overnight at Mont St-Michel

Having been to MSM I cannot imagine that RS stays in the monastery. I did not stay on the rock, but arrived in the evening at 4:30, which happened to be (as RS describes) when everyone else was pouring out). We walked throughout the abbey for 2 hours from 5-7p and then ate on the rock, walked in the wet-sand and then drove back to Bayeux, arriving by 9:30. We had the abbey almost to ourselves (and this was mid-July). Many of the stores on MSM were closing as we waited for restaurants to open. It felt pretty shut down when we departed around 8:00. Enjoy

No the Abbey does not provide guestrooms. It may seem that way since the various hotels and rooms are on the winding path clinging to the same rock that the Abbey is built on. Our rooms (on the tour) were scattered along the way and not connected, although technically all part of one hotel operation. Call the tour office if you want specifics.

Day 7: Brittany and Mont St-Michel

We'll depart the Loire Valley this morning and make a beeline to Brittany. We'll stop for lunch and a walk through a quintessential Breton town, where we'll learn about the Bretons' Celtic origins. Later this afternoon, we'll take a short drive to the timeless, picture-perfect island of Mont St-Michel. We'll arrive as the tourist tide recedes, ensuring a less crowded experience here. We'll share dinner together and sleep on the Mont itself (1 night). Bus: 5 hours. Walking: moderate.

This from the itinerary for the Paris -Heart of France tour-- https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/france/paris-france

My husband and I were there in May of 2016. We stayed at Hotel La Croix Blanche on the island and there was a RSteves group staying there as well. If you are getting the reservations yourself get them ASAP as the island fills up VERY QUICKLY. BTW, we LOVED staying on the island and felt it was so worth the adventure to do so!

We stayed on MSM last summer. Make hotel and dinner reservations as far in advance as you can.

We did the RS Best of France, albeit it was 2007. We had an overnight stay at Mt. St. Michel. I can assure you, we did not stay in the Abbey. Tour members were assigned rooms in different hotels and Band B's. Staying the night was magical! the Mount was open for exploration with no crowds. The food was great and it was one of the neatest experiences in 7 trips to Europe. In the morning we got an early start before the crowds arrived and toured the Abbey in a relaxed, and not hurried fashion. Rick has figured it out. Hank Novato, Ca

Those darn prepositions!

The hotel rooms may be spartan and may make you think you are staying in the abby, but no, it is just a hotel room.