Beyond Brittany: A Visit to Mont St Michel

When visiting Brittany, one simply must travel to nearby Normandy for a visit to Mont St Michel. Sitting just 1 km from the mainland, it is one of France’s most beloved islands. Today’s post will give you some tips as to how and when to travel to Mont St Michel to get the most pleasure from your visit.

Mont St Michel lies just outside Brittany, about one hour from St Malo and a smidge over an hour from Rennes. If Dinan is your home base, it too is only about an hour away. If staying in Paris, there are numerous tours that run from the city, though that tends to be a rather long day. My recommendation is to travel from Paris to Rennes via train and rent a car. From there, take the A84 to N175 (as shown below) and park at the entrance.

From the entrance, you can catch a shuttle bus that runs at regular intervals and you are dropped right at the walkway. As to what time of day to go, I suggest early morning before the tourists but be sure to check the tide schedule so as not to arrive during high tide. You can find that information here: http://wisuki.com/tide/6154/mont-saint-michel .

Once you get to the island, you are greeted by a tiny, winding street that leads up to the abbey. Be prepared for a steep climb, by stairs or winding path. Good walking shoes are a must for these beautiful but slightly challenging cobbled streets. There are plenty of restaurants and shops to stop in for a rest along the way.

This particular restaurant has been open since the late 1800s and is sure to leave your belly full and hunger satisfied.

As France receives a whopping 200 million visitors per year, the travel and tourism industries equip voyageurs with everything they need for a pleasurable trip. For example, an interactive map for Mont St Michel can be found here: https://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en/interactive-map

The island was designated a UNESCO heritage site in 1979 and attracts more than 2.5 million visitors a year. While less than 50 people live on the island full-time, hundreds more work in the restaurants and various – and rather eclectic – shops.

We visited Mont St Michel in early April and found the streets to be almost empty – a rare thing for this island. April and September tend to be my favorite times of year to explore the more touristy areas of France, as it is just outside of the busy travel season but still rather fine weather. If possible, I would suggest booking your trip in one of those months. Of course, if you are hoping to visit Brittany’s fine beaches, you may want to brave the crowds in order to enjoy the slightly warmer waters.

The island is simply a must-see for those who enjoy architecture, history, and photography. If you love taking photos as much as I do, best to forewarn your travel buddy that you will be stopping a lot as there is something breathtakingly beautiful around every corner.

For example, walking along the 15th century fortifications for incredible views of the Bay.

As mentioned, there are numerous restaurants on the island. We dined at Les Terrasses de la Baie and were lucky to secure a table with a superb view.

The meal was delicious and reasonably priced. There are numerous restaurants that line the walkway up to the abbey and surely any would suit. As always, menus are posted outside of the restaurants and hours are typically the same as everywhere in France: 12:00 to 2:00 for lunch (however, make sure to be in the restaurant by 1:00) with dinner served from 7:30 PM.

If you are debating whether to have dessert, I say go for it. The climb up to the abbey should easily assist with burning the calories and you are in France after all! Enjoy with no regrets.

Since the 6th century, Mont St Michel has been a pilgrimage site for the devout. It was built after a bishop had a vision of the archangel Michael who instructed him to build a fine church in his honor.

According to Brittanica:

The fine abbey church that towers over the island has an imposing 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque nave and an elegant choir in Flamboyant Gothic style (built 1450–1521). The tower and spire, crowned by a statue of St. Michael, were added in the 19th century. The church is built over three crypts, the oldest dating probably from Carolingian times (8th–10th century). The exterior walls of the splendid Gothic monastery La Merveille (built by 1228) combine the powerful characteristics of a military fortress and the simplicity of a religious building. The most striking sections are the refectory, with its high, narrow windows, and the magnificent cloister, with its fine sculptures. There is a panoramic view of the bay from the medieval walls (13th–15th century) on the southern and eastern sides of the mount. The houses (now mainly hotels or tourist shops) along the narrow street winding up to the abbey date in some cases to the 15th century. Pop. (1999) 46; (2014 est.) 36.

For a nominal fee, you can visit the interior of the Abbey. Currently, however, the Abbey remains closed to the public. With restrictions beginning to lift, I hope that it opens again this summer. Check here for the most up-to-date information: https://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en

We spent the good part of an afternoon exploring Mont St. Michel and its magnificent abbey, and I would recommend at least the same amount of time. You can either head back to your home-base afterwards, stay for the night on the island, or continue east to explore more of Normandy such as the delightful town of Honfleur.

Driving in France:

See my blog post here: https://talesfrombrittany.com/going-further-afield-driving-in-france/
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour of France. There are so many things to see and do that it is hard to capture everything here. Please let me know what interests you the most, and the towns that you’d most want to visit.

Additional information on the shuttle bus: https://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en/preparing-your-visit/arriving-by-car

Mont St. Michel General info https://www.european-traveler.com/france/visiting-le-mont-st-michel-normandy-france/

Additional information about the shuttle bus can be found here: https://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en/accessing-the-site/using-the-passeur-shuttle_bus

Click below for additional information regarding accessibility and kenneling options for pets: https://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en/benefiting-from-the-services-provided-by-the-tourist-information-center/available-services-near-the-car-park

Parking fares found here: https://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en/preparing-your-visit/prices

Additional facts about Mont St Michel https://www.britannica.com/place/Mont-Saint-Michel

General Information (Taken from Welcome to Mont St Michel https://www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en)

We inform you that the parking lot is accessible.

The Passeur line operates from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm until May 9, 2021. The Passeur line will operate from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm as of May 10, 2021.

The Tourist Information Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. as of Saturday, May 8, 2021.

Traffic on the Pontorson le Mont line is adapted to SNCF connections at Pontorson station.

The Maringote line operates according to the schedules available in the corresponding section.

Wearing a mask is compulsory for anyone eleven years of age and over, in the entire car park, in the Tourist Information Center and on board the shuttles.

Wearing a mask is compulsory for anyone eleven years of age and over, on public roads and in places open to the public, in certain streets and certain public spaces in the municipalities of Beauvoir, Pontorson, Mont-Sait-Michel.

Following the measures announced by the Government, the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is closed to the public until further notice.

I hope that you enjoyed this tour of Mont St Michel. Just writing it made me want to go back and visit!

Stay safe and well,

Amy Gruber, from Tales from Brittany

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