Hi all, we will be in Bayeux at the end of April. We might have some time to rent a car/driver to go and see the Abbey. Can you tell me about this? When is the best time to see it? How much time does it take to do it justice? How far a drive from Bayeau would you say? Is it a must to go in the Abbey or wonderful just to see it from afar? Day, night? High tide, low tide? Any info would be helpful. Thanks.

http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...perty_id=82940

This is a link to fodor's info on Mont St. Michel.

Here is their tourism website if you haven't already found it:
http://www.mont-saint-michel-baie.com/

I found MSM to be very interesting. I think the abbey was very interesting. I loved the drive there and seeing it in the distance - just breathtaking and as you get closer and closer just very cool. We got there late afternoon, checked into Hotel de la Digue which is the last hotel before the causeway. The crowd was not so bad at that time, the tour busses had already left. We enjoyed the walk to get there, wandered around and had dinner. At dusk, we walked back to the hotel and watched the sun go down and MSM light up. It was magical. The next morning, the plan was to get there early to beat all of the tour busses. We weren't there early enough and there were a lot of people. Touring the abbey was very interesting. MSM has a very interesting history. When we left (around 11:00 am), we passed a line of cars about 5 miles long on their way to MSM. I was so glad we got out of there somewhat early in the day.

In a nutshell, go late in the day/spend the night and tour the abbey in the morning. I don't know anything about the tides, they were not an issue when I was there.

Thanks all for your first hand words. It sounds like to go there and "see" it is something very hard to describe. I am looking into a way to get there from Bayeux...

We went to MSM in Nov 2005 and we arrived around 10:00 am. It was not a busy time of year but there were plenty of people. We had children so doing it at night was not an option, but it had been a suggestion from someone. We found it crowded but not too bad until we tried to find a bite to eat at lunch time. I think it is a must see. It is truly beautiful as you drive up and the walk up was very enjoyable. We enjoyed going through the Abbey and I would recommend the audio tour if you want to be on your own time, but get good information. It worked well with our kids. We drove from MSM to a B&B, then on the next day to Bayeaux. The drive was easy and well marked. I drove and my husband navigated and the hardest part was finding our B&B. The place you stay should be able to give you good directions to MSM. We found the driving easy and not stressful. I hope you're doing some of the D-Day tours around Bayeaux. That was definitely the highlight of our trip. If you need a recommendation on a tour guide, send me an e-mail, [email protected].

I forgot to mention about the tides. I don't think they're really an issue unless it's a full moon high tide. You can check the tides on the MSM website. I think they're interesting to watch come in, but it was low while we were there and we didn't see any great tidal rush.

I went there last July--not the best time of year crowd-wise, but I went late in the day, spent the night on the Mont, and left the next a.m.

If you can, go for the evening Vespers--you *must* get there at the time they say, because the monks take the group of people from the meeting place (where the ticket collectors/ropes/entry are) into where they sing the prayers. I missed this b/c I was a few minutes late.

Evenings are magical, pardon the cliche, but other words fail me. I walked down the causeway, and then walked back as dusk was coming, and as the sunlight gave way to evening and the lights started going on. The abbey itself is splendid to see. The town itself (such as it is) is probably as crowded as it was in the middle ages--really, really slow going on the one main drag where the shops and restaurants are.

The restaurant I went to was one of the many variations on the poulard name; it wasn't the first one on the left (which looks like the one in the Rick Steves tape) but rather down a block or so on the right. Food was so-so, but that's not why I went anyway.

It was a highlight of my trip and one I will never forget.

If you are religious consider buying one of the icons made by the monks at one of the shops uphill a bit and run by the monks.

Thanks all for your responses. We really want to go and see it Sunday when we get in on the train from Paris (about noon or so), but can't quite figure out how to do it.

We might be able to rent a car and drive it, but some of the car rental places are closed on Sunday. It would be ideal to hire a car and driver to take us there, spend a few hours, then bring us back, but not sure that service is offered from Bayeux. Not sure what else to do.

There aren't any organized tours or buses or anything. Wonder why not? I am sure we aren't the only tourist who go to Bayeux and want to also see MSM which is only an hour and a half away...I might ask our B and B people but not sure they can help.

Anyone have any ideas?

Heavens - you seem like a very good planner and maybe this isn't a good option for you but - there should be a tourist office in or near the train station in Bayeux. I'm sure you can find a brochure or a recommendation for a tour to MSM. But, you won't know until you get there. Unless you can find the tourist office for Bayeux on the web.

Very tourist-trap like...but do it once...at low tide

Boy, I am getting a little confused about this place. Tourist trap like the Vatican? With T-shirt tables and pictures of the Pope for sale on the square?

When you look at MSM, is there a town in there? Restaurants? A whole community? Or just some shops and cafes during opening hours for the toursits?

And my biggest confusion, why does one have to see it? The enormity of it? The age of it? For those who have seen it, what is the big deal? Sorry to sound stupid, but I am not understanding the layout of the place...

There were a ton of buses full of tour groups so for sure there's a way to hook up with one.

I took the train and that was logistically not the best way to do things as there were only two taxi cabs in town to get to/from the station in the nearby town.

After you go up the long causeway by whatever means and walk up into the abbey area itself you will encounter a main drag (foot traffic) with shops, restaurants, etc. as you walk past the initial shops etc. you will go higher and higher up toward the church /abbey buildings and eventually get to the church. It's a small place in some respects and you can't get lost.

As to why people go -- I can't help you there. I went because I always wanted to see it and it has the pull of being a special place. It's also historically significant (you'll see a section on the Bayeux tapestry where the soldiers get washed up in the tides).

I highly recommend you consider getting the Rick Steves dvd on France that includes the visit to MSM -- it made a lot more sense to me after I saw that (before I went).

Mont St. Michel is an architectural masterpiece that combines wonderful examples of the Romanesque and the Gothic. A wonderful book by Henry Adams is called "Mont St. Michel and Chartres." It celebrates these two places as the perfect embodiment of the middle ages. Mont St. Michel, rising from the ocean like one great spire, is a very beautiful and inspiring sight. Many people want to explore it for this reason.

The upper part of the abbey is called La Merveille, the marvel, for good reason: it's exquisite. Hard to imagine how it could have been built without heavenly help.

The village is at the base of the island. The abbey buildings are on top, reached by a steep, winding path. People who live on the Mont include the Guardians and some shop owners, and there is a thriving local community. There are quite a few restaurants and cafés, along with a post office, and assorted shops Think of the Mont as a small island with buildings marching up to the top, where the golden statue of St. Michel shines above all.

People go to Mont St-Michel for many reasons, one of which is religion: it's been a pilgrimmage site for many centuries, just like Rocamadour. Religious items appeal to pilgrims and sometimes to people who just want something lovely from the Mont.

As to getting lost, it's definitely possible if you stray from the tour guide taking you through the buildings and rooms, some of which are very dark.