Barb_in_Ga

I have toyed with the idea of going to Giverny during our trip in mid-May, and after reading the comments by several posters, now I think we'll try to make it a priority.<BR><BR>My husband and I will be arriving in Paris on Friday, May 16th, (having flown into Brussels on Weds AM). We will be meeting our son and DIL on Saturday. They will have flown from Malaysia, landing at CDG at 6 AM, so will probably need a nap midday to keep going. My husband and I have been to Paris previously; our son and his wife have not, and she is eager to shop! I gave this info so someone might advise me how best to fit in a trip to Giverny, considering my other &quot;must sees&quot;:<BR><BR>Sat AM--shopping on Rue Paradis, then at one or more of the department stores; lunch, nap, a late afternoon sightseeing trip--perhaps the Musee Marmottan, then a relatively early(7:30 or 8) dinner<BR><BR>Sunday--Musee d'Orsay, Rodin, Seine boat ride, Tour Eiffel, dinner<BR><BR>Monday--Louvre( probably no more than 3 hours, or maybe Giverny?)<BR><BR>Tuesday--Versailles<BR><BR>The other things that are on the list include a visit inside St. Chapelle, a tour inside L'Opera Garnier, possible lunch at Le Train Bleu, shopping for fabric in the area near Montmartre<BR><BR>We wanted to see the opera on Sat, but it appears to be sold out.<BR><BR>We will be leaving for London on Weds AM, where we'll spend 2 days, then fly home.<BR><BR>Any input or advice on my scheduling will be welcomed. My husband and I will be arriving midday Friday, and could do the fabric shopping then, after settling into our apartment in the 16th, right near the Passy Metro.<BR><BR>Restaurant suggestions fitting this itinerary would also be welcomed. We are not looking for Michelin-starred places, but would enjoy a few nice meals to add to our Paris pleasure.

Mara

Barb in Ga<BR>Giverny is not open on Mondays - see www.giverny.org for info.<BR>Mara

Janine

I suggest going to Giverny on a weekday - transport schedule might be more limited on a weekend. I went on a Thursday, last May. The train ride from Gare St Lazare to Vernon took about 45 minutes and then it's a short bus trip to Giverny. Of course, the main attraction is Monet's House &amp; Gardens. If you get there as early as possible, you can spend the morning there, have some lunch and wander around the village and return to Paris mid-afternoon. Should be able to squeeze in a visit to the Opera (as I did before they closed at 5).

Barb_in_Ga

Janine--thanks for the info. How did you get from the train to Monet's home?<BR><BR>Any other input for my itinerary? Thanks, Barb

HowardR

Barb, you might want to consider booking a tour with a van. We did it and we very happy we chose that option. Sure, it cost $60 each, but we were picked up at our hotel at 8:30 and rode back and forth in comfort and arrived before the crowds on tours and from the train got there. And, you'll get back to Paris in time to tour Opera Garnier or do other things that day.<BR>We happened to visit Giverny the day after an active day touring Versailles, so we were very happy that we had booked the van and didn't have to get up very early, take 2-3 metros, the train and bus/cab to Monet's home!

bob_brown

Barb, from Bob, in Ga as well. I suggest looking into a bus tour from Paris to Giverny. I am not a fan of canned tours, but the bus tour can provide timeliness which the train may or may not provide. <BR><BR>The first train to Vernon leaves at 8:16 from Gare St. Lazare and arrives about 45 minutes later. The next one is at 11:03 but takes over an hour for the trip because it is a local.<BR>The next express leaves Gare St. Lazare at 12:04. <BR><BR>We freelanced our trip. We took the 124 train and then took a taxi out to Giverny because the bus was full. And we shared the ride.<BR>There are return trains at 18:05, 19:15 and 20:42. <BR><BR>There was something of an adventure getting back. The cab picked us up and got us to the train station at 18:00, 3 minutes before the train roared in at for a 2 minute stop. My wife was paying the cab driver and I was &quot;composting&quot; the tickets in the little machine when the train screeched to a halt. We jumped on and then found a seat. <BR><BR>The train works fine if the bus is not jammed to the doors, which was the case when we got there. Had we known what to do, there would have been no problem because I would have gone straight to the bus stop.<BR><BR>The bus stop is just outside the train station and in the summer and late spring there will be a mob of people getting on it.<BR><BR>The bus tours leave from various tour company offices along Rue de Rivoli across from the Tuileries Gardens. And the tour operators know the route and the ropes for getting you in. <BR><BR>To be hard down honest about it, unless you are a dedicated Monet fan, and want to see his home and gardens like they were a shrine, I can suggest several ways better than Giverny to spend your day, like Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte. <BR><BR>Fontainebleau is an easy do it yourselfer. (Train from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau; bus from the station to the door of the chateau, and back.) Vaux I think is better done with a bus tour because it is expensive to reach by cab, which is the only viable alternative to and from Melun. (cost us 20e each way.)<BR><BR>If you want to see gardens, we have Callaway!! I like them better!<BR>

