Touring Mont Saint Michel
Tips for visiting this historic site

Read on for information about touring Mont Saint Michel, with tips on how to maximise on your experience during your visit to this amazing marvel 4 hours drive north-west from Paris.

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Le Mont St Michel is just under 4 hours drive from Paris if travelling direct on the auto route (allow more time for “pit stops”). In round figures it is about 350 kms from Paris centre.

Touring Mont Saint Michel TIP:
Download and print out comprehensive english directions from your departure point, including toll charges & speed cameras from the Mappy France site.


Le Mont Saint Michel is situated in the Basse-Normandy region, in fact, close to the border between Normandy and Brittany. This granite outcrop towers over the surrounding fields and muddy sand flats. Silhouetted against the horizon with its fine spire, it appears like a mirage or fantasy destination emerging from out of nowhere. It really is breathtaking.




History
With sombre Celtic beginnings as an island dedicated to the dead and originally known as Mont Tombé, the island was renamed Mont Saint Michel in 708 AD by a local bishop after he witnessed the apparition of archangel Saint Michael (patron saint of knights).












Later, the Benedictines built the abbey on the sanctified rocky summit to replace the small church the bishop had built in reverence of the saint. Tumultuous years followed with the Mont used as a fortress and even a prison for a period. Recent times have seen it returned to the church.




You've probably heard or read anecdotes about touring Mont Saint Michel. Much has been written about the racing waters, speeding in like a galloping horse as the tide comes back into the bay. There are also accounts of flooded car parks, quicksand (sables mouvants) around the island and the fact that the Mont’s days as an island are numbered due to the rising silt, whatever the subject, if you have time for a day trip this is one site that you must visit.









Better still, if you have two days to spare, make it an overnight trip to maximise on the island by day & especially at night, when it’s in lights & all the day tripper tour buses have long gone. You can stay on the island or at cheaper hotels around the start of the causeway, 1.8kms away from the Mont.

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Staying overnight on the island.
Touring Mont Saint Michel TIP:
Book an overnight stay well in advance, particularly if you want it to coincide with the highest tides as these are the most popular times. This is when the bay experiences up to 15m difference between low tide and high tide (in a 6 hour period). Full impact of the rushing encroaching waters can be appreciated and witnessed first hand if you time your visit right. Mont St Michel accommodation.









Even if you miss the highest tides, touring Mont Saint Michel is magical all the same. The low tides expose kilometres of sand flats and rivulets which glint in the sun as the tides come in and out.
See tidal information here.



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Access
The island is accessed by a 1.8 km causeway. There is no vehicular access on the Mont itself. Cars are directed to either day tripper parking or the closer and higher car park for those staying overnight (have your accommodation details ready for the car park attendant in this case).

Touring Mont Saint Michel TIP:
Whether you are visiting for just a day, or if you are staying overnight, transfer all your essentials and valuables into backpacks as there’s a lot of climbing steep paths and steps. A short stroll from the car park to the base of the ramparts gets you to the main entrance.



Touring Mont Saint Michel TIP:
Daytrippers: When directed to the car park, find the highest spot if you arrive when a high tide is expected during your visit. A longer walk to the gates is better than a closer one with a flooded car on your return... double check with the parking attendant.




If you want to walk around the island along the sand flats, be sure you check out the tide charts as these tours are only run when the tide is right out – only once a day, lasting a few hours. Book and enquire ahead for these.

Guided tours are a must; don’t try to navigate boggy sands by yourself even if you intend to stay close to Mont Saint Michel. Some tours include a round trip from Le Mont Saint Michel to Roche de Tombelaine – the northerly islet some 2 kms away. From a tumultuous past, filled with legend and Celtic connections, this islet is now a bird sanctuary.









The weather
Touring Mont St Michel TIP:
The weather around this region can be changeable and unpredictable: You can be approaching Le Mont Saint Michel in rain and fog arriving to sun and blue skies. Wear layered clothing and be prepared for winds and change.



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If you don't bring along a pique-nique (picnic), don’t despair. Food prices on the island are not all exorbitant. You can easily find some cheap fast food: pommes frites (hot chips), or freshly made crepes to see you through, with prices comparable to Paris. Amongst numerous food vendors, there’s also a boulangerie where you can buy bread, pastries and drinks.






If you have some money to spend, stop by the Mere Poulard for the famous omelettes (see demo here) that they serve. Or go all out and have lunch. Be warned though, it's not cheap . You can even stay here but you must book in well in advance, as it's the most popular accommodation on the island.






The tourist office is situated just inside the main gates. There are souvenir shops galore along the main street. Shop around, as prices can vary from store to store. There is also a post office to send those amazing images to friends and family, postmarked from Le Mont Saint Michel. Ask for "Un joli timbre" (pronounced: "a djolly tombr") and you'll get a nice stamp rather than just a plain docket type.

Touring Mont St Michel TIP:
Bird enthusiasts, be sure to bring your binoculars along, as there are many estuarine and migratory birds that are drawn to the protection afforded by the enormous bay & surrounding marshes. Kids can also try and spot fish milling about in the rivulets at low tide.





The Abbey
It is definitely worthwhile paying to access the abbey and climbing to the top. The open views from the abbey balcony are breathtaking and the cloisters are like a hidden garden. There is nothing quite like standing below the spire of St Michel then seeing, from a distance on departure, the high point at which you stood earlier. Download Abbey tourist info sheet here.


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Be warned: Expect large crowds if you arrive in peak season, during highest tides and/or especially between 11 and 15H daily.

Visit France Monuments site, for more touring Mont Saint Michel tips and information.





The quaint main alley is a steep climb to the abbey. The surrounding ramparts are easier to navigate with views out to sea, bay or mainland but there are stairs to climb here too if you want to reach the top. Be prepared and travel as light as possible. Wear comfy shoes and light all-weather jackets. This is one place where looking like a tourist can be forgiven as it’s a pilgrimage and tourist destination for the French as well.

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For more information on touring Mont Saint Michel, including accommodation, fees, tides, events, etc., visit the Official Website.

For more images go to Le Mont St Michel photos

Link to information on other daytrips around Paris...

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