Castles · Tour

Giverny with Monet's Grave, and Versailles with Timed Entry

Two houses and two gardens, and one stop that almost no Giverny day trip makes: the churchyard of Sainte-Radegonde, where Monet is buried with members of his family, in a grave that is markedly plain for a man of his standing. Giverny comes with the flower garden of the Clos Normand, the green footbridge that appears in painting after painting, and the water lily pond beneath it. Monet lived here for more than 40 years and decided every detail of the house himself, which is why the interior reads as a work in its own right. Versailles is entered on a timed ticket, with free time inside. The Hall of Mirrors gives the measure of Louis XIV, and the guide covers France's last queen and the scandals that ran into the Revolution. The French gardens outside are as planned as the rooms are, and the Hameau de la Reine, Marie Antoinette's private village, is on the route. The group is a small one and leaves from 12 Avenue des Ternes. Be there at least 15 minutes before departure: the tour starts on time and there is no way to catch up with the group once it has gone.