Mont Saint Michel Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Mont Saint Michel [1] (often written Mont St Michel, with other variations) is a small UNESCO World Heritage-listed island located just off the coast of the northern French region of Basse-Normandie, on the border with the neighbouring region of Brittany (the island shares cultural and geographical affinities with both regions). The island is best known as the site of the spectacular and well-preserved medieval Benedictine Abbey of St Michel at the peak of the rocky island, surrounded by the winding streets and convoluted architecture of the medieval town.
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Understand
Mont Saint Michel was officially inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1979.
Get in
By car
Driving is by far and away the most efficient way of visiting Mont Saint Michel. Within the region of Basse-Normandie, drive from Caen along the A84 south-west to Pontorson, then continue a few more kilometres to Avranches. Merge with the D43, following the signs to its Mont-St-Michel at its end.
From Paris the total driving time is about 4.5 hours.
By train + bus
There are no direct train services between Paris and Mont St Michel, but rail travel to the island is nonetheless feasible. The best option is the TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Rennes, where a bus run by Les Couriers Bretons (tel. 02-99-19-70-70; www.lescourriersbretons.fr ) provides a 75 minute transfer to the island (there are 2-5 departures from Rennes per day, depending on seasonal demand - most departures are timed to match to the arrival of the TGV in Rennes). The bus station is immediately outside the Rennes train station, at a bus terminal building on your right, after leaving the station by the north exit. The bus costs 10.10 Euro, with a reduction to 8.10 for people under 25. Bus tickets are sold by the driver when boarding the bus, not in advance at the bus terminal.
When returning with the bus, the driver might ask if you have a reservation for the TGV to Paris and give priority to people who have one.
Another option is to take a TGV train to the Pontorson-Mont St Michel train station, with a stopover in Rennes. The Pontorson train station is no more than 15 minutes from Mont St. Michel. Buses are available several times a day. You can get a schedule from the Pontorson train station.
See
- the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel (L'Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel) [2], open 2 May - 30 August 9am-7pm (last admission 6pm), 1 September - 30 April 9:30am-6pm (last admission 5pm), admission (unguided visits): €8 adult, €5 18-25 yrs, closed 1 January, 1 May and 25 December -
Eat
The old town at the base of the abbey hosts a wide selection of restaurants, cafés, fast food outlets and other food venues. Note that Mont Saint Michel is more than slightly a tourist trap with regard to refreshments and travellers' needs - check a number of places for the best deal before ordering!!
La Mere Poulard is world famous for their omelet. They put untraditional ingredients into it and cook it right in front of the window of the restaurant. Be careful to make reservations ahead of time because it is usually crowded. Also they only sell their world famous omelet at certain times of the day, so when you make reservations, be sure to make them for the right time if you're intending to get an omelet.
Sleep
Mont Saint Michel has a number of small hotels located within the island township. A selection of much larger hotels are available on the mainland opposite the island and in the nearby town of Pontorson.
- Visit Mont St Michel Hotels
Cope
Information
The local Office de Tourisme is located in the Corps de Garde des Bourgeois (the Old Guard Room of the Bourgeois), at the left of the town gates (tel 02-33-60-14-30). Open daily all year except for Christmas Day and New Years Day.
Stay Safe
Note that the tidal flats surrounding the island are known to harbour quicksand - visitors to the island are advised not to attempt crossing the flats by foot.
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