Christina

This is minor and not that important, but I would do the Seine cruise in-between the two museums on Sunday. I think it will break up the day better and give you a rest from indoor museum touring so that you will enjoy the later one better.<BR><BR>If Giverny is a priority for you, I'd probably do it on Saturday. You can fit in shopping on other days and that can be done a bit at a time. Also, dept stores are open late (till 7:30 most nights). Galeries Lafayette is open til 7:30 every day and 9:00 on Thursdays, for example.<BR><BR>Depending on how tired you are, you could do some shopping on Friday after you arrive and/or perhaps tour Garnier as that won't take too long and doesn't require as much concentration as a museum visit, for example.<BR><BR>I think it is almost impossible to do what you want, unfortunately. Something will have to go -- perhaps Versailles or the Louvre. If you can't go to Giverny on Sat. because of meeting your son/DIL, maybe you could do it Tuesday and move Versailles to Saturday or Sunday. Of all the things you want to do, the Louvre might be least important to me. I prefer other museums and you can see art museums elsewhere, but no other Versailles or Giverny. <BR><BR>I went to Giverny on a weekend and I don't think the train schedule is that different. I agree with Howard, for you that bus excursion might be wisest to save time. You can get to Giverny from the train station either by public bus or a taxi -- it's only a few miles.

RonZ

The noon tour at the Opera Garnier, which takes about an hour and forty-five minutes, is really fascinating and I would recommend it highly.

uhoh_busted

Personally, I was disappointed in Versailles. I was looking for more of a feel of history, and it simply isn't there. The rooms are mostly empty. We went to Giverny in May several years ago and it was simply gorgeous. We took one of the bus trips and it was a lovely daytrip.

djkbooks

I'm with HowardR. Book a minivan tour (we used ParisVisions on a Sunday). You're picked up at your hotel, there's a separate entrance for the tour buses. It was nicely timed just after the &quot;get there at opening time&quot; crowd, but before those arriving on the next (awkward timing here) train schedule arrival. We had plenty of time for a leisurely tour of all the gardens, a walk through the house (no lines) and shop (no crowds). Then, time for a walk to and visit of the American Museum, along with a leisurely snack at a fantastic cottage cafe, all before getting back to the van. The driver even graciously dropped us off at our dinner destination rather than our hotel. <BR><BR>While many eschew &quot;tours&quot; when you can go on your own more economically, if your time is limited, there is a definite advantage to booking the tour. The commentary coming and going was educational and amusing as well. We considered the extra cost well worth the convenience.

Barb_in_Ga

Wow--what great input! I have to agree with Christina that it may be worthwhile to cut out the Louvre. Although I don't believe one can truly say they've &quot;seen&quot; the Louvre in short visits, both my husband and I have seen the highlights of the Louvre, and find we prefer more contemporary work, including the Impressionists and Rodin.<BR><BR>We'll rethink the shopping, also, since late afternoon might be better than a Saturday. I'm also toying with the idea of dropping the Brussels part of the trip to one day, and arriving in Paris midday on Thursday.<BR><BR>Thanks again for the input--how about some restaurant suggestions?

Janine

Hi Barb<BR><BR>From Gare St Lazare, you get off the train in Vernon. From my memory and notes (both a little sketchy), I thought the train I caught left around 9am and I got to Monet's Garden soon after opening around 10, but you would need to check this as things change all the time. I do remember I got the train schedule from the information booth at the Gare du Nord a couple of days before - I'm sure you could get it from any of the stations in Paris.<BR><BR>Anyway, when you get off the train in Vernon there is a bus you can catch to Giverny. The timetables more or less coincide. It leaves from near the station and is not difficult to locate. 95% of the people on the train I caught were also going to Monet's Garden - I just followed them!<BR><BR>As soon as I got there I headed straight for the water garden as I wanted to experience it with minimal crowds and was glad I did. By the time I went through the house, that was very crowded, but I was pleased I had got to experience a little of the tranquility of the famous water garden. The water lilies were not in bloom, but it was still wonderful, and the rest of the garden - roses, irises etc. was in full flower and magnificent.<BR><BR>After leaving there, I walked a little way past the village and had a lovely lunch of wine and cheese at a little outdoor cafe/pizzeria on the banks of a stream. Sorry, I don't remember the name but it was a beautiful spot - and being slightly out-of-town, not frequented by the hordes from the gardens. It was very relaxing.<BR><BR>I hope you will enjoy Giverny as much as I did.<BR><BR>Best regards<BR>Janine