My husband and I are going to Mont St. Michel this weekend with two small kids that still require a stroller. How would people recommend getting to the top? Can you drive up into the abbey and pay to park? Is there an elevator you can take? Please advise

Hi 2058
I don't know if the place has a lift, in fact I doubt it.
If you want to get right to the top its certainly not impossible, but very very difficult, the walkways are very steep and the crowds this time of year are horrendous.
Parking is outside and about 100yds or so from the entrance.
For me the best part of Mt SM is the view from about a mile away on a clear day especially at dawn or dusk.
Good Luck

Muck

I went to Mont-St-Michel once, several years ago, on the bus from St-Malo. The bus driver explained that if the main street was too congested, people should try the side streets. I wondered what he was talking about, because I knew there were no vehicles on the mount. Once we started walking up the main street, I realised what he meant: it is packed with tourists. I was there in May; a weekend in August will be much worse. It will be packed with visitors, and you will probably have to park a long way off. I'd suggest trying to go there some other time, or finding somewhere else to amuse the kids.

Parking is some distance from the Mont--a large lot on the border of the sea. From there you walk along a causeway to get to the Mont itself, and then, as others have said, it's a stiff up-hill climb to the Abbey. Once inside the Abbey there's a good deal of walking up and down stairs, some in fairly dark areas. I really would suggest not going with young children--it would be difficult. You can at least see the Mont from across the bay.

Strollers and the Mont really don;t mix - the climb to the top would be excrutiating - a lot of it is stairs - and where not the path is steep and cobblestoned. Are the kids too small to walk and too big to carry or backpack? If so, I would skip it until they're bigger - or the crowds have left.

I must chime in. Imagine yourself in a stroller hemmed in by a mob, looking up at this mass of humanity. Maybe one stay in the car with the children, bring things to occupy them or walk around the lot area. When you return the husband goes to the Mont.

JUST GOT BACK FROM MONT ST. MICHEL WITH THE KIDS.. WE CARRIED THEM ALL THE WAY UP THERE.. SO CROWDED, BUT WELL WORTH THE PAIN TO SEE THE VIEW.. NO STOLLERS TO ANYONE EVER GOING THERE!

Glad to hear that you all survived and enjoyed your visit to Mont St-Michel.

well done!!
did you really enjoy it?

For anyone with small children, they might want to actually spend the night on the Mont. Firstly, hotel guests are allowed to park in the "closest in" parking area and secondly it is a totally different place after the throngs have left. Much easier to maneuver and many of the hotel/restaurants have patio seating with great vistas but where children are still contained--you can relax a little while they eat/snack and enjoy the view.

For those who must go when the crowds are at their worst, if you stick to the right upon entering the main gate there are narrow steps which will take you up to the ramparts. It is generally much less crowded, has (relatively) flat expanses of flagstone interspersed with flights of stairs that get you to the top. I would find that easier than the non-stop little cobblestones and throng of humanitiy on the main street. Then you could go DOWN the main street after visiting the abbey...much easier and I don't feel as claustrophobic. Kids (and adults) can be rewarded with a refreshing icecream or other treat so easy to find along the way. We sat on a retainer wall and just watched the world go by. Fun!

As to the elevator...if you tour the abbey (highly recommend getting the audio self-guide headsets) you will see the huge wooden wheel that was used to haul supplies, almost vertically, up from the outside. Nowdays they use electric carts to restock in the very early hours.

Glad you had a successful time 2058! You didn't mention how old your children are. I would think the 4-6 yr age group would be the hardest...mobile enough to get lost in the crowd, climb on/fall off walls or slip through holes/railings. But with careful parental supervision very doable. Mont St. Michel is where having kids small enough to fit in a back carrier would be a Godsend!