Escape no. 01 · Normandy & Brittany

Saint-Malo
& the Mont-Saint-Michel

Duration2 Days · 1 Night
Flight1h15 from Paris
Travellers1 to 3

A corsair city on one shore, a medieval abbey on a tidal island on the other. Two days where the granite, the sea and the centuries hold a quiet conversation — and you are the guest of honour.

Two days, two worlds: the salt-bleached ramparts of a Breton corsair town, and the mystical silhouette of a Norman abbey rising from the sand.

Saint-Malo and the Mont-Saint-Michel sit barely fifty kilometres apart, but in spirit they belong to different centuries. One is granite, wind and the open Atlantic. The other is faith made stone, perched between sea and sky.

Both are difficult to reach well. Both reward those who arrive at the right hour, with the right guide, with somewhere lovely to sleep between them.

This escape is built around that idea — and around the simple fact that an aircraft can do in seventy minutes what a train and a rental car cannot do in half a day.

Itinerary · Forty-Eight Hours

From Paris to the sea, and back again.

A draft itinerary, refined in the weeks before your departure to suit your interests, the season, and the tides.

Day One

Paris to Saint-Malo

Flight · Ramparts · Dinner within the walls
08:00

Pick-up · Central Paris

A private car collects you in central Paris and drives you west through Versailles to a small airfield few tourists know exists. Coffee, the flight plan, and a brief introduction to the aircraft before we fly.

09:00

Wheels up

We climb west over the Île-de-France, follow the Seine to where it meets the sea, then cross the Cotentin peninsula. As we descend toward Dinard, the granite point of Saint-Malo emerges on the left, ringed in white surf.

10:30

Into the walled city

A short transfer from Dinard airfield to the intra-muros of Saint-Malo. Your suite is ready. Lunch is held for you at a table on the ramparts — oysters from Cancale, salted butter, the bread of a baker your host knows by name.

13:00

A private walk of the old town

Your guide unlocks doors most visitors never see: the corsair house of Surcouf, the cathedral's lesser chapels, the rooftop view above Place Chateaubriand. The ramparts at golden hour, with the wind from Jersey.

17:00

An hour to yourselves

The light over the tide. A drink on the terrace of your suite. The day, briefly, slowed.

19:30

Dinner

A Michelin-listed table within the walls of the old city. The chef will be told you are coming. Likely turbot, perhaps lobster from the bay; a Loire white you have never heard of; a digestif on the house.

22:00

The night is yours

Walk the ramparts beneath the lighthouse. Read in the suite. Tomorrow, the Mont — and we leave before the day-trippers.

Day Two

The bay, the Mont, and home

Sunrise drive · Abbey · Flight to Paris
06:30

Breakfast, then the bay road

A simple Breton breakfast, then your driver collects you. The road to the Mont follows the coast east, through Cancale and along the rim of the bay. Just over an hour, and you arrive before the crowds.

08:00

The Mont, almost alone

You enter the abbey before its gates open to the public, accompanied by a private guide who has spent a lifetime studying these stones. The cloister at first light, the refectory, the chapel of Saint-Aubert. You will not forget this hour.

11:00

An omelette of legend

A late breakfast — or an early lunch — at the table of the famous omelette of la Mère Poulard, beaten until they whisper. A century-old ritual, and a fine one.

13:00

The bay from the sky

Back to Dinard, and aloft. We climb gently north so the Mont sits beneath the wing in full silhouette — a final photograph, a final farewell. Then east, over the Cotentin, the Seine, and home.

14:30

Back in Paris

Your car is waiting on the apron. You are back in central Paris by late afternoon, with two days of memory and a small parcel from the baker tucked under your arm.

What's Included

Every detail, arranged.

No upgrades to choose, no add-ons to negotiate. The price is the price, and everything below is in it.

01
Flight

Round-trip private flight

Paris (an airfield less than 30 minutes away from downtown Paris) to Dinard, return. Approximately 1h15 each way in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, piloted by a captain with more than 1,000 hours of flight experience.

Including all aviation fees, fuel, and ground handling
02
Hotel · Night One

A five-star suite within the walls

A historic property in the heart of Saint-Malo's intra-muros — chosen for its discretion, its view of the ramparts, and the quality of its breakfast service.

Double or twin occupancy · Breakfast included
03
Dining

One Michelin-listed dinner

A table reserved for you at one of Saint-Malo's most respected restaurants, chosen and confirmed by your host to suit your palate, your dietary considerations and the evening's catch.

Tasting menu with wine pairing · All courses included
04
Guided Experiences

Two private guided visits

A late-afternoon walk of Saint-Malo's old town with a guide who has known these streets all their life, and a sunrise visit to Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey with private access before public hours.

Including all admission fees and gratuities
05
Transfers

Private car throughout

Your driver collects you in Paris, meets you at Dinard, takes you on the bay road to the Mont, and returns you to your Paris address. No taxis, no waiting, no maps.

Mercedes-class or equivalent · English-speaking driver
06
Refreshments

Meals and incidentals

Lunch on the ramparts on Day One. Breakfast at your hotel on Day Two. An omelette at la Mère Poulard. Bottled water and refreshments throughout the journey.

Beverages on board the aircraft included
Good to Know

A few practical notes.

The weather

Light aircraft are sensitive to weather. In the rare event we cannot fly safely on your chosen date, we will offer you a free date change or a full cancellation at no charge — whichever you prefer.

Your luggage

Each traveller may bring one soft cabin bag (approximately 7 kg). The aircraft has limited hold space; large suitcases stay at your Paris hotel. Most guests find an overnight bag entirely sufficient.

The tides

Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island. The visit is timed to coincide with low water on Day Two, so the abbey appears in its full island splendour. The bay's tides are among the largest in Europe.

Children & comfort

We welcome travellers aged 8 and older. The aircraft cabin is intimate; we provide active noise-cancelling headsets for all passengers, and the ride is generally smooth at our cruising altitude.

Best season

April through October offers the most reliable flying weather and the longest daylight hours. May, June and September are ideal — fewer visitors at the Mont, mild temperatures, long evenings on the ramparts.

Booking & cancellation

A 30% non-refundable deposit secures your dates. The balance is due 30 days before departure. Full terms are provided with your booking confirmation and explained personally by your host.

Pricing

From €2,500 per traveller.

€5,500 for one · €7,000 for two · €7,500 for three

Inaugural pricing · All-inclusive · Available through December 2026

Reserve This Escape
The other escape

Or, perhaps, Alsace?

If granite and Atlantic are not your weather, our second escape ventures east — to the half-timbered houses of Colmar, the vineyards of the Wine Route, and a Germanic-French border-land where the light somehow lingers longer.

Discover Colmar & the Wine Route
Colmar
Escape no. 02