Day trip, D-Day combination, private van, or overnight
Mont Saint-Michel is a 14-hour day from Paris however you do it. The abbey sits on a rock in a tidal bay 220 miles west of the city, and no train reaches the island itself. Four of our tours get you there. They differ in what else you see, when you reach the Mont, and what you pay.
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The four tours
| Tour | Day | Also visits | Price | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mont Saint Michel Day Trip | TGV from Montparnasse to Saint-Malo, about 3 hours at the Mont, return from Rennes, Paris by 10:05 p.m. | Saint-Malo and Dinan | $195 plus rail | Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, March to October |
| D-Day and Mont St. Michel Day Tour | Train to Bayeux or Rennes, the Mont in the morning, D-Day sites after lunch, Paris about 8:45 or 10:00 p.m. | Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, American Cemetery | $325 plus rail, 4-person minimum | Year-round except Christmas, New Year’s, Bastille Day |
| Private Mont Saint Michel Day Tour | 7:00 a.m. hotel pickup, at the Mont before the coaches, back by 8:00 p.m. | Whatever you ask for | $2,425 for up to 7 | Daily except Christmas, New Year’s, May 1 |
| D-Day and Mont St. Michel Overnight | Full D-Day day, night in Bayeux, the Mont on morning two | The full American-sector D-Day tour | $695 plus rail | Monday to Friday departures |
The day trip with Saint-Malo and Dinan
The TGV leaves Montparnasse around 7:00 a.m. and reaches Saint-Malo, the walled port on the Brittany coast, where your guide meets the train. You get a look at the ramparts, then drive about an hour to the Mont. Three hours there covers the 300 steps to the abbey, the abbey itself, and lunch in the village. Dinan, a half-timbered river town, is the afternoon stop before the drive to Rennes and a faster train home. Coach tours from Paris spend nine hours on the road and see the Mont alone; this version sees three places for the same length of day.
The abbey admission is included. Runs Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from March through October, and other days on request.
The Mont and the D-Day beaches in one day
Four or more people can combine the two. Your guide meets the train, drives you to the Mont for the morning, and after lunch takes you east to Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, and the American Cemetery. It is the longest day we sell, about 14 hours, and it trims the D-Day half to three sites. It exists for the group with one day and both places on the list. Two people should pick one destination or book the overnight.
The private van
A driver-guide picks you up at 7:00 a.m. in Paris and drives straight to the Mont, arriving before the coaches begin to unload around 11:00 a.m. That timing is the reason to pay for it: the abbey stairs and the village lane are a different place at 10:00 a.m. than at noon. The van parks about a mile out at the visitor lot, as every vehicle must, and the free shuttle or a 40-minute walk takes you across the bridge. Lunch can be booked at La Mère Poulard if you want the omelet. The day ends at your hotel by 8:00 p.m. $2,425 for up to seven people.
The overnight
The overnight is the D-Day tour with a night in Bayeux and the Mont the next morning. You leave Bayeux at 8:00 a.m., which puts you on the rock ahead of the day-trip crowd, and you are back in Bayeux by 4:00 p.m. for a train to Paris. It is the right choice if the beaches matter as much as the abbey and you would rather not do two long days. The day trip or a night in Bayeux page compares it with the single day.
How to choose
- The Mont is the point and you have a weekday: the day trip with Saint-Malo and Dinan.
- Beaches and the Mont, one day, four or more people: the combination day.
- Beaches and the Mont, two days, any group size: the overnight.
- Small children, older parents, or a Saturday: the private van.
Tides matter less than the marketing suggests. The bridge is open at every tide except for an hour or two on the highest tides of the year, and the water surrounds the rock only on those days. Ask us for the tide table if you want to see the water come in.
Questions
How long does it take to get to Mont Saint-Michel from Paris?
About 3 hours by TGV and van each way on our day trip, with the train to Saint-Malo outbound and from Rennes on the return. By private van from central Paris it is about 4 hours each way.
Is the abbey ticket included?
Yes, on all four tours.
Which tour gets there before the crowds?
The private van, which arrives before the coaches around 11:00 a.m., and the overnight, which leaves Bayeux at 8:00 a.m.
Can I combine Mont Saint-Michel with the D-Day beaches?
Yes, in one day with four or more people, or over two days on the overnight.
Is Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy or Brittany?
Normandy, just across the river from Brittany. Saint-Malo and Dinan, on the day trip, are in Brittany.
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