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Voykit pocket guide · France
Giverny
Go as a half-day from Paris or Vernon, in the morning: Monet's house and gardens take 2–3 hours and the last entry is mid-evening in high season.
Giverny is a village of about 500 people on the Seine, 80 km north-west of Paris, known because Claude Monet lived and painted here from 1883 until 1926. The draw is his house and two gardens, which are open roughly April to the start of November and closed the rest of the year. Most visitors come for a half-day; the village itself is small, so a night here only makes sense if you want the gardens at opening time or a base for the Seine valley.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (house and gardens closed), mid-Jul–Aug weekends (peak crowds)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2–4 |
| Sandwich or crêpe | €5–9 |
| Village restaurant main course | €15–25 |
| Beer: bar / supermarket can | €5–8 / €1–2 |
| 5 km taxi, Vernon to Giverny3.1 mi taxi, Vernon to Giverny | €15–25 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- RER/train into Paris, then Gare Saint-Lazare for Vernon; allow 3–4 h door to door
- ORY · Paris Orly
- Into Paris by Orlyval and RER B, then Saint-Lazare; similar total time
Typical fares
- Paris Saint-Lazare → Vernon, train
- about 45 min; return fare check (2026 estimate)
- Vernon → Giverny, shuttle or bus
- timed to trains in season; return fare check
- Vernon → Giverny, taxi
- €15–25 (check)
Get around
The village is walkable: house, gardens and museums sit within about 1 km. From Vernon station you need a bus, taxi, bike or car for the last 5–7 km; the shuttle is timed to trains in season. A car helps for the Seine valley but parking in the village is limited in summer.The village is walkable: house, gardens and museums sit within about 0.6 mi. From Vernon station you need a bus, taxi, bike or car for the last 3.1–4.3 mi; the shuttle is timed to trains in season. A car helps for the Seine valley but parking in the village is limited in summer.
See and do
Known for
- Monet's house and water-lily garden
- The Japanese bridge
- Musée de Mécanique Naturelle
- Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vernon | Bus, taxi or bike from Giverny, 5–7 kmBus, taxi or bike from Giverny, 3.1–4.3 mi | 15–25 min |
| Les Andelys | Car or train to Vernon then bus; about 30 kmCar or train to Vernon then bus; about 19 mi | 1–1.5 h |
| Rouen | Train from Vernon, about 45–60 min | 1.5 h |
| Paris | Train from Vernon to Gare Saint-Lazare, about 45 min | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Giverny village
- A handful of B&Bs and small hotels within walking distance of the gardens; book months ahead for April–October.
- Vernon
- The nearest town with a station, more beds and restaurants; 5–7 km from Giverny, reachable by bus, taxi or bike.The nearest town with a station, more beds and restaurants; 3.1–4.3 mi from Giverny, reachable by bus, taxi or bike.
- Paris
- Most visitors day-trip from the city: about 45 min by train to Vernon plus the last leg.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Two tickets, please | Deux billets, s'il vous plaîtduh bee-YAY seel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo ay la GAR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- The house and gardens close for winter, roughly November to March: check the official site before you book travel.
- Tickets are dated and timed in high season and the site caps daily entries: buy online in advance, especially April–October.
- The last shuttle back to Vernon can be full at closing time; know your fallback taxi or bike plan.
- Village restaurants are few and busy at lunch; many close in winter.
Very safe. The real risks are seasonal closure, timed-ticket sell-outs, uneven garden paths after rain and the last shuttle back to Vernon filling up.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Giverny yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Monet's house and water-lily garden
- The Japanese bridge
- Musée de Mécanique Naturelle
- Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Fondation Claude Monet — official site: fondation-monet.com/en/
- Giverny tourist office — access and transport: www.giverny.fr/
- SNCF Connect — Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon: www.sncf-connect.com/
- Wikivoyage: Giverny, revision 5330781 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330781
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Giverny
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Giverny; they are in Paris. US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Irish citizens can get consular help in Paris (check the address).
Giverny has no station of its own: the rail leg ends at Vernon.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/giverny). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.