Please advise if you have stayed on Mont Saint Michel and where. I would like the experience of seeing a the tide come in and surrounding the island.
If possible to do you know of transportation to there? While there I would like to tour the beaches, museum and have ride back to Paris. Any recommended tour companies.
Thanks for your advise. I would be going between April 22 and May 1. Thank you,
Posted by
1 posts
We stayed at Hotel Saint Pierre last March and were very happy with the small but charming room. I requested a room with exposed beams and leaded windows and that's what we got - top floor with views over the ramparts and town.
I was really glad we stayed overnight to explore the town afterthe daytrippers left.
We rented a car in Bayeaux and drove to Normandy then on to Mont Saint Michel. Very easy drive and convenient to be on our own schedule. We drove back to Paris (airport) after leaving the island and that was an easy drive as well.
Posted by
1027 posts
We took the train from Paris to Rennes, then picked up recently car at the train station. Then an easy drive to MSM, then on to Bayeux for WW2 sites. You could return the car in Caen and take the train back to Paris.
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1272 posts
I stayed at Le Mouton Blanc on the island once and it was perfectly fine. Keep in mind that all, or almost all hotels and restaurants on the island are owned by the same conglomerate (La Mere Poulard). Being there at night and when the crowds of tourists aren't is the key. Anyone who says it is better or just as good to stay off-island I suspect has never themselves spent a night on the island. I second the recommendation to train to Rennes and pick up a car there (I have done this twice). I have also picked up and dropped off rental cars at the Caen train station multiple times. When you say "the beaches," do you mean the D-day beaches? If so, they are not too close to Mont-Saint-Michel, but instead a 1-1/2 hour drive. I don't know how long your trip is planned for, but I would advise only one night on MSM proper, and the rest of the time elsewhere. You don't really need more time than that on the Island proper. Bayeux is a great base for exploring areas associated with the Battle of Normandy. Also, check the tide tables for high and low tides during your trip to make sure you know when to experience the tides.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8075 posts
We only spent 4 hours at MSM, but the search box top left will give you both positive and negative reports on sleeping on MSM. You could stay in a more modern hotel on the mainland, and see the same thing at the right time of day; The island is only a few hundred feet from the mainland. Just another idea to consider.