Giverny Day Trip from Paris

A Giverny day trip from Paris is one of the easiest days out you can plan in Normandy, but only during the season. In 2026, Monet’s house and gardens open every day from April 1 to November 1 and close for the rest of the year. Within that window, a direct train and a short shuttle ride get you there without a car. The trip suits garden lovers, Impressionism fans and anyone who wants a slower day after the Paris museums. Monet lived in the house for 43 years, from 1883 until his death in 1926, and 2026 marks the centenary of his death. For background on the house, the flower garden and the water lily pond, see our guide to Monet’s garden.

By train

Going to Giverny by train is the simplest choice. Trains leave from Paris Saint-Lazare for Vernon-Giverny station, and SNCF Connect lists 22 a day on the route. They are direct TER and NOMAD Train services. The fastest takes 46 minutes and the average is 57 minutes. For fares, see the From Paris box above.

Giverny has no station of its own. Vernon is 5 km away, and you have several ways to cover that last stretch:

• Shuttle bus. It runs from Vernon-Giverny station to Giverny from April to November. Boarding depends on available seats, and groups are not carried. The operator does not publish a journey time.
• Little tourist train. It also leaves from the station.
• Local bus. NOMAD Car line 208 (Gisors-Vernon) serves Giverny.
• Bike. You can rent a bike at Vernon station. A signposted, mostly flat route crosses the Clémenceau bridge and takes about 20 minutes. Giverny sits on the 430 km Seine à Vélo cycle route.
• On foot. The walk takes about an hour.

Plan on 1h30 to 2 hours inside the house and gardens. Leaving the site is final, so see everything before you walk out. Bags are checked at the entrance and only cabin-size bags up to 55 x 35 x 20 cm are allowed. There is no luggage storage, so leave large bags at your Paris hotel. Picnics, painting and drawing are not allowed on site.

Book your ticket online before you travel. The official site strongly recommends it, because once the online quota is filled you should expect long waits at the gate. For a fuller look at your rail options across the region, see Getting to Normandy from Paris.

On a guided tour

This page lists no specific tour, so check the details yourself before you book a Monet garden day trip with a guide. Useful questions to ask:

• Is the entry ticket to Monet’s house and gardens included, or do you buy it separately?
• How much time do you get on site? You need 1h30 to 2 hours for an unguided visit.
• Does the visit include the house as well as the gardens? The gardens are accessible to people with reduced mobility, but the house is not wheelchair accessible.
• Where is the pickup point in Paris, and when do you get back?
• Is a second stop, such as Rouen, part of the day?

A tour can make sense if you want transport handled for you. The train is easy enough that you can do the trip on your own.

By car

Driving from Paris to Giverny gives you more freedom, especially if you want to add a second stop. Giverny has free car parks. This page gives no Paris-Giverny driving time, so check a route planner on the day.

The A13 Saint-Cloud tunnel near Paris is closed in the Paris-to-Normandy direction from November 16, 2026 to the end of August 2027. This is the northern tube, on the way out toward Normandy. Signed diversions run via the RD910 and RN118, or via the RN13 and A14, and rejoin the A13 further west. Expect longer journey times at some hours. The closure overlaps the start of the 2027 garden season.

The A13-A14 motorway uses barrier-free tolling on 210 km. If you have no toll tag, you have 72 hours to pay.

With a car, you can continue on to Rouen. The drive takes about 59 minutes and covers 70 km, according to OpenStreetMap routing, which is an estimate without traffic. Honfleur is about 93 minutes away (120 km) on the same basis.

A sample day

This plan uses the train and follows Normandy Tourism’s advice for Giverny. It suggests a weekday in spring or mid-autumn, with your garden visit in the late afternoon. It names 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as the busiest time. It also suggests avoiding July, August, public holidays, fine weekends and school holidays.

1. Late morning: take a direct train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny. The journey averages 57 minutes. SNCF Connect lists the first train at 5:46 and the last at 22:15.
2. Arrival: take the shuttle bus or rent a bike at the station for the 5 km to Giverny.
3. Lunch: Restaurant Les Nymphéas, opposite Monet’s house, opens daily from April 1 to November 1. Restaurant Baudy, a historic meeting place for artists, is in the village too.
4. Early afternoon: visit the Musée des impressionnismes Giverny on the same street. Then walk to the church of Sainte-Radegonde, where Monet is buried.
5. Late afternoon: spend 1h30 to 2 hours at the house and gardens. See the Clos Normand flower garden in front of the house first. Then cross to the water garden with its green Japanese bridge.
6. Evening: ride back to Vernon-Giverny and take the train to Paris.

Check opening times in the Visit facts box on the Monet’s house page before you fix your train times.

Staying overnight instead

A night in Normandy makes sense if you want a calmer visit or plan to keep going west. Staying in Giverny puts you at the gate without a train to catch. You can then follow Normandy Tourism’s late-afternoon advice without watching the clock.

Rouen is the other good base. Trains run from Rouen Rive Droite to Vernon-Giverny in about 40 minutes, according to Normandy Tourism. Paris to Rouen has 33 trains a day, with the fastest taking 1h13. That lets you pair the gardens with Rouen Cathedral. If you’d rather keep it to one day, see the Rouen day trip from Paris.

To build Giverny into a longer trip, the Three Days in Normandy itinerary is a good starting point. If you are traveling without a car, see Normandy Without a Car. For more flower gardens across the region, browse Gardens in Normandy.