adivas23

My husband & I (age:mid 40's) are visiting Paris for a week in Sept 2017. Will be our 3rd visit. I've always wanted to see Mont St Michel. We have done Caen, Honfleur, Bayeaux, Normandy beaches on a prior trip.

We want to train out of Paris to somewhere within 1.5 hours of MSM, rent a car, see the surrounding area and end up in MSM that evening. Spend the night on island, see church early in morning and leave, in hopes of seeing a little something on the way back to train station.

'See the surrounding area' could mean quaint town, beautiful nature walk, a delicious meal, a tour of a chateau or a unique business.....

Many thanks.

StCirq

Trains don't often go to "quaint towns," so not sure what you're expecting. The easiest thing to do would be to take the TGV to Rennes and explore it and surrounds afterwards. Rennes is a perfectly lovely city in and of itself. Renting a car for one day, though, is rarely a good idea. It costs as much, normally, as renting one for 3 or more days.

StCirq

Trains don't often go to "quaint towns," so not sure what you're expecting. The easiest thing to do would be to take the TGV to Rennes and explore it and surrounds afterwards. Rennes is a perfectly lovely city in and of itself. Renting a car for one day, though, is rarely a good idea. It costs as much, normally, as renting one for 3 or more days.

Sue_xx_yy

www.bahn.de or www.sncf.fr to compute journey times by train to Caen, Rennes, or whatever town looks big enough, and close enough, to MSM to have a car rental depot. List possible train journeys.

Confirm car rental depot hours of operation. Adjust schedule accordingly.

Use google maps to pull up, e.g. Rennes, France. Use the associated 'directions', to determine driving time from Rennes to MSM.

Once you've done this, come back and share the information, and we'll talk again.

Sue_xx_yy

Nearest train station to MSM is Pontorson-Mont St Michel

https://www.trainline.eu/trains/renn...mont-st-michel

This site links to the shuttle bus from Pontorson to MSM.

http://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmiche...iving-by-train

Share the information you learn.

StuDudley

- Take one of the hourly trains to Rennes - 2+ hr trip
- Pick up a car, stow the bags in the car, & visit Rennes
- Drive 45 mins to Fougeres Chateau & visit
- Drive 45 mins to MSM
- Visit MSM

next day

- Visit MSM
- Drive 1 hr to St Malo & visit
- Drive short distance to Dinan & visit
- Drive 1 hr to Rennes, return the car, & take one of the hourly trains back to Paris

Use www.viamichelin.com to estimate driving times - not Google

Stu Dudley

shamouel

As already mentioned, Rennes is probably the best option to reach from Paris with the TGV train and then rent a car to visit Mont Saint Michel. Around Rennes and in Bretagne in general, there is quite much to see and you could easily spend a week (along the coastline or inlands).
You can find some ideas of places to see and examples of itineraries on http://visite.bretagne.free.fr/index...ineraries.html

kja

I agree that Rennes would be a logical place for your rental and also agree that you have a wealth of options for wonderful things to see and do in the area. You might want to consult the <i>Michelin Green Guide</i> for the area.

mjs

You could just rent a car from CDG towards the end of your week in Paris and drive out to Brittany/MSM an drive back to CDG the night before you leave, drop the car off and spend the night at the airport before departing the next day.

miket123

I agree with Stu's advice, and visited many of those places last fall. Stu sends out a nice guide to the region on request, which I found very helpful.

I like to have extra options in my day plan so that I can adjust based on weather, energy level, perhaps didn't like some place as much as I thought, etc. So let me add that in the MSM area you can visit Cancale, with its famous oysters.

One of the best meals I have had in France was at the restaurant associated with the hotel Le Relais du Roy just across the bridge from MSM. It was a complete surprise! Usually restaurants in tourist areas don't have good food. Whether you choose this or another, be sure to be seated by 7pm since the dining crowd is light in the area so the restaurants close early.

PalenQ

In case you do not want to rent a car take TGV train to Rennes then connecting buses that meet morning trains at Rennes right to the Mont. Stay over and go back the same way.

Or renting car in Rennes best idea - to go by train Rennes to Pontorson is a very slow ride - driving would be faster - Pontorson is still several miles from the Mont.

Book tickets at www.voyages-sncf.com for trains ASAP- up to 3-4 months in advancefor deep discounts but also non-changeable from a specific train- for lots on French trains check www.seat61.com- adroit advice on discounted ducats for trains; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Trains also go Paris-Rennes to St-Malo - a nice larger seaside town- drive along the coast to the Mont.

Week days in May the Mont should be not crowded - don't worry about booking any entry tickets to the basilica or whatever they call it.

There is a gaggle of inexpensive motels on the mainland just opposite the Mont- walking over the causeway is memorable and at night the Mont all gloriously illuminated from the mainland is mesmerizing.