Mont Saint-Michel overnight stay

I stayed overnight on MSM on 3-30-17 with my wife and daughter. Exploring the island after the tourists were gone was fantastic - maybe the best night I have ever spent in Europe. Things you need to consider:
-our Hotel was spartan (but cheap) and I suspect most others on the island are also;
-getting to our hotel room was work - hundreds of stairs. Consider just taking an overnight bag vs your entire suitcase;
-the island shuts down at night. I think only one restaurant was open for dinner and it was not very good;
-to view the island at night, you must walk to the causeway (unlike hotels on the mainland that offer views of MSM);
-staying on the island makes it easier to beat the crowds the next day.
Good luck - everyone should visit MSM!

Yes, we have, in July. It will be lock-step crowded during the day on the one street up the Mount. But in the evening when the crowds thin out, it is great. If you can be up early, you can attend the monks & nuns chanting their morning prayers up in the Abbey. That gives you a picture of the purpose of the place as not just a tourist trap. There are a limited number of rooms on the Island so book fast. Many are kind of primitive so it can be interesting.

I'm opposed to spending the night. We visited for a few daylight hours with our car in the pay-lot, and were satisfied. If you want to sleep over, note that there is also a "strip" of modern chain motels within walking distance of the causeway, on the mainland. There is a touristy restaurant and a supermarket (check business hours!) across the street from the row of motels. Check how to get free parking if you do rent a hotel room.

This question comes up often, so the Search box (top center or menu) can be used to find people who loved the overnight, and those who thought the rooms were cramped, hot, or unattractive.

One way to help evaluate your desires is to think, "Have I ever visited a medieval town or town center before?" Do I live in a landlocked place and seldom see the sea? Do I want to see MSM under more than one tidal condition? Do I want to walk on the mud during low tide? Will I lose a night I'd rather spend somewhere else? What is the weather likely to be like that week? How far do I have to drive the next day?

I'm a great believer in the wisdom of staying overnight in MSM (and other places that are being loved to death by the exploding worldwide tourism industry).

Arrive late afternoon, watch the human tide drain away. The water may drain away at a different time based on the tide table, but the human tide table is 100% predictable, and you want to be there when the human tide is out. Show up mid- to late-afternoon, you'll watch bus after bus rolling away, eventually leaving the place relatively quiet, free of crowds, and as magical as it has been since the middle ages. Sleep on Mont, wander the streets after dark, hit the sack early, rise with the sun, get out and enjoy the special place for a few more hours before the fleets of buses start rolling up again. Then get outta dodge.

Hint: this technique works for any place that has become way too popular. Toledo. Carcassonne. Krakow. Tallinn. Maybe even Cique Terre. For me, it almost worked in Prague but just fell short of the crowd-free experience I had hoped for. Need a stronger/better trick for there, I guess.

I stayed at a hotel across the bridge. Beautiful views of Mont St. Michel lit up an night! There are frequent buses across the bridge during the day and they continue running until late in the night (I think less frequently though). I was happy the way it worked out; if you stay on the Mont you have to park in a distant lot and take your bags onto the bus, staying across the bridge lets you park at your hotel. I stayed at Hotel Le Relais du Roy 2 years ago. Basic hotel, nothing to write home about. But their restaurant serves great food! Literally one of the best meals I've ever had in France.

STAY OVERNIGHT! For us this was a bucket-list item......a memory we will always cherish. Make your plans ASAP.......places fill up fast. We loved walking around after all of the tour buses had left. Park on the mainland, take as little as necessary and enjoy the experience!

Tim, maybe a few daylight hours satisfied you because you simply didn’t know what you were missing. A complete transformation occurs on Mt St Michel. One almost has to see it to believe it! I strongly encourage you spend the night. The advice just bringing what you need for overnight and leaving the rest in the car is good.

I strongly agree with Bill G. We stayed over night within a couple miles of Mont Saint-Michel and decided that it was the right decision for us. The views of the island at a distance are magical. I have photos with farm fields and sheep in the foreground and the island in the back. It is much cheaper off the island to stay. You can park and take a shuttle to MSM. We went over early evening and then again right away in the morning before the crowds. We timed our arrival to be about 15 minutes before the opening of the abbey at the top of MSM and it worked well. We left at about noon and had a picnic back on the mainland with views of MSM in the background. The restaurants along the shuttle route are expensive and the worst food we have had in a country of wonderful food.