Montpellier

Montpellier is the principal city in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southwest France.

Getting there

By car

From the A9 motorway, take any of the 5 exits that serve Montpellier:

• Vendargues

• Montpellier Est

• Montpellier Sud

• Montpellier Ouest

• Saint Jean de Vedas

The A75 is free of charge between Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier.

Park at a tramway station (eg Occitanie, Jacou) and take a tram: parking in the town centre can be hard, so be sure to have your licence.

By train

Montpellier's main train station is Montpellier St. Roch. It is serviced by a TGV connection from Paris, 3hr 15min, Lille, 4hr 50min and Lyon, 1hr 40min, Valence 1hr 45min, Nice 4-5h. It is also serviced by the Talgo service to Barcelona. Most destinations in Southern France are also easily accessible by rail from Montpellier.

By plane

Montpellier Méditerranée Airport, formerly Fréjorgues Airport, is situated on the outskirts, a bus service called Navette operates to the centre of Montpellier: although the driver does not feel bound to the schedule (10min late is usual; driving time around 20min). Cost is 5 euro.

The airport is fairly well connected by way of Air France's central hub in Paris. Ryanair flys from Brussels-Charleroi (CRL), Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN), London-Stansted (STN), although on a reduced timetable over the winter months. There are also regular flights to Copenhagen with Sterling .

EasyJet runs a service from London Gatwick. Transavia.com also offers direct flights Amsterdam - Montpellier.

By boat

The nearest sea port, situated in Sète has ferry crossings to the Balearic Islands, Mahgreb and Corsica.

By coach

There is a coachstation situated in the city centre, less than 500m from the main train station.

Traveling around

Montpellier is a compact city and walking across the whole city center does not take long.

By bike

The tourist information office have a map Montpellier à vélo, which shows you where the best places to go by bike are and places where it is dangerous to cycle. The city has an extensive network of cycle paths, often separated from traffic for added safety. There is also a bike path running all the way to the beaches at Palavas-les-Flots and Carnon. The ride from the city to the beach takes about an hour.

Bikes may be rented at machines (Velo Magg) in various places in the city centre including Virgin, the tourist office on the place de la comedie and the main TAM velo office, located adjacent to the train station. The price is 2€ for one day. Just remember, if you are cycling in the old centre, that there are streets which are actually staircases and although they are a sight to behold (the rue du bras de fer), a glorified shopper bike will not tackle them as well as a fully suspended Cannondale.

Be adivsed that only a small subset of the Velo Magg kiosks operate on Sundays, in which case it may be better to visit one of the manned offices, either adjacent to the train station or near la opera.

By bus

Montpellier has a comprehensive public bus system. Many buses leave from stops in front of the train station. Buses use the same tickets as the tram; you can purchase tickets from the automatic machines located at each tram stop, or you may purchase tickets from the driver. If you purchase a ticket from a machine, be sure to validate it in the machine when boarding. One-way tickets cost 1.30€ and can be reused for transfers up to one hour from the first validation. Round-trip (aller-retour) tickets are 2.40€. Also, be warned that bus service is limited on weekends and the last buses run before 9:00 all week.

The most notable bus lines for visitors are line 28, which runs from the Port Marianne tram station to the beach at Palavas les Flots, and L'Amigo late night bus, which runs from the main bus stop in front of the train station to the nightclubs on the outskirts of town. Please note that the 28 is often crowded, and the last stop is actually a 20 min walk from the beach itself. Still, this is the best way to get to the beach if you do not have a car.

For more information, see the website for Montpellier Transport .

By car

There are several parking lots in the city centre. However, it is inadvisable to travel in the city centre by car as it gets busy, you will get stuck in traffic, and it's not very well signposted. The city centre is also a traffic-free zone! Your best bet is to park by a tram station at the end of a line such as Odysseum on line 1 or Sabines on line 2, but if you do insist on driving, parking in the Polygone shopping centre will save you a lot of your precious spending money!

By tram

The Montpellier tram service features two lines that form an 'X' across the center of town. A third is currently being planned.

The trams tend to be very pleasant way of travelling across the city, they are clean and comfortable, offering a better view of the city as a whole than traveling on buses. Trams arrive every 3-5min at peak hours but less frequently at night, once every 15min. One major advantage of the tram is that it operates until midnight, making much more of the city easily accessible after dark. Ticket prices are the same as for the buses and the tickets are interchangeable.

