Visiting Mont St.Michel
 

Hi. Will be in Brittany and Normandy in March and would like to know more about seeing Mont St.Michel. Reviews I've read say it is better after all the tourists leave. We will travel there by car so couldn't we stay till after the tourist buses leave or do we have to leave at a certain time because we're not staying there? Where would we park our car? What time of day is best to visit and how long should I allow for the visit? Thannks for any advice. MiriamDeba

MSM is a village just like any other so you can come and go as you like. I would arrive in the early afternoon to see the mont with no water but only sand surrounding it. You can look around the village, the shops, have lunch and maybe dinner and then stay until dark to see the tide come rushing back in turning MSM into an island again. Allow a little time to view the mont from the landward side of the causeway as it is very beautiful after dark with the soft glow of golden lights. If you can you really should spend a night there or at a hotel just off the causeway with a view of the mont.

Larry J

There is a huge parking lot in front of the Mont.

Heavily touristed times: July, August, week before and after Easter; weekends Apr thru Sep - can be very crowded - one August day by 11am it was literally elbow-elbow going up the street from the entrance to the church. Crowds thin out later in day but never subside so if you want to get into the abbey, the island's highlight, during these periods this often involves a long wait. Other months things are relatively un-crowded all day. Avoid weekends if possible. Parking is right by the entrance where the causeway ends - not much of a walk from parking spot to entrance. (Government officials want to remove parking to the mainland and have a people-mover take tourists to the island, allowing the demolition of the causeway in hopes that it would restore water flow to reverse silting of the bay, but island commercial entities successfully have fought it in fears that removing parking would negatively impact their profits!)
In season the night the 'Les Luminaires des Mont-Saint-Michel' or some such name is a multi-visual experience where you can walk through the abbey buildings through rooms featuring special effects, making a special feeling in these dank ancient rooms - i enjoyed it more than the cmobbed daytime tours you take through the abbey. Anyway at night yes the island takes on a special mystery after all the tourists have left. If you stay in the cluster of motels across the causeway on the mainland either drive over here and walk around at night, or do the night special effects show, or walk across the causeway - with the visage of Mont St Michel looming siren-like across the sands. Like above post says, also the spector of the abbey-topped island from the mainland is a sight to behold. As for flooding - it rarely happens these days due to silting of the bay - only a few days a year, like at full moons, may the 'island' really be an island - otherwise in effect it's now part of the mainland. Sans crowds a few hours here will suffice. You can also walk out on the sandy bay for miles but get advice on this as there are some quicksand spots. Organized tours actually trek across the sands to Avranches. If coming by car be sure to go down to the beach At Avranches from where there is a classic view of Mont Saint Michel looming far in the distance across the flat sands of the bay. From Avranches be sure to drive the road along the bay to Mont St Michel, ever getting a closer glimpse of this wonder across the bay as you approach it!

don't ever walk out on the sands without consulting a tide table; you don't want to be caught far from land when the tide wooshes in! also be sure to head the signs posted about parking your car above the tide lines in the parking lot.

Thanks LarryJ, cigalechante, PalQ and Underhill for your good advice. We're staying in Dinan for two nights and planning to visit the Mont from there after seeing St.Malo and Dinard, and then returning back to Dinan. Is this possible in one day? How far is the Mont from Dinan? Or would we be better off going to the Mont on the way to Bayeux, our next port of call?

Do consider staying on the island itself. You can part you car either across the jetty, or in the car park at the end of the jetty just before you enter the gates of the Mont, IF...the signs say there is a place that isn't inundated by the tide. It is a reaonably short walk across the jetty from the regular town to the Mont, but you won't get the magic of living in this piece of history. Our room on the Mont was not expensive, not special, just a place to sleep,(alas, I don't remember the hotel) and we were so vey glad we had the chance to sleep in the Middle Ages. One other insight: the town, as are many other touristed places in France and elsewhere, has many souvenier shops on the main street which can be a turnoff for many. However, remember that even 700 years ago there were tourists (then called pilgrims) and the streets were also filled with vendors selling momentos. Its not T shirts rather than pieces of the cross. Dont miss Mont St. Michel; its one of the very very best places in France. I also loved Dinan, but not Honfleur.

