One night in le Mont St. Michel

We stayed one night at the Hotel Mercure which is very close to the bridge that goes to MSM. Directly behind this hotel is a paved walking path along the river. The path leads to a bridge and the barrage (dam) which is a smaller version of the Thames barrier. (We enjoyed walking by the river way more than visiting MSM.) The shuttle bus stop is directly in front of the hotel. We caught an early bus (8 a.m.) and poked around the lower reaches of MSM for about an hour. That was plenty of time for us, since we had no interest in climbing hundreds of stone stairs (many with no hand rails) to reach the top. Unless you are a big fan of tacky tourist shops or intend to climb to the Abbey, IMHO MSM is best viewed from a distance.

Hotel Mercure is fairly modern, has comfortable rooms, and a good breakfast. They send you a parking code and you can park within a hundred feet of the hotel. We also enjoyed an excellent dinner at the nearby Ferme Saint Michel. Hope all of this helps you.

It's been about 9 years, but we stayed at Auberge de la Baie Mont Saint Michel. https://hotels.le-mont-saint-michel.com/nos-hotels/auberge-de-la-baie/ It was a modest, clean property, a couples miles from the parking and shuttle to Mont Saint Michel. It worked well for us. All the restaurants in and on the road to the bridge that goes to Mont St. Michel and on the island itself seemed to be affiliated. We ate at one along the road and it was awful--the only bad meal we've ever had in France. When we returned to our hotel we noted their restaurant was packed and the food looked really good.

After checking into the hotel, we drove around the area getting gorgeous pictures of the mont during the golden hour. There is one photo with sheep in the foreground which is stunning. After getting some photos, we parked and took the shuttle to the Mont. We got lovely photos and the area was not busy at all. The following morning, we parked in the lot, took the shuttle, then headed up to the abbey to get there at opening. Certainly there are stairs, but I wouldn't have called it a difficult walk. We visited the abbey and we were leaving as the day trippers started to descend on the Mont.

Yes, there were tourists shops, but it didn't bother us much. If folks object to the tourist shops on Mont St. Michel, by all means, skip Rocamadour.

We enjoyed our time, were glad we went and were very happy with our accommodations and "plan of attack"

I can't recommend a hotel on MSM, since we stayed at one of the small hotels not far from the causeway. It's been a minute since we were there

I think the decision to climb up to the Abbey is a personal one that includes the ability or desire to negotiate the steps and ramps, as well as the interest level in the Romanesque and Gothic Abbey itself. There exists an alternative to the main staircase. The Fanils have fewer steps,but the walkway is steep. IIRC, we walked up the main stairway, pausing to rest as necessary, but walked down via the Fanils. I found the Abbey very interesting, not least because we struck up a conversation with one of the monks, who took us on a spur of the moment tour of the upper level and explained a bit of the history and current status of the Abbey. I don't think I had realized there was still a fully functioning religious community before we visited. I'm very glad we made the effort.

In 2009, my wife and I stayed on Mont St. Michel, it was a highlight of our trip & a bucket list item, don't miss it! We were a little younger then, of course, but walked out to see the tide come in before dark and then returned to town, had an excellent seafood dinner on a stone terrace, and walked the ramparts in the evening all the way to the Abbey (closed, of course, at that hour). But the very small hotels on Mont St Michel are not for everyone. We stayed at Hotel Croix Blanche and found the experience a bit of an adventure; others may not agree. Of course, this is 15 years ago, but I have to agree with R. Steves that Mont St Michel is at its best after most of the day visitors are gone, in the evening and early morning.
=Bruce

In 2016 we stayed in Hotel La Croix Blanche on the island….but this was a definite “bucket list” goal for us and no matter what others said we wanted to be ON the island for probably the only time we would ever be there….arrived around 2 pm, parked and locked our car on the lots provided, took a smaller overbite bag and walked over the bridge to the island. We ate at La Ferme Saint Michel restaurant…..not a lot I can remember about the restaurant so it must have been alright. The hotel was filled with a RSteves travel group…..and they wanted a table we had at the restaurant so we gave it to them and they bought us a bottle of wine…..kinda funny since we don’t drink…..anyway it was a great night. My favorite memory is that we were all nestled into our room at dark…..with a view of the bay…..and we decided we were missing the opportunity to get island pictures in the moonlight……so we put our raincoats on over our pj’s and ran down to the island gate and took pictures we will never get again. Do we think it was worth it to stay on the island? YES

I was looking at Le Relais du Roy which is close by and recommended in theRS book

We stayed there several years ago and would do it again. The hotel was pretty basic but the location made all the difference. There is a nearby shuttle stop (they run pretty frequently) and the views of MSM both during the day and at night were incredible! Another advantage of staying across the bridge is that you can park at the hotel's lot instead of the general public parking a distance and bus ride away.

We ate at their restaurant and to be honest it was one of the best meals we've had in France, great food expertly prepared. They close the restaurant early and I think we were only seated because when they asked we told them we let them know we were hotel guests. This was all pre-Covid, I heard the restaurant closed for a few years and I don't know if it is open now.

In my opinion staying "on" Mont Saint-Michel and staying "close" are two completely different things. I suspect that those who say staying off-island is "just as good" have never actually stayed on island, or they wouldn't say that (I have done both). My thoughts are confirmed by the many people who do stay on the island and have a very different opinion than those who haven't. That being said, there is basically one company/conglomerate that owns almost all hotels and restaurants on the island (The Poulard Group). They have a monopoly, they know most customers won't return, and hence they don't have a vested interest in high-quality accommodations or dining to guarantee repeat visits that some places in Paris might have. I did spend a night at Le Mouton Blanc. It was perfectly fine with a choice of ocean view or street view rooms (I chose a view of the bay). There was an attached restaurant that was also fine—good actually. But again, you don't stay on the island for the 5-star rooms or meals. You stay there to experience the island at all hours, most of which aren't super crowded with busloads (literally) of tourists.

I'm sure it is a wonderful experience to stay on the island just like the RS groups do. That said, if a person stays just off the island by the bridge or a hotel a couple miles from the parking and shuttle, doesn't preclude them from visiting at off hours. We were on the island talking pictures etc. at 7pm and then right away early in the morning. It was indeed lovely, in the absence of day trippers.