Mont-Saint-Michel is a must-see in France: the site is captivating for its architecture and history.
But to visit it, you have to be able to get there!
Here’s our article on Mont-Saint-Michel parking lots:
- where to park at Mont-Saint-Michel
- how to get there by car
- prices, opening hours and parking info
- how not to pay for parking (free alternative options)
BEFORE OUR TIPS + PHOTOS
HERE ARE OUR favorites
Our favorite car rental platform with great offers: DiscoverCars
Discover this place from every angle:
Book your time to visit Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey
Hike through quicksand
Fly overhead in a microlight
Our favorite places to stay:
On theisland: Hôtel Auberge Saint-Pierre – see photos and availability
At the end of the bridge: Hotel Mercure – see photos and availability
In the countryside: B&B Le Clos Saint Gilles – see photos and availability
In a castle 30min away: Château de La Ballue – see photos and availability
Getting to Mont Saint-Michel by car
How do I get to Mont Saint-Michel by car?
Mont-Saint-Michel is easy to reach by car.
Take the A84 freeway from Caen or Rennes, or the N176 from Saint-Malo.
Please allow for travel time:
- Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel = 3h30 to 4h30 drive (depending on traffic jams) – A13 to Caen before A84 – freeways almost the whole way
- Caen to Mont-Saint-Michel = 1h20
- Bayeux to Mont-Saint-Michel = 1h20
- Nantes to Mont-Saint-Michel = 2h30
- Rennes to Mont-Saint-Michel = 1h
Be careful, there are lots of radars approaching Mont-Saint-Michel!
Why is it no longer possible to park at the foot of the mountain?
Mont-Saint-Michel is a unique environment in a bay with the most impressive tides in Europe… and also the 2nd most visited place in France!
So you can imagine the problem posed by 500,000 cars on this fragile site.
In 2012, the new system was implemented with to restore wetlands with:
- Large tree-lined parking lots a little further from the mountain
- Vegetated dikes
- A hydraulic system to maintain wetlands
- Reversible shuttles (that can be driven in 2 directions!)
Yes, parking has a cost. But the shuttle is free, and so is admission to the mountain. And it’s a price per car, not per person!
Compared to the entrance fee for a visit to a château, for example, we find this reasonable.
We think it’s great. This makes arriving on the mountain by shuttle or on foot even more spectacular!
Arrival by car at Mont Saint-Michel
When you arrive at Mont-Saint-Michel, be sure to follow the signs for the parking lots and shuttle bus.
We’ll explain the different parking numbers in the next section.
Above all, don’t go to “La Caserne” or “Mont-Saint-Michel” where there’s an entrance barrier. This zone is only for people who have a reservation at one of La Caserne’s hotels (not on the mountain) or at the campsite.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Parking at Mont Saint-Michel
Parking map
Here’s a map of the official Mont-Saint-Michel parking lots (the nearest ones).
With this map, you arrive by car from the left or the top.
And the mountain is at the bottom.
They are all chargeable.
Parking numbers: which ones to use?
All parking lots are well signposted, whether you’re arriving by car or walking to your car. But be sure to note which parking lot you’re in!
Car
If you have a classic car and are visiting for the day, you can use the parking lots:
P5, P6, P7, P10, P11, P12 and P13
If they’re not full, we recommend P10 and P11 for quick access to the shuttle.
Reduced mobility
If you have a disabled person in the car (with an official card), you can park in parking lot P2.
Motorcycle
If you have a motorcycle, you can park in parking lot P9.
Motorhome
If you have a camper van, you can park in parking lot P8.
Hotel guests
If you’re staying overnight in one of the hotels on the inner-mountain or at La Caserne, go to parking lot P3. Be sure to ask the hotel for the code the day before. See our experience of spending a night on the mountain.
P1 and P4
These parking lots are not accessible to tourists (locals and employees).
Paying for Mont Saint-Michel parking lots
Prices, tickets and how to pay
Step 1
Make sure you’re ready to visit Mt.
All exits from the parking lot are final (except for hotel guests). You will have to pay in full if you return.
Step 2
Pick up a ticket at the entrance to your parking zone. It’s not yet printed on entry, but it will be on exit.
Step 3
Keep your parking ticket in a safe place for easy retrieval when you leave.
You need a ticket to pay.
If you lose it, you’ll have to pay between 20 and 55 euros, depending on the season and your vehicle.
Step 4
When you’re ready to leave, don’t get into your car just yet, go to one of the pay stations. Payment by cash or credit card.
Prices vary between low and high season.
For a classic car in 2026:
- High season: July 1 to August 31
- Mid-season: March 1 to June 30 and September 1 to November 2
- Low season: rest of the year
- 24h package in low season: 14 euros
- 24-hour high average package: 22 euros
- 24h package in high season: 28 euros
- Evenings only (from 6:30 p.m.) outside high season: free of charge
- Shuttle included in the price for all car passengers
- There are also fixed rates depending on the length of the parking period
During high season, we recommend reserving your parking space here.
Motorhome parking: P8
As mentioned above, the parking lot reserved for motorhomes is P8 (the furthest away).
The 24-hour package is more expensive than for cars.
Can we stay overnight?
