Day trip from Paris to Mont St Michel

Unless you travel by train, it’s too far for a day trip IMO, as it’s 4/4.5 hours driving in each direction. Take the train to Rennes (c 2 hours) then take a bus, which is another 30 minutes. I was exceedingly disappointed with my visit to MSM last year and personally, I wouldn’t spend 3+ hours in each direction to get there, as there are better attractions closer to Paris.

Is it possible for you to stay the night at Mont St Michel? I ask because the difference between joining the hordes during the day and having the place virtually to yourself in the evening and morning is quite large.

If you must do a day trip, look for a company that gets you there as early in the day as possible or has you stay a little later in the evening. 11 am to 4 pm is when the vast majority of visitors are there. Also, move off the main street and onto the ramparts as soon as you possibly can. This is also help with dealing with the crowds.

Too far for a small group tour. You will spend at least 9 hours to get there and back..
But if you insist I would DIY and catch the first train and then you transfer to the bus.
07:35 Paris Montparnasse
09:25 Rennes
TGV 8003
2nd 20 min transfer time
09:45 Rennes
10:55 Mont-St-Michel

And this is the last trip back
18:20 Mont-St-Michel
19:30 Rennes
Bus 52324
2nd 22 min transfer time
19:52 Rennes
22:08 Paris Montparnasse

We had a car and we were exploring Brittany and Normandy. We stayed one night right by MSM. We had a nice time, but it was the most touristy feeling place I've been to in France. I think the restaurants are all managed by the same company because the food and prices seem to be the similar at each place, and the food was not good and overpriced. There are lots of little shops with cheap trinkets. However, there are ways to make it a great experience. We went over at just before dusk and took some photos and enjoyed the island with far fewer people. Then we got up early the following morning and got there about 45 minutes before the abbey opens. Again enjoyed taking some pictures and leisurely walked up to the abbey. We walked through the Abbey before crowds arrived. We left at about noon, and then enjoyed a picnic not far from MSM with a view of MSM and then proceeded to Normandy.

Oh baloney.. it is simple to do a small group to to MSM and I have done it which I am sure the other posters here have not.. .

Oh yes it is nicer to make it an overnight.. I have ALSO done that.. but when I took my then 18 yr old daughter to paris a few years ago for a family matter , she claimed the one thing she really wanted to do was visit MSM and because of our schedule we only had the one day.

We used big bus tour company, for economy reasons we took the big bus tour however they do offer small van tours , Pariscityvision Tours.

Yeah yeah its a long day.. but we did have more than enough time at MSM, and we didnt' have to drive the bus so could rest on the way there and back( its an early start)..

So if you really cant do an overnight do not over worry, the one day trip is fine . my only caveat is the mont is so crowded during the day during tourist season.. its not fun in that aspect.

Even for me, jules' opinions are a little strong. But I can understand why he felt that way! I agree that whether independent or packaged, a single day runout to MSM is not a good use of a day in Paris. While neither Giverny nor Versailles is remotely similar, either of those is a better use of a full day. There are other nice daytrips and nearby cities much closer.

We have, in fact, used bus tours in some major cities. But we chose them because they went to three or four major locations in a single long day. We were satisfied with limited time in those places. I would add that MSM is a lot to see and a lot of walking for a time-pressed outing. A cathedral or standard monastery is (perhaps) more reasonable for a 75-minute bus-tour stop. I actually thought the walk from the MSM parking lot to the causeway (past a veritable "strip" of land-side chain motels and shopping opportunities) was a, sort of, education. Thank goodness there isn't room on the Mont itself for provide these services. But we're talking here about a Cesky Krumlov sort of alteration of a place by mass tourism.

FWIW, I'm not among the many who consider it essential to spend the night on or at MSM. We were satisfied with 2/3 of a day, by car from our hotel in Dinard, if I remember correctly. We probably went to a public estate garden along the way.

Had to go back to see what I wrote. I agree, a bit strong. I usually try to be more tactful. Don't get me wrong, MSM is definitely worth the trip and I'm glad I went. I'm just glad I was able to avoid some of the crowding. And I will still say, in a country very known for its food, the restaurant we ate at at MSM, is not up to the quality of restaurants elsewhere in France. If you only have a day and really want to see MSM, by all means go. A tour is a great way to do it since you will have someone managing the logistics and might be able to even catch a nap. A lot of contributors would say my trips to Europe have been too fast paced and we haven't spent the time in particular places than others would, but my husband doesn't care to be gone from his office more than 7-8 days and I've got places to see! I say, you do what you can understanding your own personal limits.

Jules is upholding a long tradition of complaints about Mont St Michel commercialisation. There are Medieval documents in which Medieval pilgrims had complaints about souvenir vendors, tacky shops, etc.

Well, I haven't been to Disneyland Paris, which I'm guessing is pretty "touristy"

Note , we had more than 75 minutes !! We walked from bus station to mont(as opposed to taking the tram) , we asked all around the mont, checked out abbey and church , and still had time for a sit down lunch .