We have reservations to stay at Le Mouton Blanc at LeMont St Michel on Satruday Sept 13 after leaving Konstanz Germany Wednesday Sept 10. We have return flight out of Paris Charles de Gualle to US on Tuesday Sept. 16. Have been to Beaune France and would love to return but don't want to miss a new experience. Suggestions for car rental or train for these dates?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
This journey is of the length where you could consider cut-price airlines, EXCEPT there are no suitable airports near either, and no suitable direct air route.
Mont St Michel is not even near a railway station. The nearest station is Rennes - and you then need to take a bus.
http://www.bahn.de says the only way to do it by train includes an overnight stop in Paris.
And, one-way international car rentals are horribly expensive.
My plan 'B' would be:
- Wednesday 10th September: Train Konstanz to Paris (5½ to 7 hours depending on train). Overnight in Paris.
- Thursday 11th September - optional 2nd night in Paris.
- Friday 12th September. Pick up hire car from CDG. Leasurely drive. Stay somewhere between Paris and Mont St Michel.
- Saturday 13th September. Arrive Mont St Michel. Frankly, you can do Mont St Michel in one day, so that leaves 2 more to explore the area with your hire car.
- Tuesday 16th September. Return hire car to CDG. Depart.
How is this for a plan?
Posted by
Green Bay
20016 posts
By train to Beaune is not too difficult. Best route is 8 am train to Zurich, connect to a TGV-Lyria train to Dijon, then a local train to Beaune. 4 hours travel time.
There is one connection a day from Beaune to Rennes that avoids changing stations in Paris. It is not the shortest time wise. Beaune to Lyon and changing to a direct TGV to Rennes. 6 hours 45 minutes travel time vs 5 1/2 hours through Paris with a station change from Gare de Lyon to Montparnasse.
You might think about renting a car in Beaune, tour the vineyards, and drive to Mont St Michel then back to CDG. Don't speed per the adjacent post.
Look at schedules at www.bahn.com
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7260 posts
I personally would not combine Konstanz and Mt. St. Michel, because they are too far apart. But if you don't mind changing hotels every night, there is certainly plenty to see in between. You don't say if you've seen the Chateaux of the Loire, or Normandy already. Referring to the airplane comment, I think there is a small airport in Dinard, but in mainly serves places like England. In fact, we stayed in Dinard and did daytrips, including Mt. St. Michel, from there. Most people might choose St. Malo instead, but that has even more tourist traffic. I'm sorry we missed the steam train in Paimpol, but it may not run into September. It is difficult to overstate how much there is to see in Brittany and Normandy, if you have a car.