Can anyone recommend a hotel, restaurant, things to see besides the abbey at Mont St. Michel? I'll have a rental vehicle...would you recommend driving over the causeway to see the lit abbey at night for best view?

Cancale as a coastal village, and also a place to eat seafood, particularly oysters. St. Malo and Dinan are towns to be visited. St. Cirq will strongly disagree, but I think that the omelette at La Mère Poulard is worth it.

You don't need much, other than the abbey, but the walks on the ramparts are nice. The hotels and restaurants on the Mont are the worst value in France. The restaurants may be the worst, period. Although I lack St Cirq's credentials on France, I will second her presumed opinion. The omelets are fine, but overpriced and "starter" portioned.

I would take a room on the Mont so that you are there after the daytrippers leave and have easy access for the night tour of the abbey. I would take care to stop well before the Mont and buy provisions for dinner -- bread, cheese, sausage and wine ought to do nicely. Have a picnic in your room or at a likely spot on the walls. And enjoy the sublime architecture.

In St-Malo there's a wonderful eafood restaurant overlooking the ocean called Le Franklin on 4 chaussée du Sillon.

And yes, I mean a resounding no on my part to the omelettes and the hokey show at Mère Poulard, but it's just my opinion.

That would be seafood...

I think the best view of Mont St. Michel at night is from the "land" side -- that is, not across the causeway. But I agree that you should try to stay on the Mont overnight. It is really an experience quite different from the daytime Mont. Watching the tide go in and out is a treat in itself.

Do yourself a favor and skip Poulard.

IMHO one of the cart vendor sandwiches is better.

Enjoy yourself.

I stayed at Mere Poulard once and have eaten there twice. No problems. Yes, the omlettes are a show, but that is one of the things you go for. Once I had lunch and once I had dinner.

Best view is probably about half-way across the causeway, at least for pictures. Like around here:

rkkwan.zenfolio.com/p299457843/?photo=228177532

I don't like the MSM omelette, and it has nothing to do with size or price...it has to do with consistency. I don't like the foamy, "wet" texture. You can watch them make the omelettes over the fire at La Mere Poulard from the outside, so don't feel compelled to eat there just for that.

If you are going back over the causeway to get a night view of the Mont, you could eat in Pontorson or a restaurant along the bay instead of on the Mont, and then return to wrap up the evening on the Mont. It is a totally different place in the late evening and early morning before the masses arrive.

Cancale and Saint Malo should be visited.

I enjoyed staying on the Mont very much-- so different in the evening and night and early morning.

I did stay at one of the inns related to the Poulard scheme -- it was fine--right on the main drag. I agree that the restaurants are not the best bet--overpriced and mediocre. I like the picnic idea noted above-- or grab a sandwich as suggested.

I had the most wonderful view when I walked along the path along the roadway away from the Mont around sunset, and walked back toward it as the sun went down and the lights gradually went on. It was a beautiful scene.

I have to agree with annw. After the daytrippers go, it's very peaceful.

Next month will be my third visit in which I stay overnight.

Try www.google.fr Make sure you put in Le Mont-st-Michel as there is another city with a similar name. You'll get many more hits using this site than the US version. Most hotel sites have English translation.

I strongly agree with the posters who advise against the MP omelettes. Don't care for the consistency but worse yet is the ridiculous price which at dinner is about $25(or more) with a small salad. The service was awful and staff seem to have bad attitudes. We have spent the night twice on the Mont and had the high tides the second time which occur in the evening and then again in the am. It is a magical place at night.