Purchase tickets before boarding - there are multi-lingual ticket machines at each tram stop. A day pass is available and is recommended for anyone who plans to see anything outside of the centre. Longer-term passes are available as well from the TaM office situated across from the train station. Be sure to validate your ticket in the machines, as being found without a valid ticket will result in an on-the-spot fine. Not speaking French or being a traveller will not be accepted as an excuse.

See

Of particular interest in the old centre

• La Place Royale du Peyrou

• Les Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Garden)

• '''La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, L'Ecole de Médecine, and Le Musée d'Anatomie

• L'Hôtel des Trésoriers de la Bourse

• La Place de la Comédie

• Musee Fabre - art museum.

Things to do

• Take a walk on the Esplanade one day when the weather is nice (it is most of the time). It is lined with trees, benches, a couple of outdoor restaurants, and often the tents of a market selling clothing and food and is a lovely place to spend the afternoon. Keep to the well-lit part at night unless you wish to buy drugs or be mugged or both (this has improved since a new police station was opened close by recently). The police station is right next to the tourist information building so all your tourism needs are located right next to eachother.

• Visit the zoo, 50 avenue Agropolis, Montpellier . The zoo has an outside part with lions, bears etcetera (free admission), and an inside part with an amazonic forest (about 6 euros).

Eat

Montpellier is very cosmopolitan for a city of its size and has a wide variety of ethnic cuisines available, in addition to traditional French food. The centre features a plethora of over-the-counter sandwich shops and similar places specializing in kebabs (nearly as many of these as there are hair salons and real estate agencies). If you're looking for the classic French cafe experience, try any one of the many bistros near La Place de la Comedie. For a good coffee in a more relaxed atmosphere, there's also a nice cafe near the Louis Blanc tramway stop.

Montpellier is dotted with eateries ranging from very touristy to truly authentic. Geography plays a large role here: the matrix of restaurants in the town square generally cater to visitors who are optimizing for convenience, but not for price or quality so much. Head away from the city center--north, south, west, but generally not east--for a more genuine experience.

Drink

France is the country for wine and the Languedoc Roussillon region produces more annually than the whole of Australia! There are too many varieties to name here (it deserves its own wiki) but as a pointer for red try a mid priced pic st loup The white for the local seafood and especially the oysters is picpoul de Pinet, no need for lemon juice! During the summer months many people stick to rose, but a lot of restaurants also serve chilled red wine. For sweet-tooths, the neighbouring towns of Lunel and Frontignan produce good quality muscat and have their own appelations.

The aparetif liquor of the south of France is Pastis, which, while not for everyone, is a definite part of the local culture. Pastis should normally be served onto a single ice cube and then diluted to taste. There are, however several bizarre permutations of this drink that can be concoted using grenadine, mint syrup and orgeat (almond and rose flower)

Bars

• Le Bookshop. Great for language learners, this English language bookshop and café has weekly language exchanges, a book club, childrens story telling, creative writing workshops and a host of other events. Located near the Halles Castellan in the center of town, it is run by Marriot and Dario

• The Greyhound Pub, Place de la Comédie. Loosely English themed pub that serves a wide variety of beers and other alcoholic drinks. Friendly service. The owner was in the Tour de France!

• Macadam pub , 1 rue des Deux Ponts, not far from the railway station and the famous rockstore, With a nice international atmosphere (with special

• Martins Club , 8 Rue de la Monnaie. A cosy, exotic lounge bar that proposes a wide range of exotic cocktails, narguiles (hookah pipes), teas, and a lot of themed parties. The staff is very friendly.

• Le Corto Hole in the wall located near the Faculte de Medicine in the centre. Quality beer and a must for anyone who likes the atmosphere of a small bar. Be sure to check out the basement - one table has been jammed into a tiny grotto for a literal 'hole in the wall' experience.

• Vert Anglais is an English-owned bar and restaurant with a friendly English-speaking staff. Located behind the Virgin Megastore. Lunch service, extensive cocktail list, half-price beer happy hour, and students get half-price beer all night on Mondays.

