Giverny Tips? (Weekday or Weekend? Best Place to Eat?)

Any tips on making this day trip from Paris? I am particularly interested in your thoughts on:

- whether we should go on Sat. or Sun. or on a weekday;

- and your best food suggestions (markets, cafes, etc.).

TIA!

|||

Make sure you get there early before the fleet of tour buses arrive.

|||

Thanks, Pixfield. My understanding is that the tour buses don%26#39;t arrive until afternoon?

We also don%26#39;t plan to spend all our time in Giverny. We have plans to explore Vernon and hike one of the nature trails that wind through the hills above Giverny.

|||

No, they get there pretty early. It was so crowded last time I was there I thought they were going to need to install a traffic light on the Japanese bridge.

|||

We went on a Sunday and took the ParisVision mini-bus excursion (only six people). We arrived just ahead of opening time. There is a separate entrance for tours/groups with appointments. We were given a map, shown the best route, and got to the bridge in plenty of time for photos without people in them. There was also no line for the house by the time we got there.

It cost more than going on our own, but the train schedule was awkward, and sometimes a tour is just more efficient. We were picked up at our hotel and delivered right to the entrance gate. There was plenty of time to wander up to the (at the time) American Museum and enjoy a leisurely lunch before returning to Paris. There was also excellent commentary from our guide going and coming. Back in Paris, we were dropped wherever we wished (for us near out dinner reservations).

There was a time when you could plan a visit around the huge tour bus groups, but now they go every day, mornings and afternoons.

|||

Thanks, djkbooks. We%26#39;re going to Paris in July, so we know we are in for crowds ;).

As I said in previous post, we are interested in walking from Vernon to Giverny (and perhaps exploring some other hikes), so a group excursion probably won%26#39;t work for us.

I guess as early as we can get there is best.

|||

There will definitely be crowds but not too bad if you are in line 10-15 minutes before it opens. When I was there, the guy just let us in a few minutes early.

Go right to the Japanese Garden and, if you want pictures, take them ASAP. tour buses arrive pretty much stright away.I went on a Thursday. The host at the B%26amp;B said the crowds are worse on weekends.

Actually, we spent the night. We stayed in a B%26amp;B Wednesday night and ate at the Creperie at the Musardiere hotel, which was tasty and reasonable.

|||

Giverny is really a small village and there are not many places to eat. Two hotels, one near the middle and one towards the far end of town, some snack bars etc just near the gardens.

We stayed overnight and places that looked like nice restaurants were closed, this in early June, so I don%26#39;t know if that was permanent or not. We ate in the hotel in the middle and had a quite good, inexpensive menu in very traditional surroundings. Fun!

WE got to the gate at 9.45 and went straight to the water garden. At no time could we get a good view of the bridge without people on it. There ahd been a huge thunderstorm the previous evening too, and everything was a bit knocked about.

I can%26#39;t figure out when they put a top part to the bridge and started growing wisteria over it. Now you can hardly see the bridge when it is in bloom. It doesn%26#39;t look like the paintings any more in my opinion.

2008

nickbooth.id.au/Images/…019Giverny-bridge.jpg

|||

When you walk out of the house onto rue Claude Monet (or is it Claude Monet Blvd?), turn right and walk down that little lane about 2 city blocks or less. There%26#39;s a little hotel called Hotel Musardiere which has outside or inside seating. They have a very nice lunch menu with a very extensive selection of crepes and salads. The crepes are the best I%26#39;ve had in France.

When you get to the gardens (I would go on the 8AM train) run, don%26#39;t walk, to the gardens so you can get there before anyone else and get some pictures. We were there in July on a weekday and were the only ones on the bridge, but not for long.

|||

We also ate at the Hotel Musardiere that some previous posters have mentioned. It was an easy walk. We ate outdoors on the patio and it was very pleasant.

There%26#39;s also a restaurant directly across from the entrance to Monet%26#39;s home. The food looked fine but it felt too busy for us, since most people who exited the house came by to check it out.