My daughter and I would like to visit Mont St. Michel. We will be in Paris but think a day trip would be too long and tiring. Are there any recommendations for staying overnight in a town close to Mont St. Michel? Should be rent a car? Train? Any suggestions are appreciated.

If you're up for renting a car, that's how I would do it. It's not that easy getting there on public transportation.

There are those who say spending the night on le Mont is the way to go, as it truly is beautiful and quiet up there after the daytrippers leave. And there are those who prefer to stay across the bay and have a view of it. I think I would prefer staying on the Mont itself, though in my most recent trips I have stayed in Dol-de-Bretagne.

Day Trip Scenario: 9am TGV to Rennes, bus meets train to wisk you right to Mont Saint-Michel, spend 4 hours or so there and return same way.

Lv Paris Montparnasse station daily 9:05am arr Rennes 11:08

Bus (Couriers Breton) lv Rennes station at 1130 arr at Mont Saint Michel at 1300
Lv Mont by bus 16:45 ar Rennes station 18:15
Lv Rennes on TGV 18:35 (or later trains) ar in Paris 20:40

If doing the train you may consider the one-day France railpass special where for $90 you get unlimited travel on French trains - the bus costs about 10 euros each way (railpasses not valid on bus) - the pass is only going to be sold for another week however but can be used for six months afterwards.

That said i agree better to stay at the Mont itself - some pricey hotels on the island but a gaggle of reasonable motels just on mainland at end of causeway - about a mile away.

Great view of the Mont at night from the mainland as the famous abbey- basilica crowning it is gloriously illuminated.

On the Mont at night is a special self done tour thru the abbey with special effects and music - called the Marvels of Mont Saint-Michel i believe and to me was better than the crowded daytime tour.

If day tripping chose a weekday as on weekends there are often long lines to get into the abbey itself. And in summer can be any day especially July.

Thank you StCirg and PalenQ for the information. I am going to Paris this May with my husband and two kids and I wanted to go to Mont St. Michel but the information from the guide book was very little. This is the first time I will take a day trip outside of Gallerie Lafayette and I am a little nervous. I don't know how to take trains in Europe, I guess now is a good time to learn.

Should I buy the train tickets online now?

We made a mistake by staying "on the mont". There is a hotel on the right side of the road just before the causeway, the view at night is GREAT.
We took the car and drove back to there just to see it...sorry I don't remember the name of the hotel

I think staying on the Mont is great, which I've done twice before and am doing again in May. The daytrippers go home, you can walk the ramparts at night with the Mont lit up.

Try doing a search in www.google.fr for places in or nearby. Make sure your searches are for Le Mont-St-Michel, as oddly enough, there is a Mont St. Michel, which is nowhere nearby.

< I don't know how to take trains in Europe, I guess now is a good time to learn.

Should I buy the train tickets online now?>

a- a great primer on using European trains is the free European Planning & Rail Guide (www.budgeteuropetravel.com) so you can learn all you need to know, as well as asking Fodorites, the most rail experts i've seen in one forum

2- you can get reduced fares online at www.voyages-sncf.com but often only if you act far in advance. The savings may or may not be significant so play around with it. A regular fare ticket you should be easily able to get in Paris anytime on this line.

we did this as a daytrip and while doable, if yo can arrange to stay overnight it will be more pleasant and less taxing.
Driving - if you are comfortable with it - would be great, but the train - bus connection is fairly easy if you don't want to drive. Just realise you will spend more time in transit than at MSM if you do it as a daytrip.

There is a Mercure hotel at the start of the causeway that is functional, with a restaurant that was remarkably good. I prefer the overnight trip, left Paris in the AM, train to Renne, giving you the ability to visit le Mont later in the afternoon when the daytrippers are beginning to leave.

http://www.mercure.com/mercure/fiche...he_hotel.shtml

There is also spotty train service Rennes-Pontorson, six miles from the Mont. Not practical for day trippers but on some days for those staying overnight. Pontorson also has a flock of hotels - buses run from town to Mont.

PalenQ

Thank you for the information.

Much Aloha
M

We found staying on the mainland, with the view from our hotel room of the illuminated Mont to be wonderful.

Indeed, even if staying on the Mont itself be sure to walk or drive over the causeway a mile or so to take in the unforgettable view of the whole thing illuminated at night.

If it isn't too foggy

Keith

And if staying on the Mont don't worry about not being able to get off the Mont due to flooding, which these days rarely happens - only perhaps in a full moon with a super strong tide whipped up by winds.

This is due to silting of the bay - in part caused by farming syphoning water out of the streams that feed the bay there are plans to reverse this and make the Mont really an island at hide tides but they have met opposition from Mont shopkeepers who want cars to be able to park right by the entrance.

Some plans would move parking lots to the mainland and have a people mover take folks over and doing away with the dike that in part causes the silting.

Another option would be to stay in St-Malo, an attractive town with numerous hotels and restaurants. There are now direct TGVs from Paris to St-Malo, and there are buses from St-Malo to Mont St Michel. The buses drop passengers right by the mount, whereas the car parks near the mount are expensive and on busy days may be full.