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Day Trips from Paris on Sunday and Monday (Giverny, Rouen, Vaux le Vicomte, Orleans)

Looking to take some day trips by train from Paris on a Sunday and Monday in June. Aside from trains running less frequently on a Sunday, would like to get out to Giverny and am debating whether to try to get there early enough that we could potentially continue on to Rouen and spend the afternoon/early evening in Rouen before returning to Paris the same day. Has anyone done both Giverny and Rouen in the same day from Paris by train? I don't really want to buy the Monet's Gardens tickets in advance in case the weather is lousy that day. Am I ok winging it and purchasing them at the gate on the day I arrive? Or do I want to at least go to the Impressionist Museum first and purchase a combo ticket there to bypass the ticket buying line at the Gardens?

Monet's Gardens and the Impressionists Museum in Giverny are both open on Sunday, but as far as what is open/closed in Rouen, will most sights and stores be closed in Rouen on a Sunday? Just trying to plan if I should do the Giverny/Rouen combo on a Sunday, or wait until Monday.

If I can reasonably fit both Giverny and Rouen into a single day trip, I would like to use the other free day on Sunday or Monday to decide on another day trip to either Vaux le Vicomte, or to Orleans (not so much for sightseeing, but for family tree research and to walk around the town for a few hours). Any comments or tips on either of those welcome. Thanks.

Posted by
8553 posts

Monet's garden is open on Mondays but I would carefully look at the web sites for various Rouen sites as it is the kind of touristy historic center that tends to shut down on Mondays. Check openings for the various key churches and other sights.

Posted by
4684 posts

Check all the sights you want to visit to see if they are open on Mondays. The majority of museums and historic sights in France are open on Sundays but closed Monday.

Posted by
1382 posts

There's not too much to see in Orleans since a lot of it was bombed, but it does have an impressive cathedral and great shopping!

Posted by
1806 posts

Thanks for the responses. From what I have seen and read so far, Orleans definitely did not seem to have a lot of touristy activities, but again, it's more of a place to stop for genealogy so I don't mind spending a very low key kind of day walking around the town. But good to know about the shopping!

And still definitely very interested to hear from anyone who has done both Giverny and Rouen in the same day from Paris by train. Just wondering how that worked for others. If squeezing Monet's Gardens and the museum there into about 3-4 hours seemed like enough time, or if it felt too rushed and I should scrap Rouen and just focus on Giverny? I certainly don't expect to see a whole lot of Roeun in just an afternoon/early evening, but I know if I like it, I'd come back on a future trip and stay a night or two.