Colleen's Tips

Sightseeing in and around Paris can take many forms:

A free Paris guidebook ("Paris for You") is available from the Paris Tourist Office.

You can download it from the internet before you arrive or you can pick up a copy at one of their tourist offices.

You can ride on a human transporter called a Segway, you can ride a bicycle, you can inline-skate (roller blade) with thousands of skaters on a Friday night, you can take a boat cruise, you can ride in a Citroën 2cv, you can travel by train, you can take a walking tour, etc..

Paris City Passport (300 euros worth of discounts from the Paris Tourist Office)

Olivier Magny's international wine tasting events of ÔChateau are now part of the Paris City Passport. Read about an nice wine-tasting evening spent in Olivier's loft.

Paris in 1, 2 or 3 days

Day Trips

• Giverny - Monet

• Chaitou - Fournaise Museum

• Vaux le Vicomte

• Versailles

• Versailles visit including train ticket

• Auvers-sur-Oise - A day trip (famous for van Gogh, takes 40 minutes)

• Toile de Jouy fabrics

   

HINT!

Using the train

SNCF/ Ter is the regional train system. I have provided two website links when looking up information for the Day trips (French and English). If the English website is not fully functional, the French site will fill in the missing links. My Transilien page help you with vocabulary.

Visit famous Paris sites with an audio download in English.

The Paris tourist office now makes it convenient to tour Paris's monuments get the facts. The Notre-Dame tour is nine minutes and 52 seconds.

The other audio tours available are Saint Germain des Prés, Tour Eiffel, Arc de Triomphe, le Louvre, Sacré Coeur and Beaubourg. Not just facts imagined interviews take place with "personages" of the period.

Virtually visit the Hôtel de Ville

Walking by the Hôtel de Ville on your visits to Paris, you look up into the windows and see chandeliers. Visit it virtually . The audio and visual tour is written in English and spoken in French. It provides the history of the city and its architecture, its halls, staircase; a fabulous presentation. Enjoy!

Seasonal tourist office locations

At the welcome kiosks you will find a full range of Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau leaflets, plus a brochure of summer events titled “J’aime l’été à Paris” (I love summer in Paris) in French and English. In 2006 the kiosks supplied 194,000 tourists with information and assistance.

KIOSK HÔTEL-DE-VILLE
Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville (entry from rue de Rivoli)
July 2 to August 31, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
 

KIOSK NOTRE-DAME
Parvis de Notre-Dame
July 2 to August 31, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
 

KIOSK BASTILLE
Place de la Bastille (facing the Opéra-Bastille)
July 2 to August 31, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
 

KIOSK CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES – CLEMENCEAU
Corner of avenue des Champs-Élysées and avenue Marigny
April 7 to October 20, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

All tourist office locations

Meet the Parisians at work

From the Paris Tourist Office website:

"If you’re intrigued to learn more about these savoir faire and chat to Parisians about their professional activities and discover their place of work, then this programme of visits is for you.

"You will learn from the Parisians themselves (among other things) the techniques of bookbinding, picture framing, carving, and fine leather craft. You will also see the professions of the furrier, bookseller, and jeweler. Bread making, chocolate making and cheese maturing will no longer hold any secrets for you.

"You will also be able to go behind the scenes at the theatre to see the hidden side of a show, and see what goes on behind the scenes at a racecourse and an auction house and even penetrate the basement of the Eiffel Tower...."

Find out "How and when"; the specific dates or visits all year round.

Categories include: arts and crafts, food, Behind the scenes, Paris Heliport, Arts and crafts, Food, Behind the scenes (most of the visits for this category are in French):
 

How and when?

• Meet the Parisian at work

• Schedule of visits

Visits at specific dates

• Arts and crafts

• Food

• Behind the scenes

• Paris Heliport

Visits all year round

• Arts and crafts

• Food

• Behind the scenes

• Paris Marina

• Training

• Luxury

Et Voilà le travail!

• Et voilà le travail

For more information, visit the Paris Tourist Office website.

