Paris To Giverny

The tickets for the train from Paris St Lazare to Giverny must be bought either at St Lazaire station, or online beforehand (pick up at the station). It is usually cheaper to buy online ahead of time. This ticket will only be valid on the specify train you choose.

The corresponding métro station is (surprise surprise) also called "St Lazare". You can see it on the métro map here: http://www.ratp.fr/informer/picts/plans/pdf/reseaux/metro.pdf (square C3).
métro tickest can be bought at any métro station. It is cheaper to buy a pack of 10 ("carnet"). This can be used at any time and from any métro station in Paris.

You need to find out what is the nearest métro station to your hotel, and go from there to St Lazare station. But, this is basic information you should have researched before booking your hotel. Knowing the local métro station is at least importatnt as the street address, as you will be using this station every day when you are in Paris.

It sounds like you are a first-time visitor and do not understand how transport in Paris (especially the métro) work. you need to do some self-training.

Yes, if you're not used to public transportation, it is confusing. It will be much clearer once you're there.

The metro is run by a different company than the one that runs the train between Paris and Vernon (the station for Giverny). So, you buy metro tickets at a metro station, and train tickets at the train station.

Paris has 7 train stations, one of which is St. Lazare. Paris has many metro stations, one of which is also called St. Lazare. Despite their having the same name, they are not the same (although they would be connected by passageways). The metro station St. Lazare does not sell train tickets, and the train station St. Lazare does not sell metro tickets.

Most likely, for your travels around Paris, you'll either be getting a carnet of 10 metro tickets or a Pass Navigo Decouverte. (If you don't know about these, post another note). Either of these will work for your metro trip to the metro station St. Lazare. You then follow signs to the train station (often labeled SNCF), and go to the ticket windows there to buy the ticket to Vernon.

Buy your train tickets to the town of Vernon (the train stop nearest to Giverny) ahead of time either online or at an SNCF Boutique (these are ticket offices run by the French train company located all over Paris). I wouldn't wait until you get to the train station that morning to buy your tickets, as there could be lines or the machine might be finicky about your credit card. If you know when you'd like to go, buy your train ticket now and have one less thing to worry about that morning.

The Paris train station where you catch your train to Vernon is called Gare St Lazare. There are several metro lines that will connect you to the St Lazare metro stop, where it's a short walk through some passageways to the train station to catch your train.

If you haven't already done so, you will want to buy your tickets for entrance into Monet's Giverny house and garden online http://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/ticket/ or at any FNAC store in Paris. That way, when you arrive, you can bypass the line and go right in.

I also highly recommend renting bikes if you want to add a little local flavor to your visit to Giverny. It's a very easy, relatively flat ride and you can go at your own pace away from most of the crowds. You can also grab some supplies at a shop in Vernon and enjoy a nice picnic along the way. It was one of the highlights of our trip there last year!

One of the things I regretted last year was not having time to wander around Vernon after visiting Giverny and before taking the train back. It looked like a pretty little town that would be fun to explore for an hour or two - especially if you rent bikes.

On my most recent trip to Giverny I booked the 8:20 departure from Paris, and an open return so that we could spend as much or as little time as we wanted in Giverny/Vernon.

The 8:20 train is direct and is timed to meet the shuttle buses going to Giverny. You will arrive at the gardens right at opening - allowing you to arrive before most of the big tour busses.

You can purchase your train tickets at any train station or any SNCF boutique in Paris. I would recommend doing this a day or two in advance.

Monet's home and gardens lovely to be sure but please take some time to walk along the quaint streets (alley like really) adjacent to the home site. Some charming home based shops, a small museum and, at the end of the road (a flat perhaps 30 minute stroll from Monet's home) is the cemetery. Monet's family grave is there (on the right soon after entering) and especially poignant I thought was the memorial and graves of six British flyers who crashed there during the war. It is lovingly maintained by the locals and has British flags flying which will indicate the location. You might be able to enter the tiny charming church while there as well. To think this is where Monet often walked....

Gare St Lazare train station in Paris can be reached by buses too, not just the Metro. If your hotel is close to a bus stop, see if Bus # 26 and 43 stop there. Both of them go to St Lazare train station. The stops made by the particular bus # are shown on the side of the bus.