Visit the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel: tickets, prices, schedules

Come and visit the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, a bold and legendary work, ranked among the most beautiful monuments in France.

Visiting the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is a great classic of tourism in France. Twice a day separated from the continent thanks to an exceptional tide phenomenon, the rock of the Bay of the same name diffuses a positive energy that attracts crowds from all over the world every year. Discover the magic that has reigned for centuries in these holy places, sometimes very mysterious.

Walk through its streets, enter the abbey into the thousand secrets and go to the encounter of history and mysteries! In fact, we have prepared a list of everything you need to know before visiting the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel so that your discovery is as easy as possible.

The Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel in a few words

Emblematic monument of France, it finds its place on the border formed by the Couesnon, between the Brittany and Normandy , on the immense rock of the Bay.

Thus, his membership in one region or the other has long been contested. Still today, some Bretons claim the mountain, motivated by a traditional rancune. But above all, Mont-Saint-Michel is a commune whose name comes from the Mont, dedicated to Saint-Michel and where the Abbey that we know today was built.

Beyond its huge historical dimension, it is also architecture that attracts crowds every year. Rolled in spiral around the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, the streets bear witness to a long past. Old stones, sometimes starved roofs... Also, let us remember that the famous Abbey dates back to the year 709, which does not rejuvenate it. More than 13 centuries separate us, yet the building remains one of the emblems of the bay.

Spiritual dimension

The spiritual scope of the abbey is public notoriety. Indeed, many pilgrimages there are organized and the very origin of the building is religious. Several orders have passed through the ages: Chanoines, Benedictines and currently, the Monastic Brotherhood of Jerusalem .

What must be remembered, however, before visiting the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, is its intercultural capacity. Indeed, if you are attracted to its cultural, religious, architectural or historical dimension, you may find your account here!

Our advice to visit the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel

The duration of a visit

The visit being free, you can devote the time you want to the abbey. If you really want to visit each room, be able to take some photos and enjoy architecture in the slightest detail, then plan two hours. If some can conceive to spend an hour, or even an hour thirty, the true lovers of stones and ⇒ Histoire will stay there longer.

The best time to visit the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel

Like many monuments very popular by the crowds, the best time to visit the abbey is the first hour, before 10 a.m. . Indeed, even if you don’t get the first because people will be even more pressed than you, very early means usually less people.

Also, it's better avoid high seasons , that will make the streets of tourists crawl. Avoid winter visits, especially in January!

Is the ticket essential?

Completely. Because the reservation avoids the long queue in front of the ticket office. In addition, you can select your arrival time. We detail the booking process a little lower in this article.

What to do during your visit to the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel?

What should not be missed

Although the abbey is unreatable in its entirety, it still houses a few points of higher interest. It is also the case of the splendid Statue of Saint-Michel , which sits above the abbey. It is a symbol of the abbey, all of gold covered. It is ulminating to 156 metres and measuring nearly 4.5 metres for more than 500 kilos.

Don't miss either Cloister of the Abbey , located on the heights, with its small garden of the middle of the twentieth century.

Among the list of things not to be missed, there is also Notre-Dame-sous-Terre , the forgotten abbey church, at the origin of the building we know today. It is not accessible to everyone because it often requires a professional card guide or a guide to the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.

Admire the panorama on the bay

Located 80 meters above sea level, the abbey obviously offers a view of the Bay among the most beautiful... if it is not the most beautiful! Displaced and panoramic, the observatory gives you the opportunity to kiss a large part of the bay. This view is accessible from the Abbey Terraces.

We advise you to go there at the end of the day , in winter especially, when the sea is removed and the sun throws its last colors. An amazing show, taking and breathtaking.

To attend one of the Fraternities Masses

Nothing like this to plunge into a powerful and embalming spiritual atmosphere: to attend one of the messes officiated at the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel.

To attend, no need to reserve its place. Just show yourself at the door of the abbey slightly before the hours indicated, and you will only have to take advantage of the religious office.

• Sung monses: Tuesday to Saturday at 12:0; Sunday and public holidays at 11:15;
• The Laudes: Tuesday to Friday at 6h50; on weekends, holidays and August at 7h50;
• The Vespers: Tuesday to Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

How much does a ticket cost to the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel?

There are not many different rates to access the abbey, but rather a lot of free according to the profiles.

• Baseline: 11€;
• Partnership rate: 9€;
  The partnership rate applies on presentation of a Cité de la Mer card, Vieilles Maisons Françaises, Grand Aquarium de Saint-Malo, Sociétaire du Crédit Agricole, Brittany Ferries, Carte Cezam or the Friends of the Louvre;
• Less than 18 years old: free;
• European resident between 18 and 25 years: free;
• Persons with disabilities (and accompanying them): free;
  The fee also applies to job seekers and beneficiaries of social minima, to students in Architecture, to the Mutilates of War and accompanying them.