The Pudlo guide is an excellent guide to Paris restaurants, gourmet shops, cafés, and bars:

For a full list of museums accepting the Paris Museum Pass

 

PARIS OPERAS   Read about a tour of the Palais Garnier Opéra     Visit the Palais Garnier Opéra website about their official visits   Website that shows seating category map   Ticket tips for other categories the National Opéra houses:   Seats in the 5th, 6th or 7th category at the Palais Garnier and seats in the 7th and 8th category at the Opéra Bastille are only sold at the ticket office.   Seats in the in the 9th category (standing) at the Opéra Bastille are only sold at the opening of the doors about 1 1/2 hours before the curtain rises.

Notre-Dame viewed from René Vivian Square near Saint Julian le Pauvre church

Jardin des Plantes - a dragon made from aluminum cans and plastic bottles

Jardin des Plantes the path that runs along side the zoo (ménagerie)

Château de Vincennes

From the Paris Tourist Office:

Reopening of the keep at the Château de Vincennes

The keep at the Château de Vincennes reopened to visitors on May 17, 2007 after being closed for eleven years for renovation work.

The 14th-century keep, which is the highest medieval structure in Europe, offers an unusual view of Paris and the Bois de Vincennes. It dominates the architectural complex of the castle, built between the 14th and 19th centuries. The keep is one of the biggest and best-preserved examples of a royal residence in the late Middle Ages.

The exterior and interior of this unique French historical landmark have been substantially refurbished and repaired.

Archaeological digs carried out during the renovation demonstrate that the structure, begun under Philippe VI of Valois and completed by his grandson Charles V, has come down to us without any major modifications.
 

Technological innovation has been used to great effect in planning the new tour itinerary.

There is an introductory video in the big hall (Salle du Conseil), while the first two floors display the architecture and decoration of the keep the way the king originally designed them.

A lectern in the king’s bedroom holds Charles V manuscripts scanned by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

There is a virtual 3D display of extant pieces of gold jewelry, including the famous scepter at the Louvre.

The ground floor rooms host exhibitions on the keep’s most famous prisoners (including Diderot and Sade).

For reasons of security, the upper sections of the keep are only accessible to people on guided tours (groups of 19 people maximum).

Time line

Illustrious figures

CHÂTEAU DE VINCENNES
Avenue de Paris, 94300 Vincennes (Bois de Vincennes)
Metro: Chateau de Vincennes or RER Vincennes
Telephone 01 48 08 31 20
Open daily (except January 1, May 1, November 11 and December 25) 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 - 5 p.m. (September 1 - April 30); 10 a.m.-
12 p.m. and 1 - 6 p.m. (May 2 M- August 30)

Full price 7.50 euros; reduced price: 4.80 euros; groups and tourism professionals (from June 2007): 5.75 euros
Free entry for under-18s

Heritage workshops (half-day): 95 euros 01 43 65 29 82)

Note: The monument is not accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Guided tours are available for the partially sighted and the blind (heritage workshop organiser) and the hearing impaired and deaf (sign language guide available on
request).

Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis

"...I did go Basilica of St Denis- (the people at the hotel were horrified- said it is a bad area)  I have to state that it was a complete surprise, and I looked at my watch and saw that I had spent 3 hours there- would definitely put it on the list of things to see -- especially if anyone buys into the DaVinci code nonsense- the Monrovian kings are all buried there- and the Arab market was very interesting- of course one must be careful, but you have to be just as careful in the Louvre ...." -- Christine (I concur -- it is worth the visit! The tourist office is on the plaza and can answer all of your questions)

"As early as the 5th century AD, Francs aristocrats were buried in the basilica, Dagobert was the first sovereign to be buried there in 639. Over the centuries the Saint-Denis basilica became the "King’s Cemetery". In the 13th century the necropolis character of Saint-Denis was reinforced by the introduction of sculpted tombs, their magnificent style was to evolve over the centuries. Today, 43 kings, 32 queens and 10 great servants of the kingdom of France repose in the basilica." from the Centre des Monuments Nationaux

Basilique of Saint-Denis

1, rue de la Légion d’Honneur

93200 Saint-Denis

Metro: line 13, Basilique de Saint-Denis (recommended)

Phone : 33 / (0)1 48 09 83 54

Map and practical information

Open:
April 1 to September 30 10 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6:15 p.m.
October 1 to March 31 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5:15 p.m.