• Le capucin located Place du marché aux fleurs justes in front of the prefecture, not far from Gibert Bookshop, this café is anachronic, a rural-café in the heart of the town

• Le café de la mer, Place du marché aux fleurs justes, close to Le capucin, enjoy the terrasse at this bar, one of the gay headquarters of the town

• La pleine lune (Full Moon Bar), rue de Figuerolles, (walk on Boulevard Gambetta, opposite to St. Denis Church, turn left, and you will find the bar to your right), sometimes crowded, very bohemain to the point that the walls sweat patchouli oil!

• Fitzpatricks, an Irish pub. Guinness, Kilkenny and Strongbow cider on tap. Owned by the same family as O'Carolan's up near place Sainte Anne.

• le Kaboum, 18, rue du Saint Sépulcre, near place Sainte Anne, tel: 08 73 67 87 93. Tuesday-saturday, 11:30 - 15:00 and 19:00 - 01:00. An original bar with a lot of beers (with chocolate or honey...) and crazy cocktails. Price are very lowlike the bar and it's also possible to eat (crepe, fajitas, ...).

Salsa Clubs

There are a few places to dance salsa, but you need to know when and where:

Mondays

• Oxymore - 12, Rue Boussairolles - 04 67 58 64 39

Tuesdays

• Le Kilimanjaro - 60, Avenue du Pont Juvenal - 04 67 13 24 16

• El Cuba Café - Odysseum - 1 Place France - 04 67 15 17 17

Wednesdays

• Apollo Jazz Café - 129, Avenue de Palavas

• B4 Freestyle Bar - 110, Avenue du Pont Juvénal

Thusdays

• Cotton Club - 129, Avenue de Palavas

Fridays

• El Cuba Café - Odysseum - 1 Place France - 04 67 15 17 17

• Havana Night - Route de la Mer - 63, Chemin Mas de Gau, Lattes - 04 99 52 23 75 (only 4th friday of the month)

Saturdays

• Studio Latino - 1, Avenue de la Mer - Lattes - 04 67 99 07 81 (only the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month)

• Rock System - 26, Rue Charles de Gaulles, Fabregues (only the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month)

Sundays

• Apollo Jazz Café - 129, Avenue de Palavas -

• El Cuba Café - Odysseum - 1 Place France - 04 67 15 17 17

Clubs

• Oxymore - R'n'B/Dance music with cheap drinks.

• Cargo - Dance music, affordable drinks, located near the train station in the center of town. Student friendly.

• The Fizz - Opens after the bars close, and features indoor smoking room and a lower level dance floor that can be viewed on gold-framed monitors from the upper level bar.

Sleep

• Hotel Kyriad Montpellier Centre-Antigone is a 3-Star hotel in the historic centre of Montpellier, offering 69 rooms, free WIFI, flat screen & Canal+, bathroom

• HI-Montpellier Youth Hostel, Rue des Ecoles Laiques, Impasse Petite Corraterie, 34000 Montpellier, phone:+33-4-67603222

Buy

For upscale shoppers, the best bet is in centre-ville. There is an abundance of clothing stores, the most high-end being found on the main streets leading away from the Place de la Comedie and on the rue Foch. For those with a more modest budget, the Polygone shopping center, also near La Comedie, contains a large variety of stores, including major French chains such as Inno and FNAC. There is also a small area in the centre where most of the 'offbeat' shops have typically clustered together, along with plenty of kebab shops and sandwicheries.

If you like to haggle and want a different experience, there is an enormous flea market every Sunday morning. Take the blue line tram all the way to the last stop at Mosson, and then just follow the crowd of people. The market sells just about everything under the sun, including brand-name clothing, movies (mostly pirated), and the usual assortment of household odds and ends. Haggling is the norm but the prices are generally reasonable to start with. The market (marche aux puces) is particularly well-known as a place to buy bicycles, although be sure of the quality before you buy. There have been 'some' reports of stolen bikes turning up at the market as well.

Visit Sauramps bookstore (Le Triangle, at one end of la Comedie) and the Gibert Joseph bookstore (at the Place de la Prefecture). These independent bookstores are real treasure for the city and offer a wide variety of topics and languages.

Get out

• Beziers

• Perpignan

• Sète