Crossing the bay
The bay of Mont-Saint-Michel can be explored from within, barefoot, with a certified guide.
DiscoverPlan your stay
Our tips and favourites
Explore
Below you will find the region’s main activities and sights, along with our tips and tricks to plan and organise your stay: shopping, health, tourist offices. On arrival, we give you our guest booklet, in French and English — you can also download it further down.
The essential
Mont-Saint-Michel
15 minutes from our gîtes: the abbey, the lanes, the ramparts… and the bay, which can also be explored from within: guided barefoot crossing, on horseback, by kayak, or from the sky by microlight and hot-air balloon.
The great tides — the greatest in Europe — and the tidal bore: two spectacular natural phenomena not to be missed. Ask for the dates when you book, and we will point you to the best viewing spots.
The bay, at low tide…
Outings & activities
Gentle or thrilling: there is something for everyone.
In the surroundings
Iconic towns and heritage cities, less than an hour from your gîte.
Saint-Malo & Cancale
The Emerald Coast and the ramparts of Saint-Malo. Dinard, the elegant resort. Cancale and its oysters.
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Granville
Between land and sea, discover the Norman coast. Granville, its ramparts and its casino.
Discover
Our practical tips
- Restaurants recommended and tested by us
- Local producers and markets
- Supermarkets, petrol stations and services nearby
- Maps of Mont-Saint-Michel handed out on arrival
- What’s-on guide and seasonal highlights
- All-inclusive discovery day (reserved parking, packed lunch, abbey, salt-meadow lamb)
Shopping, fuel and services
The nearest supermarkets are in Pontorson, 10 minutes away, and in Pleine-Fougères. Out of season, many shops close early, and on Sunday afternoons: 5 shops open on Sunday mornings, and the Coccimarket in Pontorson every day.
| Shop | Address | Monday to Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lidl Pontorson | 6 rue des Colverts | 8:30–20:00 | 8:30–12:15 |
| Carrefour Market Pontorson | 2 route du Mont-Saint-Michel | 8:30–19:30 | 9:00–12:30 |
| Coccimarket Pontorson | 64 rue Couesnon | 9:00–13:00 · 14:30–22:00 | |
| Intermarché Pleine-Fougères | Ville Chérel | 8:30–19:30 · 8:30–19:45 on Fridays | 9:00–12:30 |
| Super U Saint-James | rue de Beaufour | 8:30–19:30 | 9:00–12:00 |
| Carrefour Avranches | parc d'activité Est de la Baie | 8:30–20:00 | 9:00–12:30 |
| E.Leclerc Avranches | route d'Isigny-le-Buat | 8:30–19:30 | closed |
Opening times recorded on 27 September 2026 from the stores’ own web pages: check them before a public holiday.
Fuel day and night
- Intermarché, Pleine-Fougères — 24-hour station, card payment
- TotalEnergies, Pontorson, 42 rue de la Libération — automated station, card payment, day and night
- Carrefour Market, Pontorson — the store’s petrol station
Health and emergencies
- 112 — Emergencies, from any phone
- 15 — SAMU, medical emergencies
- 18 — Fire brigade
- 17 — Police (gendarmerie)
- 24-hour emergency department at Avranches hospital — entrance at the back of the hospital — 59 rue de la Liberté, 50300 Avranches — 02 33 89 40 00
- General practitioner in Pontorson — 9 rue Carnot, 50170 Pontorson — 02 33 60 03 39
- General practitioners at the Pleine-Fougères medical and social centre, by appointment — 2 rue de Villebermont, 35610 Pleine-Fougères — 02 99 48 52 08
In a life-threatening emergency, call 15 first.
Tourist offices
Maps, visiting hours, a directory of bay-crossing guides: the tourist offices of the bay and the surrounding area.
Our guest booklet
Eleven routes around the gîtes, with their maps: Mont-Saint-Michel, the bay on the Brittany side and the Normandy side, the Emerald Coast, Fougères, Romantic Brittany, the Rance valley, the Norman bocage and countryside — and what to do when it rains. We also give it to you on arrival.
