Paris to Giverny: How to Get There
Giverny — Monet's village — lies about 75 km (47 miles) north-west of Paris, on the edge of Normandy. By car, count roughly 1 h 15 door to door. By train, about 45 minutes from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny station — plus the detail most visitors discover on the platform: the station is still 7 km from the gardens. Here is an honest 2026 comparison of every way there, including that last stretch.
Book a Giverny day trip ↗The quick answer
Travelling solo on a budget? Take the train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon and the seasonal shuttle or a rental bike for the last 7 km — it is genuinely the cheapest way, and the greenway ride into the village is lovely. Travelling as a family, a group, or hoping to see more than one place? A private chauffeur to Giverny starts at 569€ all-inclusive for up to three passengers, hotel to gardens and back, with the car waiting throughout — and it unlocks the pairing the train cannot: Auvers-sur-Oise, Van Gogh's village, about an hour away across the Vexin.
Below, each option with its honest trade-offs, then a simple guide to which one fits your visit.
Train from Saint-Lazare — cheap, scenic, and not quite there
SNCF trains toward Rouen leave Paris Saint-Lazare roughly every hour and reach Vernon-Giverny in about 45 to 50 minutes, following the Seine most of the way. Fares vary by train and how far ahead you book — check the official SNCF site; note that Vernon sits in Normandy, so Paris travel passes do not cover the trip. On price per person, nothing else comes close.
The honest caveat is in the station's hyphenated name: Vernon-Giverny is in Vernon, and Giverny is 7 km away across the Seine. Budget that last leg into your timing and your legs — and remember the return: the gardens close in the late afternoon, and everyone who came by train converges on the same shuttle and the same Paris-bound platform at once. Check the last convenient train before you set out, not from the queue.
Vernon station to Giverny — the 7 km everyone forgets
Four ways to close the gap. The shuttle bus, running in season and timed to the main Paris trains, is the standard choice — a small fare, about 15 to 20 minutes, but it fills fast when a full train empties onto it. Bike rental near the station is the charming option: a flat, traffic-free greenway along the old railway line brings you to the village in about 25 minutes, luggage-free riders only. Taxis exist but are few — do not count on finding one at a busy midday arrival, and even less at closing time. Walking the same greenway takes about 1 h 15 each way; pleasant in the morning, long after three hours in the gardens.
Coach tours — easy, but on the group's clock
Half-day and full-day coach tours from Paris bundle transport with garden entry, which removes all planning. The trade-offs are structural: a fixed central-Paris departure point, arrival in the late morning when the gardens are at their busiest, and typically around two hours on site — enough for the house and the water garden at a brisk pace, not for the Museum of Impressionisms or a village lunch at the old Hôtel Baudy. You leave when the coach leaves, whatever the light is doing on the pond.
Private chauffeur — door to garden gate, and beyond
A private chauffeur removes both weak points of the journey at once: no Vernon connection, and no schedule but yours. Pickup at your Paris hotel around eight puts you at the Fondation Monet close to opening time, ahead of the coaches, after a drive down the Seine valley that is part of the pleasure. The car waits while you take the house, both gardens and the museum at your own pace, then a village lunch if you like — and the return is a seat, not a shuttle queue.
It is also the only option that turns Giverny into a proper Impressionist day. Auvers-sur-Oise — where Van Gogh painted his last seventy canvases — is about an hour away through the Vexin countryside: Monet's gardens in the morning, Van Gogh's village in the afternoon. Rouen, with its cathedral facade Monet painted thirty times, works the same way. See all our day trips from Paris for the full range.
Our Giverny day trip starts at 569€ in Business Class (up to 3 passengers) and 715€ by Van (up to 7) — all-inclusive private price covering chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, tolls and waiting, half-day to full-day. Combined days with Auvers or Rouen are priced on request. Garden tickets are separate: book timed entry on the official Fondation Monet site.
All options at a glance
- Train + shuttle — cheapest; ~45–50 min to Vernon, then 15–20 min shuttle in season; the Vernon connection adds friction both ways.
- Train + bike — the charmer; ~25 min on a flat greenway; season, weather and light luggage only.
- Coach tour — zero planning, entry included; fixed schedule, midday crowds, ~2 h on site.
