Everything you need to know about visiting Mont St. Michel on a cruise excursion from Cherbourg, France.
Why visit Mont Saint Michel?
A designated UNESCO World Heritage site, this sacred island is something of a historical and engineering marvel. Nowadays it would simply never be built! The island is said to have been occupied by monks since 966, with the first church beginning construction in 1023 – that’s over 1,000 years ago! Of course the Mont has been modernised and developed a bit over the years, but the island’s remote footprint is the same as it was all those years ago, though more recently accessible by foot thanks to the addition of a road bridge. You can learn more about the history of this incredible place here. For me though, it has been a dream to visit the site ever since watching the “Impressions de France” video during a trip to Epcot in Walt Disney World, Florida and being simply blown away. We had been to France many times, but never as close to the coast as Normandy. When we did eventually make it, it didn’t disappoint, but owing to it’s remote location, it took some years of careful consideration to make it happen.
Let’s Talk Logistics!
Travelling to Mont Saint Michel from Cherbourg is far! Point-to-point, its 173 kilometres or 2 hours by road. Then you need to allow up to an hour each way to get from the car or coach park to the actual mount. At this point you have two options:
1) Walk. It takes around 40 minutes on foot. It’s a nice flat stroll on pavement, it follows the exact same route as the bus and allows you the opportunity to take pictures of the Mont from various perspectives as you approach.
2) Bus. There is a free shuttle bus for those who wish to use it, however be prepared to queue. It runs continuously and only takes around 10 minutes, but depending on how busy it is when you arrive, it could take a few buses before you get your turn.
It is worth noting that you can do bus one way and walk the other if you wish, just keep an eye on the time when planning your return journey!
Can you do Cherbourg to Mont Saint Michel independently?
Not really. There are not any 3rd party tour operators who will book this excursion from Cherbourg that I have found. Public transport between the two points is non-existent within a day, and I wouldn’t want to hire a car and risk missing the ship on the way back either (more on that later).
The Best Way To Book
After lots of research, it seems that the only way to book an excursion from Cherbourg to Mont Saint Michel is via your cruise line. In our case, we booked directly with Princess Cruises. The “Mont Saint Michel On Your Own” tour was ours for the princely sum of £58 per adult, £30 per child. For that price, we literally got a coach ride there and back, but it was comfortable and had a toilet onboard, which for a 2-hour long journey was important to many. I recommend pre-booking before departure as this tour can be popular.
Our Itinerary On The Day
08:40 Check-in with excursions team and board coach
09:00 Coach leaves Cherbourg
10:55 Arrive at the Mont Saint Michel car park
11:00 See the queue for the free transport shuttle and decide to walk
11:40 Arrive at the entrance to Mont Saint Michel, having taken 100 pictures!
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Leave Mont Saint Michel on foot towards the car park
14:40 Final loo stop, grab a drink for the journey back
15:00 Coach leaves Mont Saint Michel
16:00 Coach is stuck in traffic, then gets pulled over for full stop-and-search by the police (sniffer dogs, random body searches, questioning, a good look under the coach… it was very thorough)!
17:58 Coach finally arrives back at port moments before final boarding!
Needless to say, with the drama of the stand-still traffic and random checks by border force, it was a long and somewhat stressful journey back, making it a very long day for the few families and numerous adults that did brave the excursion.
Would you recommend this excursion to families?
No, not if you have young children. If you have older children who are interested in the history of this special place, then yes. I do not regret taking our 5 year old on this trip, but we went prepared with entertainment, snacks, drinks, an understanding of the long walk and crowds etc., and we know our son is the type of child who could enjoy it. Teddy still believes we went to Diagon Alley (Harry Potter) and we looked for the Leaky Cauldron and Hagrid’s House etc., so we made it into a game. He spent €30 on a tiny bag of pick ‘n’ mix, ate a hot dog, said ‘hi’ to some sheep… he had a great day! If anything, it was us who struggled with 5 hours on a coach! However Mont Saint Michel is very crowded, not easy with a pushchair and doesn’t do anything particularly exciting for kids, so it really isn’t for every family.
Pre-book Abbey Tickets
If visiting the Abbey is important to you, I strongly advise pre-booking. You can do so on the official website here. Its currently €16 per adult, free for children, and you can select your date and time accordingly to avoid long queues. We didn’t actually feel inclined to go inside – we were just as appreciative of the views of the exterior and enjoyed ambling around the streets having a nosey in the shops – but to some it is a ‘must-do’ and time is precious.
A Memorable Moment
As is often the case when we travel, the most memorable moments are the ones which we didn’t expect. After watching a few videos on YouTube, I noticed that there was a small church on the left hand side as you ascend the Mont, and that it was open to the public. We walked inside, and as if by magic, the congregation burst in to song! It was just a regular church service, being given in French of course, but the hymns were just beautiful. Unlike some religious buildings which we’ve visited on other trips, we felt welcomed in, and we stayed quietly at the back for 10 minutes or so, just taking it all in. It really felt special.
Top Tips:
- Take plenty of snacks and drinks. There is no supermarket on this trip!
- Entertainment for the coach trip is essential. Headphones are a good idea.
- Wear your most comfortable shoes (you will encounter a combination of hills, uneven steps and cobbled streets even if you do take the shuttle bus).
- It will be crowded – just go with the flow.
- Set your expectations of what you can achieve in a few hours and you won’t be disappointed.
Gallery
Useful Links:
Abbey of Mont Saint Michel History: abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr/en/discover/history-of-the-monument
Abbey of Mont Saint Michel Tickets: tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr/en-GB
Destination Mont Saint Michel: ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/
If you found this article useful, check out our other European ‘Tourist Guides’ here!
Have you been to Mont Saint Michel? What is your favourite UNESCO World Heritage Site to visit? Let us know in the comments – we love hearing from you!
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Our Whimsical World 
Aww someone looks in their element between those barrels of sweeties 😂 Great advice on being prepared with enough food and drink, this really can make or break a day out with children!
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