Giverny and Monet's Garden vs tour of Caen and WW 2 areas

Any time I see a question asking the worth of something, I usually run in the opposite direction. How do I know if you will find it worthwhile, since I don't know you or your likes and dislikes? I can tell you that I am an avid gardener and try to visit gardens open to the public in most of the countries we have visited ; and Giverny has long been one of my favorites. And I'm not even a huge fan of Monet's paintings. Whether you would feel the same after visiting it, I can't say.

Sounds like you've already seen or will see plenty of D-Day stuff. If you've never been to Giverny, go - Monet's Garden is beautiful. However, if you get there past 10am, expect the garden to be quite crowded.

I guess you can't do both. The 75th anniversary will be, I would think, make for a crowded time at the Normandy museum, but I'm just guessing.

Andrew is absolutely correct that Giverny is really crowded if you arrive after 10am, I arrived about 10:15 on a visit to Giverny and the first tour buses were there, and it was a slow but continuously moving line in the house. And the paintings in the house are all copies.
The garden is breathtakingly beautiful but after 10am was also jam packed. But it was nevertheless touching to see the place where lived during the last couple of decades of his life. And at the end of the day I was glad I did it but I thought I'd mention the crowds.

There's a quote in the Rick Steves pocket Paris guidebook about Monet's garden. It was something like "Go if you love Monet more than you hate crowds."

The time to "book ahead" for the 75th anniversary was over a year ago. If you are talking about the week surrounding the actual anniversary (June 6th), there will be multiple ceremonies and celebrations covering the whole area. Some will be off-limits to anyone except invited guests, such as those formal events attended by heads of state. But the Normandy landings area is huge—including 45 miles of shore, and many more points inland as well. So there will always be somewhere to go to or some ceremony to attend. Local tourist info offices should have somewhat complete lists of events a few months ahead of time. But any accommodations for that time frame have already been booked. I booked mine when I left there two years prior.
Edit to add: There is virtually no bus or other public transportation in this area. The only way to see sights is by car, or organized tour. Most but not all of the activities will happen the week of the 6th. The 6th itself is on a Thursday next tear, so expect many activities that week. And I know there will be a big celebration—including the large military airborne drop and party afterwards—on Sunday, June 9th in Sainte-Mère-Église.

Since you have already seen the military museum and are doing other D-day sites, go to Giverny. Yes, it will be crowded, but it will be gorgeous.

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate all the input and opinions! Yes! I know the 75th will be huge as we booked earlier this year (have been looking at tours for over 3 years). All our excursions are booked also but for this one day I was comparing going to Giverny vs re-visiting Caen. This is my 4th trip to Normandy as I was at the 40th and at the 60th with my parents who sat on the dias with President Bush, Chirrac along with Stephen Speilberg and Tom Hanks...so I am well aware of all the preparations, the long waits and huge crowds. We booked Giverny today so again, thanks for the input!

While in Giverny, stroll along the quaint road from Monet’s home to the cemetary...about a 20:minute walk. Along the way you’ll see how some local artisans sell products from their garages or yards which is charming. There is also the American Museum of Art. The cemetary has a poignant gravesite of seven British airmen who crashed there during WW2 and, the graves of Monet and family. I had the best lunch at a charming 4 table restaurant which seemed to be in someone’s home. I stumbled upon it by following the smell of the wood burning oven lunch was cooked on. Charming place and suggest you have made a good choice for your day away from the war sites.

Hi jemery, you made the right choice. Giverny and Monet's Gardens are beautiful and I'm sure you will enjoy your time there. The Museum of Impressionisms is worth a stop. Also, take a short walk to the church and cemetery to view Monet's gravesite. Even with the crowds, it's a very nice, peaceful village.

Loved our visit to Giverny and Monet’s Garden. We were there early so we were ahead of the crowds. Disagree with Andrew.reis about Monet’s home. I found it totally charming and was surprised by his collection of Japanese woodblock prints throughout and was brought to tears by how beautiful the kitchen was! This visit was truly the highlight of my trip and it was early spring, so the Garden wasn’t even at its blooming best. If you’re fond of this man’s work, don’t miss it. Find a way to get into his head, and ignore the crowd.

If you've done a lot of D-day sights, you should definitely go to Giverny. It will be crowded with a cruise tour group but still enjoyable.

If you've been to the D-Day sights, then definitely go on the Giverny tour. The others are correct, unless you arrive and enter the estate on the dot of opening time it will be VERY crowded. Take your time and enjoy both the lower pond, bridge and gardens along with the house and upper garden next to the house.

Definitely, as already recommended, walk the length of the main street of the town all the way to the church and cemetery. I, too, found the grave of the bomber crew (shot down by the village on June 8, 1944) to be very poignant and moving. The local people care for the grave and there is also a monument. On the day I was there several years ago a nephew of one of the crew had left a handwritten note thanking the village for watching over his loved one, it nearly brought me to tears.

There are several restaurants/cafes along the street, also art galleries as already mentioned. Just be prepared for crowds and sit on the many benches around Monet's house and pond when it gets overwhelming.

Are there still crowds later in the afternoon, say after 2:00 p.m. in the summer months?

I was there in April 2018 - the gardens were not too crowded around 2 pm but increased noticeably around 3 pm for my visit. I would guess in the summer it's going to be mobbed no matter when you go.

Monet's Garden is beautiful, but one of our fondest memories of Giverny was the fantastic meal at Ancien Hotel Buady. It is a short walk from Monet's House. Also, out of curiosity, who/what organization is sponsoring your D-Day Cruise?

So glad you decided to go to Giverny. The house is beautiful and comfortable. I especially enjoyed the blue and white kitchen. The gardens are glorious and in June should be at their best. I agree with others who have recommended the walk to the cemetery. I enjoyed that immensely as Giverny is a lovely village.

We are visiting Giverny in mid-September. Does anyone have input on crowds in the afternoon that time of year?