Help - Want to see Mont. St. Michel not necessarily organized tour

[macor]

Will be on Marina this fall with a stop in Saint-Malo, France.  We would love to see Mont St. Michel but not sure we want to do a full tour.  Is it possible to take a bus and go see on your own?  Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[Mura]

I was researching this while I was still booked on Marina's recent TA, which also had a stop in St. Malo.

 

Yes, you CAN do it on your own, but it's a fairly long drive back and forth.  When we visited Mont St. Michel in 2002 we were on a private road trip and spent the night in the town, so visiting the site was easy.  If I'm recalling correctly, you can do it on your own from St. Malo by train or bus.  You definitely do NOT need a guide to see the site as long as you can manage the long climb UP.  For me the only reason for a group tour would be for the transportation ... but then you might not have as much time for a visit as you would like which could be a negative.

 

"The average journey time between Mont-St-Michel and St-Malo is 2 hours and 37 minutes and the fastest journey time is 1 hour and 24 minutes. On an average weekday, there are 4 trains per day travelling from Mont-St-Michel to St-Malo."

 

Here is a link to train reservations:  https://www.thetrainline.com/en/train-times/mont-st-michel-to-st-malo

 

Mura

[daveispar]

A couple of years ago we docked in Honfleur.  We were 1st off the ship at 7, 1st in line for a rental car. Got the car around 8, drove to Mont St. Michel.  It was great. Wish we could have stayed longer. Got there around 10. Had to leave by 2, rental office closed @ 5 and had to turn the car in.  It was stressful for sure, but,  well worth it.  We need to go back, we'd even like to stay overnight !  If you can go, it's worth it !

[GeorgesGal]

3 hours ago, daveispar said:

A couple of years ago we docked in Honfleur.  We were 1st off the ship at 7, 1st in line for a rental car. Got the car around 8, drove to Mont St. Michel.  It was great. Wish we could have stayed longer. Got there around 10. Had to leave by 2, rental office closed @ 5 and had to turn the car in.  It was stressful for sure, but,  well worth it.  We need to go back, we'd even like to stay overnight !  If you can go, it's worth it !

 

Five or six years ago we had arranged with two other couples to hire a driver for the day.  He took us to Mont St Michel first, then Honfleur for lunch, after which we returned to the ship.  It was a delightful day for all of us!

[arima22]

Mont St. Michel is an hour from St. Malo by car, see this: https://www.whatsinport.com/Saint-Malo.htm

Anyone going to Mont St. Michel now must park on the mainland and take buses across the causeway, plan for the required additional time.  I believe the private guides are not allowed to take you on tours, must sign up with the dedicated ST. Michel guides.  Early morning is a must to avoid the huge crowds- at almost any time of the year.

 

We did an organized tour for 6 people in June 2016.  Covered Mont St. Michel in the AM, then to Dinan for lunch, then St. Malo prior to boarding the ship.  Long day- would leave out Dinan if we were to do it again.

[RJB]

A few years ago 6 of us took a taxi  from the pier right to the frond door. Well almost the front door.  A couple of hundred feet away and the driver waited for us the whole time.  Do not remember what we paid but was not terrible when we divided it 3 ways.    Loved the whole time there.    

[FoxtrotTango]

Hello Macor,

 

Never tried this from a cruise - but I am lucky enough to have a cottage quite near Combourg, just south of there, so have a bit of 'local knowledge', if that helps... 

 

I would tend to agree with most of the comments above that the easiest way to get there is probably by car. Depending on your route, it's about 55-65 kms and I usually allow that number of minutes (i.e. 1km:1minute), over a journey in that part of Brittany - you should do it a few minutes quicker but that allows for being stuck behind a tractor or a random bicycle race for part of the route! I find St. Malo itself an attractive city (at least, the walled 'Intra Muros'), and there are lots of good places for a drink or some shopping so (this may just be me - I'm always paranoid about missing the ship!), I'd tend to aim to be there at least an hour before 'all aboard', just in case. 

 

Trains are not direct and, although usually reliable, you may have a considerable gap between them. I don't use the local buses, as I use my own car there. If you don't want an organised tour, you may not want to be confined by other people's timetables?

 

Arima22's remarks on the new parking arrangements are correct (with the additional options of walking up the long causeway, or taking a horse-drawn carriage). Last time I was there (last summer), you could drive up to the Mont - but only if you turned around immediately and went back, without parking! 

 

The Mont is known locally as 'the marvel' and it really is - it is surrounded by salt marshes, so rises really dramatically form the sea and is topped by a golden stature of St. Michael, which really catches the sun!  Incidentally, if you enjoy lamb, they graze sheep on the saltmarshes there and you should try the 'petit pre-sale' (the little ready-salted): a real treat. The downside is that the medieval construction includes one, very narrow, very steep, main route up to the summit and, when it's busy, you can literally be shuffling forward in a press of bodies!  Autumn, away from school holidays may be a bit less choked.  PLEASE don't go onto the 'sands' around the Mount without a guide as they are very treacherous.

 

If you decide to hire a car and drive yourself, then I prefer the slightly longer coastal route from St. Malo: great views as you head along the corniche via Rotheneuf and the Pointe du Grouin - but it IS very twisty/turny, so you need to be confident on that kind of road (or hire a car with a driver?). This route also features a variety of beautiful beaches, great bird-watching, some WW2 fortifications, lovely local restaurants (especially at Cancale, the 'oyster capital of France') and weird carved granite cliffs at Rotheneuf - be careful, you may never even reach the Mont!

