Would you choose Versailles or Giverny?
 

We have 5 days (including the day we land early in the morning) in Paris and would like to take one day trip. I would love to know whether you would choose to go to Versailles or Giverny and why? (By the way, our trip is at the end of April.)

Thank you - I have become addicted to this board in the past few weeks!!!

If it's at the end of April, I would choose Giverny. The gardens should be beginning to bloom. I was there in early May a few years ago and just loved it! You do feel like you're walking through all of Monet's paitings. The crowds are less than they would be at Versaille, too.

Versailles. It is the linchpin of French history leading up to the Revolution. Afterwards many historical events took place there as well.

The gardens at Versailles are beautiful.
A few years ago many of the big trees were destroyed in a fierce storm, but recovery is well along, except that some big trees are missing.

Giverny is just another garden. When we were there, it was crowded. And, yes, I like Monet's paintings. I think there is a certain aura that surrounds Giverny that for me was not realized.

Versailles should impress even on the most skeptical of the excesses of the French monarch that helped bankrupt the kingdom and inspire the common people to revolt.

My wife, who knows little of French history, saw it as overkill. That is exactly the impression it should make:
Versailles was the product of a vain monarch who sought to elevate himself to the position of a deity who was totally out of touch with the vast majority of the population; a monarch who thought nothing of spending a fortune on lavish affairs and buildings, and a monarch who also spent a fortune on the upkeep of his non productive courtiers.

Versailles. Both Versailles and Giverny are overrated, but with five days you do have time to make a brief trip to one of them. Versailles is closer, faster, and more famous, and more cultural. Giverny is pretty but a lot smaller than you expect, and it takes a while to get out there and back (you can pretty much write off the day, whereas Versailles can be done in half a day if you move really fast).

Both locations provide less value per unit time than Paris itself, but a five-day stay makes it possible to visit them. For shorter stays I often recommend that they be avoided, as they are just too time-consuming and not that interesting.

BTW, "most" of the trees in Versailles were not destroyed by the storm of 1999. About ten thousand were damaged--but the domain contains around a quarter-million trees.

I've been to both and my pick would be Giverny, but that's because I'm a big Monet fan and love gardens. If you're more interested in ornate palaces, you might like Versailles more.

I would pick Giverny. I've been to both in June in the peak of crowds (or so it seemed).

At Versailles, we enjoyed the gardens immensely -- we even took a bike ride. But in the palace we really did feel like herded cattle. it was not enjoyable for us at all.

In Giverny, there were hundreds of tourists and it was POURING rain. and yet... we were completely blown away by the beauty of this place. It exceeded our expectations. we loved it.

Regarding time, though, Versailles is a lot closer. We were able to take the early train, shufle through the palace (bought our ticket at the train station in Paris so we didn't have to wait in line), walked through the gardens, rode bikes for an hour, and got back in time to eat lunch on the left bank.

Giverny is a much longer day, if that matters.

have a great trip!
dina

If you're a huge Monet fan, Giverny. Monet was one of the few artists of his time to earn a good income, which allowed him to purchase the home and hire gardeners to tend the property so he could paint it in all seasons at various times of the day and in all sorts of weather and lighting. His studio is now a gift shop, but his kitchen is amazing and his personal collection, much gifted from his artists friends, in his living room is astonishing. Also fabulous is his collection of Asian art/prints.

For sure, Versailles is an impressive palace with magnificent gardens, but much will not have been planted or in bloom by the end of April. And, last I heard/read, the gardens have a long way to go to recover from the awful storm a few years ago (much damage to trees), and the Hall of Mirrors is open only partially due to renovations.

One of the tour companies offers Versailles and Giverny both in one day, so you may want to consider that.

You could also spend a morning at Versailles and the afternoon at Musee Marmottan or Musee d'Orsay (or both, especially on a Thursday, when Musee d'Orsay is open late).

On our first trip to Paris, we dropped the bags at the hotel and immediately took a taxi to Musee Marmottan.

Giverny is NOT "just another garden." It is the most lovely romantic garden you could ever imagine. I like Monet just fine, but he has little to do with why I found the place so amazing. And it's not just the garden, but the charming house as well. And the little village of Giverny is sweet as well.

I liked Versailles, but it was one of those things where it was just what you would expect if you've seen the photographs. Others might say the same for Giverny.

It all comes down to whether you're a Romantic or a Classicist. Charming, raffish splashes of color vs. sweeping geometric patterns. An artist's bohemian country abode vs. a baroque palace full of gilded encrustations. Which one appeals to you more?

