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Getting from Saint-Emilion to Mont St-Michel

Posted by on

We're hoping once again to get our twice-delayed trip to France going this fall. At one point we'll be in Saint-Emilion, and then we'll need to get to Mont St-Michel. We can catch the train to Rennes and pick up a rental car there, but I'm wondering about driving instead. We'll have a car in Sarlat and Saint-Emilion - if we just kept it, what's the drive like? I know it's likely 6+ hours - if we did that, is there a good place in between to stop for the night to cut down on the long drive? Or are we better off just taking the train? I'm wondering about driving that far with a very, very limited ability to speak French.

Thanks,
Harry

Posted by
6888 posts

The train will take a while... 6 to 7.5 hours from Bordeaux to Rennes; perhaps a bit less if you backtrack all the way to Paris but that will cost more. Then you need to add the time to drive to Bordeaux in the morning, and out of Rennes in the evening, probably hitting rush hours in both cities if it's a weekday...
So I would drive. La Rochelle (my preference) or Nantes (which some people really like; I am more mixed) would break the drive nicely if needed, but it is not essential, especially if it's two of you driving.

Posted by
383 posts

We stayed in Rennes a few years ago and thought it was a great city. Lots of pedestrian-only streets, the Thabor gardens (although probably less will be in bloom in the fall), good food. So my suggestion would be to spend 2 nites in Rennes (your arrival day from Saint-Emilion and a full day the following). Then pick up a car the following morning and drive to MSM, aiming to arrive in the afternoon as the daytrippers are leaving. During the day prior to MSM you could go to your choice of one or two cities in the area as Dinan, Saint Malo, Dinard, Cancale (great oysters!), etc.

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