 

By the way, if you do drive, the limit of 50kms/hr may be strictly enforced in towns and villages - as you enter a town/village you will see the name on an oblong white sign, edged in red - that the start of the 50km speed limit. As you leave the town, you will see the same sign with a line through it - that's the end of that speed limit.

 

I'm very enthusiastic about this region (as you can gather from the length of my reply!), and I'm sure, whatever you choose, you will have a great day in Brittany!

 

Regards,

 

    Fiona

[macor]

Thank you all so much for your responses.  @Foxtrot Tango your description only encourages me more to get there!  Again, thank you.

[Rob the Cruiser]

On a side note, there are 350 uneven steps at the top of the main street that leads to the Abbey. It's not a bad climb if you're in shape. Several people couldn't make it to the top when we were there. 

 

It's well worth building up tolerance for the climb beforehand. Mont-Saint-Michel is an amazing place to visit. 

[Go-Bucks!]

15 hours ago, Rob the Cruiser said:

On a side note, there are 350 uneven steps at the top of the main street that leads to the Abbey. It's not a bad climb if you're in shape. Several people couldn't make it to the top when we were there. 

 

It's well worth building up tolerance for the climb beforehand. Mont-Saint-Michel is an amazing place to visit. 

 

My guide said we climbed 450 steps up...I was quite tired but it was totally worth it!

 

I went while on a Rick Steves tour of northern France....we arrived about 5pm, ate dinner at a lovely restaurant on the Mont, then stayed overnight there too...fantastic! The next morning we climbed up to the top then worked our way down. 

[robbie21]

23 minutes ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

My guide said we climbed 450 steps up...I was quite tired but it was totally worth it!

 

I went while on a Rick Steves tour of northern France....we arrived about 5pm, ate dinner at a lovely restaurant on the Mont, then stayed overnight there too...fantastic! The next morning we climbed up to the top then worked our way down. 

We did the same.  Really the best way to see the place.  I recall we were at the top around 9 or 9:30 - well before the mobs of day trippers.  When I asked our guide about all the ticky tacky tourist shops he replied that there was a 1500 year tradition of ripping off tourists (and pilgrims).  Even with the crowds it is well worth visiting.

 

Robbie

[the mice]

On 5/2/2019 at 10:44 AM, macor said:

Will be on Marina this fall with a stop in Saint-Malo, France.  We would love to see Mont St. Michel but not sure we want to do a full tour.  Is it possible to take a bus and go see on your own?  Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.  Thank you.

What you neglected to mention is that you are tendering in St. Malo.   I see you are on the Vineyards & Castles cruise, which we did in September 2017, a wonderful cruise, great ports (although we missed Biarritz due to weather which prevented us from tendering).

 

HOWEVER,  the tendering in St. Malo may present some issues for you.    The good news is you are scheduled in port at 8am, whereas we were scheduled for noon.  If you have to get your own tender ticket, you may not get off as soon as you would like.   We arrived in the lounge very early as part of a group doing a private excursion.   We were able to get some of the first tickets handed out for our small group.  BUT we were not called for a tender for 1 hour 15 minutes!  Others in the lounge, who got tickets after us, were called before us.   Oh, and another thing - our group leader had spoken to the staff the day prior, explaining our situation .    

YMMV.   Enjoy Mont St. Michel and your cruise.

 

[GeorgesGal]

Thank you, Fiona, for mentioning Cancale.  That is the town we stopped for lunch at on our way back to the ship!  Delicious moules and a lovely wine.

Edited May 4, 2019 by GeorgesGal

[Redtravel]

Having traveled in Normandy several days, Mont St. Michele would not be high on my list of places to visit. The pictures are beautiful. When you drive, you will be amazed looking at it. Up  close, it is a tourist array of overpriced souvenir shops and expensive cafes. The climb up can be really tough. Only do it if you are in good shape. It is really strenuous. 

A better day in Normandy would be to visit the beaches, see the American museum and memorials, visit the Bayeaux tapestries, or many of the other museums in Caen. 

St. malo is a beautiful town with lovely shops and excellent food. Best modules ever. It is much nicer than Mont St. Michele. 

[Mura]

I guess I'm disagreeing a bit but that's because we were there on a two-week drive around Normandy.  So for us the Mont St. Michele visit is one we won't forget.  (And we were able back then to make the trek up to the top back then.  I'm not sure that would work for us these days!)

 

But I do agree that when you are on a cruise and only in port for one day, there are other options.  I would vote AGAINST the Beaches in that case, just because of the drive time required.  We spent 3 days there and could have spend at week.

 

For people who don't think they will have the opportunity to return on their own, then they have to decide for themselves how best to spend their time.  There is certainly MUCH to do if you are in port at Le Havre or Rouen.

 

Mura

 

[rialannah]

On 5/5/2019 at 4:52 AM, GeorgesGal said:

Thank you, Fiona, for mentioning Cancale.  That is the town we stopped for lunch at on our way back to the ship!  Delicious moules and a lovely wine.

We were one of the other couples on the delightful excursion arranged by 'Georges Girl'.  We had  a comfortable vehicle, enjoyed a couple of hours at Mont St Michel, a wonderful lunch at Cancale - great moules and wine - followed by a wander along the beachfront, and then a pleasant drive through the countryside back to the ship.  I can thoroughly recommend it.

 

Mike