Hello all -
In Rick's book, it says it's possible to do Giverny and Rouen in one day. We're going to Paris in June and are thinking of doing that on Saturday. So, has anyone actually done that and was it feasible? And is Giverny mobbed in June? We'd take the train to Vernon, bike to Giverny and back to catch the train to Rouen.
Merci!
Yes Giverny is mobbed in June, don't consider going without pre-tickets or you will waste at least an hour in the ticket line, maybe longer. And when you arrive step lively for the bus as it left many people standing at the stop when we were there and there was no second bus in sight. Same on return to the train station; get to the bus stop 15 minutes or so ahead so you can be sure of getting on the bus. They pack it full but still leave people behind.
We considered doing this trip but decided to do it on two days as we wanted more time in Giverny. I can see it could be done as Rouen historic center is quite small and you can see the major sites in a short period. It is a bit too rushed for our style of travel.
Trains from Vernon to Rouen only take 40 minutes but they are spaced about 2 hours apart, so you'll want to plan around the specific train schedule .
Bit too rushed for me.
While I'd love to see the gardens, I'm not especially keen on all the other people also wanting to see them. So perhaps we will reconsider, and do a trip to Blois or similar town, where we might rent bikes and see the countryside and perhaps a castle or two. Suggestions?
I really hate crowds and thought Giverny would be unpleasant but although it was crowded it was really lovely. You can see our snapshots and the crowds here: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/not-so-secret-garden-giverny/
Thanks for all the input. Lots of food for thought!
