Many people want to visit Claude Monet's beautiful gardens in Giverny. Monet's house, gardens, and Water Garden, site of the famous water lilies, are easily accessible from Paris. Giverny is a lovely little village on the Seine, northwest of Paris, France. It is on the border of Normandy and Île-de-France.

From the Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris there are trains to the town of Vernon every hour or two. The trip takes about 45 minutes on a very comfortable train. Be sure to allow time to buy a ticket; there are numerous ticket machines, but if you want to pay cash, you will need to go to the ticket counter and there may be a waiting line.

Vernon is about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Giverny. Once you arrive in Vernon, look for the blue footprints with Giverny in large white letters painted on the ground. These will lead you out of the station and to your transportation options.

Buses meet all of the trains and go directly to Giverny. You pay on board, and your ticket is round trip/return, so be sure to save it for the return. The bus takes about 10-15 minutes. From the bus stop, it's about a 5-10 minute walk to the ticket booth and entrance.

You can also rent a bicycle and cycle along the bike path. Or, if you're feeling ambitious, you can walk along the path (1 to 1-1/2 hours).

Bear in mind that Giverny gets crowded and you will probably have to wait in line to buy your ticket. Arriving in the early morning or the late afternoon probably will result in a shorter wait.

You can also drive to Giverny, and there are several convenient parking lots. Guided tours from Paris are also easily available, though of course more expensive than going on your own.

Here's how to visit the gardens at Giverny.