Getting There -- The most efficient way to reach Mont-St-Michel is to drive. From Caen, follow A84 southwest to Pontorson, continuing a few more kilometers to Avranches; from there, merge onto D43, following signs to its end at Mont-St-Michel. Total driving time from Paris is about 4 1/2 hours.
There are no direct trains between Paris and Mont-St-Michel. We suggest taking the high-speed TGV train from Paris's Gare Montparnasse to Rennes, where you can transfer to the bus run by the SNCF (tel. 36-35 or 08/92-35-35-35; www.voyages-sncf.com) for the 75-minute trip to Mont-St-Michel. Depending on the season, two to five buses a day run to Rennes for 11€ ($16) per person. Another company, Les Courriers Bretons (tel. 02-99-19-70-70; www.lescourriersbretons.fr), also operates buses that make the 75-minute ride to Mont-St-Michel from St-Malo two to five times a day for 11€ ($16) per person.
Visitor Information -- The Office de Tourisme is in the Corps de Garde des Bourgeois (the Old Guard Room of the Bourgeois), at the left of the town gates (tel. 02-33-60-14-30; www.ot-montsaintmichel.com). The tourist office is open daily year-round except Christmas and New Year's.
