I went back and read messages on the board about the subject. I am still confused as to whether we should stay on the causeway or on the island itself. One guidebook I have says stay on it, a few say stay close, and Lonely Planet says stay in San Malo.

Perhaps someone here can help me. I know that we have to be there early to avoid tourists...

Thanks

Mont St Michel is most beautiful outside from the border of the bay. Inside it is a rather narrow tourist crowd. If weather is fine buy some oysters beside the street, a knife, white wine and glasses and look for a calm place at the east side of the bay, picknick and have this stunning few together with a good meal. Don't forget to train opening oysters before, it is easy, but you have to know the trick to avoid injuries.
Take the coast road along Cancale, you can eat good there. Stay in St Malo overnight or if you really want it luxury in Cancale: Maison de Bricourt, two Michelin stars!

Enjoy it.

My vote is for one of two locations. Either stay on the mont so you can experience it after the crowds get back on their tour buses, or stay in a small hotel nearby from which you can see it in the evening and the early morning light. J.

Lois,
Check out the Auberge Saint Pierre, on the Mont. A lot of people from here have recommended it.

http://www.auberge-saint-pierre.fr/

Perhaps my memory is faulty, but I don't recall seeing a single hotel or other lodging "on the causeway." The causeway is just that - a long, narrow road over the marshes out to le mont.

I recall a hotel at the END of the causeway, on the street in what I believe is part of Pontorson, but I don't think you actually have a choice or staying on the causeway.

At any rate, jmw44's advice is sound - stay ON the mont and enjoy it when all the tourists leave in the evening or stay somewhere close where you have a good view of it.

I'm willing to bet big money that valgella has NEVER spent a night on Mont St. Michel. Otherwise he wouldn't call it a narrow tourist crowd. That is a comment which comes from people who have only experienced the mount as day trippers -- when the crowds are indeed out in force. But anyone who has spent the night there, walking those narrow twisted climbs to the top, witnessed a sound and light show from within the ramparts, or looked out into the moonlit bay has another entire perception of the place. Stay ON the mount at night. We stayed at the Auberge Saint Pierre -- actually in one of their many tiny annexes partway up the mount. It was wonderful.

patrick..some questions...in my Rick Steves book he says something about parking the car in the car park area and having to walk 15 minutes to a hotel on the mont with your luggage.

Does this make sense????

I would love to stay on it but would never make a 15 minute walk with our luggage..I don't think.

I was a day tripper there last year. All of the hotels on msm looked nice. The hotels on the road leading up were totally lacking in charm! If I ever get back there I'd want to stay on Mont St Michel. The walk didn't seam that long to me (no luggage!), but I think somethings are worth it! 15 minutes of hassle for a wonderful experience? sounds like an ok trade off to me! By the way the walk is MUCH londer from any of the hotels.

Depending on where your hotel is, I suppose it could be up to 15 minutes, but the parking lot is right at the gates to the town, so depending on where you park it could be almost nothing. Some hotels will send a porter to help you with your luggage. I also saw some people who apparently had borrowed a sort of "wheelbarrow" for rolling their luggage up to the hotel. We chose to lock our luggage in the trunk, and just took a few items with us for our one night stay. We were careful to get what we wanted before parking there, so in the rare case someone could be watching they wouldn't see that we left luggage in the trunk. At the hotel they said they couldn't remember the last time someone had their car broken into there, and I believe the guards we saw were on duty all night.

There are several motel-style hotels clustered near the start of the causeway so there's no lack of options here as well as a few hotels on the mount. Yes the visage of the mont gloriously floodlit at night from the causeway is a must - even if you stay on the mont trek over to the mainland at night to see this wondrous site! Actually people do spend the night on the causeway but in camper vans that park in the parking lots on the causeway!

We have been twice and stayed on the Mont both times--even saw the tides come in on last trip. The crowds leave and it is very quiet. We stayed at The Terasses Poulard and had a wonderful quiet room first trip. Second trip they had no rooms so we chose the Mouton Blanc--very noisy & sort of shabby. Avoid the overpriced Mdm Poulard restauraour very mediocre omelet dinners came to about $125 for two-service was poor also.

The parking lot at le MSM is very large, and depending on how full it is when you arrive, I can certainly imagine it possibly taking 15 minutes to get to a hotel. It's very steep, too, once you enter the gates, so unless you're very fit and the crowds are thin, it's slow going. If you're arriving early, though, with luck you'll get a parking spot near the entrance.

I agree with nini about Mère Poulard's omelettes and service.

Thanks for the help. So we should plan to arrive early to avoid crush and be able to park. By early you mean 8 am...or so.??

If hotel will send porter down that will be great. It certainly sounds like something we would like.