The ticket office closes 1/2 hour before closing.

Closed January 1, May 1, December 25 and during certain liturgical events (call 01 48 09 83 54 for more information)

Guided visits available in English, French, Spanish and Italian
Lasts 1 ½ hours; reservations suggested
Contact: 01 44 54 19 30 (Visites-Conférences)
or Office de Tourisme de Saint-Denis Plaine Commune 01 55 87 08 70

Audio guide : English, French, German, Spanish, Italian (1 ¼ hours)
Cost: 4 euros; 6 euros for a couple ; 2 euros for groups of 20 or more
Film shown subtitled in English, Spanish and sign language
 

Paris Museum Pass

The Paris Tourist Office has an online boutique if you would like to buy your museum pass before you leave home.

Visit their website to find out the options for obtaining your pass.

List of possible museums to visit in Paris with this pass

The Montmartre Wine Harvest (Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre) is held the second weekend in October.

Since the official website is in French, I have translated the basic information in case you might want to catch up with the activity! Their website is not always up and running by the way.

The parade begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday from the metro Jules Joffrin and the city hall (Mairie) for the 18th arrondissement.

Around 4 p.m. it will pass by the metro Lamarck Caulaincourt heading toward the north of the Butte (that is the hill of Montmartre).

Winding south of the Butte, the parade will pass by the metro stop Abbesses around 5 p.m.

The festivities wind up starting at 6 p.m. at the square of Montmartre with a musical evening.

2006 poster - celebrating "la cuvée Michou 2005"

Paris Tourist Office (Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau) all over Paris

Ask for the free guidebook and map:

"Paris for you" and the "Paris for you map -- A"

What does the book contain?

Sightseeing and events, walks and a directory.

Sightseeing: "calendar of events, top 12 Parisian sights and the River Seine"

Walks: "Twelve (12) different atmospheres to discover Paris time after time, area by area, as the mood takes you."

Directory: "Some 200 useful addresses, a metro map, information, hints and advice -- all you need to enjoy a smooth stay in Paris".

The information centers are located at popular tourist areas. The centers provide a full range of services (hotel reservations, excursions, etc.

For more information:

www.parisinfo.com

Telephone: 01 49 52 53 68

08 92 68 30 00 (0,34 euros/minute)

Marie-Christine Rabot

mcrabot@paris-touristoffice.com

Paris Tourist Offices:

 

Pyramides welcome centre

25, rue des Pyramides   75001

RER : Auber (line A)
Metro : Pyramides (lines 7-14)

Open: Everyday: from 9am to 7pm

Tel : 0892 68 3000 (0,34 €/min)

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Gare de Lyon welcome center

20, Boulevard Diderot   75012

Open from Monday to Saturday (Closed on Sundays and May 1)
08:00 – 18:00
Metro:  Gare de Lyon (line 1-14) RER Gare de Lyon (line A-D) 

---

Opéra – Grands Magasins welcome center

11, rue Scribe   75009 Paris
Open from Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m, except Sunday, December 25, January 1 and May 1

Metro: Opéra (line 3 - 7 -8) or Chaussée d'Antin
(line 7 - 9) RER Auber (line A)

---

Gare du Nord welcome center

18 rue de Dunkerque

75010

Open 7 days a week 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. except May 1 and December 25

Métro:  Gare du Nord (lines 4 et 5) RER: Gare du Nord (lines B and D)

« Welcome kiosk » is located beneath the glass roof, in the Ile-de-France zone - street level.

Gare du Nord serves travelers voyaging between England, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, northern France and Charles de Gaulle/Roissy airport.

