Question about trains from/to Paris
 

My family is going to Paris in August. The only plans so far, other than apatment and air, is to spend 2 days in Normandy to see the beaches and Mount St Michel (we will still have 5 full days in Paris). I have gone on the train website, but am having trouble navigating it to get tickets. I know going we want to go to Bayeux to get to the beaches (what time is the earliest train), but am not sure which station to leave Mount St Michel from. Does anyone have any tips on how to actually book the tickets? Thanks in advance.

Hi R,

Goto www.voyages-sncf.com

You can navigate the French with the help of http://www.freetranslation.com/

It will show you that you want MONT ST MICHEL (50)

PONTORSON MONT ST MICHEL (50) is 9 km outside of town.

You can buy your tickets online from SNCF (look for reduced fares) or when you get to Paris.

((I))

A quick search on www.sncf.com gave me Paris St Lazare to Bayeux at 7:12 am. This is the earliest and shortest trip I saw at 2 hrs 11 mins. Cost 32E.

I was unable to find Mont St Michel. Perhaps someone else knows the name of the station. Sorry.

As for tips booking tickets, I would purchase them at the station before I leave. That has always been easiest IMO.

Good luck!

I don't think there is a train station at Mont St Michel - - you train to a point, then you bus the rest of the way.

Thanks for all the info. I don't know why I can't figure out the train website, but your info helped. I think I found the return train station from Mt St Michel. does Rennes sound right? How far is it from Mt St Michel, if anyone knows?

Hi R,

I erred.

You should take the train to
PONTORSON MONT ST MICHEL (50) is 9 km from the Abbaye.

Rennes is 78 km away.

www.voyages-sncf.com will sell you a ticket online from Pontorson to Bayeux for 19.6E.

PREMS fare for Paris to Pontorson is 39.8E.

PREMS Paris to Bayeux is 15E.

Hope this helps

((I))

you can probably get an idea using an online map, like Google map, viamichelin.com or mappy.com

PS,

Rick Steves says:

Between Mont St. Michel and Paris: There are three ways to get to or from Paris. Most take the regional bus from Mont St. Michel to Rennes (€10, not covered by railpass) and connect directly to the TGV (4/day, 4 hrs total from Mont St. Michel to Paris). You can also take the quick bus ride to Pontorson (see below) and catch one of a very few trains from there (2/day, 5.5 hrs, transfer in Caen or Rennes). In summer, you can take the SNCF bus to Villedieu les Poêles, and transfer there to the train to Paris' Gare Montparnasse (4/day, 4 hrs total, bus and train covered by railpass).

Between Mont St. Michel and Pontorson: The nearest train station to Mont St. Michel is five miles away, in Pontorson (calledPontorson–Mont St. Michel), connected by bus (12/day July–Aug, 6/day Sept–June, 15 min) or taxi (€15 by day, €22 at night and on weekends). The few trains that stop here are met by a bus waiting to take passengers to Mont St. Michel. The bus stop should be on the main street in front of the Pontorson station, on the same side of the street as the station; verify as you leave the station. Winter evening trains may not have a bus connection (call Couriers Bretons for bus information in this region — tel. 02 99 19 70 70). The bus drives right up to the entry gate of Mont St. Michel. Taxis from Pontorson to Mont St. Michel (or vice versa) cost about €15 (€22 after 19:00 and weekends/holidays, try to share a cab).