How to book an online ticket for the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel?

You are advised to book your ticket online to visit the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel to avoid queues. To book, go to the Abbey website and the “Prepare your visit” tab, choose “Buy your ticket in advance”.

Then you will only have to select your day and time of arrival, and specify the nature of your ticket. To this, you can add options: buy a book “Heritage Route” (in French), an audio guide or make a donation to the abbey.

Note that if you have purchased your ticket at a Tourist Office, at your hotel or at a CE, you can always go through the online reservation. This is especially about selecting an arrival time.

Are there guided tours of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel?

There are actually private guided tours of the abbey. If you wish to be guided by a lecturer who will give you all the details of the building, it is possible, but the price is a little higher: 400€ for groups up to 30 people.

On the other hand, there is no other way to benefit from guided tours than to pass through a lecture guide. That said, if your budget does not allow it, there is an audioguide option available to purchase your ticket.

Opening hours

Visit the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is done every day without a cut. Thus, the schedules are:

• September to April: 9:30 – 6:00;
• May to August: 9:00 – 19:00;
• Shut up 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

How do I access the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel?

To visit the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, the simplest remains the car . If you come from the North, the East or the South, you need to reach the motorway in any case. A84 direction Avranches. Of course, if you come from Brittany the national roads will do the trick, no need to borrow the highway, even from Brittany, Rennes .

You also have the possibility to arrive by train . The nearest train station is Pontorson (50), which is 9 kilometres away. Correspondence from larger stations (Rennes and Rennes) Paris ) take you there. These connections can include bus routes, including Pontorson, which guides you directly to Mont-Saint-Michel.

You can also make it by air via Dinard-Pleurtuit, Rennes or Caen-Carpiquet airports. Being located 70, 75 and 130 kilometres respectively, we invite you to learn about car rentals and then to reach the mountain and its abbey.

To access the Abbey, regular shuttles cross the path between the numerous parking lots and the entrance to the mountain. Otherwise, the Pontorson bus mentioned above offers two very close stops: one at the Barrack and the other at only 350 meters from the entrance to the Mount.

The rest of the road is on foot or by bike. Moreover, three bicycle parking areas are available along the bridge to Mont-Saint-Michel. But these areas are not monitored, we invite you to plan anti-thefts and to sufficiently protect your bike.

Attention: Note that only blind dogs are accepted on board the shuttles. So if you take your dog during your holidays, know that there is a caterpillar service 8,60€ by day and by animal.

Where to park near the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel?

The commune of Mont-Saint-Michel is very well organized with regard to the parking of its visitors. Indeed, a little more than a dozen parking spaces are available to travellers. People with reduced mobility, hotel customers, motorhomes and two-wheelers can park on car parks that are dedicated to them.

For cars, it's 7 parking spaces that are open. These parking areas are large and allow many people to find a place before joining the shuttle that will lead them to the mountain. The great advantage of this huge area is that at its entrance, you can find an information centre that will be able to answer your questions. Toilets are even arranged.

The car parks are about 3.2 kilometers from Mont-Saint-Michel. As mentioned above, you have a choice between taking the shuttle or going on foot.

Parking rates

The parking rates are changing between low season (October-May) and high season (June-September).

For a car:

• Parking 24h: 9,10€ or €14.20 ;
• Evening offer for admissions between 7pm and 1h: 4,60€ ;
• Payment of a lost ticket: 27,30€ and 42,60€ ;
• Annual subscription card: 25,30€.

For a motorcycle:

• Parking 24h: 4,60€ or 5.60€;
• Payment of a lost ticket: 13,80 € or 16,80 €.

For a motorhome (or van) less than 8 meters:

• Parking 24h: 12,10€ or 17,80€ ;
• Payment of a lost ticket: 36,10€ or 53,40€.

These rates are largely involved in the maintenance and preservation of the entire environment of Mont-Saint-Michel, its Abbey and its Bay. They allow you to keep the mountain and its abbey so that you can always welcome curious visitors.

Where to stay near the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel?

The offer of accommodation near the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is rather rich. Indeed, between the hotels present on the rock and those located in La Caserne, in Pontorson or Avranches, you can quite dream with the abbey online of mire. Since it is a tourist place, the place can respond to the housing demand.

So find the hotels, campsites, hostels, guest rooms or the AirBnB nearby, always at the best price if you visit a hotel comparison. Also, for nomadic travellers, camper-car areas are reserved for the parking and use of these rolling houses.

You are ready to visit the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel!