Mont St. Michel itinerary
 

As I posted previously, will be traveling to Paris in early March and would like to make a visit to Mont St. Michel. We are thinking of renting a car and driving there from Paris. We are setting aside 2 days/1 night for the trip and will probably spend the night in either Caen or Bayeaux. Any thoughts on how we should proceed as far as planning and logistics? My thought would be to drive straight to MSM, then backtrack to Bayeaux/Caen, spend the night and then see the D-Day beaches before heading back to Paris. I am more than open to suggestions, insights or changes in my plan for this. Any help is most welcome. Thanks!!

I'll start by saying that as with every popular destination, I would much prefer to arrive late afternoon, spend the night and the next early morning on the Mont, rather than hitting it at the peak tourist bus hours. I don't have a map in front of me, but could you visit Bayeaux first and then arrive late afternoon? There is just no comparison; staying there after the crowds have departed and rising early to see the sunrise will make it a far more memorable experience. J.

If at all possible, allow 1-2 days (you have shorter daylight hours in early March), for the many vestiges of the Battle/Invasion of Normandy. St. Mere Eglise, Pointe du Hoc, Colleville-sur-Mer/Omaha Beach - - and especially (IMO) Arromanches... all very much worth it - - and many more I haven't mentioned (I reference only those places I have actually been).

Best wishes,

Rex

I'm with jmw - arrive later in the day, have dinner and spend the night. Seeing MSM light up at night is just magical. I stayed across the causeway at Hotel de la Digue (I think that is the name) and we checked in around 4, then walked over to MSM to wander a bit and have dinner. Get up early and do the tour of the monastery. The busses started arriving at 9:00 when I was there. Once that happens, it is so crowded that I couldn't wait to leave.

It has been a few years since I visited MSM but when I did they had a night tour. Beautifully done, a whole different experience with soft music, strange lighting and different tableaus set up. I would definitely go at night if this is still being done. And given a choice, would do the night tour over the day. Worth looking into. Have fun

I think MSM is best viewed late evening into the night. The crowds are gone and the tide comes in and it is all lit up. There is 1 tiny street with lots of tourist shops (not great stuff) and places to eat and it won't take you long to walk up it--they will be clsoing about 5 or 6. Walking around the building itself is lovely. There is nothing inside, but going in can be interesting, not spectacular.

I would agree with driving to Bayeaux and then on to MSM to spend the night arriving after the crowds.Then the next day I would backtrack to Caen hitting the beaches and cemeteries. The Caen museum is a must and could easily take upwards to 4 hours to see everything.Therefore, I would add spending the night there after you finish before heading back to Paris. I personally feel that this trip is minimum 3 days/2 nights with the driving and not wanting to rush anything.