---

Montmartre Tourist Office (Syndicat d’Initiative de Montmartre) welcome center

21 place du Tertre  75018

Open 7 days a week - 10:00 – 19:00 except May 1

Métro: Abbesses (line 12) or Anvers (line 2)

---

Espace du Tourisme d’Ile-de-France welcome center

Carrousel du Louvre
Place de la Pyramide Inversée
99, rue de Rivoli  75001

Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except December 25, January 1, May 1

Métro: Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre, (lines 1 and 7)

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Anvers

72, bd Rochechouart 75009

During the summer the Paris Tourist Office has kiosks filled with everything: maps, guides, free guide books of Paris, employees to answer questions, etc.

 

During the summer months, you can find these kiosks at the following locations:

 

Bastille (Opera Bastille)

Hôtel de Ville

Notre-Dame

Paris-Plage

Place Colette (Palais Royal)

Champs-Élysées Clemenceau

---

This 136-page guidebook, published in English and French, suggests 13 walks that will take you on a discovery tour of the city, its different neighborhoods, at the pace of life of their inhabitants (mythical Paris, trendy Paris, undiscovered Paris, etc.). And whatever you may feel like doing – seeing a show, shopping, relaxing, etc. -, you will get the most out of the French capital with the 12 thematic sections that alternate with the walks. Click on the corresponding link to download the walks or tips that interest you.

To view the map where

the tourist offices are

located, left click on the photo

Gare du Nord tourist office "welcome kiosk"

Opéra - Grands Magasins welcome center

Gare de Lyon

Montmartre

Carrousel

Double decker on the Open Tour bus

If you decide to ride around on a double-decker tour bus for a day or two, the Open Tour bus operates seven days a week, and stops at many of the regular bus stops and will cost about 25 euros for one day or 28 euros for two days. It operates in cooperation with the RATP (the Paris metro and bus system). If you have the Paris Visite, check for discount voucher.

 Go to for maps, rates, times and information on this double decker.

Planning on staying in Paris and playing with the buses, ask for the GRAND PLAN DE PARIS (No. 2)  at any metro ticket counter. On one side is an invaluable bus map and on the other, the metro map.

I have received good recommendations that this is a great way to see Paris when your time is limited. You jump on and off at will, a wait for the next bus is about 10 minutes maximum and takes you to all of the highlights.

Day trip transport/entry information

Pick up a brochure at the train stations called "Forfaits Loisirs" (leisure travel fees).

Entry into a museum or château and your transportation

The French train system (SNCF/Transilien) (English) (French) provides the option of buying a single, combined ticket for your Entry into a museum or château and your round-trip transportation. If a bus ride is necessary, it is included in the ticket.

You can buy your ticket at the Paris train stations. The following are 2005 prices when you leave from Paris. The following table is a guide, be sure to ask for more information at the RER/train ticket or information counter.

Gardens and Parks

The Mairie de Paris provides lots of information on Paris parks and gardens in French. Twice a year, the Mairie publishes a program of events. Scroll down the web page and click on the image "Jardins et Nature à Paris" for the current edition.

For an Adobe version of their book "Jardins et Nature à Paris" for the second half of 2007, go to their programme page.

Inside you will find information for guided visits broken down to by arrondissements, dates and times and where to meet.

The guided visits

The guided visits last two hours. You are advised to wear comfortable shoes. In case of storms or snow, the visit will be cancelled. Certain visits are limited to 30 visitors.
The visit costs 6 euros.

An example in the downloadable brochure would be:

Visit the gardens of the Champs-Élysées.
Sunday May 6 at 3 p.m.
Thursday June 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Meet: in front of the Theatre of the Rond-Pont (roundabout) on avenue Franklin-D.-Roosevelt (métro Franklin-D.-Roosevelt).
End of the visit: rond-point des Champs-Élysées, at the corner of Avenue Matignon (métro Franklin-D.-Roosevelt).
 

Even if your French is limited, it is a fun way to see the gardens from a different perspective.

Visit their website for more on the history of Paris parks in French.

