A great half day tour - Today we visited the village of Giverny and the house and gardens of Claude Monet. Beings somewhat of a philistine when it comes to art, the biggest private collection in the world didn't exactly float my boat but the gardens were certainly worth the trip out there. We booked the tour online from Melbourne and arranged pickup from our Air BnB. We shared a mini bus with a couple of South Africans and 4 Americans. Our tour guide for the day was Andre and he was a well seasoned professional. He knew exactly what he needed to do to ensure a good return of tips at the end of the day. He was genuinely a good communicator and friendly operator. Monet's gardens were something to behold. We are about a month too early for the water lilies but there were some that had opened early. The lakes must be impressive when they're in full bloom. The rest of the gardens are superb. Although they're French gardens, there are lots of what I'd just call English garden plants. Plenty of giant Poppies, Rhododendrons, Roses and hundreds of other species. The house was in good repair and impressive. It was a bit of a Fawlty Towers design though with lots of ups and downs (not unlike Shakespear's joint) The trip home was about 2 hours as traffic was pretty hectic. It was only about 80 Km from central Paris. I would definitely recommend this tour.

It was a great tour and our family... - <p>It was a great tour and our family enjoyed very much.<br/> Thanks lot.</p>

Amazing experience!!! We loved our... - <p>Amazing experience!!! We loved our tour guide, Pablo! Highly personalized attention to out experience. Lunch is excellent also! Must must do this tour. Saves you the grief of getting to the sites and buying the tickets. Totally worth every dollar. And be sure to be outside at least 15 mins prior</p>

The tour was an exceptional... - <p>The tour was an exceptional experience. The gardens at Giverny were beautiful even in laet October. Seeing the church at Auvers was impressive. The guide was very knowledgable.</p>

All four of us, including my husband... - <p>All four of us, including my husband and two adult children, really enjoyed Giverny and the lovely lunch afterward in a beautiful setting a terrace at an old mill. However, we found Auvers-sur-Oise much less rewarding. Van Gogh's home was very hot and crowded. The guides at the home combined 2 tours 2 different Languages which forced everyone to stand in a tight, crowded,hot and uncomfortable space while the guide spoke in the other language. I would recommend doing Giverny and lunch and skipping Auvers-sur-Oise.</p>