Giverny, any need or advantage to prebooking tickets? and a couple other Q's

Those with prebooked tickets didn't have to wait in line when we visited in the summer. They were in faster, of course, than those waiting in line. That being said, we were there at the time of opening, and if you wanted a little peacefulness in the gardens, you needed to be in right away before they were crowded. You are planning on an afternoon visit so there will already be people there. Also, in September, it most likely won't be as crowded as in the summer.

I also just want to say to please be sure to check the opening hours on the actual website for Giverny. They may have different opening hours in Septemeber that Google does not currently reflect. I've run into that in the past with a different site I wanted to visit. Check the website--not just Google--for opening hours of any site if planning to visit in future months.

Yes, getting tickets in advance will allow you faster admission. Can't speak to which day of the week is better. We arrived at 3:30 pm, which gave us plenty of time to see everything well before the 6 pm closure. The afternoon light was beautiful, although we were there on June 1; might be different at end of Sept. Yes, double check their Sept hours on the actual website https://claudemonetgiverny.fr/en/ I just looked; last admission is 5:30 pm with a 6 pm closure.

If you decide to take a morning train from Paris earlier in the day, you could visit Musee des Impressionnismes in the AM, have lunch at their nice brasserie, and visit Monet's garden at 3 or 3:30 pm when it will probably be less crowded. Another advantage to going to that museum first is you can buy a combo ticket, which would mean you wouldn't need to reserve your Maison de Monet ticket in advance. (Check hours/days of operation for museum to be sure this is a viable option: https://www.mdig.fr/en/) It's a lovely, small museum (only 3 galleries, if I recall), and nicely complements a visit to Monet's house.

The village of Giverny is small, compact, and very walkable. You could do all that in one day, but it will be a long day. Or, you can just plan for an afternoon visit to Maison de Monet and head back to Paris. I will add another plug, which is that after Monet's house closes, the village gets noticeably more quiet and feels like a quaint village. You could consider having an early dinner in Giverny (I recommend Hotel Baudy) before heading back to Paris. Not sure how that will fit with the train schedule, however. (We spent 2 nights at a B & B in Giverny, just up the hill from Monet's house, which made all of this more feasible and less hectic. I realize you'll be doing this as a day trip from Paris.)

Seeing both the Orsay and l'Orangerie on the same day could be a little taxing. Better to divide them into 2 days, if possible. And you will definitely want to reserve those tickets in advance (they may still offer combo tickets for those museums). VERY long lines for peeps with no tickets at l'Orangerie in May 2023 for our last visit. We were glad we had reserved tickets, and it was quite crowded.

Thanks,

I'll definitely verify the hours before relying on Google, this is just for planning purposes.

I usually spend about an hour in Orangerie and two to three in Orsay (my max for a single Museum visit). I thought it would be cool to first visit Giverny, then see the Monet's in Orangerie the next morning. Orsay is one of my favorites because it's easy to navigate and isn't nearly as overwhelming as le Louvre.

We're spending six nights in Paris this time. Unfortunately, only three at a time, so have only four full days. We'll have a couple half days (jet lag day and a second where we arrive about noon after a two-hour train ride).

Brad

Have a great trip! You'll love Giverny! I have loved Monet since an art teacher introduced me to his work in middle school. Being an art lover and gardener myself, it was a lifelong dream come true to visit his gardens and his home.

Travel Boss,
For more Monet...how about the Marmottan Museum in Paris? You can really get your fill on this trip! In my opinion, one hour at the Orangerie is enough, and 4-5 at the Orsay, but that includes some serious sit-down time there.
Have a great trip!

We visited Giverny last fall -- with tickets we could enter via the group entrance where there was zero line. The time we had visited before that, we didn't have tickets and I waited an hour in line to buy them. Since most people these days buy tickets ahead, the lines the day of may not be as bad.

Judy, I've been to Marmottan before. We won't go this time. We have only six nights in Paris (so four full days plus a couple half days). This is my wife's first trip to France (except skiing in Meribel). I'm sure we'll have more chances to see the places we're not picking up this time (I don't think we'll get to Rodin this time either).

TravelBoss,
Amusez-vous bien!

Brad, I loved Giverny so much that I covered all the ground twice and then just sat and took it in, before my husband said 'you are never going to want to leave, so it's time to go now'. That said, we did the round trip (in the morning) by train from Paris in a half day, back in time for lunch on Champs at 1:30. I personally think that Orangerie before Giverny is better, first the art inspired by the gardens, then the gardens have more meaning.

Judy,

Merci.