mugsy01

I will be in Paris for one week in Feb. Is it worthwhile to go visit Mont St. Michael?
If so, by train, car or taking a tour?

Thanks!

Huitres

It is quite far from Paris and certainly not do-able as a day trip. If you go, I would suggest overnighting afterwards in Bayeux. Several tour companies, and also the train, go to Mont St. Michel from that city and also Caen. If Mont St. Michel is something you have always wanted to see, then go for it. I had pictured it differently and was rather disappointed in how it looked. It was very touristy on the Mont, but no doubt in February there will be less people.

klondike

I love Mont St. Michel, crowds and all. If you have visited Paris multiple times already and want to concentrate on the area between Ile de France and Mont St. Michel there are fantastic things to see and do along the way. We prefer a car for this but it is more expensive that train.

However, with only one week, unless it is #1 on your priority list, I would enjoy Paris for itself, especially if this was your first or second visit.

A day trip to Chartres, Fontainebleau or some other nearby city with particular interests you want to visit would make more sense IMO. MSM is just too far away.

allovereurope

I agree with the oters. We went to MSM on our 3rd or fourth trip to France, which was exactly the right time for us...there are so many other equally impressive things in Paris and the surrounding area for day trips: Versailles, Chartes Cathedral, Loire Valley Chateaux, etc. See those things first and then go see MSM, unless, of course, it's something you've been dying to see your whole life. It's just too much time and travel that will subtract from your week in Paris.

amyb

I visited MSM on a bus tour from Paris. The tour was specifically to and from MSM, with stops only for lunch and dinner. If you are prepared to spend 11 hours of the day traveling and eating in non-descript restaurants, this is the way to go. You can definitely go there and back in a day. However, it is tiring and you only get about 3 hours there, which includes an hour or so guided tour. Cityrama ran the one we went on. MSM was beautiful and I'm so glad I saw it, but when I saw the places we were passing (Rouen, Normandy Beach) and not stopping for, I wish I had done it in a 2-3 day trip. I also did it on my fourth trip to Paris, as there is more than enough to do in Paris your first few trips before you venture onward.

Jennifer0702

With only a week....STAY in Paris. There is so much to see and do. Take a day trip to Versailles. I loved MSM's shops but honestly there isn't much to see at the top!

laverendrye

Of course, there's nothing to see at the top of Mont St. Michel. Just a bunch of empty old buildings. But what wonderful shops on the way, filled with such delightful trinkets, unavailable anywhere else!

Keith

mugsy01,

Without knowing your tastes, it is impossible to answer. Several people have already posted that they wouldn't consider it on their first one week vist to the area.

I love to travel, but have very little vacation time. On my only visit to Paris, I split the trip between Paris and Normandy.

Out of 4 nights/5 days, I spent two nights in Paris, one night in Aeromanches and one in Mont St. Michel. For my taste it was the perfect mix. Staying in Paris for the entire visit would have been less interesting, for me.

But I wouldn't begin to suggest that is the best trip for everyone.

Keith

JonJon

I agree with Keith in terms of not knowing your tastes making it hard to advise you..there is a great deal to see in Paris and closer in than MSM which IS VERY impressive.
To say that it is a "bunch of empty buildings" is like saying the Louvre is filled with a "bunch of musty artworks."

laverendrye

Well, isn't the Louvre filled with a bunch of musty old paintings and statues? You can see everything you need to see in their giftshop.

Underhill

The abbey church atop Mont. St.-Michel, La Marveille, is fantastic, and is the view looking up from the flat surrounding terrain. See it if you possibly can, but don't try to do it as a day trip--take the TGV to Rouen and rent a car for the drive across to MSM. There are any number of places to spend the night in the vicinity, even on the Mont itself should you want to do so.

Randy

If you only have one week in Paris I would also not recommend Mont St. Michel. I have been to Mont St. Michel and thought it was fantastic, but with only one week, I would make better use of my time and visit Mont St. Michel on the next trip, and while you are in the area visit the Normandy area. Versailles is only a 20 or 30 minute train (RER) ride from Paris and I feel you would be able to accomplish more with a side trip like this in your one week time frame.

mugsy01

Part of my reasoning for going to Mont Michael was to get out of the city. I feel you get to know the "real people" outside of the city. Is there anywhere closer that is quaint and would provide shopping that wasn't so touristy?

amyb

Mugsy...MSM is about 4 hours by bus. That's out of the city, but you can do better, certainly. Try Chartres, Versailles, Giverny...the list goes on. I've also done a day tour (by bus) through 3 Loire chateaux, which may interest you as well. You certainly see more in a day than you would going to MSM, it's closer, and the chateaux were incredible, along with the valley itself.

Underhill

You're probably not going to get to know the "real people" by visiting any major tourist sight; you will mostly mingle with other tourists. Your best bet would be to go to an area that is a bit off the beaten path but easily accessible by train. Brittany comes to mind; the TGV goes to Rennes, which is not a major tourist destination but has interesting places to visit. Or you could head into Burgundy and visit the picturesque town of Montargis, for example. I sure others will have more recommendations for you. If you decide to go somewhere with a major sight, my choice would certainly be Chartres.

Mucky

Hi mugsy,
In a word...no.
Its too far from Paris and with only one week to enjoy Paris you should do just that...enjoy paris.

Muck

LaurenSKahn

While I do not recommend Mt. St. Michel as a day trip from Paris, there are some tour bus companies that offer it. It is about 5 hours driving time one way. If you take one of the tour bus deals, you start out about 7:00am in the morning and return very late. Please note that the Mont gets very full of people midday. It is much nicer if you can stay on the Mont or nearby and see it during the morning or evening after the busses have departed.

Your choice.

klondike

I can appreciate your wanting to get outside into the country and meet the locals--they are different from Parisians. The more touristy the place the less friendly the people I often find. MSM is NOT the place to meet the locals since it only has around 100 inhabitants and they're mostly employed feeding/hotelling the tourists!

If you research Ile de France you won't have any shortage of wonderful villages/towns not too far from Paris that will provide what you are looking for based on your personal interests.

Randy

Mugsy, as Muckey said, "You only have one week". I don't know if you have been to Paris before, but if this is your first time I think you will find out that a week will go by fast. Make a list of things you would like to do on your next trip.

For the sake of time the only recommendation I have is take the TGV from Montparnasse to Angers. It is less than a two hour ride and the TGV is an experience in it's self. Leave Paris as early in the morning as you can and when you get to Angers you will find the Gare (train station) is well located in the city. Within three or four blocks is the Château de Angers and you can easily do that in 2 or 3 hours. You are then within a couple of blocks of the old part of town where you can do more sight seeing and shopping. If you have time try to get to the Jardin des Plantes Centre des Congrès, an exceptional garden that is within walking distance or by bus. Try to take the latest train back to Paris. Angers is a beautiful city and lot of great things to do are within walking distance of the train station. If you are considering this, please do not hesitate to e-mail me for details or any questions. For more information on Angers: http://www.ville-angers.fr/

Underhill

Angers is a great suggestion--that would do very nicely.