What is the best way, besides driving a car, to travel from London to Mont St. Michel in France? We are flying into LHR and now would like to travel to Mont St. Michel. Thanks for any tips!!
Posted by
Preston UK
1458 posts
The best way would be to fly to somewhere in the country you want to go to rather than London, but I assume that particular horse has bolted.
It looks like EasyJet fly from LGW on Mondays and Fridays. That's already inconvenient meaning an airport change and some dates the flights are too early for you to catch anyway. There will no doubt be flights to Nantes as well but there may be the same issue with changing airports, timings and maybe days when the flights don't run.
Brittany Ferries run an overnight service from Portsmouth to St Malo. That obviously means getting to Portsmouth and then having a second overnight journey after the flight and not getting there until day 2.
I'm sure a flight to Paris would have been a whole lot easier.
Posted by
Lake District, England
9412 posts
Keolis run a bus from St Malo to Mont St Michel daily at 0925, journey time 1 hour.
The easiest way from London direct to Portsmouth Ferryport is on the National Express Bus.
So the ferry route is not a bad one, avoids changing stations across Paris as you would by train, and uses time efficiently by being overnight.
Usually the ferry leaves at 2015 (8.15pm) and arrives at 0815 next morning.
The other way the ferry takes 2:15 hours less (by day) so there is plenty of slack time there.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thank you for the information!
Posted by
Washington DC
28974 posts
My standard contribution when folks are considering Channel ferries is this: They can be cancelled. I have booked five Channel ferries between England, the Channel Islands and St.-Malo. All planned trips were between May and September, so winter weather was not a factor. Two of the five sailings were cancelled, one of them for three days in a row. I think it's risky to plan on a Channel ferry if one's itinerary isn't flexible.
Posted by
Lake District, England
9412 posts
There is a big difference between the Catamarans of Condor Ferries which have wave height restrictions and the Brittany Ferries Ships. The ships can get through far more than the Catamarans can, and the Brittany Ferries primary traffic is time sensitive freight traffic, not passengers.
Condor actually used ships for the freight traffic, which were way more reliable. But the Catamarans were what had been specified in the contracts for the passenger traffic, by the Jersey and Guernsey governments.
The Channel Islands ferries are out for re-tender. Condor have lost both the Guernsey and Jersey tenders from next March. There have already been trials of using ships again on those routes, to the relief of many people. Whether the new tenders specify ships (which will be more expensive) waits to be seen.
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1352 posts
My one and only ferry crossing was a Brittany Ferries ship, and it was cancelled. There is more than just waves that can disrupt these trips. In my case I was told it was a dock workers' strike. I'd love to do that crossing some day, but only if I had several extra days and an alternate mode of transportation in case things go wrong..
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8275 posts
MSM pairs poorly with the UK. Is your flight home from London? Are you planning to hit Paris, or the American beach sites in Normandy?
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/england-to-france
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/london-to-bayeux-and-back-again-by-rail
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/travel-canterbury-to-france-by-sea