From a quick meal at Gare Saint-Lazare to Monet’s dreamy garden and a lucky supermarket discovery back in Paris.
June 23, 2025
Breakfast and the Journey to Giverny
For breakfast, we had the baguette, cheese, plums, and cherries we bought yesterday.
Then we took the metro to Gare Saint-Lazare (see on map). From here, we would take a regional train to visit Claude Monet’s House and Garden in Giverny (see on map), managed by the Claude Monet Foundation.
We bought our tickets from the machine at the station—17.60€ each, one way.
Since we still had some time before departure, we decided to stop by McDonald’s inside the station, curious to see how prices compared to Japan.
It turned out to be quite expensive—10.45€ for a simple meal. No wonder many foreign visitors find food in Japan surprisingly affordable.
Also, the muffin they served was torn. I couldn’t help thinking, “In Japan, they’d probably replace it right away without the customer even asking.”
The Train Ride to Vernon–Giverny
We took the 12:12 p.m. train bound for Normandy.
Each seat had both USB-A and Type-C outlets, and I regretted not bringing my charging cable.
The train windows were quite dirty. Then again, maybe that’s normal—it made me realize how spotless Japan tends to be. I thought, “Perhaps in Japan, we spend too much effort on services that can’t really be charged for.”
After about an hour, we arrived at Vernon–Giverny Station (see on map).
Right in front of the station, shuttle buses operated by SNGO! were waiting in sync with the train’s arrival. We took one with air conditioning, but there was also an open-air sightseeing bus running the same route for the same fare—10€ round trip.
The SNGO! bus accepted contactless credit card payment. After tapping, the driver handed us a paper receipt that served as a round-trip ticket.
Monet’s Garden: A Place I’d Been Longing to See
After a short walk from the bus stop, we reached the Claude Monet Foundation.
There was a long line at the ticket booth—much longer than I expected for a weekday afternoon. I instantly regretted not buying tickets online in advance. The entrance fee was 12€ per person.
Monet’s garden, which I had been most eager to visit on this trip, was stunning. Although only a few water lilies were blooming, countless colorful flowers filled the space with life and beauty.
We also toured the house itself, where many Japanese ukiyo-e prints were on display. Standing there, I felt an odd but wonderful sense of connection between Japan and France.
A Relaxing Break at the Botanical Café
After exploring the garden, we stopped by Botanic Café (see on map) nearby.
We ordered a citronnade, an apricot juice, and a tarte au citron—everything together was 17€.
The café was bright and airy, with just the right amount of shade. It was such a pleasant place to rest after walking in the sun.
When we later returned to the bus stop, we were glad we arrived early—the shuttle was packed, and many people couldn’t get on.
Delays and a Smooth Return to Paris
Back at Vernon–Giverny Station, we bought our return tickets.
Just then, an announcement said the train would be delayed by 30 minutes.
We decided to wait patiently, but soon another announcement said it would leave on time. We rushed to the platform—but the train never came. Eventually, its listing disappeared from the board.
When we asked at the counter, the staff explained that the train had been canceled and told us we could use the same tickets for the next one, an hour later.
Finally, the 7 p.m. train arrived. The car wasn’t crowded, and we found seats in an air-conditioned section. We rode comfortably back to Gare Saint-Lazare and then took Metro Line 9 to our neighborhood.
Our New Favorite Supermarket
Before going back to our Airbnb, we stopped at Auchan Supermarché Voltaire – Paris (see on map).
Unlike Carrefour, which we visited the day before, people here were actively buying vegetables, so the produce seemed fresher and better in quality.
We picked up lasagna, a baguette, chicken, yogurt, and juice for dinner.
Back home, we heated the food in the microwave and enjoyed a simple but satisfying meal.
