Paris to Giverny

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated July 2026 · 5 min read

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Giverny, the village where Claude Monet lived and painted for over 40 years, is one of the most popular day trips from Paris — and one of the easiest, provided you know the trick: the train does not go to Giverny itself, it goes to the nearby town of Vernon, with a short shuttle, taxi or bike ride to finish the journey. Here is exactly how it works.

The standard route: train to Vernon, then shuttle

Trains run from Paris Gare St-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny station, taking around 45 minutes to an hour depending on the service, with several departures a day operated by SNCF's regional (TER/Intercités) trains on the Paris–Rouen–Le Havre line. No reservation is required and fares are modest — this is a regional train, not a high-speed service, unlike the compulsory-reservation TGV services covered in our France by train guide, so tickets can generally be bought shortly before travel, though buying ahead is sensible in peak summer.

From Vernon station, a shuttle bus timed to meet arriving trains covers the remaining 7 km to Giverny in about 15–20 minutes, dropping passengers close to the entrance of Monet's house and garden. The shuttle is a small, dedicated seasonal service (roughly April to October or November, matching the garden's opening season) and can queue up at busy times in midsummer, so it is worth being near the front of the platform when your train arrives.

Alternative last-mile options from Vernon

If the shuttle queue looks long or you prefer more flexibility, taxis wait outside Vernon station and cover the same distance in a similar time for a higher fare, shared informally among a few passengers if you can find others heading the same way. Cycling is another popular option: Vernon has bike hire near the station, and the ride to Giverny follows a flat, well-marked path along the Seine and through the countryside, taking about 25–30 minutes at an easy pace — a genuinely pleasant way to arrive, weather permitting, and one that lets you explore Vernon's own old town on the way back if time allows. It is a small taste of the kind of unhurried, low-carbon travel covered in more depth in our slow travel section.

The guided alternative: a bus tour from Paris

Numerous operators run half-day coach tours direct from central Paris to Giverny, with a guide, skip-the-line garden tickets, and return transport all included, typically taking around 5 to 6 hours door to door. This removes any need to plan train and shuttle connections, at a higher cost than doing it independently. It suits visitors short on time or travelling without much French, or those who would rather not manage the Vernon connection themselves.

Timing your visit

Monet's house and garden are open seasonally, broadly late March to early November, and closed over winter — check current dates before planning, since this affects both the garden itself and the Vernon shuttle service. The garden is at its most colourful (and busiest) in May and June, when the irises and the famous water-lily pond are in full bloom; visiting on a weekday morning, as early as tickets allow, is the best way to avoid the heaviest crowds. Booking your entry ticket to the house and garden online in advance is strongly recommended in peak season, as on-site tickets can sell out.

Making a full day of it

Vernon itself is a pleasant Normandy town with a half-timbered old quarter and a ruined medieval bridge over the Seine, easily worth an hour if you have time before or after Giverny. Some travellers combine Giverny with a stop in Rouen, roughly 30–40 minutes further up the same rail line, turning the day into a broader taste of Normandy rather than a single-site visit. If you are staying in Paris for a longer trip, our Paris to Barcelona guide covers another popular onward leg from the same city.

What else is at Giverny besides the garden

The village itself is small but has grown around its most famous former resident: the Musée des impressionnismes Giverny, a short walk from Monet's house, covers the wider impressionist movement that the artist colony here helped shape, and is a sensible add-on if the main garden alone does not fill your visit. A handful of cafes and a small cluster of shops cater specifically to day-trippers, and the walk between the shuttle drop-off, the museum and the garden entrance takes you past several other preserved artists' houses from the same era, giving a sense of Giverny as an art colony rather than a single-attraction village.

Because the whole trip — travel, garden visit and a bit of time in Vernon or the museum — comfortably fits within half a day, many visitors combine it with something else in the afternoon, whether that is returning to Paris for an evening free, or continuing on to Rouen for a further stop before heading back.

Which should you choose?

For most independent travellers, the train to Vernon plus the shuttle bus is the simplest and cheapest way to reach Giverny, and it is genuinely easy — the connection is well signposted and geared towards exactly this trip. Choose a bike from Vernon if the weather is good and you enjoy the scenic river route, or a taxi if you are short on time or the shuttle queue is long. A guided tour is worth the extra cost if you would rather not manage any of the connections yourself or want skip-the-line tickets guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions

Does the train go directly to Giverny?

No. Trains from Paris Gare St-Lazare go to Vernon-Giverny station, about 7 km from the village. A shuttle bus, taxi or bike covers the final stretch.

How long does the trip from Paris to Giverny take in total?

Budget around 1.5 to 2 hours each way door to door: roughly 45 minutes to an hour on the train, plus 15–30 minutes for the shuttle, taxi or bike ride from Vernon.

Do I need to book the train to Vernon in advance?

Not usually — it is a regional service without compulsory reservations, though booking ahead in peak summer avoids any risk of a busy train and can secure a slightly cheaper fare.

What time of year is best to visit Monet's garden?

The garden is open roughly late March to early November. May and June bring the most colour (irises and water lilies) but also the biggest crowds; visiting on a weekday morning is the best way to beat both.