A Visit to Claude Monet’s Garden and House in Giverny

A Visit to Claude Monet’s Garden and House in Giverny

Bonjour ! And welcome to a new adventure on Paris Top Tips… Today, we journey from the bustling streets of Paris to the serene haven of Claude Monet’s iconic garden in Giverny. And for this half-a-day excursion, we’ll be boarding the train departing from Saint-Lazare station. As I plan to arrive in Giverny for the afternoon, I’ll be catching the 12:12 PM train bound for Vernon Giverny. This train’s final destination is Rouen Rive Droite, but we’ll be disembarking at Vernon Giverny. If you haven’t booked your ticket online—trainline.com is a great option—I’ll show you how to purchase your ticket from one of those red vending machines. By default, the ticket to Vernon is for today, but you have to choose the date you want to come back. My train will depart from track 19 At the control barriers, simply present the QR code of your ticket under the red light for easy access. Here’s track 19 My train is a TER, Train Express Regional or Regional Express Train. Make sure you take a TER, and not a train from line J, much slower… As you can see, these trains offer two levels of seating. Opting for the upper level ensures spectacular views throughout the journey! Especially since we’ll be following the scenic route along the Seine River. The name of the train, ‘Train de l’Impressionisme,’ literally translates to ‘Impressionism Train’ After a journey of a little over 50 minutes, it’s time to disembark at Vernon Giverny. Follow the underground passage to reach the station. And follow the green signs to the shuttles through the station. Shuttles, with an ‘s,’ as you’ll have the option to choose between taking the little train or using the bus shuttles. They both offer the same service at the same price, so you can choose whichever option suits you the best. The bus tends to be a bit faster than the train, so I’ve opted for the bus shuttle. And in the bus, they do accept credit cards, although I’m not certain if that’s the case on the little train. Giverny is on the other side of the Seine from Vernon 15 minutes… and there we are! Just follow the signs to access the village. Another underground… And here we are! Make sure you have a pre-booked ticket. Giverny is really the place where you’ll truly appreciate the benefit of having a skip-the-line ticket! As you’ll witness, despite my visit falling on a Monday and outside peak season, the crowds were still quite substantial! So here’s the URL. Get your ticket there! Another great advantage of the skip-the-line access is that you begin your visit of the estate from the back of the garden, right near the famous water-lily pond. You access it through yet another underground passage! Throughout the garden tour, I’ll keep my commentary light. After all, the beauty of the place speaks for itself without my usual banter. And did you notice? I’ve chosen bossa novas as a sound illustration. I find this upbeat music particularly suited to a visit to Giverny! The famous Japanese bridge. When Monet painted it, many times, it was not yet flowered with wisteria. Let’s go back to the main garden. Did you know that in Giverny, we’re actually in Normandy? Yes, despite being just a handful of kilometers away from the Paris region, this charming village falls within the Normandy region! With over 700,000 visitors per year, Claude Monet’s gardens and house rank as the second most visited attraction in Normandy, just behind Mont-Saint-Michel. Now let’s visit Monet’s house! We enter the house through the workshop where Monet painted some of his masterpieces. Most of the paintings that were hung on these walls are now at the Musée Marmottan in Paris. Here, only reproductions remain. This is Monet’s room, just above the workshop. From his room, Monet had a magnificent view of this garden, of which he was so proud. As you can see, the house gets very crowded! If the paintings are reproductions, the Japanese prints, many of which are by Hokusai, are authentic. Monet used to love the particular shade of yellow he had chosen for the kitchen. And the same is true for the blue-tiled kitchen. Take some time to explore the museum shop, nestled under its stunning glass roof. It’s truly one of the most interesting shops I’ve ever encountered in a museum. As you exit the estate and see the long line of people who didn’t pre-book their tickets, you can’t help but feel relieved that you did! Now let’s stroll along Rue Claude Monet to the opposite side of the village, where we’ll discover the church and the painter’s tomb. This other beautiful garden belongs to the Musée des Impressionismes, the Impressionisms Museum. It’s an interesting museum, but the entry price of 12€ seems a bit steep for my liking. Giverny is a beautifully flowered village that exudes charm and offers magnificent views of what the French countryside can be. At the very end of the village, the small Romanesque church of Sainte-Radegonde exudes intimacy and tranquility. 2 days after D-day, a royal Air Force bomber crashed in Giverny. The 7 crew of the Lancaster are buried here. A stele dedicated to their memory is located right next to the church. And just a few meters away is the family vault where Claude Monet and most of his family members are buried. Once you’ve returned to the main parking area to catch the bus back to Vernon, take a moment to see Monet’s bust if you have time. Let’s cross the Seine a second time Back at the station, it’s time to catch our train back to Paris Saint-Lazare. When we cross the Boulevard Périphérique, it’s just three more minutes until the end of our journey. So, how much did my afternoon in Monet’s paradise end up costing me? Not too pricey for a few enchanting hours far from the noise and pollution of Paris. Oh! I almost forgot! If you’re as much of a total fan of Monet and impressionism as I am, you should definitely

A Visit to Claude Monet’s Garden and House in Giverny: half a day with practical details.
#giverny #claudemonet #paristravel
Today, we journey from the bustling streets of Paris to the serene haven of Claude Monet’s iconic garden in Giverny.

Timeline:
00:00 – Introduction
00:35 – Train timetable
00:58 – How to purchase your train ticket
02:28 – Boarding the train
03:44 – Shuttles from Vernon to Giverny
05:04 – Entering Monet’s Garden
06:05 – The Water-Lilly Pond
09:00 – Monet’s Garden
12:03 – Monet’s House
14:07 – A Great Museum Boutique
15:41 – Giverny’s Church and Monet’s Tomb
17:03 – Back to Paris
17:40 – Costs and Conclusion