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Guide to Giverny
- Taylor
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
This last-minute day trip was an unexpected highlight from Hannah and my trip to Paris!
Our original plan for the trip was to stay in Paris for the whole week, but I quickly realized that we might need a short break from the fast-paced city life. Hannah and I decided to hop the train and head out to Giverny!
The main reason that we had decided on Giverny was to visit Claude Monet’s House and Gardens. Giverny is where the world-famous Impressionist painter Claude Monet decided to settle. Located in the rolling fields of the Normandy region of France, Giverny was the ideal setting for the artist, as it inspired his paintings. The town is only 1 hour away from Paris, making it the perfect day trip!
Paris to Giverny
Catch the train from the Paris St-Lazare station (about 45 minutes). When you get to the Vernon-Giverny station, there are three options to get to the gardens:
Le Petit Train
This is what we ultimately chose. It is a small train that takes you directly from the train station to the gardens in approximately 20 minutes. I’m not usually one to go for the “tourist traps,” but this was a definite win! It is a 10 euros round-trip ticket (cash only) that picks you up right as the train arrives in Vernon and drops you off right before the train leaves.
Shuttle bus
There is a shuttle bus that takes about 25-30 minutes, which also picks up from the train station and drives to the gardens.
Walking
There are lots of different trails and paths that take you through the countryside and along the Seine. The walk takes about 45 minutes, depending on how many detours you take along the way.
At the Gardens
The gardens and museum are open from 0930 - 1800 (last entry at 1730). I recommend visiting in the morning to avoid the crowds. We arrived at 0930 and bought tickets online ahead of time. There is a ticket office on site; however, the line was already quite long when we arrived.
I recommend heading straight for the lily pond and the famous Japanese bridge. This will be the least crowded in the morning, and the path along the outside of the pond is narrow. It made for an awkward shuffle every time we had to pass someone, so the earlier you get there, the more relaxing your experience will be!
After the pond, we headed over to Monet's house, which is decorated and restored for you to walk through. You get to go through each room and see many replicas of his paintings as well as a few originals scattered about the house. Each room is filled with bright colors and comforting patterns, making this my favorite part of our time in the gardens.
Once you have gotten through the house, you can walk through the flower gardens. There are benches around for you to sit and admire the handiwork of the gardeners. Luckily for us, the gardens had just opened back up for the season (April 1 - October 31), so we were able to catch it opening week. I was a bit nervous the gardens wouldn’t be in bloom yet and we would be walking around a sad gray field, but I was wrong! The flower beds were filled with daffodils and tulips, and, given that it was the first week open, everything was well kept.
No museum would be complete without a peek in the gift shop! Hannah, Jessica, and I all love to collect postcards from the places we’ve been, and there was an extensive selection of postcards and prints to choose from, along with some other fun gifts!
Time in Giverny
After you are done exploring the gardens, I highly recommend leaving some time to walk around Giverny. Some other fun things to do in Giverny include:
Musée des Impressionnismes
This museum is right around the corner from Monet’s Gardens. It houses works from many impressionist artists, including Monet and Picasso!
The Sainte-Radegonde Church of Giverny
This is a small, intimate church. We had the whole thing to ourselves as we walked around and looked at the stained glass windows. You can also visit Monet's grave, which is in the church’s cemetery.
Restaurants
There are several restaurants to try in Giverny, including one that holds a coveted Michelin star!
Trails
Like I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of trails to walk around the fields and admire the charming scenery of Giverny!
We loved our time in Giverny! If you find yourself close by or needing to escape the Parisian crowds, this is the perfect day trip to add to your itinerary.
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