Normally we avoid one-night stops but there didn’t seem to be enough to see and do in the area to warrant another night or two, and spending the night was recommended as a way to avoid crowds. It worked well for us anyway.
The direct train from Bayeux to Pontorson (the closest station to Mont St-Michel) was convenient. A shuttle bus to Mont St-Michel was waiting. They take credit cards, which was handy. We missed our stop near the hotel and went all the way out to Mont St-Michel itself. (The driver had stopped at every stop prior to that without anyone signaling so why he didn’t stop there …) Anyway, we hopped out and took the free shuttle that runs back and forth between the island and the tourist facilities on the mainland.
At least we got an early look at Mont St-Michel while we waited for a shuttle.
We dropped our bags and went back to Mont St-Michel. You enter the village via a drawbridge. The one main street is very narrow and lined with cafes, restaurants, and tourist shops. This place has been a draw for pilgrims and other tourists for centuries.
We walked straight up to the abbey. It’s a steep climb through the village, then a lot of steps to get into the abbey, then more steps once inside. This abbey is not as fancy as others we’ve seen, though it is impressive. The views were nice and you can understand why this was a defensive stronghold.
You return through the gardens, which connect to the ramparts, which we took all the way back down. From there you get views of the abbey through the village rooftops and the surrounding area. There are a couple of places along the way where it looked like you could cut through to the village street.
A new bridge connects the island with the mainland. Free shuttle buses run back and forth all day (and night) between the island and the mainland. Or you can walk or bike it. We opted to stay on the mainland.
At the tourist shop on the mainland we bought a small decorative Calvados bottle for an ornament. Also some more to drink, plus some cider and cookies.
They had several cow statues out front. We liked this one with the world map for spots. There are large parking lots, several hotels, and several restaurants in the area. We booked ahead at a restaurant not knowing how busy they might be.
After dinner we walked over to the dam for some sunset views. The old causeway to the island was causing the bay to silt up, so they replaced it with the current bridge and added this dam on the nearby river.
Essentials
Lodging
We stayed at the Mercure Hotel Mont Saint-Michel. It was fine. Convenient to the shuttle buses and other facilities. Staying on the island itself did not seem worth the additional effort to get there and back.
Dining
Dinner and included breakfast at Le Pre Sale was good. It’s a bit impersonal and they whisk a lot of tourists in and out but we enjoyed the food: scallops, foie gras, local salt marsh lamb, molten chocolate brownie with caramel and chocolate inside.
Transportation
The nearest train station is Pontorson. A paid shuttle bus goes from there all the way out to the island, including the tourist village on the mainland. A free shuttle runs from the tourist village to the island and back. It was easy getting the train to Bayeux. Getting to Amboise, our next stop, was more complicated.