Mont Saint-Michel – it’s a rainy day…
Originally posted on November 26, 2010
Mont Saint-Michel, the “Merveille de l’Occident” (Wonder of the West) owes to its original setting and its fine architecture its ranking as one of the major monuments for visitors to France. Around a kilometre in circumference, this rocky islet rises to a height of 80 metres and is linked to the Bay by unfloodable causway built in 1879. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mont Saint-Michel official tourism office site: http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/index.htm?lang=en
MSM can be connected to Paris using the combination of the TGV fast train and local buses. The whole trip can be booked online in advance on the http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/ or http://www.voyages-sncf.com websites.
From Saint-Malo there are two buses a day to MSM, departing from the railway station (Gare TGV) at 9:40 and 16:30 – the bus also stops a few minutes later at the tourist information office (Saint-Vincent), which is 5 minutes walk from the ferry terminal. You have to change bus at Pontorson railway station but there are connecting buses. If you take the morning bus from Saint-Malo, you can get back the same day at 15:45 from MSM or 16:25 from Pontorson. If you take the afternoon bus, you can get back the following day at 9:20 from MSM or 9:55 from Pontorson. If time permitting, the overnight visit is better – you can see the mont at sunset, illuminated at night and early morning – the best colours and least crowds – and at different tides. There is a wide selection of accommodation in the area including MSM itself. The fare for the whole bus trip from/to Saint-Malo is 5.50 euro one way