Want to have a day trip outside Paris but you have already visited Versailles? Wondering why and how to plan a visit from Paris to Mont Saint Michel? Let My Paris Today tell you why and how! Since 708, Mont Saint-Michel has existed in Normandy in the northwest of France. It began as a religious pilgrimage site. It became both a prison and a fortification in the years that followed.
Now you can visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Its beauty and history make it possible for tourists to come to the island and climb to the top of the abbey. However, once you’re there, getting to Mont Saint-Michel is difficult and quite touristy. We have therefore complied with what you need to learn about how to visit Mont St Michel from Paris and how to prepare for your next journey to the region.
Plan a trip from Paris to Mont Saint Michel
From Paris, Bayeux, Caen or Rennes, there are many distinct ways to get to Mont Saint-Michel by public transport! The simplest way to get from Paris, Rennes or any other city in Normandy to Mont Saint-Michel is by driving, following GPS maps to Mont Saint-Michel and then following signs to the parking lots. A free shuttle is available from the parking lot.
Paris to Mont Saint Michel by Train
The easiest way to get from Paris to Mont Saint Michel is by taking a direct train to Rennes, a beautiful French town worth visiting in its own right. The train leaves Paris Montparnasse station from Paris to Rennes and arrives 2 hours and 5 minutes later in Rennes. Tickets can be bought on the SNCF website in advance.
You can then take a direct shuttle bus from Rennes to Mont Saint-Michel for 15 € after getting off the train in Rennes, and it’s always timed so you don’t have to wait long after your train comes from Paris.
For instance, the bus leaves Rennes train station at 9:40am for the train arriving in Rennes at 9:14am. Tickets for the coach bus can also be bought on the SNCF site, at the Rennes train station or straight on the bus in advance. There’s also a train running from Rennes to Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel, but this 2-train routing also needs a Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel shuttle bus, so it’ll take you a lot longer.
For more information on the coach bus service from Rennes to Mont Saint-Michel, checkout the timetable
Using public transport to visit Mont Saint Michel from Bayeux / Caen
If you’re on holiday in Normandy, visiting the landing sites and WWII monuments, you can quickly get to Mont Saint-Michel from Bayeux or even Caen for a day, depending on where you’re staying. You can take a direct train from either town to Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel. The town of Pontorson is only a 20 minute shuttle bus ride to Mont Saint-Michel. The train from Bayeux to Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and from Caen about 2 hours.
The town of Pontorson is only a 20 minute shuttle bus ride to Mont Saint-Michel. The train from Bayeux to Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and from Caen about 2 hours.
These tickets can be bought ahead of time on the SNCF website. The shuttle bus ride from Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel to the island takes only 20 minutes, and the bus will be waiting for you directly outside of the train station. The shuttle bus costs 2.80€ each way and tickets can be bought with cash on the bus.
For more information on the shuttle bus from Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel to Mont Saint-Michel, look at the timetable
Paris to Mont Saint Michel Excursion
If you’re prepared to spend a little more and have a direct journey from Paris to Mont Saint Michel, including travel, and even want a historic UNESCO World Heritage Site trip, there are plenty of distinct tour businesses that you can book with, like Paris City Vision. These tours often start at € 129 per individual, and depending on what you choose, they can go up from here.
For travelers in a hurry, these kinds of excursions are advised! It’s likely the only way to go on a day trip from Paris to visit Mont Saint Michel. Departure generally takes place early in the morning in a convenient place in central Paris. You can nap on a coach that takes you directly to the Mont Saint Michel.
Bayeux to Mont Saint Michel Excursion
If you are in Bayeux and want to take a group excursion, book on Normandy Sightseeing Tours for a full day tour of Mont Saint-Michel, including transportation from Bayeux. This tour will begin at 8:30am and end at 4:30pm, ranging from 100-60€. You will be going in a small, 8 passenger van.
Checkout their website for more information on the tour and to reserve your spot.
Time Needed for Visiting Mong Saint Michel from Paris
Although lovely, there is also a very tiny and touristic Mont Saint-Michel. We suggest spending around 4 hours there to take enough pictures, have enough time to visit the abbey, do a bit more exploration and have dinner.
THINGS TO DO WHILE VISITING MONT SAINT-MICHEL
Whether you want to spend a couple of hours exploring on your own, or prefer to learn a little bit more about the island’s history and the top of the abbey, we’ve put down a few spots that you shouldn’t miss!
Mont Saint Michel Abbey
Although likely Mont Saint-Michel’s largest tourist destination, the abbey is worth visiting and exploring on your journey at 100 percent. Admission for adults costs € 10 and is free for EU citizens under 26 years of age and all kids under 18. You can pick up a tiny pamphlet at the ticket counter which provides you an abbey floor plan. This describes precisely what was used for each room (see picture above). The pamphlets are accessible in a variety of languages, and English is accessible in green. From the top of the abbey you can also bring in the excellent perspective! Mont Saint-Michel is very steep, requiring a lot of climbing in order to reach the abbey. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes!
Eglise Saint-Pierre & Mont Saint Michel Cemetery
You may run into a cemetery on your manner up to the abbey with a beautiful view of the water leading up to Mont Saint-Michel. This cemetery and the Catholic Church are beautiful and worth a visit!
WHAT TO EAT WHILE VISITING MONT SAINT-MICHEL?
You were advised that many of Mont Saint-Michel’s restaurants are tourist, costly and packed. Probably the one you should pack yourself is the finest and most genuine meal you can have on the island. But if you’re desperate for food and a climbing break, Du Chapeau Rouge isn’t a poor choice. This crêperie and restaurant provides cheap crêpes, mussels and fries as well as big salads. A cider, dinner crêpe and dessert crêpe for 15 € are included in their pre-fixed menus.
A glass of wine, moulds and fries with a dessert or coffee for 15.50 € is another choice. While on Mont Saint-Michel this restaurant may have the greatest value for your cash, plan ahead and pack a meal, or even venture off the island for a more traditional dinner after your tour.
MAKE YOUR VISIT OF MONT SAINT MICHEL EXTRA SPECIAL
If your travel date and visit to Mont Saint Michel have not yet been scheduled, check your lunar calendar! Seriously, it’s not a joke. At certain dates, the amplitude of the ocean tide is strongest, and Mont Saint Michel provides the best place to watch the tide rise. The tide is said to rise at a running horse’s velocity!