I’ve been to both Giverny and Versailles and plan to return to Giverny this year. I don’t plan to revisit Versaille. Ever. Despite the crowds (and, hey, I’m part of the crowd), I can see why Monet was inspired in his garden, just as I could see in Versailles why the monarchy simply had to be trashed. All that excess! One place is wild, warm, and living, the other is formal, cold, and dead. But that’s just my opinion.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply!

With the benefit of hindsight, I can say that I personally enjoyed my time at Giverny far more than my time at Versailles, but I attribute that to my love for Monet and seeing the gardens I'd seen in his paintings for so long versus my need to see a historical site, no matter how significant. Some people would prioritize these two experiences differently. However, like many other travelers to Paris, I went to Versailles on an earlier trip to Paris because I had the perception that it was higher on the "Must See" list than Giverny. I think you really need to decide what you're looking for out of your vacation and which is a higher priority to you based on your tastes. If you're an aficionado of Monet and don't give a hoot about history (or vice versa), I think your decision is made.

It depends on your interests. My daughter and I took a day tour that went to Versailles and Giverny, but as a passionate gardner I could have skipped Versailles. Monet's gardens are one of the most fantastic in the world!

I guess that is why I am having such a hard time deciding - our interests are so varied! My husband loves history and even though he has been to Europe several times before, he has not made it to Versailles. I love the idea of seeing where Monet painted (and it is one of my MIL's favorite places - she will also be on the trip) but I am very interested in the architecture and excess of Versailles as well.

Djkbooks, I am definitely going to look into the tour that combines the two...thanks for the tip!

Regardless of whether you end up choosing Versailles or Giverny, you should find time to visit the Musee Marmottan in Paris. It has a spectacular collection of Monet's paintings, the largest in the world. The museum is in the 16th arrondissement, beside the Bois de Boulgone, so a nice itinerary for the day would include the museum, a walk around the lake in the Bois, some shopping along Rue Passy and lunch at the Musee du Vin.

As much as I love Giverny, I would think this is one of those "first things firsts" decisions. Versailles is THE palace of the world against which all others are compared. I think it is more a primary target than Giverny.

In a way this is not unlike saying, "we have four days to spend in France for our first trip. Should we go to Paris or Beaune?" While many may love Beaune, it just seems logical that for your first trip you'd do the MAIN city. Even if this isn't your first trip, I just think Versailles is the "more important" of the two to choose from.

Calling Giverny "just another garden" is like calling Monet "just another artist"!
My vote goes to Giverny, especially in late April.
Of course, I am an huge devotee of Monet (not that I have anything against the French royalty!).

We did both in one day. It was great! Both places are a must see. You have enough time to do both and have a good feel for them. We took one of the bus tours and they were great. We went to Giverney first. Got to walk around and see the house. Then we went to Versaille, lunch was included in the package at a nearby retaurant. We then had time to walk around the gardens of Versaille and then meet up for a tour.

If it's your first time in Paris, do both. Next time you can go to the one you like more and have more time to explore.

NeoPatrick, that's where I beg to differ. I made the mistake of going to Versailles first because I THOUGHT I "had" to on my first trip to Paris. It wasn't until my third trip back that I made it to Giverny and in retrospect I realize the error of my ways. That was what I was trying to point out to the OP.

But my first trip to Italy was to the Amalfi Coast, not Rome, Florence or Milan, so I guess I fly in the face of your logic pretty regularly now. ;-)

amy, good for you, and there are exceptions to every rule. But I think the higher percentage of travelers would end up kicking themselves if they went to France for four days and choose a small city instead of Paris. Most would always wonder what they missed.

And also I too agree with five full days in Paris, there's nothing wrong with doing a half day to Versailles one day, and perhaps even doing a full day to Giverny and a few other places. I've often talked about our grand day trip from Paris with a one day rental car where we did Giverny in the morning, visited Etretat for the scenery, had lunch in Honfleur, and stopped to see Pont Audemer in the afternoon.

I love the idea of a half day trip to Versailles and a full day to Giverny...in fact, my husband and I are looking for something to do separate from his parents - this half day might be perfect! (They are amazing and in fact, making this trip possible but a little time apart from each other before we all go on to Switzerland is probably a good idea!)

Perhaps in this instance, I can have the best of both worlds. :)

Thank you all for taking the time to respond - still open to other ideas!

Kate W, thank you for the suggestion to visit the Musee Marmottan - I will add it to my list!