Hello, we are starting in Paris, train to Amsterdam, train to Brugge. Then what is the best train plan to go from Brugge to Giverny?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
I'll add a few details to what Steve wrote.
Take an IC train from Brugge to Bruxelles. Trains run frequently and no reservations are possible so there is no need to book in advance.
Take a Thalys train from Bruxelles to Paris. If you book well in advance (up to 90 days allowed), you can get a discount fare. (Do the same for a Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam.) If you book your tickets at tgv-europe.com, be sure to choose Great Britain as your country of residence so you aren't bumped to the Rail Europe site which doesn't offer discount fares. Or you can book at thalys.com. (Choose paper ticket on that site.)
You will arrive in Paris at Gare du Nord. Trains to Vernon (the closest station to Giverny) depart from Gare Saint-Lazare. Take the RER E from the Magenta RER station (connected to Gare du Nord) to the Haussmann--Saint-Lazare RER station and walk to Gare Saint-Lazare. Or take a taxi. (It's a short ride.)
There is no advantage to booking Paris-Vernon tickets in advance because no reservations are possible. To get from Vernon to Giverny you can take a bus, take a taxi, or rent a bike.
To see timetables for the entire route from Brugge to Vernon, go to the German Rail site. After you get summary timetables for Brugge-Vernon, click on the arrow to the left of each departure time to see the connecting points.