We will be driving from Rennes to MSM via rental car in March. Is there a separate parking lot for those staying on the island? It doesn't sound like you can park on the mont. I know you have to get a code from the hotel to access it, but I don't know if it is a separate lot. Also, I see our rout requires tolls. How do the toll roads operate in France? Should we plan on having cash or are they automated?
Any tips/advice is appreciated! Thanks! - Elizabeth
The toll roads we used took credit cards, though they didn't always seem to work, so its best to have some cash handy. There isn't a lot on the island that I could see. I know the hotels on the road to island seemed to have their own lots. There is a shuttle that goes to MSM. There might be a possibility that people staying on the island can drive up and drop their things off and then move to the appropriate lot.
From Rennes to MSM, there is no toll road (well, it is like a free highway, on the way from Nantes to Caen).
Hotels on the mainland, in front of the island, have dedicated parking lots (code given by the hotel). For most hotels located right on the island, there is no dedicated lot, so you park like every visitor (but you should ask your hotel if they have a dedicated lot).
We arrived by tour bus and parked in the regular visitor parking lots. There are shuttle buses that go from the lots to MSM. You then walk to your hotel with your luggage. A good plan is to take just what you need for overnight with you and leave the rest in your car.
For most hotels located right on the island, there is no dedicated
lot, so you park like every visitor (but you should ask your hotel if
they have a dedicated lot).
This is not exactly true. The lot closest to the island is very expensive if staying hourly. But most hotels on the island will give you a pass-code that allows you access to this lot for free.
Thank you all! That is very helpful! I've heard driving in Normandy is very easy. Hopefully I can get a hold of the hotel. This seems to be the tricky part.
I spent the night on the mont at l'hotel guesclin, which I would recommend. Fine room and delicious dinner intheir dining room. I did get the parking lot code from the hotel vie email. Don't worry, it's easy to navigate to the proper parking lot, use the code and get on the bus to the mont. There is good signage. I actually think the best thing about MSM is seeing it from various spots as you drive up, but I would definitely stay on the mont rather than then hotels surrounding it. Enjoy sue
Thank you! Yes, we already have a room reserved on the island. I get the impression that all the hotels are generally comparable. Jules, do you remember what the tolls cost roughly? After MSM, we will need to drive to Deauville.
Elizabeth, I can't remember exactly what the toll roads cost. My recollection is that they were a lot more than I expected. I feel like in states in the U.S. with toll roads, unless I'm so out of touch at this point, you can expect about $10/day in tolls. I recall some stops in France were like 5 or 10 euros alone. Also, while the toll roads are generally faster, they are BORING. When it doesn't cost me too much time, I prefer more scenic routes.
I would not leave anything of value in a rental car in a public lot, even if there is a trunk. You’re a prime target for thieves.
We spent the night on Mont St Michel last fall and it was amazing. We got up right before sunrise and walked the ramparts. We were nearly the only ones there. We drove our rental car there from Dinan and took backroads so we did not encounter any toll roads for this leg of our journey. However, we did use toll roads a couple of times and depending on how far you travel it can be pricey, one of ours was 20 euros. However we had no problem using our chip credit card to pay for tolls ( we did take coins to pay in cash just in case). We called our hotel on Mont St. Michel the night before and they gave us the code. You park in the P3 lot which is right next to the shuttle bus stop and near bus parking area. The signage is good. We took all of our valuables and just a backpack for our one night stay. Enjoy your stay!
