My grown daughter and I are planning a short visit to Normandy before going to Paris in late March. We'd like to spend one night in Honfleur and one in Mont St Michel. Is there a practical way to travel between the two on bus and/or train, i.e., without a rental car? We'd appreciate any advice!
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
The only way I've heard of it being done is via a bus to Pont l'Eveque, train to Pontorson, and bus out to the Mont. I've never done it, but I understand it can be tedious/long/miserable. The problem is there's no train station in Honfleur and the train from Pont l'Eveque westward takes maybe four hours sometimes and ten or twelve other times. The folks at the bus station (midway down the west side of the East Basin) can put it together for you. You probably should check with them the day prior since the timing (bus from Honfleur to Pont l'Eveque) is probably critical for the fastest trip.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
Another option is to take a bus from Honfleur to Caen, which takes a little over an hour, then the train from Caen to Pontorson. If you can catch a non-stop from Caen to Pontorson, it takes about 2 hours. (Most of the trains are NOT non-stop.) Pontorson is the closest train station to Mt. St. Michel. You finish the journey (Pontorson to Mont St Michel) by bus (about 15-20 minutes). Be sure to study the timetables carefully when you plan your trip. It can be complicated to coordinate bus & train. IMO, much easier to drive.
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3050 posts
If it's at all possible for you to get a rental car, I'd advise it, the bus to MSM goes from the train station once a day so you have to be good on your timing, and it was also full when we arrived on the train station. Getting back on the bus to go back was madness, people shoving and pushing and elbowing elderly people, just horrible. Another option is to take a tour? I would recommend anything you can do to avoid taking public transit to MSM, and I'm usually a public transit advocate! edit: whoops, confused train stations, ignore the above. although it still seems far easier to rent a car to get to MSM, period.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
2 posts
Thanks so much, everyone. With all this information, and given our time constraints, we've decided to concentrate on Honfleur and skip MSM.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
The bus from Pontorson Gare (the train station) to Mont St. Michel runs 6 times a day. Here's a link to the schedule: http://tinyurl.com/7fplabj I'm pretty sure they increase the number of daily runs during July and August.