We are taking RS My Way France tour in April, arriving a few days early in Paris. We want to take a day trip to Mont St Michel. Several tour companies do this, for about the same price, but I'd feel better with an actual recommendation. Rick must be updating his France book, it's not available until Jan 25. Any advice on visiting MSM from Paris in general also appreciated!
Barbara
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3989 posts
Friends used Paris City Vision in 2018 and were pleased. I went to MSM from Normandy so no general advice about doing the trip from Paris except to say that my friends said it was a very long day but worth it for them.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
April means Easter school holidays, so MSM will be busy. Unless you stay overnight there, you aren’t going to be able to avoid the crowds. You can do it yourself by train and taxi rather than take an organised trip, but it’s a long day no matter how you get there.
I stayed in the nearest village, Pontorson when I visited - it was the most disappointing day of a 6 week trip to France. We got there early, but there were still lots of local school trips there. The food was the worst and most overpriced of the entire trip and the shops are dreadful unless you like plastic snow domes etc. The buildings are lovely, but there are many places in France with lovely buildings.
It was a magical place 20 years ago when it was still accessed via the tidal causeway but the atmosphere has changed now it has a tarmaced road right the way to the door.
We found it quicker to walk the last mile from the car park rather than wait for the shuttle buses.
I have been back to Pontorson since visiting MSM, but we haven’t wanted to make the 6 mile journey to MSM.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thanks to you both! Paris Vision is one I was looking at closely, so that helps a lot. Jennifer, lots of good things to think about in your reply, I really appreciate your candor. Hadn't thought about school groups at all! Our itinerary gives us a choice of Sunday or Monday, I think Sunday will at least avoid school kids.
Posted by
California
1625 posts
We did MSM as a day trip from Paris on our own with the train ticket being a Train/Bus combo ticket. We left very early in the morning from Paris and unfortunately our train was delayed by 5 hours! We banded together with a father/son and figured out the next train and once at the proper station SNCF provided free taxis to MSM due to the delay. Needless to say our day was cut short tremendously but we still had a blast and would recommend doing it on your own. Just google Paris to Mont St Michel and there are many posts on how to do it, all basically giving the same instructions.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4853 posts
I posted this once from that wily Man in Seat 61. Trust but verify as they say:
Places not served by the main rail network...
Mont St Michel has no station, the nearest station is Pontorson-Mont St Michel which is about 5 miles away.
Option 1, cheapest & easiest, but slower, total journey from Paris around 4h30: Take a regional train from Paris Montparnasse to Pontorson-Mont St Michel then an integrated connecting bus to Mont St Michel. You can book from Paris to Mont St Michel as one transaction at www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, you'll get a through ticket covering both the train and the connecting bus. There aren't many departures per day, typically one morning service out and one late afternoon service back, allowing day or weekend trips from Paris. If these don't suit you, buy a ticket to/from Pontorson-Mont St Michel station and use a taxi between the station and Mont St Michel.
Tip: When selecting your seating options on www.thetrainline.com, don't panic when it says 'no places available' against the bus (or in French 'car'). That just means there are no allocated seats, you can sit where you like. It does not mean the bus is full! And yes, it's a bus between Pontorson and Mont St Michel, not a train, whatever it looks like in the data.
Option 2, faster, total journey from Paris around 3h: Take a high-speed TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Rennes in 1h30 then a connecting Keolis bus from Rennes to Mont St Michel in around 1h10. From April to September there are 3 buses a day between Rennes & Mont St Michel in each direction, see keolis-armor.com. Book a suitable train to/from Rennes at www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com. Buy the bus ticket at Rennes bus station, see keolis-armor.com for prices & more info.
Option 3, between May & September there's also a daily bus from St Malo to Mont St Michel, journey time 1h20, see keolis-armor.com for dates, times, prices & more info. St Malo is linked by ferry to Portsmouth with www.brittany-ferries.co.uk and with Paris by train.