Giverny, Claude Monet's house and gardens
Giverny is the Normandy village where Claude Monet lived for more than 40 years, and where he painted a large part of his Impressionist works, notably the famous Water Lilies series. The visit includes his house, preserved in its original décor, the flower garden (the Clos Normand) and the water garden with its Japanese bridge, weeping willows and water lilies. Allow 1h30 to 2h on site for a full visit without rushing.
The village lies about 75 km west of Paris, 4 km from the town of Vernon.
Opening season and hours (check before you go)
The Fondation Claude Monet is closed in winter. The season generally runs from 1 April to 1 November, open daily from 10am to 6pm (last admission 5.30pm). These dates may vary slightly from one year to the next: check them on the official website before planning your visit, especially if you are travelling at the very beginning or very end of the season.
Ticket prices (Fondation Claude Monet)
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | €13 |
| Child aged 7-17 | €7 |
| Child under 7 | Free |
| Student (excluding art/art history courses) | €7 |
| Visitor with a disability | €6 |
Booking: buying tickets online is strongly recommended. Once the online ticket quota for a given day is reached, the wait on site can become long, particularly in high season (May-June, when the flowers are at their best). Tickets bought online are in principle non-refundable, with modification conditions that vary according to the purchase date — check at the time of booking.
Option 1: getting there by yourself by train
This is the cheapest and most flexible option for independent travellers.
Step 1 — Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny by train
SNCF trains (TER/Transilien) link Paris Saint-Lazare station to Vernon-Giverny station, with several dozen journeys a day (about twenty trains daily, mostly direct). The journey generally takes 45 minutes to a little under an hour depending on the train (the fastest come in under 50 minutes). Prices start at around ten euros when booking in advance, but vary with the time and date — check directly on the SNCF Connect app or at the station before departure.
Step 2 — From Vernon station to the village of Giverny (about 7 km)
Once in Vernon, several options let you reach Giverny:
| Option | Duration | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shuttle (seasonal bus) | About 15-20 minutes | Around €10 return according to the sources consulted | Runs only from April to November, timed to train arrivals; limited seats, no group booking |
| Bike hire | About 20-30 minutes | Hire by the day or by the hour, available near the station | Flat, pleasant route, the Fondation has bicycle parking |
| Walking | About 1h to 1h15 | Free | Flat route, partly along a former railway line |
| Taxi | About 10 minutes | Around €20-25 | The quickest option, useful with a tight connection |
Since the shuttle is seasonal and its timetable is tied to train arrivals, it is best to check the local network's timetables on the day itself or the day before your visit.
Option 2: booking an organised excursion from Paris
For those who would rather organise nothing, several operators offer coach or minibus excursions departing from Paris, generally as a half-day or full day, sometimes combined with Versailles or Auvers-sur-Oise. Based on the offers currently available on the main tour booking platforms, the prices observed most often fall within:
- Half-day with guide or audio guide: from about €65-80 per person.
- Full combined day (e.g. Giverny + Versailles), lunch included: from about €150 per person.
These excursions generally include return coach transport from central Paris, sometimes a guide or multilingual audio guide, and remove the uncertainty over connections. They suit travellers short on time, families with young children, or those who would rather not deal with train tickets and the shuttle. In exchange, the price is considerably higher than the independent option, and the timings are set by the operator.
These prices change with the season and promotions: reconfirm on the chosen operator's website before booking.
Independent or organised excursion: how to choose
- Choose train + shuttle/bike if you want to keep control of your budget (allow about €30-50 per person for the return train, the shuttle and the entry ticket), if you are comfortable managing connections, or if you want to stay on site for as long or as short a time as you like.
- Choose an organised excursion if you lack the time to plan, if you are travelling in a group or as a family with young children, if you want a guide to understand the context of Monet's works, or if you are combining the visit with another destination (Versailles) on the same day.
Good to know before you go
- The Fondation Claude Monet closes in winter: do not plan a visit between early November and late March.
- Book your entry tickets online in advance, especially in May-June (peak flower season) and at weekends.
- Wear comfortable clothing for walking, as much of the site is visited outdoors.
- Only cabin-sized luggage is allowed on site for security reasons — avoid arriving with a large suitcase if you are continuing on a longer journey afterwards.
For other ideas for day trips around Paris (Versailles, Chantilly, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Fontainebleau, Disneyland Paris), see our dedicated article on excursions from Paris.
