Mont St-Michel for people with limited mobility

We did this in June 2018. There are a TON of stairs at Mont St-Michel! We did the Rick Steves Tour, and there were a couple of people who had to sit and rest during the tour, but they made it all the way up to the Abbey. I would put it in the strenuous category, but you can sit down and rest along the way.

On my visit, I aborted the climb. Difficult and strenuous as it was, coping also with people hauling strollers up all those steps was more than I could handle. The crowds even 15 plus years ago! I think, as others have suggested on this forum, if you can time your visit to early in the morning or late, late afternoon, you might find a more pleasant experience.

If you follow Rick’s advice and take the ramps there are fewer stairs. As you approach the main MSM gate (where almost everyone is headed), turn left and go under the Gendarmerie sign over the arch and you will follow a series of switchback ramps (with some steps) up to the Abbey. You will avoid the hordes going up the other way and there are plenty of opportunities to stop and rest. I have bad knees but was able to handle this approach (with some rest along the way). But I agree with the others comments regarding timing...early AM or late afternoon and you will encounter fewer people.

We got near the Abbey, but the combination of steep slope, rain-slicked cobblestones and no hand-railing made it imprudent for me to attempt the final ascent. Ramps were easily walkable, though.

We traveled there in late October a few years ago and it was not crowded at that time of year. It is however steep.
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/mont-st-michel-is-that-a-real-place/
As you can see there are lots of steps at the top up into the Abbey. We walked up the central street because there was construction blocking the entrance to the side paths when we were there.

Yes, if you go, definitely do the route Rick suggests. Fewer people and fewer stairs. My son wears leg braces so we look for easier routes. He also used a walking stick and that helped. We stayed in the town nearby and went at the end of the day. (We considered staying on the island but decided it would be too draining on all of us to carry luggage and help him.)

I agree that the best thing about MSM is viewing it from across a field or even from the bridge to its little island. We enjoyed the walk up and the Abbey but we were there in October when there were no crowds; I think if we had been there in July in the heat and crowds it would not have been so pleasant. The whole thing is designed to push you through one tacky overpriced tourist trappy shot after another or to buy overpriced monopoly controlled food. But the view from afar (which you can see in my snapshots at the link posted earlier in the thread) is one of life's great moments.

To each his own. Seeing Mont St Michel from a distance is stunning, no doubt, but in my opinion that doesn't negate the rewards of being there in person.
As for accessibility, I'd second those advising you to go in the morning or evening when it's not crowded. I'd say to aim for the evening, since it's still light after 9:00 pm and the crowds thin out around 4:00. You can't get an equivalent span of time in the morning. Taking the "alternate" route (the RS route) is also a good idea so you can rest. It's possible to rest along the way on the main street but others will have the same idea and the resting places along the street are limited.
Visiting the Abbey is strenuous, but worth it in my opinion. Some may not consider it beautiful, but the architecture surrounds you and is magnificent. Being there fills me with wonder at the centuries of people who built it, lived there, and travelled great distances with primitive transportation to experience it.
I hope you and your your wife get to enjoy it in your own way.

I’m with Bob, i love Mont St Michel and disagree it’s just as rewarding seeing it from afar. The Mont itself is spectacular, medieval, atmospheric, and very enjoyable - when there are no crowds. It’s all about timing.

+2 for Bob's comments. Yes it is strenuous, yes it is nice from a distance, and yes it is amazing to actually get to the top and see the inside of the abbey as well. Just don't fool yourself into thinking it is easy if you have limited mobility. I saw lots of people struggle on the way up the main drag. The two times I have gone, I took the outer ramparts up. Once I stayed overnight and took multiple routes up and down. The back lanes and alleys between the main drag and the abbey are much less crowded than the main tourist drag. But even the main route is practically abandoned from early evening on.

@ lisalu

I’m well aware of what the OP is asking, thank you. I have mobility issues as well.
People have already explained there’s an easier route to the top. If you can’t see past the souvenir junk, then i don’t know what to say. The walkways, the buildings, the houses, the stone work, the church, the cemetery, the abbey at the top, and the views from Mont St Michel - are all amazing. Being there transports me back in time.

But as i said, do not go when it’s crowded... which is appx 11am to 5pm.

@ lisalu

Yep, that’s how it’s always worked here. The OP asks for opinions, many are given, the OP decides what’s best for them.

I’ve been going to Mont St Michel since i was 6 yrs old, it’s a very special place for me. If you understand the history it might be helpful. It’s been a famous pilgrimage site since it was built. It’s always been crowded, there’s always been vendors selling their stuff along the road up to the top. Try to imagine it that way in medieval times and it may help. There’s alternate routes up, as people have said, and you can by-pass all the souvenir shops if you want to.

Thank you all for your opinions.
My wife can make a decision now :-)