Tips to travel around in France, to make sure you make the most of your time in this enchanting country. France is not just Paris!

Travel off-season for a better experience.

Cash rules!

Courtesy is key, especially if you don't speak French.

Getting around. Where to eat. So much to consider!

Let’s start with how to get there:

1. Online maps of airport, travel routes, Giverny, France.

2. Do you need permission to paint in the Gardens? Contact the Monet Foundation.

3. Accommodations, small hotel to castle type BnBs.

4. What should you bring: passport, ID, cash.

5. Language barrier? A French-speaking husband or French/ English translator from Babbel.com

In May of 2019, I packed my small bag headed to the airport to catch an early flight to Germany, where I would rent a car and drive to Paris. I was thrilled to grab a fist class seat and spent much of the 6-hour flight to Berlin eating, drinking, watching movies, and sleeping on my fresh duvet covered bed. I awoke to the clatter of breakfast dishes and the sun pouring into the cabin. I quickly prepared to exit the aircraft.

After renting a vehicle we headed towards the French border. For the next few hours, we drove past beautiful hillsides and small villages that still resembled medieval days. We arrived at our hotel in Paris well after dark but it didn’t matter. The gorgeous architecture of every building surrounded us. It didn’t matter the size of the building, each one was a piece of art. Our small, french hotel was nestled into a busy street at the foot of the Eiffel tower. We quickly signed in and huddled into the smallest elevator I have ever seen.

Our room was lovely and had a tiny balcony. The bed was comfortable and CLEAN. We awakened to the sound of horns, cars, and people chatting in the street. In Paris, there is at least one cafe on each street. The coffee was superb, the croissants divine.

Claude Monet’s Estate and Gardens are found to the West of France. It took us under an hour to drive there.

Painting in Claude Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France is much like slipping into one of his paintings. Giverny is the home village of Claude Monet, here he lived and worked from the age of 43, in 1883 to his death in 1926. It’s located, 50 miles (75 kilometers) North-West from Paris in Normandy. Claude Monet has long been my favorite Impressionistic artist and since I have had the privilege of visiting his Estate and Gardens, my goal has always been to return with a paint brush and canvass and sit and paint where he would work. Who better to return with then my artist friends. So, I decided to do some research and see what tips I could pass on to you in the hope that you might like to join me. I hope these few tips I offer you today will help motivate and encourage you to go. Each time I tour Monet’s Estate it leaves me with an overwhelming desire to PAINT in places where I know Monet painted most of his beautiful paintings. I have studied and copied his paintings for many years, hoping to somehow tap into the spirit of the Old Master Painter.

We begin with the necessities;

1. Passport and ID:

You are permitted to travel to France for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa, as long as your U.S. passport is valid for at least 3 months after your planned return to the United States. This is in accordance with the U.S. Embassy Paris. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://fr.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/paris/

2. Cash:

Check with your bank before you leave. Let them know where you are going so they won’t consider your expenditures fraudulent. You can use credit cards and ATM machines are everywhere. Carry some cash. It’s convenient for catching a quick bite, a cab, and tipping.

3. Know where you are going before you leave:

· Print out the maps you need.

· Giverny Tours to Giverny from Paris: Everything you need to know about touring is listed at this website: http://giverny.org/tour/excursion.htm. The site includes times of day, rates, and really just a lot of good information.

4. Transportation: Train, Bus, Car rentals

5: Accommodations: Many BnB’s and small café hotels near Claude Monet's Garden at Giverny.

6: And one more vitally important tip: if you don’t have someone with you that is bilingual, as I do, pick up an English/French translator or, go to Babel online. It’s a great site for quick translation.

The gardens are real works of art. Walking through Monet’s garden is just like walking through Monet’s paintings. Flourishing, peaceful and quiet,

Perhaps some of you are wondering if it is permissible to paint in the gardens. Actually, the answer is yes and no. According to the Foundation of Claude Monet the answer is; and yet, many do. The big key is if you paint outside of a workshop group, you MUST be discreet. Carry as few tools as possible, such as:

A. Watercolors portable kit.

B. Small brushes.

C. Water colored paper.

In Review and Conclusion

And so, today, we have examined how to make your dream of traveling abroad to paint in the place of your favorite artist or maybe to experience where he or she lived and worked. Being informed by learning about the airport you will visit, carrying cash for immediate purchases, booking close accommodation’s, perhaps even joining a tour group will go a long way to save you money, time, and stress.

I encourage you to do so sooner rather than later.

By following these tips and doing research of your own you’ll soon learn that it’s not as complicated as you might think.

Upon my return to the states, I painted this Giverny hotel and cafe, Ancien Hotel Baudy, Giverny, France. It is across the street from Monet’s Estate and Gardens.