Day trip from Paris Giverny
Claude Monet's house and the water-lily garden he painted, 46 minutes by train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny, then a shuttle bus to the village.
Is Giverny worth a day trip from Paris?
Half a day, in season only.
Worth it between 1 April and 1 November, and only then: the house and gardens are shut for the rest of the year. The visit itself takes 1.5 to 2 hours, so this is a half day with a train ride on each side, not a full one. The garden is small and the paths are narrow. From 11:00 the Japanese bridge is a slow queue of people taking the same photo. Book the € 13 ticket online and be at the gate for the 10:00 opening. In late October the flowers are mostly over, so lower your expectations or go to Versailles instead.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 46 min+ shuttle bus from Vernon station · one way · SNCF Connect
- Transport
- Train + shuttle
- Self-guided cost
- € 43–59Train return (€ 10-18 each way) + shuttle return (€ 10) + house and gardens ticket (€ 13) · Claude Monet's House and Gardens, Giverny
- Tour price
- From € 64Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 2–3 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- 2 Nov to 31 Mar
- Best time
- May-Jun for flowers, Jul-Aug for water lilies; at 10:00 openingDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Giverny
- 01
Water garden
The pond with the green Japanese bridge, the wisteria and the water lilies that Monet painted for nearly 30 years. A tunnel under the road leads to it. Allow 30 to 40 minutes.
- 02
Clos Normand flower garden
The garden in front of the house, planted in straight beds under metal arches. It changes every few weeks: tulips in April, irises and peonies in May, roses in June, dahlias in September.
- 03
Monet's house
The pink house with green shutters, including the yellow dining room, the blue-tiled kitchen and his collection of Japanese prints. It is a one-way circuit of about 20 minutes.
- 04
Musée des Impressionnismes
A separate museum a short walk down rue Claude Monet, with temporary exhibitions on Impressionism and its own garden. It needs its own ticket and takes about an hour.
- 05
Monet's grave
Monet is buried in the churchyard of Sainte-Radegonde, about 12 minutes on foot along the village street from the gardens. It is free, and few visitors walk that far.
Good forArt and museumsNature and hiking
How to spend the day
Take a train from Saint-Lazare around 8:15 and reach Vernon-Giverny about 9:10. The shuttle waits outside the station and drops you at the Giverny car park, a few minutes from the entrance. Water garden first at 10:00, then the flower garden and the house. Lunch in the village at 12:00, shuttle back around 13:30, and you are in Paris by 15:30. Last admission is 17:30.
Giverny in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustJune brings roses and the first water lilies. July and August are the lily months, when the garden is at its fullest and so are the paths. There is little shade in the flower garden and none in the queue. Arrive for opening, see the pond first, and be out by noon, when coach groups from Paris and from Seine cruise boats fill the paths.
Winter
December to FebruaryClosed. The house and gardens shut from 2 November to 31 March, the shuttle from Vernon stops running, and most cafés in the village close with them. There is no reason to come between December and February. If you want Monet in winter, see the Water Lilies at the Orangerie museum in Paris and save Giverny for spring.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- May-Jun and weekends Apr-Sep, 11:00-15:00
- Quietest
- Weekdays in April and September, at opening or after 16:00
The garden is small, so numbers matter more here than at a palace. Take the first train, go straight to the water garden, and leave the house for last. After 16:00 the day groups have gone and the paths clear again.
How do you get to Giverny from Paris?
Train + shuttle
- Travel time
- 46-57 min + shuttle
- Frequency
- 22 trains a day; shuttle meets the main trains
- Cost
- From € 10 each way + € 10 shuttle return
- Departs from
- Paris Saint-Lazare
Buy a ticket to Vernon-Giverny, not Giverny, which has no station. The shuttle to the village runs from 27 March to 1 November 2026 and is timed to the Paris trains. Pay on board by card or cash, € 5 each way. Check the return shuttle time before you enter the garden.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 5 hours door to door
- Cost
- From € 64
- Departs from
- 45 avenue de la Bourdonnais, near the Eiffel Tower
Coach both ways and the entry ticket, with a guide or an audio guide. At € 64 it costs about the same as the train, shuttle and ticket bought late, and it removes the connection at Vernon. You get less free time in the village.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Flat shoes for gravel paths that turn muddy after rain. There is almost no shelter in the gardens, so carry a rain jacket in spring and a hat in summer. Dogs are not allowed inside.
What to eat
The village has a handful of cafés and restaurants along rue Claude Monet, busy from 12:30 and mostly closed out of season. Normandy shows on the menus: cider, apple tart, Camembert. Picnics are not allowed in the gardens, so eat a packed lunch by the car park or in Vernon.
What you will spend
The garden ticket is € 13 and the shuttle from Vernon € 10 return. The variable is the train: € 10-18 each way depending on how early you book. The village, the church and Monet's grave are free. The Impressionism museum is a separate, optional ticket.
How to get the most out of the day
- You can walk or cycle the 5 km from Vernon station along a flat former railway path. Bikes are rented opposite the station.
- With a ticket bought online, use the side entrance on Ruelle Leroy and skip the ticket-desk queue on rue Claude Monet.
- In Vernon, the old mill perched on the piers of a broken bridge is about 20 minutes on foot from the station, across the Seine.
How long do you need in Giverny?
Plan 2–3 h on site, plus 46 min of travel each way from Paris.
When is Giverny closed?
2 Nov to 31 Mar. Best time: May-Jun for flowers, Jul-Aug for water lilies; at 10:00 opening.