A great way to cover a lot of territory and keep the costs of your travel down is pick a home base and then plan day trip adventures to nearby places.
“Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time.” – Hannah Arendt
You will be surprised how many destinations you can visit in a short amount of time by taking day trip adventures! Day trips are also inexpensive because you don’t have to worry about paying for airfare, a hotel, and a rental car. You will find that food, museums, history and people offer a different perspective and new experiences from those of your home base location.
While many people think summer is great for day trips because of the longer day light hours, I prefer to day trip from large cities off-season. First, it is easy to book reservations on your favorite day trip, if doing a tour. Second, you do not have the crowds which can really be intense in smaller destinations like Mont Saint-Michel, France during the summer tourist season.
Photo: Abbey crowns the Mont Saint Michel, France
You may be surprised to learn that Mont Saint Michel is the most visited destination in France outside of Paris. And it is not just a church. It is an entire walled medieval city crowned by a great gothic abbey built on a small rock outcropping off the coast of Normandy. Its medieval walls and defenses have been preserved! Even though it is a small city, it has inhabitants, a mayor, hotels, restaurants and shops in addition to its religious monuments.
Photo: Narrow medieval streets and shops are less crowded during off-season.
Today, a community of monks and nuns of the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem, sent from the mother-house of St-Gervais-et-St-Protais in Paris, live as a community on Mont Saint-Michel.
Most visitors climb up to see the Abbey and its gothic choir dates from the period following the departure of the English from France. I challenge you to make the climb. It is an inspiring experience and you get to see some inspiring vistas on the way up. Take your time and enjoy meandering your way up to the top.
Photo: View across the English Channel from the Mont.
The abbey also presents an awesome panorama of the medieval architecture from the XI to the XVI the century.
Photo: Medieval Gothic architecture of the Abbey.
Photo: The garden cloister is on top of the abbey rather than at the center of the complex.
A visit to Mont Saint Michel is a visit to one of the most stunning and magical, gravity-defying sites in France’s. It truly is an unforgettable adventure and makes a great day trip from Paris, France!
If you chose to travel to Mont Saint Michal on your own rather than as part of a tour, be sure and check out the office site at https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/index.htm?lang=en for more information on hotels, restaurants, getting there and places to visit.
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