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Giverny in April
- Thread starter donnakay
- Start date
HarveyK
10+ Posts
Hi, We're doing Giverny on May 1, from Paris. My 2nd time. Last year we stayed 2 nights in Giverny at Hotel Musardiére, just a short walk down the street from Monet's house, and their restaurant was among the best we ate at in France. Try to book your tour towards the end of your trip, later in April, as more flowers will be in bloom.
Cameron
500+ Posts
Monet's Gardens will reopen April 1. I've been in May and September--very different looks in the gardens. In spring, you'll see the glorious bulbs, probably tulips, early irises, etc. within the Clos Normand. Around the pond, hopefully, the splendid azaleas and some wisteria will be in bloom. I don't know if April is too early, so I would plan it later in your trip, on a weekday.
I usually take the Rouen-bound train out of Gare Saint-Lazare. I think it's a 40-minute, pleasant trip. You get off the train in Vernon. There are buses lined up that, for a small fee (buy round-trip), will take you to the bus parking lot at Giverny. Walk up into the village and then to the ticket office at Monet's Gardens. We usually got up early in Paris to make it there for the 9am opening to get ahead of tour groups.
Since I'm a gardener, I didn't feel the need for a guided tour -- a map from the ticket office was enough for me. Plan to spend the morning there.
There are a few places to get lunch in village, but there's no food at all inside Monet's (unless that's changed, which I doubt). There's a little Impressionists Museum up the road that has very cute spring gardens! It rarely has more than a couple of Monet's paintings. They have a little cafeteria that isn't anything to rave about, but it manages. The other cafes and restaurants in Giverny will require reservations.
In Paris, before you go to the gardens, I highly recommend seeing the Water Lilies at the Orangerie. Since it's not as popular as other museums, it's a great first museum stop to buy a museum pass. If you want to see a bigger collection of Monet paintings, that would usually be Marmottan, but a few paintings are on loan to the US this spring until mid-summer!
One visit, I took Southern Living Magazine's "The Grumpy Gardener" (Steve Bender) and his wife to the gardens. They were not disappointed -- but he wasn't happy with me for posting photos before he did! LOL
Enjoy!
TomandKathy
10+ Posts
So are the gardens open on 1st May? I've been trying to find out what is open on this big holiday. We'll be staying in La Roche-de Guyon 28th April - 1st May and I'm hoping the gardens will be glorious... good to hear about the little museum you mention. Any other tips about villages to visit in the area - we'll have a car and love to just wander...
TomandKathy
10+ Posts
It's been a strange year... our friends in Auxerre say they had a week of summer (28degs) recently and then it dropped to 8degs straight afterwards. We are preparing for anything and I hope the gardens can manage this crazy weather.
TomandKathy
10+ Posts
should we book tickets ahead for Monet's garden and the house? If we go on the Monday or Tuesday I am assuming it will be a little quieter but should we have tickets anyway?