Lodging at Mont St. Michel Abbey

It is worth it to stay on MSM for one night .

MSM is a heaving mass of tourists during the day , literally heaving ! HOWEVER, once the day trippers go home it's magical !'

markg91359 You have to understand that it is just a big rock. There are no streets, just winding pathways, stairways and alleys, and barely any flat ground. More importantly, there are only about 32 rooms on the island - total. They're spread out among several buildings, and not exactly spacious. So you don't have a lot of choices to be picky. On the mainland, of course there are more choices.

We were glad we stayed on the island, so that we could experience the early morning and late evening.

I agree 100% with Pat.

I agree 100% with Pat.

1. Depends on your definition of better. You want a great experience or you want to save a few bucks? For me, the answer is obvious, as I probably won't be going back to MSM and I can always find more money.

2. Yes.

3. Nope, can't give you a specific rec - plenty of places to find that. I stayed in one place. It was far from luxurious, it actually had a lot of rough edges, but I didn't stay there expecting 5 star amenities. Location, location, location...

4. Yes.

Hi there,

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Paris that included a side trip to MSM.

I think staying on the island was absolutely worth it. You do have to adjust your expectations and know you are staying on a a rock not truly meant for habitation. So honestly for me, I was impressed with our accommodations even though not fancy. My husband had greater expectations and was miffed about the nonfunctional wifi. That did not bother me though because I was not there for wifi. There was cable tv- all in french- but again. I wasn't there for the tv either.

We stayed at the La Vielle Auberge https://www.lavieilleauberge-montsaintmichel.com/fr/. The rates were fair because we went in the off season. Rates may be higher if you're going in May. But will definitely be higher on the island than not. I picked a room with a view of the bay. It had a huge balcony. I could've thrown a party on it. The sunrise was great in the morning. Only caveat with staying on the island is the abbey bells. They tolled all night long and excessively at 7am. The room itself thought was great- of course small and hallway outside musty- but you're in a bay on a rock. Who cares. It's amazing. The bed was super comfortable. We also had dinner in the hotel restaurant- Auberge St. Pierre? It was decent- I actually had a great lamb dish.

I can't stress enough how difficult the terrain will be so pack light. We left our baggage at our hotel in Paris and only took backpacks with us to MSM. It's uneven and stairs, stairs, stairs...The main road was cut off for construction when we were there so we had to walk through narrow alleyways to go around.

The Abbey itself is amazing. Oh and do make sure to check the official website for the tide schedule. I had a great experience considering the tide did not come in when we were there. So I'm sure it's extra magical when it does.

My wife and I had a similar experience as Anjali. Stayed at Le Mouton Blanc (http://www.lemoutonblanc.fr/), which was decent. Comfortable, clean, but nothing special. Ate at Les Terrasses Poulard (I think?), which was also decent.

That said, MSM was amazing. I'd try to stay on the island if possible.

What do you normally spend on lodging? Unless it's a big number, MSM lodging will be a splurge. There are lots of small hotels not far from the island. Nothing prevents you from staying off the island and visiting in the evening. If you stay on the island, you are somewhat a prisoner to the cost of meals. I planned to get an Omelette on the island - until I saw the cost. The cost of a single omelette was between 35 and 50 euros. You could argue that it's not hard to leave the island to find more reasonable meals but it's also not that hard to stay off the island and visit in the evening.

I ended up staying at a hostel on the sea in Cancale, I think 25 euro, and eating a dinner of oysters at a local restaurant for under 20 euro for the entire meal.

I loved MSM but I didn't stay or eat there. IMO it's not necessary and unduly expensive. MSM is nice at night, it's great to see a cycle of the tides there too. Convenience has value but, for me, the cost was beyond the value.