The Montpellier Mediterranean Airport is situated to the southeast of the city. If you have not booked a private transfer with us then you have a few options. Transportation choices such as bus, tram, taxi or car rental are available to make it easy for you to reach your destination.

An airport bus service (Navette Aeroport) operates to the Place de l`Europe tram stop East of the city center. On board the Airport Shuttle you can buy a single ticket for around €1.60 (bus) or a combined ticket for about €2.60 (bus and tram). The trip is free for kids under 5.

From here you can walk or take the tram to Place de la Comedie, the main focal area of the city. A walk takes between 15 to 20 minutes; a tram ride is no more than 10 minutes. If you decide to take the tram: take line 1 towards Mosson, the fourth stop is the main railway station (Gare Saint-Roch), the fifth stop is the city center (Comedie).

The bus stop at Montpellier Airport is located on the left as you exit the terminal. Airport Shuttle line 120 runs every hour to and from Montpellier, travel time to Place de l`Europe is 1about 5 minutes. .

Car Rental: If you decide to rent a car there are nine providers located at the airport: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise, Auto rapido, Thrifty and Interrent.

Montpellier is located close to the motorways A75, from the northwest, and A9, from the northeast and southwest.

A taxi to the city center will cost between €20 to €40, but beware that if you arrive during a busy period you may have to wait for a taxi as they are often taken when flights arrive in from Paris. Taxis also only take up to four people at a time.

The train station, Montpellier Saint-Roch (Address: Place Auguste Gibert BP51238 34011 Montpellier), is located right in the center of historic Montpellier. This station is a major transport hub for the south of France. The Tram line 1 and 4 both connect with the Montpellier Airport. Both the bus and TaM Tramlines connect at this station.

Multiple taxis are available for long trips, short ones, or visiting Montpellier and its surroundings. Taxi service Montpellier Taxis Blue du Midi (Tel. +33 04 67 10 0000) or Taxi Tram (Tel. +33 04 67 58 10 10).

If you wish to call an airport taxi there is a single phone number to schedule: +33 0430 96 60 60.

Montpellier is a pedestrian destination! The largest part of Montpellier`s center is a pedestrian-only area that isn`t accessible to vehicles except during certain fixed hours. The city is compact and walking across the whole city does not take long. There are many narrow, century old streets to stroll through and take in the ambience and walking is the best way to explore this area.

Montpellier`s transport service is managed by the TaM network that offers services including the tram, the bus and bikes.

There are four tram lines that run in the city: Line 1 from West to East (Masson to Odysseum); line 2 from Southwest to Northeast (Saint-Jean-de-Vedas to Jacou); line 3 from West to Southeast (Juvignac to Perols/Lattes); line 4 circle line (Albert 1er to Saint-Denis). A fifth line is currently being built.

The trams are clean and comfortable, offering a nicer view of the city as a whole than traveling by buses. Trams arrive every 3-5 minutes at peak hours but less frequently at night, only every 15 minutes. The tram operates until midnight (1:00 am weekends) and ticket prices are the same as for the buses and the tickets are interchangeable.

The bus system in Montpellier is comprehensive. Many of the buses leave from the bus stop in front of the train station. Buses use the same tickets as the tram and tickets can be purchased from the automatic machines located at each tram stop, or you can purchase tickets on the bus. If you do purchase a ticket from a machine, you must validate it when boarding. One-way tickets cost around €1.40 and can be used for transfers up to one hour from the first validation. Round-trip tickets are about €2.50, and a 24-hour bus or tram ticket is about €3.80.

From the Perols-Etang d`Or tram terminus:

The`Navette des Plages` bus runs non-stop to the `Face a la Plage` beach (between Palavas les Flots and La Grande Motte). There are a couple of cafes on the beach. TaM tickets allow travel on the bus at no extra charge.

Bus 1 of Transp`Or runs to Palavas

From Garcia Lorca tram stop:

Bus 131 runs to Palavas-les-Flots.

L`Amigo is a night bus service which runs from the main bus stop in front of the train station to the nightclubs on the outskirts of town.

Tickets can be purchased at the multi-lingual ticket machines at each tram stop. A day pass is available and is recommended for anyone who plans to see anything outside the center. Longer term passes are available for purchase at the TaM office located across from the train station. Be sure to validate your ticket in the machines, as random checks are conducted and a fine (around €30) will be issued for anyone traveling without a valid ticket.

