Should you visit Giverny or Mont-Saint-Michel?
Should I visit Giverny or Mont-Saint-Michel? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Giverny
Giverny (pronounced jee-vair-knee) is a commune in Northern France. It sits on the right bank of the River Seine where it meets the River Epte. This area has been a settlement since Neolithic times and the town has various monuments from many periods of its long existence. Beginning around 1887, a number of American Impressionist artists settled to work in Giverny, drawn by the landscapes, the overall atmosphere, and the presence of Monet. It has now become a place of pilgrimage for many art lovers. It was here that Claude Monet lived for 43 years, until his death at the age of 86 in 1926. Although his house is now prized by connoisseurs of 19th-century interior decoration, it's his garden, with its Japanese-inspired water-lily pond and bridge, that remains the high point for many, as it is a 5-acre, three-dimensional Impressionist painting where you can stroll around at leisure. Most make this a day trip, but Giverny has some lovely lodgings, so you could also overnight here.
Mont-Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is an island community in Normandy, France. It is located about a half of a mile (or one kilometer) off of the country's northwest coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population of the island, at last count, was just under 50 people. The island has been a strategic fortifications since ancient times and since the 8th century AD has been the seat of the monastery from which it was named. The structural composition of the town exemplifies the feudal society that constructed it: on top, God, the abbey and monastery; below, the great halls; then stores and housing; and at the bottom, outside the walls, houses for fishermen and farmers. One of France's most recognizable landmarks, visited by more than 3 million people each year, Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Over 60 buildings within the commune are protected in France as historical monuments.
Which city is cheaper, Mont-Saint-Michel or Giverny?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Giverny is €100, while the average daily cost in Mont-Saint-Michel is €125. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Giverny and Mont-Saint-Michel in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €96 in Giverny For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Mont-Saint-Michel's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is €112. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is €56.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Giverny cost around €28 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €11.
The average traveler spends about €35 per day in Mont-Saint-Michel for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Giverny €28
Mont-Saint-Michel €35
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Giverny than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €39 on transportation in Giverny on average per day.
The average price of local transportation around Mont-Saint-Michel is €56 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Giverny
Also for Giverny, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: Giverny to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG):
$274
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Private Transfer from House of Claude Monet to Paris City Center:
$117
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Ultra - Private Transfer from Giverny to visit Claude Monet's Garden to Paris:
$9.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mont-Saint-Michel
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Mont-Saint-Michel:
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Private Transfer: Mont Saint-Michel to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG):
$1,096
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Private Transfer from Mont Saint-Michel to Rennes - Up to 7 People:
$297
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Giverny, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €21 per day, per person.
Mont-Saint-Michel's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €24 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Tours and Activities in Giverny
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Giverny.
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Guided tour Monet's house and gardens/Giverny:
$72
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Giverny Monet House and Gardens Skip the line Walking tour:
$73
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Paris - Giverny Tour : Claude Monet's House Private or Group Tour:
$148
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Le Havre Shore Excursion: Private Tour of Giverny, Rouen and Honfleur:
$1,157
Tours and Activities in Mont-Saint-Michel
Here are a few actual costs in Mont-Saint-Michel for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Private 3-hour Walking Tour of Mt St. Michel with official tour guide:
$249
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Private Mont Saint-Michel Family Walking Tour:
$391
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Private Walking Tour of Mont-St-Michel and Surroundings:
$217
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Giverny, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €5.31.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Mont-Saint-Michel may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €6.29 per day on alcoholic beverages.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Giverny and Mont-Saint-Michel, we can see that Mont-Saint-Michel is more expensive. And not only is Giverny much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Giverny would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Giverny and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Mont-Saint-Michel would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Mont-Saint-Michel than you might in Giverny.
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