Driving from Rennes to St. Malo - Dinan - Mt. St Michel

The roads are so nicely paved and road conditions are excellent. Some roads are two lane roads but not impossibly narrow and nothing so tight and narrow as the tight narrow turns you make getting out of the rental car parking structure at Rennes train station. I really enjoyed driving in Brittany and Normandy last spring. Read up on the rules of the road before you go and be sure you get your International Drivers Permit at AAA before departure.

"Are the stairs on the Mont really awful and is it worth it all to see the Abbey?"

I think they are difficult as there is often no railing and they are worn in places so a bit uneven. On the stairs up to the entrance there is a droopy rope that just divides the up and down traffic. You can try to hold on to it but it doesn't give you much balance. Keep in mind you need to descend the stairs as you leave. They are pretty slick if it's raining. Parts of the abbey on the way to the entrance are not covered so are wet if raining.

To get up to the Abbey front entrance you can go up the main street which is often crowded or you can divert to the route up around the wall on the right side. This does not really save any stairs as there are staircases there as well.

It's hard to judge "worth it" for others. Some feel like this is a must do and a highlight. I have been 3 times and each time hoped I would come away understanding what I was missing that everyone else was so crazy about. I've done 2 day trips and 1 overnight visit. I've done the early morning service (this was awful as there was no lighting on the stairs and it was raining). I've eaten on the island, I've walked from the island back to the parking area. For me it's a miss but I have been, lol. The view of the rock and abbey from the shore is wonderful, though!

On the other hand, I loved Saint-Malo! I loved watching the tide change and the paths out to the 3 islets emerge so you could walk out to them. I loved seeing the diving board to the salt water pool stick out of the water when the tide is in and then see the whole pool area when the tide ebbs. I like to stand on the City Wall and think of how Jacques Cartier's fishermen relatives discovered fishing on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland in the 1500's. Crazy!

What day of the week are you going to Dinan? The main parking lot in the old city area is turned into a market on some days. I say this not as a driver but as a person who stayed in a hotel on the square and saw the big signs in the hotel elevator imploring people to make sure their cars were moved so they were not towed!

It's impossible to say whether the stairs are "really awful" without knowing your physical capabilities or your level of interest. From my perspective, it's definitely worth the climb (late 60s male with no particular interest in Roman Catholicism), but I can attest that I saw a few people struggling on the steps who weren't as nimble as I am. When it comes down to deciding, It depends on you and whether you feel the need to see it. But really, if you can climb a few flights of stairs in a building when the power is out and you can't take an elevator, you probably can climb those stairs at Mont Saint-Michel with no problem.

With respect to driving, as long as you keep to major roads you should have no problem -- but I would educate yourself on the quirks of French driving laws; in particular the rule of priorité à droite. Know the signs that tell you when it's in effect and when it's not. And be aware that many towns have a sign at the entrance to the town that indicates priorité à droite is in effect within the town. Also, become aware of the importance of the signs when you're entering and leaving a town on speed limits.

The area in which you'll be driving is outside of the bocage of Normandie, where smaller roads have many blind curves and narrow pavement that may require a driver to go off the pavement or even back up to allow a large truck or tractor to pass. So, as long as you stick to major roads, you should be fine.

Lastly, about 20 minutes east southeast of Mont Saint-Michel is the town of Saint-James, which (despite being in Normandie) is the site of the Brittany-American cemetery. While smaller than the better-known cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer northwest of Bayeux, the cemetery at Saint-James is definitely worth a stop.

Month of year? St Malo can be short of parking. It's on a peninsula, which means 15 minutes in local traffic to get in and out. The "strip" approaching MSM (well, Pontorson, anyway) has everything from an alligator farm to Pizza Hut.

The MSM parking lot is endless. Please pay just before leaving, NOT at the exit gate. Long walk from your car to the island, or to the electric shuttle bus.

If you are staying on the island, inquire about a parking code well before you get there. Many hotels have a provision where you can park in the lot for free (in a special, closer section of the lot). But you need to enter a code to enter their closer which is otherwise hourly.