My experience visiting Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, France.
Early last October, I took a trip to Giverny, France where I visited Claude Monet’s house and garden. The tourist season is April- October so I was not so sure what to expect in terms of the garden and the crowds. Here’s my experience:
My friend and I stayed in a cute Airbnb in the larger town right next to Giverny which is called Vernon. I would highly recommend staying in Vernon as the town is humble but very lively with many markets and historical sites of it’s own.
The architecture of the town captures a charming, traditional, and rural French character that you’ll see all over the Normandy region. A beautiful blend of medieval and renaissance styles with narrow cobblestone streets, half timbered houses, and old stone buildings.
The town offers six historical sites including Chateau de Vernon and Pont (bridge) de Vernon and a weekly Saturday market where you can find a variety of local produce inluding, cheeses, meats, flowers, and artisan goods. Admittedly, I didn’t even make it to any of the historical sites, as I had enough to do with the beautiful nature and moody scenery of Vernon’s parks and trails in October.
I could honestly write a whole other post on Vernon as it was so charming and serene, it’s perfect if you like traveling but in non-touristy areas that still have lots to do.
Now, for what you’ve been waiting for, and I’ll cut to the chase.
It’s more than worth visiting Claude Monet’s house and garden. And yes, it’s still just as beautiful in October and there are still as many flowers as in the spring.
The flowers are specifically chosen for their lifespan that lasts throughout October. In fact, I loved the experience of the garden and lily pond with the leaves turning their crisp oranges and reds of autumn.
What should you expect? Crowds. Yes, even in October. I think it depends on what time you go, but there really is no science to it besides beating the tour busses. It is busiest on weekends and holidays, so try to go on a weekday. Even so, there will still be a lot of people. It was possible to get pictures without people in them, you just have to be a little patient.
Tickets? We just bought them at the door and that worked out fine. Definitely don’t buy them from a third party. If it’s a weekend or a holiday, I would reccomend buying tickets in advance on the official website.
The official website: https://claude-monet-giverny.tickeasy.com/fr-FR/accueil
I hope this was helpful!
