Is 3 hours long enough in Mont Le Saint Michel

This is really a matter of personal taste. For me, Mont St. Michel is best seen from a distance then a nice, quick tour of the island and off to other things. The shuttle is the option I would take.

I love Mont St Michel. 3 hrs is adequate, not ideal, but better than nothing IMO. We did it with a rental car but the shuttle sounds good. It all depends on your preference...do you want the ease of a shuttle but constrained time wise or, would you prefer to have a more leisurely, relaxed time where you can stay there longer if you really like it. Rental cars in Europe for just one day are usually expensive (like $100).

Be careful about the lineup for the abbey. If you show up during a busy time (like July/August), the lineup might be massive. I was there in early August and took the bus to get there around midday, and the lineup for the abbey was at least an hour in length.

The main time crunch will be visiting the abbey itself. The rest of the island is mostly souvenir stores and restaurants... but if you have some extra time, try exploring the various nooks and crannies around the ramparts.

I was there a little over a week ago and thought that 3 hours would have been enough time: see view from causeway, walk up, tour abbey, enjoy views, walk on ramparts, walk out on mudflats, head out. I was a train traveller (in to Pontorson, bus to Mont, bus to Rennes, TGV out) and stayed overnight at Motel Vert, which was a bit too much time for me, but I was able to relax. The view of Mont Saint Michel from a distance is awesome. Have a great time!

Thank you all for the great advice.
Looks like the shuttle will do just fine.
Might be nice to relax and let some else drive especially with the next 10 days after the Normandy area will be driving around Ireland.
Thank you again for the help

Do you have any choice about the time? Three hours is plenty, but it is pleasant to go in the late afternoon after most of the crowds have left.

My brother and sister-in-law went there in October.
They drove from Caen very early on a Sunday morning.
They really enjoyed it but said as they were leaving after a few hours, the mobs of people were arriving so they were happy that they gone so early.

Mike,
I was persuaded to rent a car by two people on tripadvisor.com. Check out TA and see what you think. I was opposed to car rental until a guy from Hong Kong and one from Los Angeles convinced me to rent one at the Caen RR station. WE also stayed in Bayeux plus in a B&B outside Villers-Bocage, 12 miles south of Bayeux.

It was the best travel advice we've ever received. The freedom of a rental car opened up all of Normandy and the B&B's to us. At MSM, we went early, spent about 2-3 hours before the crowds on buses arrived, then drove around the bay to Cancale and the famous seafood cafes for a world class lunch. We also took a D Day tour but returned with our car the next day to spend much more time and picnic along the beaches. Wonderful!! WE also had a GPS, but having our own car from AutoEurope was the difference between night and day. Driving in France is so easy too and we are in our 60's.

oprah44

Mike, it would be best if you could go real late or very early. If you go during the middle of the day a good portion of your 3 hours would be negotiating through the hordes of visitors. Late in the afternoon, say after 5 p.m. would allow you to see more of the Abbey in the same amount of time due to less people. Early morning would also be fine. Just to give you an idea of the traffic inbound to Mont Saint Michel around noon view this short video.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ProfileGallery-i19831218.html

I'm going to Mont St. Michel for an overnight on July 26th. What's the earliest time I should plan to arrive to not get stuck in a traffic jam (5:00?)and what time will the crowds get big the next day.

We just got back and we arrived ar MSM at about 4pm via a rental car. The crowds were mostly gone but the abbey was closed. It is three hours from Bayeux, but a pleasant drive and there are several nice views from a distance. We got stopped by a flock of sheep in the road and got a great photo of them with MSM in the background.

It is nice and pretty to walk around in but after several cities all the tourist shops all look pretty much the same. It would be miserable when it is crowded. Three hours could be plenty or not enough depending on how long the lines are. It looked lo=ike it had been real crowded.