I'm planning on visiting Giverny / Monet's Garden on a Monday in April (Apr 29, 2024 to be exact). Is it necessary to buy tickets in advance? Their website indicates busy weekends and holidays, but just want to double check. We are first getting a car from CDG to drive there ourselves and will be unsure of the timing. I can also purchase advance tickets day of once we have gotten on the road if needed. Thank you.
Posted by
Chicago
8060 posts
If you have tickets you just walk in the group entrance. When we didn't have tickets I waited over an hour in line on arrival while my husband had coffee LOL.
Posted by
OP
32 posts
Thanks for the reference janettravels44. What time of year were you at the gardens and what day of the week?
Posted by
Boston
27 posts
When I went on a warm & sunny weekday (Wednesday, I think?) in early May, 2022, I waited in a very short line (5 min max) for a ticket around the time they opened. I had taken the 8:15am train from Paris (as recommended in my trusty RS guidebook) to time my arrival & there were obviously others who heeded the same advice, but it all moved very quickly. Overall, it was crowded, but my sense was that a good number of the other visitors had come on tour group busses, so likely already had tickets. And even with lots of people, it was such a beautiful place...I still look back at my photos from that day when I need a burst of sunshine & flowers...enjoy!
Posted by
Wake Forest, NC
6 posts
Thanks for the question Janetravels44 , I was wondering the same myself!
Posted by
Chicago
8060 posts
We were there in May and arrived in the morning. It has been awhile. The day we were there was quite crowded which did not matter for the gardens but meant the house was mobbed so we didn't do that (did it this year on a second trip), but it did mean a long line. Maybe with more people in the habit of buying advance tickets the lines are not as long now.
Posted by
31 posts
last year some week ends in April and May were so so so busy they stopped selling tickets there, so buying advance tickets is the only guarantee to get in.
I have been guiding there regularly for 24 years, and it was the first time i had ever seen such a long long line