- Taxi / app — direct in theory; ~75 km each way makes the meter painful, and finding a return car in a village of 500 people is a gamble.
- Private chauffeur — door to door in ~1 h 15, car waiting all visit, combinable with Auvers-sur-Oise or Rouen; from 569€ all-inclusive.
Who should choose what
Solo travellers and couples on a budget: the train, without hesitation — an early one from Saint-Lazare, the shuttle or a bike at Vernon, and you are in the gardens before the coaches. It is the right call, and the ride along the Seine is a bonus.
Families and groups of 4 to 7: the Van changes the maths — 715€ shared six or seven ways is competitive with coach-tour seats, for door-to-door comfort, child seats on request and no shuttle queue with tired children at 5 pm.
Art lovers short on days: the chauffeur, for the combination no train timetable allows — Giverny and Auvers-sur-Oise in one day is the Impressionist pilgrimage done properly, Monet's pond in morning light and Van Gogh's wheat fields in the afternoon.
Seniors and anyone who walks with care: the gardens themselves involve a good deal of standing and gravel paths; spending your energy there, rather than on the Vernon connection, is what the door-to-door option is for.
Paris → Giverny
Hotel pickup, the car waiting through the whole visit, and you decide when to head back. Business Class from €569, Van for up to 7 from €715.
Book a Giverny day trip ↗Timing your visit — season and crowds
Giverny is seasonal in a way Versailles is not: Monet's house and gardens open from late March to the start of November and close entirely in winter — always verify dates and book timed entry on the official Fondation Monet calendar before planning your trip. Within the season, May and June are the glory weeks for the water-lily pond and the wisteria on the Japanese bridge, and also the busiest; late September, when the dahlias take over and the coaches thin out, is the quiet connoisseur's window. Whatever the month, the strategy is the same: arrive at opening or after 4 pm, and give the middle of the day to lunch or the Museum of Impressionisms rather than the packed garden paths.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Giverny from Paris?
About 75 km (47 miles) north-west of Paris, on the edge of Normandy. By car it is roughly 1 h 15 door to door along the A13. By train, count about 45 to 50 minutes from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny station — plus the last 7 km from the station to Monet's gardens by shuttle, bike or taxi.
How do I get from Paris to Giverny by train?
Take an SNCF train from Paris Saint-Lazare toward Rouen and get off at Vernon-Giverny, about 45 to 50 minutes later. Trains run roughly every hour; fares vary by train and booking date, so check the official SNCF site. From Vernon station, a seasonal shuttle bus, bike rental or taxi covers the remaining 7 km to the village — the train does not take you to Giverny itself.
Can I do Giverny as a day trip from Paris?
Easily — it is one of the classic day trips from Paris. Allow two to three hours on site for Monet's house, the two gardens and the Museum of Impressionisms. By train it fills most of a day once you add the Vernon connection; with a private chauffeur it works as a half-day, or pairs with Auvers-sur-Oise or Rouen for a full Impressionist day.
How do I get from Vernon station to Giverny?
The village is about 7 km from Vernon-Giverny station. In season, a shuttle bus timed to the main Paris trains links the station to Giverny for a small fare; bike rental near the station lets you ride a flat, traffic-free greenway in about 25 minutes; taxis exist but are few, especially at busy midday arrivals. Walking takes around 1 h 15 each way.
Is there a bus to Giverny?
There is no direct public bus from Paris to Giverny. The only local bus is the seasonal shuttle between Vernon-Giverny station and the village, timed to the main trains. Otherwise, bus access means a coach tour from Paris — transport and entry bundled, but on a fixed group schedule.
How much does a private chauffeur to Giverny cost?
Our private Giverny day trip starts at 569€ in Business Class (up to 3 passengers) and 715€ by Van (up to 7), all-inclusive: chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, tolls and waiting during the visit, half-day to full-day. Combined days with Auvers-sur-Oise or Rouen are priced on request. Fondation Monet tickets are separate — book timed entry on the official site.
Skip the Vernon shuttle, keep the morning light
Hotel pickup, gardens at opening time and a chauffeur waiting all visit — the private Giverny day trip from 569€.
Book a Giverny day trip ↗