The trip to Versailles includes: round-trip transportation (including your metro to leave Paris) and access to the Château (Grand Apartments -- free for those under 18), the King's bedroom and the ladies' apartments (on the weekend) with an audio guide, tour of the Dauphin and the Dauphine, the Royal Chapel, Royal Opera, the domaine of Marie-Antoinette (free for those under 18) and the Grand Trianon. On weekends during high season, entry also includes the carriage museum and the Grandes Eaux Musicales (the Dancing Waters spectacle).

Paris in 1, 2 or 3 days

Visit the Paris Tourist Office Website for suggestions. Click on "Trips & tours" and scroll down for their "excursion ideas" . It lists the places to see which you can then find on your hotel tourist map or look up on your Paris street book that I recommend called "Paris Pratique par arrondissement".

The site shows a map with beginning and ending points and six themed itineraries:

1. The essentials: Champs-Elysées to Montmartre

2. Paris and its history: Bibliothéque de France to Arènes de Lutèce

3. Shopping, urban energy: le Marais to butte Montmartre

4. Paris and romance: Place des Abbesses to Place des Vosges

5. A different Paris: La Villette to Grande Bibliothèque

6. Bohemian Paris: Montmartre to Montparnasse

Marais website

For those of you interested in learning more about the Marais area, including the Bastille, le Marais à Paris offers quizzes, information on nightlife, bio, boutiques, decorations for the home, etc.

One of its many features is under "Société"/"Recettes des chefs du Marais". Here you will find a recipe proposed by each chef at chosen restaurants.

The quiz under "Rues du Marais" asks a question and you click on the response.

For example: Click on "Place de la Bastille" on their index page. The page includes history, important events and then the "Quizz de la Bastille".

This site was recommended by Michaela 2005.

10% discount

Another interesting Marais website available in English, French is Paris le Marais. For a 10% discount at la Vaissellerie.

Visit their link “To buy”/Products.

Scroll down to “Home accessories” and click on “La Vaissellerie”.

Click on "Print It".

Their website also provides information on the history and architecture, places to visit, walks, entertainment, hotels, restaurants, etc.

Notre Dame in Paris guided visits

Check their Notre-Dame de Paris for any changes (look at Site Plan).

Wednesday and Thursday 12 noon, Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

For information call 01 42 34 56 10.

Cruises on the Seine

Vedettes du Pont Neuf boat cruise

Go to their website and print out the "internet coupon".

As a comparison with Batobus, Vedettes du Pont Neuf offers a one-hour commentary, no stops. It is more intimate than the Bateaux Mouches.

March to October: 10 a.m. 10:30 p.m.

November to February (weekdays): 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

November to February (Saturday, Sunday): 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

For adults: 10 euros

Children under 12: 5 euros

If you go to the Vedettes du Pont Neuf website they have an internet discount of 2 euros off the entry price. Website is in English.

info@vedettesdupontneuf.com

Telephone: 01 46 33 98 38

(ask concierge to confirm times during low season)

Vedettes de Paris boat cruise

Daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (weekdays) and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. (weekends) Departures every 30 minutes (Easter to October)

Daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (weekdays) and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (weekends) Departures every hour (November to Easter)

Adults: 9 euros (log onto their website and print out the coupon for an "internet discount" of 2 euros. 4 euros for children 4-12; free for four and under.

Leaves from the Eiffel Tower

"Sightseeing cruise on the Seine, with running commentary, to take you past the most prestigious monuments in Paris. Boarding takes place at the foot of the Eiffel Tower." The web site is in English.

Telephone: 01 47 05 71 29 (ask concierge to confirm times during low season)

billetterie@vedettesdeparis.com

Gourmet boat cruise with Capitaine Fracasse -- The site is available in English. If you wish to sit in the bay window area  in front of the boat, an 10 euros supplement is charged.

The dining area is non-smoking; while the exterior upper deck allows smoking.

Visit their website for the timetable since the hours change for June, July and December.

The have three menus from which to choose and a birthday special.

