Taking the train is pretty darn easy. Train from Gare St. Lazare, local bus direct to Giverny from right in front of the Vernon station.

From the Giverny website:

http://giverny.org/transpor/
http://giverny.org/tour/

I don't think you're going to find a bus or minivan to pick you up and take you to Giverny and back without paying a small fortune. As mentioned, it's incredibly easy to get there on your own.

And once there if at all into some easy walking you can walk to Giverny - about three miles or so one way and take the bus back or of course hike back - the walk goes largely along an abandoned railway line that is now a walking path thru pastoral scenery following the Seine.

Local buses meet some trains but there will always be taxis there IME that you can even share with others.

We took the train and then rented bikes to ride out to the house and gardens. It was pretty far and I don't think I would want to walk. The bus that runs from train to the house is simple and easy.

I took the train from Paris. At Vernon I teamed up with a woman who didn't want to wait for the bus. We split the taxi fare and it was reasonable. Giverney is wonderful and well worth the trip. It is easy to do on your own and you don't need a guide or a guided tour.

. It was pretty far and I don't think I would want to walk.>

4 miles max maybe a tad less is yes a pretty far walk for many I agree but for some it is not.

the nice thing about the walk or bike ride is that you enter this long narrow village strung out on a rocky ledge between the Seine and hills is that you enter at the far-west end of the village, where very few of the mobs of tourists ganging up on the gardens never set foot - this is the quintessential old untouched French village - the quiet parish cemetery where Van Gogh and his brother Theo have tombstones in on this end - so if busing or taxi-ing to the gardens try to stroll to the more quiet western end of the village!

It was a long ride, my tush told me so, especially so on the ride back.

Yes, the far end of the lane where the cemetery is located should be visited.

From the Giverny.org website above:

To walk to Giverny
Go down the Albufera street and cross the bridge over the Seine. At the roundabout ignore the signs for Giverny which are meant for cars. Go straight on, cross the first street "Route de Giverny" and take the pathway to your right just before the drugstore. It follows the tracks of the ancient railroad. It enables you to walk to Giverny away from the traffic. (5 km) The path is almost flat.

I think I toured Auvers-sur-Oise (sp) and Giverny on a 1-day tour via Parisvision a few years back. I had insomnia and didn't want to trust my fog-addled brain... don't remember it being expensive and I really enjoyed it.

A simple google search using the phrase "tours paris to giverny" turned up other tour companies, such as these among others:

http://giverny-impression.com/day-trip-bus-tour/

http://www.francetourisme.fr/tours-day-trip-in-france/giverny-monet-tour.html

http://www.parisconnection.fr/attractions_near_paris/Giverny_Tour.php

http://www.paris-trip.com/5/giverny-and-monet-garden-small-group-day-trip-from-paris.asp

I've never used a tour company but I've read posters who have used the companies you mentioned and no one seemed to have a problem with them. I'm sure you are aware a tour will be much more costly than doing it on your own.

It does not take much "energy" to compute what it takes to do it your self with train without any more walking than using a tour bus (which requires you to go to the assembly point).

train to Vernon : ~14EU/person/one way
taxi Vernon to Giverny: ~15EU/party/one way
Giverny entrance: ~10EU/person

For two people,

train: 14EUx2 x2 = 56EU
taxi: 15EUx2 = 30EU
Giverny: 10EUx2 = 20EU

Total = ~106EU.

Of the list provided by the previous poster, the lowest one is by Francetourisme at 58EU per person.

Bus at Vernon station is synched with the Paris train arrival and would be even cheaper.

the quiet parish cemetery where Van Gogh and his brother Theo have tombstones in on this end in Giverny???

According to Google:
"Van Gogh was buried on 30 July in the municipal cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise at a funeral attended by Theo van Gogh, Andries Bonger, Charles Laval, Lucien Pissarro, Émile Bernard, Julien Tanguy and Dr. Gachet amongst some 20 family and friends, as well as a number of locals"

I noticed that, too, Michael, as I have been to Auvers-sur-Oise a few times and seen Vincent's and Théo's simple graves and headstones. I thought maybe there were two other tombstones out there somewhere, but couldn't figure out why on earth they'd be near Giverny, as I can't think of any association between Vincent and Giverny, though I suppose there could be one.

I am sure PalenQ meant Monet and his family graves, not Van Gogh.

Thank you very much to all. Your replies were very helpful and I will share them with my cousins who are making the trip so they can decide. Merci and happy travels to you all.

If you really want a day tour company, I would think Cityrama and Parisvision cannot be that bad and would wonder where you read such bad reviews. I took a day tour with Cityrama once to Vaux le Vicomte and it was absolutely excellent, for example. I think those companies are joint now. Now I didn't spend a lot of time on this, but looking at tripadvisor for Cityrama, there are negatives reviews but not related to their Versailles tour but the city one, on the first few pages of comments. The Versailles tour has very good marks.

I am sure PalenQ meant Monet and his family graves, not Van Gogh.>

Yes indeedy - got mixed up with Auvers-sur-Oise - a very similar village where Impressionists painters gathered and put many village scenes on canvass - similar cemetery with both Van Goghs in it - but yes in Giverny is buried Money and not Van Gogh.

Thanks for the correcto!

<<but yes in Giverny is buried Money and not Van Gogh.>>

Could you please tell me where the money is buried in Giverny?