10 Tips for Visit to Mont St Michel in France

Le Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, the second iconic landmark of France, after Eiffel Tower, is awe-inspiring from shore! Amazing to even think that Benedictine monks settled and flourished in this island for 14 centuries!

As I stood in the parking area the thought that hit me was: What a cool place to stay and indulge in spiritual beliefs and practices! Even today it has maintained its calm serene atmosphere in spite of being just 6 hours drive away from Paris. Thanks to its remote location!

Tips for Visit to Mont St Michel France

Are you planning a trip to Mont St Michel in France? Here are 10 tips to plan visit to Mont Saint-Michel that will help make a memorable experience.

10 Tips for Visiting Mont St Michel France

When to Visit Mont St Michel

It is recommended that you plan your visit between March to September. I did exactly that, but to my bad luck it rained heavily the day I was there. All I got was heavy dark grey clouds hanging all around.

October to February months are cold and chilly, but if you keen to photograph Mont St Michel in a coat of snow do plan the visit in these months. But whichever month you choose to visit do check the tide timings there as mentioned below.

Tide Times of Mont St. Michel

Check the tide times before you plan a trip to Mont St. Michel. And if by chance you arrive unplanned do check with the tourism office situated right at the main entrance gates. It can be dangerous and risky to walk around searching for vantage positions to photograph the castle/abbey during low tides.

When the tide changes from low to high, water rises at a very fast pace, much faster than you realize and then you will be in a dilemma to save yourself or your cameras. Height of tide waters can go up to 50 ft.

These tidal occurrences are an amazing sight, many tourists stay back to just watch this natural phenomenon.

Plan to Stay at the Village

If you didn’t know let me tell you Mont St Michel isn’t just a tourist destination. It is home to 44 inhabitants, most of them are monks and nuns who reside in the Abbey.

Couple of advantages for staying over for a night are: Firstly you get the whole island to yourself after the tourists have left. I regret not having planned to stay there more after I saw the place. It can get extremely pleasant in the mornings and evenings.

And secondly if you are lucky you can hear chants and sound of their choir.

Best time to Visit the Island

If you don’t plan to stay over then visit early. You may have heard this before: Arrive early morning or early afternoon – which applies well to any bust tourist location. The queue for tickets wouldn’t have got long and also less people in your pictures. At night the island is romantically lit, and you may want to linger on.

Good Walking Shoes, a Must

There is lot of walking. You can take the free shuttle bus that leave every 10 minutes from the parking lot. (The buses are interesting having driver’s seat at both sides of the vehicle. No reversing required, the driver just changes is position.)

After that it is a single steep road, Grand Rue, right up to abbey at the top of Mont St Michel. That will few 100 feet and 250 steps to top. The path is rugged, cobble stoned and narrow, some stretches have staircases. Those with extremely worn out knees may do good to think well before you start the journey up.

Eating Options in St Michel

While there are several eating options however be warned they cost more than what they should. The initial part of the path, Grande Rue: the island’s only street, is lined with restaurants and souvenir shops.

Stop and fuel yourself well for the climb upwards and while exiting you can pick up the souvenirs. We had good chocolate layered crepes here. (I felt they were a little overpriced, there was no other option.) Packed food would be the best option if you want to save some precious euros.

Places to See in Mont St Michel

• Abbey– this needs a ticket. Check timings.
• Parish church of Saint-Pierre, surrounded by a cemetery
• Maritime Museum
• Cloister, particularly for some stunning pictures
• La Chapelle St Aubert – a tiny hidden chapel
• Grande Rue – street studded with little shops and cafes.

After a good stretch of ascent and we were finally at the vantage point from where we got fabulous view of the island and vast stretch of tide free land around it.

At a distance I saw tourists exploring the sandy beach. The sight of the road with vehicles parked on both sides looked interesting. As you stand there and admire, breathe in the air floating in from over the sea you will experience a sensory overload, I did so I know.

Walking on Mudflats during Low Tide

This is better done with a guide as they are aware of the tide times and can help you explore the place well within limited time. Mont St Michel is located at the mouth of the River Couesnon. The extreme tidal ranges there have helped the evolution of unique estuarine ecosystem. The area surrounding Mont St Michel is refuge for several species of birds, animals and various water creatures.

Traveling by Car to Island

We were on a road trip through Normandy region- westernmost part of France. We had read up about good parking arrangements and were relieved to get a parking slot easily. We had just visited Amiens Cathedral, the largest one of France but the first sight of St Mont Michel  wore off that charm!

There is well organised parking arrangement for your vehicle that comes with a fee. It is about 2 miles away. After you have reached the parking lot there are 3 options from here to reach the cathedral – St Mont Michel.

• First one, which is free, is of course walk.
• The second option too is free with shuttle buses ferrying you back and forth.
• And the third one, the expensive one is the horse drawn carriage. If you are horse/animal lover you will never take this.

Cute cars at Mont St Michel Parking

Other Tips for Visiting Mont St Michel

• Don’t take photographs of the citizens, particularly during religious ceremonies.
• Free luggage lockers are available at the tourist information center at the parking area.
• For travelers with pets: Dogs are allowed on the island but not in the abbey or inside shuttle buses. Kennels are available for hire.
• No opening hours or admission tickets for the old town area of Mont St Michel.

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