A Family Friendly Guide to Mont St Michel: Normandy
Mont St Michel, is it a fairytale? YES!
Is it busy and a logistical nightmare? Also yes!
We travelled in July 2024 with our then 3 & 7 year olds and here are our tips and highlights!
Getting to Mont St Michel
1. By Ferry + Train/Car
Take the Brittany Ferry from the UK:
Portsmouth to Caen – about 6 hours.
Portsmouth to Saint-Malo – about 8.5 hours (closer to Mont Saint-Michel).
Poole to Cherbourg – about 4-5 hours.
Plymouth to Roscoff – about 6 hours.
From the Ferry Port:
By Car:
From Saint-Malo: Around 1-hour drive (57 km).
From Caen: About 1.5 hours (125 km).
From Cherbourg: Around 2 hours (180 km).
2. By Eurostar + Train
Eurostar from London to Paris:
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (around 2.5 hours).
Transfer to Paris Gare Montparnasse by metro or taxi.
Train from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel:
TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Rennes (1.5 hours).
From Rennes, take a coach or regional bus to Mont Saint-Michel (1.5 hours).
3. By Eurotunnel + Car
Take the Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais (about 35 minutes).
Drive from Calais to Mont Saint-Michel (around 5.5 hours). This option is ideal if you want to explore Normandy or Brittany along the way.
Once your here
The car parks are located 2,5 kilometres from Mont Saint-Michel. For those up for the challenge, there are signposts guiding you along the paths to MSM. This will eventually guide you to the causeway and the final stretch before you arrive.
This car park is located near the “Le Passeur” shuttle bus departure point. These will drop you off about 350 metres from the Mont Saint-Michel. For ease, park at the back of the car park to be as close as possible to the departure of the shuttle buses. The P2 car park is about 30 metres from the shuttle bus departure with a flat path.
Exploring Mont St Michel
Mont Saint-Michel village can be difficult to walk through, because of its many steps. To visit the abbey, you will need to climb about 350 steps, and the circuit within the monument includes narrow passages and a spiral staircase.
Take a baby carrier if you can or wait to visit when the little legs can handle the climb. Finley was 3 and he was fine (and loved exploring!)
Tip ~ To reach the abbey via the main street or the ramparts, you will need to climb about 200 steps. With young children, it is easier to climb up the Fanils path, which is less busy and has only around 50 steps. You can then go back down via the Grande Rue or the ramparts.
Eating at Mont St Michel
Biggest tip of the day…eat before you visit! This was a tip we got from friends and I’m so glad we listened. When we arrived at Mont St Michel it was busy and the restaurants were even busier. The prices looked overpriced and the settings looked cramped.
We passed through a little town called Beauvoir, close to MSM and stopped for lunch. This was SO MUCH more relaxing than lunch in MSM. There are lots of brasseries to choose from so eat here if you can.
There are also lots of hotels close to Mont St Michel which the shuttle bus stop at on the way. They had restaurants so this could be an option too.
The car park and shuttle area had a little cafe with outdoor seating. This was just a snack bar but great for a coffee stop or a place to stock up on water!
Tip ~ Take a picnic! There were lots of places to stop in MSM so a picnic is a great option. You could even have a beach picnic on the surrounding beaches. This would be a great idea especially with kids after a few hours of exploring.
The Abbey
Access to the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is free for children under 18 years of age when accompanied by their families, and one-hour-long guided tours are offered every day, at no additional cost and without reservation.
The four museums of the mediaeval village, free of charge for children under 12, will also be appreciated by the younger ones, who can discover – among other things – the abbey’s dungeons, and exciting scenes of mediaeval life.
For those with older kids - On reservation, bay guides offer guided walks along the bay, perfectly suited to little ones – such as the discovery of quicksand (1h30, 2 km) or the tour of the Mount (2h00, 3 km).
Little hikers and teenagers can also take part in the guided crossing round trip between the Mount and the islet of Tombelaine (3h30, 6 km).
Venelle du Guet
Also known as the “Ruelle des cocus” or “Cuckold’s Alley”, this is the smallest street on the Mont Saint-Michel. To find it, take the Grande Rue and turn left in front of the Hotel La Croix Blanche. This is a great photo opportunity and fun for the kids!
The Beach & Bay
After a few hours of exploring the town and ramparts, we heading down to the beach. This was such a lovely rest bite for us to relax for a while - I only wish we had a blanket to sit on!
We used this opportunity for snack time, the kids played in the sand and I took lots of lovely pictures of the Mont from a new perspective.
For those wanting more, there are lots of guided walks around the bay and to neighbouring islands. This is a great idea for those staying locally or visiting for more than one day.
Staying at Mont St Michel
We stayed at a local Eurocamp called Domaine des Ormes, around 30 minutes away. This was a great option for us with the kids as they have so many great activities. It was also a great location for day trips. We managed to see both Mont St Michel and Saint - Malo during our week at Eurocamp.
If you are looking for something a little closer we passed a few lovely hotels in both Beauvoir and Mont St Michel itself. These are great options if you want to spend a few days at MSM to really learn about the history and culture.
