Paris => Mont St Michel
 

How the best way to go to Mont St Michel from Paris ? <BR>Is it possible go and come back in the same day? <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR>Cláudia

Yes, it IS possible! I did it last May, but it was grueling, fast and exhausting. I drove roundtrip from Paris and I did not see a train station nearby. <BR>Bonne Chance!Wendy

Claudia- Last summer someone on this forum described a way to use the train from Gare Montparnasse to Mont St. Michel. Several other people said the trip was easy using this train. Search last summer's discussions or maybe just hunt for Mont St. Michel. It is probably worth the effort. Good luck.

Claudia, I just wrote detailed instructions to someone on this on another forum; basically, you can do it, it's not easy in theory but it's a lot of trouble and very time consuming and the schedules don't work out that well. You must take TGV train to Rennes and then bus from there to the Mont; there's only about one time a day possible for that and you will be there only about four hours. I recommend you take a one-day bus tour by Paris Vision www.parisvision.com as it will be more efficient and relaxing, you will have more time there, and it's about the same price as the train+bus.

I found a copy of my email to someone else on this, I guess it wasn't you and it's okay to quote myself (I made a mistake above and meant it IS easy in theory but not in practice): &lt;&lt;As for Mont St-Michel, that is not too easy to get to on your own with public transportation, but it can be done. The train/bus schedules are not the <BR>greatest, so you won't have a lot of time there unless you stay overnight, but that's up to you (and the train trip will cost quite a bit). Basically, you have to take the TGV train from Paris Montparnasse station to Rennes, then take a bus from there to the Mont. The train prob. costs about US$100 RT and you must have a reservation because it's a TGV (high-speed), but if it's not crowded, you can do that right before you go. The bus costs 122F RT (about US$18). There is really only one bus time that works <BR>from Rennes to the Mont, and that's at 11 am (you must take the 8:05 am TGV which arrives in Rennes at 10:20 am); then to return, the bus leaves the Mont at 4:10 pm only (takes about one hour between the Mont and Rennes), and the TGV back to Paris leaves at 5:35 pm, <BR>arriving at 8 pm in Paris. This only gives you about four hours at the Mont, but that might be enough if it's something you are dying to see; but it is a rather expensive trip for that time, unless you have a railpass which makes the train trip not so expensive. Because it is so far away and expensive and difficult by train/bus, frankly, I would simply take an organized bus tour for convenience, it costs about the same, will probably be more comfortable and easier and you will likely get more time there. There is a daytrip run by Parisvision company www.parisvision.com) that leaves Paris at 7:15 am (on Wed, Fri and Sundays) for a day at the Mont and then returns to Paris at 9 pm, it only costs 810F or about US$116, which is approx. exactly the same as the bus+train fare (and that fare includes entry fee). That <BR>bus will take a little longer than the TGV train, but should be more efficient and sounds like you will have more time there overall as it doesn't get back until 9 pm, so you are probably not having to leave at 4 pm. Also, you will more likely be able to enjoy views of the countryside that way. That's what I would do. Here are some URLs on these subjects: www.mont-saint-michel.net, www.rennet.org/tourism/stmichel/access.htm (this gives the local bus schedule for Rennes to MSM, but as I said, I wouldn't recommend that route). <BR>-- Christina&gt;&gt; <BR> <BR> <BR>