside, Picasso!

If you think of anything else please let me know. We're also looking to maybe rent bikes to zip around town but not sure yet; the theme of this trip has turned out to be walk to here and walk to there. We've been to Paris almost a week and have yet to take the metro or bus!

Thanks again

tessietoes

We've been *IN Paris almost a week...
All the Monet talk got me excited.

For my ref:
http://fondation-monet.com/en/

http://translate.googleusercontent.c...sl2gELtvACKXbQ

http://translate.google.fr/translate...m/&prev=search

FabulousFrance

Lucky you!

I would echo to take the 1st train from Paris.

My other suggestion is to visit the Musee Marmottan in the 16th arrondissement which houses some of Monet's works.
You can buy a combo ticket for the musuem & Giverny which allows you to bypass the probable long entrance line at Giverny.

I looked into going with Fat Tire Bike tours, which sounded like alot of fun but instead we did on our own and was really glad we got up early to get there at the first opening as the gardens got more crowded as the day went on.

kja

I also like Schnauzer's recommendations.

FrenchMystiqueTours

There are rental bikes available in the café across from the train station and then you follow the marked trail to Giverny, which is 5km from the train station. The bikes are pretty crappy but they'll suffice to get you there and back. There are a few restaurants in Giverny but I don't know which ones keep formal hours (noon to 2PM) and which ones offer continuous service. You can probably find that info in the official website. At any rate there is a snack stand in the paring lot across from the main entrance and they usually have sandwiches and things. I think there is a restaurant/café next to it to.

If biking or walking then when you cross the bridge over the Seine leaving Vernon you can see the Old Mill of Vernon that Monet painted on your left. Next to it is the Château des Tourelles, dating from the time of Philippe Auguste. If you've got time to kill when going back to Vernon then Vernon is worth a little wander around. The old parts are around the church and the tourist office is right next to it and will have info for you. The Vernon/Giverny tourist office website has more info about what to see and do:

http://vernon-visite.org/index_gb.shtml

mbkbcb

I am going in September. Great information. Thank you.

Kinloch

The importance of arriving at the Garden early can not be over estimated. It is very important to purchase your ticket in advance. They can be purchased on line. If you have one of these pre-purchased tickets you can enter the garden by the side entrance. There is a right hand turn before you get to the wall of the garden. It is marked for bus tours but if you follow those signs and have a ticket, you can enter this side door. You are entering the garden just at the tunnel going under to the lily pond.

The most recent time I was there was May 3, 2014. I had learned from previous visits and had a pre-purchased ticket. I also stayed at a B and B in Giverny so that I could be at the gate when the garden opened. There were 5 of us "in the know" who were at the side entrance at opening time. We had a good 20 minutes in the water lilly garden when there was no one else there. I now have beautiful framed photos of the wisteria in full bloom on the bridge, reflected in water and NO people. Priceless. I can't imagine a better way to spend your day away from Paris

When I left the garden 4 hours later the line up at the front was 2 hours long just to get tickets. Then those people were standing in line again for an hour to get into the museum.

I always take the train and then walk. It is a nice trail, well surfaced. 5 km so you need to be a keen walker.

Say hi to the flowers from me.

milaedg

Bookmarking! We'll be there in June. Thank you!

tessietoes

Nice!!

Love the additional tips on combo tickets, Monet landmarks, secret side entrance and bikes!

Looks like we'll do the gardens/house first, lunch then the Impressionist Museum...then Vernon area depending on time and the bike action will be a last minute call.

So today I returned to the l'Orangerie and spent 3 blissful, uninterrupted hours with all the Impressionists and my audio guide. I learned that Monet lived in Argenteuil {7 miles NW of Paris} before moving to Giverny. Here he would paint more boats on the Seine and where his buddies Alfred Sisley and Auguste Renoir would visit him. It would be interesting to check out the place where all these Greats would hang out and talk shop!

I really liked this one especially the red reflection on the river. He painted it there and after his more famous, Sunrise {not in Argenteuil}. Fortunately they sold the affordable magnet version. http://www.museeorangerie.fr/pages/p...19225_u1l2.htm

We can't wait to go to Giverny armed with all your amazing tips. Thanks again!

For my ref:
Marmottan/Monet combo
http://www.marmottan.fr/uk/generals_...ons-musee-2497
Monet/Impressionist Museum combo- Degas exhibit:
http://www.mdig.fr/en/degas-impressionist-painter
Vernon: bikes, wifi, stations
http://vernon-visite.org/rf1/ut/adresses.shtml
Bus schedule:
http://www.giverny.fr/en/information...iverny-vernon/
http://www.giverny.fr/wp-content/upl...erny-20151.pdf
Flower calendar:
http://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/calendar.htm#Avril

tessietoes

In case the link doesn't open, it's the painting titled, Argenteuil, 1875

artsnletters

If I want to be waiting at the side gate right when the garden opens at 9:30, will it work if I arrive on the train that gets in at 9:10? Or should I come on the next earlier train, that arrives at 8:10?

prmbrown

The Hotel Baudy is a short walk up the narrow street from the entrance to Giverny and was home to the many American artists who came to study with Monet. Lunch on the graveled patio across from the hotel is a charming experience.

The American Museum is now named the Musee des impressionism signifying the change of funding from the Daniel Terra family to the full support by the French government. Even so, as schnauzer suggests it has fantastic exhibitions from time to time although now they tend to show as many French artists as American.

As for sequence of visit, I would suggest the upper garden first then the lily pond and lastly the house which will be the most crowded. Afterwards, I would move to the Musee des Impressionism which has some interesting gardens itself and then the Hotel Baudy. The lane or road which runs behind the house and to the entrance is uphill of the lily pond so that once you enter through the visitor center the house is uppermost and then the garden and then the pond which is accessed by a tunnel given by Walter Annenberg.

Giverny is a gift of beauty. I hope you enjoy it's tranquility.

Attnymom

We did the Fat Tire Bike Tour to Giverny and loved it. We met our guide at the train station in Paris and took the train to Vernon. There, we got our bikes and had some time to walk around the charming little town and purchase our picnic supplies. Then, we rode our bikes to the bank of a lovely little river where we had a picnic lunch. After lunch, we rode our bikes to Giverny to tour the gardens and house. Afterwards, we rode our bikes back to Vernon, turned in our bikes and took the train back to Paris. It was very easy and convenient. We loved it - probably our favorite day of that trip to Paris! The bike ride is very easy and flat. The hardest part was getting through the little gates they have to keep cars off the bike path!

http://paris.fattirebiketours.com/to...dens-bike-tour

Coquelicot

I would recommend that you go first to the lily pond, then visit the gardens by the house, then see the house interior when it looks like there's no line. We arrived early and were among the first at the pond but very soon it got crowded there, so we switched to the gardens by the house. It was just as crowded there but it's easier to enjoy the flower beds in a crowd than it is to enjoy the pond area. Then when things slowed down in late morning, we went back to the pond for a last, less-crowded, look.

TPAYT

bookmarking

prmbrown

Coquelicot,

Judging by your name you are a Monet fan. We were in Giverny once and the hillside field to the west of the Musee de Impressionisms was spotted with coquelicot just as in his painting of the same name. Small pleasures.