Driving in the city center of Montpellier is not suggested, you will get stuck in traffic, and signs are not very well posted. Also, the city center is only for pedestrians! Free parking places in the city are a real challenge.

There are several parking lots in the city center. You could also park at a tram station or park at the Polygone shopping center, which will save you money. Overflow car parks are located on the outskirts of the city and linked to the tram line (car park + tram), covered or outdoor car parks and parking areas.

Parking lots that offer car park + tram:

Tramway line 1: Mosson, Euromédecine, Occitanie and Odysseum

Tramway line 2: Saint-Jean-le-Sec, Sabines and Notre Dame de Sablassou

Open Monday to Saturday 7:00 am to 8:00 pm; Free parking on Sundays and holidays.

Outdoor and Indoor parking lots: Arceaux, Europa, Pitot, Polygone, Triangle, Laissac, Comédie, Gambetta, Foch préfecture, Arc deTriomphe, Nombre d`Or, Corum.

The most popular means of transportation among the locals and travelers is a bicycle. Montpellier offers over 90 miles of bicycle paths throughout the city. Tourist information offices offer special city maps with all the cycling lanes and routes marked.

Bikes may be rented at machines (VéloMagg) in various places in the city center 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 about €2 for one day. All you need is a personal ID and payment to rent a bike. (Note that there will be around a €150 per bike deducted on your credit card when you rent a bike from the machine.)

Montpellier is a fairly safe place to visit, but there are certain precautions that should be taken in order to ensure a smooth visit to this city. Like always, common sense is the most important tool to be used for staying safe. Although petty theft and street crime are not of major concern in Montpellier, they have been known to target tourists. We recommend that you don`t carry around large amounts of money, and avoid wearing expensive jewelry or looking flashy. Drawing un-needed attention to yourself is never a good idea.

Avoid walking alone at night (especially women). This is a general recommendation for any unfamiliar area but should be followed in Montpellier as well. If staying with a group is not an option and walking is unavoidable, make sure to remain in lighted areas. Downtown is pretty safe also at night and it`s usually easy to find people around.

We do recommend that you avoid the neighborhood behind (Sout East) the station and Mosson at night. Also, it`s better to avoid the last tram (line 1) at night, in particular Tue - Sat. It is safe but you may encounter irritating drunk people coming home from the bars.

The currency of Montpellier is the Euro, US dollars are not accepted.

We recommend that you exchange a small amount of cash prior to your trip, enough for a cabride or basic spending on arrival. It is also useful to remind your bank and credit card company that you will be traveling to make sure your cards will work while in France. We recommend you record all your credit card numbers, as well as the phone numbers to call if your cards are lost or stolen.

Under the euro system, there are seven notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros. Notes are the same for all countries. There are eight coins: 1 and 2 euros, plus 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.

In Montpellier, like elsewhere in France, a service charge is always included in the bill. If you are particularly pleased with the service, you may certainly leave a few extra euros on the table. But this additional tip is neither expected nor necessary.

For more information about tipping visit:
Tipping in France

Montpellier enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild, damp winters, and hot, rather dry summers. During the summer, you can enjoy some sun as well as the beaches nearby. This is a busy time of year with visitors. The warm season lasts from mid-June through mid-September, with an average high of 84°F and low of 66°F.

Autumn and late spring are a great time to visit since Montpellier is calmer than during the summer months. It is easier to get around and the temperatures are still very pleasant.

The winter (cool) months last from mid-November to mid-March, with an average daily high temperature below 58°F.

French is the official language spoken in Montpellier however; you will find the staff at most tourism-related venues (hotels, restaurants) speak some English. Montpellier is the 2nd leading French destination for learning French as a second language. If you are looking for a non-threatening environment to practice French, the shops, cafes and bars of Montpellier are definitely it. We suggest you get a good English-French guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

The city of Montpellier is very cosmopolitan and offers a large variety of ethnic cuisines (Vietnamese and North African to name a few), in addition to traditional French cuisine. The local diet draws on the Mediterranean, and there are lots of restaurants in the city serving mussels, crab, oysters and fish stews. You`ll find eateries ranging from very touristy to truly authentic. In the center of the city there are a number of over-the-counter sandwich shops and similar places specializing in kebabs. If you are looking to enjoy a classic French café experience, head to La Place de la Comedie where you`ll find numerous bistros lining the street. The restaurants in the town square generally cater to visitors looking for convenience, but not for quality. For a more authentic experience, we recommend you head away from the city center.