We don’t want to misinterpret or misrepresent anything. The exact text on the official website is: “It is forbidden to stay in the parking lot. Overnight parking is permitted, but under no circumstances can the park be used as an accommodation area for motorhomes. There is no water or electricity supply.
There’s a campsite in the La Caserne area, and plenty more in the vicinity of the mountain, as well as motorhome parks.
Parking for hotel guests: P3
If you’re lucky enough to be staying at one of the hotels on the mountain, the P3 parking lot can accommodate you.
Ask the hotel for a code before you arrive and enter it at the entrance terminal.
A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE AT Mont-Saint-Michel
Step 1: Plan and get there
Step 2: Decide on your program
Step 3: decide where to sleep
Free parking at Mont Saint-Michel
How to avoid paying for parking at Mont Saint-Michel?
If you want to park as close as possible to Mont-Saint-Michel, it’s impossible to find a free option.
But if you’re willing to take the bus, come by bike or walk, there are nearby options: in Beauvoir and Pontorson.
Please note: do not park along the road when leaving the parking lots on the mountain. Unauthorized parking is very dangerous.
Parking at Beauvoir – free parking Mont-Saint-Michel
Beauvoir is the closest village to Mont-Saint-Michel. It’s less than 5 minutes’ drive from the official parking lots.
Here you’ll find hotels, restaurants and stores.
On-street parking is free, as is the small 20-space parking lot between Saint-James and “L’épicerie de la Baie”.
From Beauvoir, you can reach Mont-Saint-Michel by bike or on foot.
Don’t walk on the fast road!
There’s a lovely car-free path along the River Couesnon with a constant view of the Mont.
It’s a 30-minute walk to the Mont-Saint-Michel dam or to the shuttle departure point.
Then a further 20/30 min to reach the mountain if you go completely on foot.
Pontsoron station
Alternatively, even further afield, you’ll find plenty of free parking around the Pontsoron – Mont-Saint-Michel station.
It’s a 15-minute drive from the official parking lots.
Then you can finish by bike.
Or take the local bus from the station to the mountain in 25 minutes (with 3 to 8 round trips a day). See timetables.
If you don’t have a bike, we don’t see the point of paying for the bus rather than the parking lot…
Reduce parking costs by arriving later
Another option for reducing parking costs is to visit the mountain in the evening.
There’s a reduced rate if you arrive after 7pm.
The abbey and stores will be closed, but this allows you to discover the village and ramparts without the crowds, and admire the mountain by night.
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How to get to Mont-Saint-Michel from the parking lots
Once parked, you can walk or take the shuttle to the mountain.
Map: access to Mont-Saint-Michel
Here’s a map to help you visualize your arrival at Mont-Saint-Michel:
Le Passeur” shuttle
From the parking lots, follow the signs with the bus icon.
And line up at the shuttle departure point. It is located between the parking lots and the tourist office.
It’s called “Le Passeur” and it’s very practical.
In less than 15 minutes you’ll reach the entrance to the mountain (after 2 stops).
You can use it as much as you like, going up and down at will.
Just be aware that it may be full in summer and you’ll have to wait.
Schedules:
- summer: 7:30 a.m. to midnight
- spring / autumn: 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- winter: 8.30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
It is wheelchair accessible.
Dogs are not allowed on board, except in bags or as guide dogs.
It stops 350m from the entrance to the mountain and the ramparts. There’s still a bit of walking to do, but it gives you time to admire this unique place from the outside.
And you can also see the driver change cabs because the shuttle is reversible!
If you’re feeling tired, don’t forget that you’ll still have 350m to walk to the start of the return shuttle.
Access on foot
We recommend walking from the parking lot and returning by shuttle bus.
The walk up to the mountain is splendid, with the occasional sheep in the fields, then the sand of the bay and the occasional pool of water offering reflections.
The path is well-maintained and easy.
This step builds anticipation!
It’s a 40-50 minute walk to the ramparts.
There are 3 different routes to the access footbridge (maps are posted everywhere).
- Chemin “La Lisière” – go straight ahead along the trees past the tourist office
- Les Berges du Couesnon” path – back to the river bank (as seen above) – our favourite path
- or the central route through the La Caserne area with its hotels and restaurants.
La Maringote – Horse-drawn transport – cancelled
There used to be another option for reaching the mountain: La Maringote, a horse-drawn carriage.
This option is no longer available.
WHERE TO STAY AT Mont-Saint-Michel
Option 1:
Choose one of the 7 hotels on the mountain, within the city limits – see our article
- The historic Auberge Saint-Pierre Hotel – see prices, photos and availability
Option 2:
Or sleep in the part called La Caserne which is between the parking lots and the footbridge to Mont-Saint-Michel.
- Mercure 4-starhotel – see prices, photos and availability
Option 3:
And if you are looking for luxury, check out our article dedicated to luxury hotels near Mont-Saint-Michel.
- The charming guest house Clos de Gilles – see prices, photos and availability
Option 4:
The Normandy countryside is very green and inspiring. At the bend in the forest or in the fields, pretty villages with beautiful buildings transport you to another world, or even another era.
- Hotel Ermitage at 5min – see prices, pictures and availability
- Château de Boucéel at 30min – see prices, pictures and availability