I am really confused...should we get to the Mont late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds?...or as you say early afternoon?..I've read differently.

Also won't the auto park be more crowded early in the afternoon?..

Unless it's the week before Easter or after don't worry about crowds anytime during March - they will be a fraction of what they are in summer - not a factor. But staying overnight here I do recommended to maximize your experience because you can see the island illuminated at night from across the causeway and this is a mesmerizing sight, and nearly no day tourists are here at night - you wonder its few sinuous cobblestone lanes yourself - a rather eery but great feeling. but any way put all angst to rest with crowds during March save for aforementioned Easter periods.

Unfortunately PalQ, our visit to the Mont will fall exactly one week before Easter Sunday. Our other option is to see it on the way to Bayeux on Monday rather than from Dinan on the Sunday. What would you suggest? Going on the Sunday would mean a more leisurely trip for us as well as the oppoortunity to see it at dusk/night.

I just confirmed our reservation at Auberge St. Pierre for this summer. We should arrive about 6PM, so I am relying on your great advice! I am expecting "magical" for the evening. It does make sense that since the majority of tourists are daytripping and leave late afternoon, the evening should be quieter. The room confirmed is "le Logis du Chapeau Blanc" avec beaucoup de stairs! Is anyone familiar with this particular room?

Wren I am making our reservation too...a tad worried as we older folk can't climb many stairs and hubby is clautrophobic in small places so it should be interesting. I think I will ask for the room you haven't!!

According to my Steves tourbook the hotels are listed in his book in order of altitude. (a fightening thought) but the hotel you selected is not as high as others. It's second on the list.(going up)

It sounds sooo exciting to me.

Lois, The altitude is exactly why we chose the Auberge St. Pierre. I will be eager to hear where you end up. We decided to stay there for the night after reading so many posts saying how different the evenings are there.

Wren...lucky you to be staying there. I just got online to see about our September dates for that hotel and its sister hotel and they are BOOKED.

I am not sure what to do...

I don't think my husband can climb higher...but I may try the next one up.

Lois, I wonder if you should call them tomorrow. I got a very nice woman on the phone who spoke decent English, and she was very helpful to me. That seems amazing that there would be availability in the high season month of July and not in Sept.

I think I will do that...I did it via some expedia or some group on the trip advisor site.Maybe they only have a certain amount of rooms given to these kinds of sites.Now if I only knew how to dial...LOL

Thanks for the help.

I dialed 1010987 (3C /minute after the 1st 46C minute) then 011 then 33, then 2 33 60 14 03. See if that works. Rick Steves' book has info on telephoning. Let me know what happens & if I can help more.

I have Rick Steves book too. I see a number but what is this you dialed?...where are you getting this from

1010987 (3C /minute after the 1st 46C minute) then 011 then 33,

All i see under the hotel is: 02 33 60 14 03

I need help I guess ..

Prior to our visit to MSM, I printed a tide table by Googling ["tide table" Cherbourg September] on the premise that high/low tide in Cherbourg, while perhaps a few minutes different, would still be approximately the same time, since Cherbourg is only a few miles away.

Hi Lois...10 10 9 8 7 is an inexpensive way to call. I dial that, then 011, then the country code, 33, then take off the first number and dial the other 9 digits.

So is that a magic number???...in any case, I will use it tomorrow. Too late to call now since I am I figure 9 hours behind Mont st michel. When are you going?

I just am determined to stay on the island...I will keep calling the hotels listed in Rick Steves book until I get to the TOP!

Thanks for your help.

Since Dinan, St-Malo and the MSM are quite close, yes, it's doable in a day, though personnally I wouldn't visit both on the same day.

However, I would forget about Dinard. Not only three towns in a day seems a bit much but also honestly, I don't think Dinard is very interesting.

Someone posted that high tides only occurred a few times a year. That is not correct--they come in twice each month--maybe with the full moon. We did experience the tides last year and the hotels will warn you to move your car to higher ground. The tide came in in the evening & again the next morning. We were not able to walk on the sands beause of quick sand. We loved the Mont & it is worth staying overnight. Abbey is very steep walk. Just don't bother to eat at the overpriced omelet place.