NEAR PARIS - France 2014 - page 351

return times. To reach the bus stop to Giverny, walk through the station, then follow the
tracks—the stop is across from the L'Arrivée de Giverny café. Don't dally in the sta-
tion—thebusleavessoonafteryourtrainarrives.Duringbusytimes,alinecanformwhile
the driver sells tickets and loads the bus.
The bus leaves Giverny from the same stop where it drops you off (near pedestrian
underpass—see map; in 2013 buses departed at :20 after the hour and at 18:00, last bus at
19:20). Be there at least 15 minutes early to ensure a space (if the bus fills, you may have
to wait up for the next one). If you miss the return bus, ask a parking attendant or a staffer
at Monet's home, any shop, restaurant, or hotel to call a taxi for you—see next.
Taxis wait in front of the station in Vernon (allow €14 one-way for up to 3 persons,
mobile [phone] or 06 07 34 36 68).
You can rent a bike at L'Arrivée de Giverny, the café opposite the train station (€14,
tel. [phone]), and follow a paved bike path (piste cyclable) that runs from near
Vernon along an abandoned railroad right-of-way (figure about 30 minutes to Giverny).
Get the easy-to-follow map to Giverny when you rent your bike, and you're in business.
Hikers can go on foot to Giverny (about 1.5 hours one way), following the bike in-
structions above, and take a bus or taxi back.
Extension to Rouen: Consider combining your morning Giverny visit with an af-
ternoon excursion to nearby Rouen—together they make an efficient and memorable day
trip from Paris. Note that Rouen's museums are closed on Tuesdays. From Vernon (the
halfway point between Rouen and Paris), it's about 40 minutes by train to Rouen; the re-
turn trip from Rouen back to Paris takes 70-90 minutes. Plan to arrive at Monet's garden
when it opens (at 9:30), so you can be back to the Vernon train station by about 13:00.
You'lllandinRouenby14:00andhavejustenoughtimetoseeRouen'scathedralandsur-
rounding medieval quarter. If you leave Rouen around 18:00, you'll pull into Paris about
19:15, having spent a wonderful day sampling rural and urban Normandy.
Sights in Giverny
▲ Monet's Garden and House
Therearetwogardens,splitbyabusyroad,plusthehouse,whichdisplaysMonet'sprized
collection ofJapanese prints.Thegardensarealwaysfloweringwithsomething; they'reat
their most colorful April through July.
Cost and Hours: €9,notcoveredbyParisMuseumPass,dailyApril-Oct9:30-18:00,
closed Nov-March, last entry at 17:30. An audioguide is being developed and may be
available when you visit—ask.