East or west from Mont St. Michele?
 

We plan to spend two nights on the Mont (it is something we just have to do) and then have three nights before we plan to head back to Paris. Would like to spend it enjoying the countryside and maybe stay in a small b & b in a very small town and just hang out for a couple of days. Would you recommend we head east or west from the Mont? Any little towns that a sweet and picturesque? Thanks for any help!

Honfluer is northeast of Mont St. Michel on the coast, not in the country. Rouen is a bit inland from there.

Chartres is inland and basically parallel to Mont St. Michel.

None are a far drive from there. These are just a few... lots of places to choose from.

You should go to Saint Malo and Cancale while you're in the area.

Here is a terrific B & B about 50 minutes west of MSM, not far from Bayeux and Caen. We spent 4 very enjoyable nights there last October and loved it. Mrs. Proprieter is a lovely and very funny Brit, Mr. Proprieter is a friendly Scot who is a wonderful chef. It's a 450 year old farmhouse, beautifully decorated with gorgeous grounds.

http://www.manoirdelariviere.net/english/welcome01.htm

There is a small town called Villers Bocage about 5 minutes down the road, but not a whole lot of interest there.

Correction - Should have said that the B & B above is 50 minutes EAST of MSM. 50 minutes due west would have you sinking in the English Channel.

>>stay in a small b & b in a very small town <<

I would not classify Rouen, St Malo, Cancale, Chartres, or Honfleur as "very small towns".

I think Brittany to the west is much more charming than Normandy to the east. I don't have any specific B&B recs - we stay in Gites.

Stu Dudley

What time of year are you talking about? Price you wish to spend per night?

And will you have a car

Stu Dudley

You might find two nights on the Mont one night too many. The hotels are just adequate, but the food is really substandard.

Although it is not a small town, we found Dinan a good base for a few days. The river Rance has a nice walk alongside, and there are good restaurants and many medieval buildings.

A little west of Mont St. Michel, there is the beautiful Emerald Coast, starting with Cancale and ending with Erquy. Cap Fréhel is especially beautiful. We once stayed there in a vacation rental right on the countryside.

Honfleur is beautiful but EXTREMELY touristy (the cruise ships dock there). Rouen is also very quaint, but quieter. In a small hamlet close to Rouen, in Jumieges (there is an impressive ruined monastery), there is a beautiful country hotel:

http://www.leclosdesfontaines.com/

I would start in Honfleur for a night when you leave Paris and then head for a night or two in Bayeaux to do the Normandy area. From there I would go to MSM to spend a night(on the mont) as one day and night there is enough. After the evening there, I would head for a night or two in St. Malo which is a delightful town right on the water before heading back to Paris.

Thanks everyone for your comments. We will have a car and will be in the area from the 11th to the 16th of September. As I mentioned, we have always wanted to stay on the Mont and want to be there to see the tide. I have read that the food is bad and it is incredibly crowded during the day--but the first night we won't arrive until late evening, and we wouldn't want to miss the evening tide...plus, I think it is the 11th and 12th are tide days (if I read it correctly this doesn't happen every day now). I thought we might get up early on the first morning, tour the abbey before too many people arrive, and then go and leave in the car for the late morning and afternoon before returning later in the evening. The next day, the 13th we have 3 nights to spend in the vicinity. We would like to enjoy a slower pace during that time and am looking for suggestions.--Please keep the ideas coming. Thanks again.

I love Cancale. Great fish, oysters and mussels pulled from the sea right in front of you. Stayed in a small guesthouse with windows opening onto the seafront. Gorgeous sunsets. And Mt-St-Michel rising above the sea in the distance. And it really is a very small seaside town.

It's been a few years, but we certainly enjoyed our stay at Les Marronniers, just outside the little Norman town of Cambremer, on the Cider Route: http://www.les-marronniers.com/

Im another who thinks 2 days at MSM is one day(maybe 1 day 12 hrs too long) too many, but I know that isnt the question. Where to go afterwards depends on where you have been. If you havent visited the area before, I would say Normandy(Bayeux is a good mid size town w/a small feel) is a good choice.

We drove from MSM to Amboise and stayed at Le Manoir de la Maison Blanche. We loved it there - it was a convenient location to see the castles. Then you can drive to Orly Airport and drop off the car. That worked well for us.
If you would decide on this b&b, when you arrive in Amboise be sure to take the road around the outer edge of Amboise. It is very easy to drive to the b&b if you do not drive through the town. It is an easy walk to the center of town from the b&b.

http://www.lamaisonblanche-fr.com/b&...se/indexus.htm

I am another who would not spend two nights on le Mont St-Michel, but I see how it works in your plans. I would just add that since you have a few days to wander around in the area, on that day that you leave le MSM to tour and return, you visit St-Malo, Fougères, and Vitré.