The booklet in French (PDF, 1.4 MB) The booklet in English (PDF, 1.4 MB)
Discover the bay differently
Segway, off-road scooter or little train: three ways to explore the bay. On the water and in the air, our activity pages also feature Kayak la Baie and Altitude ULM.
Bretagne Gyropodes
Discovery ride around Mont-Saint-Michel by Segway, 1 hour 30 minutes.
Route du Mont-Saint-Michel, 50170 Beauvoir
Trott'in Mont-Saint-Michel
Off-road electric scooter rides along the bay, family packages included.
1 avenue du Maréchal Leclerc, 50530 Saint-Jean-le-Thomas
Le Train Marin
The bay by little train from Cherrueix, discovering the mussel and oyster beds; commentary in French only.
21 rue du Lion d'Or, 35120 Cherrueix
Coming from Germany and choosing your season
By car from Cologne, Frankfurt or Munich
From Cologne, allow about 770 km and 7–8 hours of driving, not counting breaks. From Frankfurt, 880–940 km and 9–10 hours. From Munich, over 1100 km and about 12 hours: an overnight stop makes the journey more restful. These figures come from two route planners, Rome2rio and OSRM, checked on 21 September 2026; the gap between them reflects the route chosen and traffic.
By train: the TGV to Rennes
According to the Mont-Saint-Michel tourist office, the TGV links Paris-Montparnasse to Rennes in about 2 hours; from Rennes, a Keolis coach serves the Mont, and the regional train runs to Pontorson station. From Cologne, the route goes via Paris-Nord; from Frankfurt and Munich, via Strasbourg then a TGV to Rennes. Our taxi partner Taxis du Mont drives you to the gîtes from Rennes, Pontorson or Dol-de-Bretagne stations.
When to come: temperatures month by month
At the Météo-France station in Pontorson (1991–2020 normals), average highs, rounded to the degree, are 9 °C in January, 10 in February, 13 in March, 15 in April, 18 in May, 22 in June, 23 in July as in August, 21 in September, 17 in October, 12 in November and 10 in December. June is the driest month, December the wettest. The great tides are chosen from the calendar, and the heated pool stays at 28 °C all year round.
What a week makes possible
A week gives you time to follow the tides rather than be ruled by them. Mont-Saint-Michel is 15 minutes away: one morning for the abbey, another for the guided bay crossing. Saint-Malo is 40 minutes away, Cancale 45 minutes, Dinan 40 minutes, Fougères 35 minutes, Granville 45 minutes. The first beaches, at Genêts, are 15 minutes away. And every day can end at the heated pool, open until 8pm.
Frequently asked questions for planning the trip
How long does the drive from Cologne take?
Allow about 770 km and 7–8 hours of driving, not counting breaks, according to the Rome2rio and OSRM route planners checked on 21 September 2026. Leave early in the morning and you arrive from 5pm, when your gîte is ready for you.
What is the best time of year to come?
From June to September, average highs reach 21–23 °C in Pontorson (Météo-France, 1991–2020 normals). Spring and autumn are quieter, and winter stays mild, with 9–10 °C in the afternoon; the heated pool is warm all year round.
Does it rain a lot around the bay?
Pontorson gets an average of 821 mm of rain a year (Météo-France, 1991–2020 normals), more from October to December, less in summer. Pack a rain jacket: showers by the sea often pass quickly.
Can we come without a car?
Yes: TGV to Rennes, then a Keolis coach to the Mont or the regional train to Pontorson. Our partner Taxis du Mont drives you to the gîtes from Rennes, Pontorson or Dol-de-Bretagne. Once here, a car is still handy for Saint-Malo, Dinan or Granville.
How many nights should we book?
A week lets you see the Mont, the bay and two or three nearby towns without rushing. Length-of-stay discounts start at 2 nights (−15%), −20% for 3 or 4 nights, and up to −35% from 14 nights, calculated automatically when you book.
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