Located 2.7 kilometres away, the Mont Saint-Michel car parks are open without reservation 24 hours a day at the current rates.
Friday 20th September all our tourist offices are exceptionally closed all day.
Abbey news :
– Sunday 13th October 2024 : Exceptional closure of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey (full day) due to the Via Aeterna festival (entry possible for people with concert tickets only).
Free shuttle bus between the car parks and Mont Saint-Michel run every 12 minutes. (Find the timetable here).
It also possible to reach Mont Saint-Michel on foot (2.7km, about 40 minutes, itinerary here).
Are you coming to Mont Saint Michel by train? A shuttle bus leaves from Pontorson station (9 km away) in correspondence with the arrival of the trains, and drops you off 300m from the entrance to Mont Saint-Michel!
Pontorson – Le Mont Saint-Michel bus schedule : from April 19th to October 13th 2024 – from October 14th to November 8th 2024
Access blocked during high tides
It is very unusual for the Mont Saint-Michel to be completely surrounded by water and for access to be impossible, this only happends on about fifteen days a year (the days in red on our tide calendar). Apart from these days, access to the site is possible 24 hours a day. On high tide days, a blockage of about 1 hour takes place at high tide, when the water completely covers the access esplanade.
The footbridge is still out of the water, and the shuttle bus from the visitor car parks run constantly even during these blockages.
The medieval village
Access to the village of Mont Saint-Michel (main street, ramparts, alleys, gardens) is free and possible 24 hours a day without reservation.
Zero Waste
The village of Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are unique areas of high heritage and environmental value. Help us to protect them by adopting and eco-responsible attitude: let’s tend towards zero waste !
The Abbey Mont Saint-Michel
Open to visitors all year, except on 1 January, 1 May, 25 December and 25 March 2024, the abbey is the must-see place at Mont Saint-Michel.
Opening :
- From 2 May to 31 August : 9.00 am– 7.00 pm .
Last entry slot available for booking : 5.00 pm
Last entry allowed : 5.50 pm
Last audioguide withdrawal : 5.30 pm
- From 1 September to 30 April : 9.30 am – 6.00 am
Last entry slot available for booking : 4.00 pm
Last entry allowed : 4.50 pm
Last audioguide withdrawal : 4.30 pm
Animals are not allowed in the abbey, they are accepted on a lead in the medieval village. A kennel can accommodate them in the car parks near the shuttle bus departure point (more information here).
Guided tours are available on the website of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux :
- GUIDED TOURS : every day, the abbey offers 45-minute guided tours of the tour route open to the public. These tours are included in the entrance fee, but advance booking is strongly recommended.
- CONFERENCE TOURS : on specific dates, the abbey offers in-depth guided tours lasting 2 hours, with access to rooms closed to other visitors, such as the pre-Romanesque crypt of Notre-Dame-sous-Terre. The full price is €20.50, and the booking schedule is available one month in advance on the abbey’s official website.
Remember to anticipate the time needed to get from the car parks to the entrance of the abbey (about 1 hour outside school holidays – 1 hour and 30 minutes in summer and during school holidays).
Religious offices at Mont Saint-Michel
Offices in the parish church of St. Peter in the medieval village (except for some exceptions):
- Mass on Sunday and during the week at 11.00 am
- Office of the Archconfraternity of St Michael on Thursday at 9.30 am
Offices at the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel :
Lauds :
- From Tuesday to Friday at 7.00 am
- Saturday, Sunday and public holidays at 8.00 am
- In August (Tuesday to Sunday) at 8.00 am
*Arrive 10 minutes before the beginning of the office at the door of the Abbey
Mass :
- From Tuesday to Saturday at 12.15 pm
- Sunday at 11.30 am
*Arrive 15 minutes before the start of the mass on the Square of the Cross of Jerusalem, en haut du village.
Vespers :
- From Tuesday to Saturday at 6.30 pm
*Arrive 10 minutes before the beginning of the office at the door of the Abbey
On Mondays, the community’s retreat day, the services are not open to the public.
The museums
There are four small museums in the medieval village : Maritime Museum, Logis Tiphaine, Archéoscope and Historical Museum).
Tickets can only be purchased on site, without previous reservation. The entrance fee is €9 for one museum, but there is a €18 pass to visit all four museums. Access is free for children under 12 years old.
To deepen your visit of the Mont Saint-Michel
Depending on the date of your visit, you can book a French guided tour of the medieval village (about 1 hour), a French guided tour of the village and the abbey (from 1 hour 45 minutes to 3 hours) and/or a French excursion in the bay with an approved guide to discover the tides, the quicksand and the ecosystem of the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel (several routes are possible, depending on the season, between 2 hours and 6 hours). For visits in foreign languages, it is possible to hire a guide on previous request.
Find all the events on our Agenda.
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