Eiffel Tower

The first floor is the activity level for temporary exhibitions and ice skating (December to February).

According the Eiffel Tower website , the rink is big enough for 100 skaters, is free and skates may be borrowed for free of charge; you are not allowed to bring your own skates.

If you are under 25, you can climb 700 steps (first and second levels) for 3 euros; over 25 the cost to climb is 3,80 euros.

The tower sparkles every night for 10 minutes on the hour from twilight to 1 a.m.

Handicap accessibility

The first and second levels are accessible to those in wheel chairs.

List of improvements necessary in order to provide disabled access :
.Direct access at each pillar, avoiding the steps and turnstiles
.Large capacity elevators accommodating wheel chairs
.Accessible entrances to the different services (snack bars, boutiques, post office)
.Handicapped toilet facilities on the ground floor (behind the East pillar) and on the 1st and 2nd floors
· Windows added to railings so that disabled persons could look out at the panorama of the city

Special entrance fees :

Disabled visitors to the Tower can take advantage of a reduced rate as well as the person accompanying them (recommended for those with extreme mobility problems) upon presentation of their official handicapped papers.
Elevator 1st floor: 2.30 euros
Elevator 2nd floor: 4.30 euros
Elevator to top: 6.30 euros
Steps (1st and 2nd floors) : 3.10 euros -- from the Eiffel Tower website

More general handicap accessibility information

©Colleen

Reader questions

Monet - Giverny

Yes, it is open. Here is the website address to check out everything.

Fondation Monet. They have an English version.

They are open:

Open from April 1 to October 31. 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Last entry is at 5:30 p.m.

Read about my train and bike journey to Giverny.

Access to Monet' Gardens information from their website:

By train : Paris-Vernon (departure Paris - Gare St Lazare), getting off at Gare de Vernon (Hint: you may also put in the closest bus or metro station as your departure station)
Timetable for trains SNCF

Local bus service between Vernon station (Gare de Vernon) and Giverny (5 kms).
Line 240 - Vernon <> Giverny

From Vernon train station several means of transport exist :

Bus (line 240 - Vernon <> Giverny)
Local bus service, leaving Vernon train station about 15 minutes after the arrival of train from Paris.
Taxis, Bike rental, Car rental


And, for the more energetic, walking-taking into account a distance of 5 kms between Vernon station and the Claude Monet Foundation.
 

Over a century ago, a colony of American impressionist artists settled in Giverny near the house of Claude Monet. Following their footsteps, the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny invites you to discover American art from 1750 to nowadays, with new exhibitions every year.

Musée d’Art Américain Giverny
"Over a century ago, a colony of American impressionist artists settled in Giverny near the house of Claude Monet. Following their footsteps, the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny invites you to discover American art from 1750 to nowadays, with new exhibitions every year.

Designed by French architect Philippe Robert, the building is closely linked to Giverny’s essential features—its light and landscape. He created a space at a crossroad between art and nature, in which the impressionist collection is perfectly integrated into the surrounding landscape. The sober white museum building, set in a natural hollow, extends horizontally and nestles into vegetation that half-conceals it. Alarge, light entrance hall welcomes visitors, and the three exhibition galleries are spread over several levels following the slope of the hillside. The lowest level houses a small exhibition space and a spacious auditorium equipped for lectures, films and concerts. The architecture is in perfect harmony with its site.

The Musée d’Art Américain Giverny was initiated by Daniel J. Terra (1911-1996). After graduating in chemical engineering, this son of Italian immigrants promoted a quick ink drying process and founded Lawter Chemicals in 1940. The company’s rapid growth and his successful investments soon enabled him to begin collecting art, initially eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British landscapes, and later exclusively American art from the colonial period to the 1950s.