Montpellier is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, an area that offers many authentic and delicious specialties. Cheeses, wines, honey, and fruit are all a large part of the cuisine here. The best-known specialties are the Thau Basin oysters, the small plates of Pezenas, codfish brandad, anchovies gratins with herbs, and tuna a la catalane. Cheeses of the region are tome des Pyrenees and Pelardon.

The winemaking industry in Lagudoc-Roussillon is one of the oldest and largest of the world. The region produces more bottles than many whole countries. The wines of the region separate into a very rich palate. They join the elements of the Mediterranean diet, in which olive oil, vegetables, fish, cheeses, and bread come together to offer a wholesome, authentic, and delicious cuisine.

Center-ville is the best area to go for upscale shopping. This area offers an abundance of clothing stores; the most high-end is located on the main streets leading away from the Place de la Comedie and on the rue Foch. On the southeastern end of Place de la Comedie is the Polygone shopping center which offers a large variety of stores, including major French chains. There is also a small area in the center where you`ll find the more `offbeat` shops mostly grouped together, along with kebab and sandwich shops.

The Odysseum shopping center offers a large open air shopping center with 100 different shops plus a hypermarket - Casino Geant. The shops are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Saturday with Casino Geant open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. The tram (tramway line 1) arrives right in the shopping center itself. Also located in the Odysseum shopping center is the Planetarium-Galilee and the Montpellier Aquarium, along with a climbing wall, and various restaurants and bars.

On Sunday mornings you`ll find numerous flea markets around the city. If you take the blue line tram all the way to the end (Mosson), you`ll end up at one of these flea markets selling everything from brand-name clothing, movies, to household odds and ends. Prices are generally reasonable, but haggling at these markets is the norm.

Numerous specialized shops may be found in the vicinity of Rue Saint-Guilhem and Rue del`Ancien Courrier, including comics, gaming, japanese arcade and takoyaki in Rue de la Friperie, and medieval crafts and goods in Rue des Soeurs Noires (Le Prince de Saint Gilles).

Note: Value-added tax (VAT) rate is currently 20% in France for standard goods. A reduced rate of 10% applies to restaurants, transport, and certain medical drugs. And a 5.5% tax applies to food, water and non alcoholic beverages, books, some entertainment events and some domestic personal services. If you are not an EU resident, you may be able to reclaim VAT if you jump through enough hoops.

Montpellier`s nightlife offers variety and originality for all to enjoy. The city has a noted Spanish population and influence, which contributes to its bustling nightlife scene that goes on until dawn. In the city center, most restaurants have their outside tables open all night offering service to passersby.

The Place de Comedie is the town square in the center of town. It is located near the university, so it is always filled with energy from all the student population. There is a bar for everyone in the Place de Comedie, including British and Irish pubs. The Place de Comedie is the spot to catch street performers in the summer evenings. The area is always overflowing with people having late-night drinks and dinner.

New Year`s Day - January 1st

Easter Holiday - Easter Monday (late March or early April)

Labor Day - May 1st

Victory in Europe Day - May 8th

May (40th day after Easter) - Ascension Thursday

Bastille Day - July 14th

Assumption of the Virgin Mary - August 15th

All Saints Day - November 1st

Remembrance Day - November 11th

Christmas Day - December 25th

Second Day of Christmas (In Alsace Lorraine only) - December 26th

The Montpellier City Card allows visitors free entry or discounts for a wide range of local activities. Choose from a 24, 48, or 72 hour pass (passes run around €13.50, €20, and €26).

City Cards can be purchased at the tourist office (Tel. +33 (0) 467 60 60 60).

Emergency dial 112

Ctre Hosp Unvt de Montpellier Hospital, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34000 Montpellier France, Tel. 04 99 23 26 78

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hospital, 39 avenue Charles Flahault, 34000 Montpellier France, Tel. 04 67 33 93 41

Ctre Hosp Unvt de Montpellier Hospitals, 700 rue Pioch Boutonnet, 34090 Montpellier France, Tel. 04 67 60 06 90