Giverny - When to go?

Giverny gets crowded anytime of year but mostly in the afternoons. I went in August early, when it first opened in the morning, and wasn't bothered by the crowds. When I left around noon it was starting to get overwhelming. On the itinerary it sounds like you will go there in the morning before lunch so it shouldn't be too bad no matter when you take the tour. In August it was just beautiful - I'm partial to the late summer/autumn flowers so I absolutely loved it. I would think that it would still be amazing in September and even into October, just not the same flowers as you see in spring and early summer.

I think the RS tour tries to get there before the crowds show up, so you will be fine any time of year. Because the gardens are spread out, you should be able to find a quiet corner away from the hordes (the house, on the other hand, is usually jammed).

I stopped in at Giverny in August this year, stayed the night in a nearby B&B, on our way to the Loire for a week.

We arrived about 3 in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day there. The flowers were at their best and the bridge and pools were gorgeous. As we walked through the house I could just imagine Monet and his family living there, and the views throughout the property were just as I had seen in so many paintings.

When we arrived it was quite warm - I was glad we had parasols - and the gardens while busy were warm and welcoming - but the crowds didn't interfere with the enjoyment. There was plenty of room on the island and clear views of the flowers, bridges, and ponds were easy to get.

I'm sure the gardens are designed for a long blooming season, as well as interesting foliage. On an October visit, I remember nasturtiums still blooming, as well as water lilies, I think day lilies, and some other long-season flowers.

We went on this tour toward the end of September. The gardens were just beautiful. I do not like crowds and really the only place that was congested with people was the house and gift shop. We toured the grounds and had an early lunch in the town.

For me, the ideal time to visit Giverny would be late May. I am partial to spring flowers and roses vs the late summer flowers that are blooming in early September. I have visited in August, September, and October and loved the gardens but hope to visit in late spring sometime.

We went on 22 April in 2011, the gardens were beautiful then.

http://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/calendar.htm is the "flowering calendar" on the official Giverny site.

Honestly, I would not focus on the gardens to determine the timing of my trip, but on the overall itinerary. As others have said, it's always crowded and the RS itinerary indicates that their groups visit early, when it's least crowded.

I went on a weekday in mid-September. That year plenty of flowers were still in bloom and it definitely was not crowded with tour buses.

I was there on September 7th this year. I timed the train so that I was there when it opened and the crowds weren't too bad, even though it was a Saturday. The flowers were astonishingly beautiful. They must weed out the non-perfect ones at night - I coudn't figure it out. I hadn't expected the flowers to be so varied in each spot or the smells to be so strong and lovely. It was one of the best things about my recent trip to France and I'd love to return in May as well.

What is a typical amount of time to tour the Monet home and gardens at Giverny? We'll be there next June, in transit from Paris to Normandy. Thanks.

I would allow at least a couple of hours and also make time to walk to the end of the village to see the Monet grave at the cemetery and have lunch at the Hotel Baudy.

We trained from Paris' Gare St. Lazare (one hour ride) and took the shuttle bus to the Gardens from the train station. It was my 5th trip to Giverney but I still spent about 3 hours there--- the gardens, just sitting by the running brook musing, Monet's house and the gift shop. Then, we took the shuttle bus back to the train station in Vernon and trained back to Paris. It was an all day excursion, but much less expensive than taking one of the Giverney Tours from Paris which run close to $100 and the only narration is while on the bus ride. You're still on your own in the garden and the house.