Daniel Terra’s collection is as much the fruit of his passion as his fervent desire to promote American art in the United States and abroad, a task he devoted himself to after 1980, when he was appointed « United States Ambassador-at-Large for Cultural Affairs .» For the future of his collection, he founded in 1978 the Terra Foundation for the Arts (today Terra Foundation for American Art). His first museum in Evanston, Illinois, inaugurated in 1980, was replaced by two museums, the Terra Museum of American Art in Chicago in 1987 (now closed) and the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny in 1992." --Musée d’Art Américain Giverny website

Musée d’Art Américain Giverny
99, rue Claude Monet
27620 Giverny, France
Ph. : 33 (0) 2 32 51 94 65
Fax : 33 (0) 2 32 51 94 67
email

 
Open from April 1 to October 31
Open daily, except on Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Free admission on the first Sunday of the month
Adults: 5.50 euros
Reduced admission (senior citizens, students, teachers): 4 euros
Reduced admission disabled : 3 euros
From 12 to 18 years old: 3 euros
Under 12 years old: free admission

Reduced admission from July 10 to 14, 2007

Adults Groups (20 people minimum): 4 euros
School Groups: 3 euros
The Museum offers you a reduced ticket.
Please print this voucher and present it at the entrance of the Museum.

Audio guides in French and English are available to the museum's visitors.
They consist of commentaries of over 20 works exhibited in the galleries as well as a presentation of the museum gardens. Audio guide rental: 1.50 euros.

Terra Café, Restaurant of the Museum
Everyday except Mondays, from 10 am to 6 pm
Breakfast until 11.30 am
Lunch from 11.30 am to 3 pm
Salon de thé the afternoon
Ph.: 33 (0)2 32 51 94 61

Getting there
By road, the museum is located within less than an hour from Paris
- via the A13 highway (access through the Porte de Saint-Cloud), exit n°14, in the direction of Vernon and Giverny.
- via the A14 highway (access through the Porte Maillot and the Défense) which joins the A13 highway, in the direction of Vernon and Giverny.
- via the A86/A15/N14 highway (access through the Porte de la Chapelle), in the direction of Vernon and Giverny.

Download the access map in PDF (Acrobat Reader)

By train, Paris/Saint-Lazare station, Rouen line, get off at Gare de Vernon.

(Hint: you may also put in the closest bus or metro station as your departure station)
Buses, taxis or bike rentals at the station.
To get the schedule of trains, SNCF
Ph. : 33 (0)2 32 54 57 78

Bus (240) hours document dates from 2005 at the time you could buy a ticket for all-day use for three euros.

The Giverny-Vernon bus timetable

What to do and to see with children near Giverny

This website provides information about a little old train in the Eure Valley, the Market of Vernon , The gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Vernon ,Vernon-Beach and suggests renting a bike.

Here are their suggestions for renting a bike
 

You may rent a bike at :

The two coffee shops in front of Vernon's train station :
- "Bar-Restaurant du Chemin de Fer" 1 place de la Gare, Vernon
+33 232 21 16 01
Fare 12 euros/day. Caution : identity card.

- Café "Les Amis de Monet" place de la Gare ,Vernon
+33 232 51 55 16

A cycles shop in Vernon hires bikes :

- Cyclo News - 7 cours du marché aux chevaux - Vernon (near the hospital 800 m from the station) tel (0) 2 32 21 24 08
Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8:30 to 19:30
Fare : 12.20 euros/ person a day, 7.62 euros half a day + guarantee 150 euros.
Reduced fares for 3 bikes or more : 7,62 euros / person a day.

To cycle to Giverny
Ride down the Albufera street and cross the bridge over the Seine.

At the roundabout ignore the signs for Giverny which are meant for cars.

Go straight on, and take the first street to your right, then the first street to your left.

A large pathway for bikes and pedestrians opens a few metres away on your right.

It follows the tracks of the ancient railroad.

It enables you to ride or walk to Giverny away from the traffic. (5 km) The path is almost flat.

Bike to Giverny - the tour
 

Jean Monet on his Horse Tricycle
Claude Monet 1872
 

Map of Giverny

Floral (blooming season) map

Footpath

2007 Bus schedule

Website for Vernon

  email me with your recommendations and questions!