Hi everyone. We are trying to decide if we want to stay on Mont St. Michel itself or at one of the hotels close by. My question is this:
If we choose to stay at a hotel close by, can we go on to the island at night after the crowds have left and walk around, go back to our hotel off the island for the night, and then go back early in the morning before the crowds arrive? Would this be allowed?
I stayed on the island with the Rick Steves Paris and the Heart of France tour group. First of all staying overnight is the way to go. The difference of empty streets vs. hardly room to move is big! I can't answer your question about those staying off of the island. I don't think you could get to the island early enough to go to the vespers service early in the morning without staying on the island itself. It was nice to enjoy and walk around both on the beach around the Mont and the Mont itself at night.
There is no admission price for the island, you can certainly go. When we went, we stayed on shore and went evening and then again in the morning to visit the abbey. If coming by car, you pay parking twice of course.
I regret not staying on the island.
There is only admission to the abbey at the top. We stayed just off the island and did not regret it. We went over at dusk when people were gone to take pics. We also got lovely pics with farm fields in the foreground and Mont St. Michel in the background at sunset. Then in the am, we arrived to the shuttle about 1 hour or so before the opening of the abbey and the island was very quiet and lovely as we walked up to the abbey. Crowds come at about 11am or so.
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.
Regardless of where you stay, keep in mind that restaurants close early since the customer base is limited. It is a good idea to be seated by 7pm if not earlier.
Thanks to everyone for your responses.
We stayed at La Jacotière (in RS France) and it was perfect. We had a view of the Mont at night from our place and then were able to walk there at night (or take the shuttle) to the island and walk around. It was for us the best of both worlds. We had the ground floor room with a separate entrance and a little patio.
Yes, you can do exactly what you have proposed.
I agree with the others who said that staying on the island is preferable. We've never stayed at one of the nearby on-shore hotels but I can say there's something special about walking the island late at night and early in the morning (without having to take the shuttle there first).
As for taking pictures of the island, you don't need to stay onshore to do that. If you're staying on the Mont you can simply go back as far as you want along the causeway, turn and take pictures. Taking pictures from different vantage points has nothing to do with where you sleep.
If you choose to stay onshore, I'm pretty sure there are onshore hotels that are already on the shuttle route, so your late/early trips to the island wouldn't necessitate additional parking fees.
You can always walk back on to the island (except during some extra high tides, I think mostly in September, that cover part of the bridge).
The important question on whether to stay on or off island is budget related. Sticker shock chased me off the island. There are, I believe, two hotels on the island. If budget is less of a concern than energy expenditure (which it is for many), staying on MSM is probably wonderful, you will be right there after the crowds have dwindled - which is certainly valuable.
If you'd rather save significant money even if you have to walk an extra couple miles (it's pretty far from parking to the island and back), stay off island. There are plenty of hotels in the area. I ended up staying at a hostel toward Cancale.
Food was an even bigger sticker shock. The traditional omelettes looked great so I planned on getting one on MSM for dinner. Unfortunately, the price for a single omelette was 35-50 euros (Sep 2016), nothing extra included (not an exaggeration). I ended up having oysters and beer in a Cancale cafe overlooking a small bay for less than 20 euro - a typical cost for a meal (outside Paris) and arguably the best oysters on the planet.
Not only was the food on the island (and along the shuttle route) expensive, it was just bad.
It is my understanding that the road to the island is always above water. You can walk it/take the shuttle or drive. If you stay on the island, it appeared to be some lugging of suitcases. I saw an older gentleman trying to maneuver what appeared to be both his luggage and travel partner's to their island accommodation. And they didn't appear to pack light.
Not only was the food on the island (and along the shuttle route) expensive, it was just bad.
One of the best meals I've ever had in France was at the restaurant of Le Relais Du Roy. Normally places in tourist areas aren't very good since they are one-time customers rather than a repeat clientele. I'm no gourmet but the 3 course dinner was excellently presented and tasted great. Here is a link to the hotel https://restaurants.le-mont-saint-michel.com/en/le-relais-du-roy/
I have to agree with Brad about the sticker shock. We do it because we love it but make no mistake, it's expensive.
I am planning to visit it next September and will be traveling solo. Is there a hotel location offshore very close to where the bus running back and forth stops? I’m particular about safety but still want to fully enjoy it. Otherwise, I will plan to book a room on Mont St. Michel. Thanks!
What time of year are you going? In late May, I parked my car for free in the large lot (free after 7 p.m.) and then took the free shuttle to the island. At this time, the crowds were gone and it was magical to walk around the streets and ramparts with few people. I had dinner about 9 p.m., walked around some more and then caught the 11 p.m. shuttle back to the parking lot. During that time of year, the shuttle runs until midnight. B&B prices in the local towns are really very reasonable and I stayed close to the parking lot. (PM me for the name of the B&B) The next morning I arrived fairly early to the island and followed Rick Steves' instructions on walking to the Abbey and avoiding the crowds. BTW, you can buy Abbey tickets at the tourist office on the island by the public restrooms which are located right as you walk onto the island.
