Montpellier Mini Guide
Montpellier is the main city of the Langue-Doc Roussillon region in south west France. You can arrive there by flying into Montpellier Méditerranée Airport, though you will probably have to go via
Paris Airport. If you are driving, from the A9 motorway take any of the five exits that serve Montpellier. They are Montpellier Est, Montpellier Sud, Montpellier Ouest, Saint Jean de Vedas and Vendargues. An alternative is to go down the A75, which is free of charge between Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier.
Although there are parking lots in the city, Montpellier city centre is actually a traffic free zone and is accordingly difficult to drive in. If you must drive into town, park at one of the tramway stations such as Occitanie, Jacou, Odysseum on line one or Sabines on line two. The Polygone shopping centre is another place where it is possible to park. Once you have got to the centre there are a few sights which you should see. They are La Place Royale du Peyrou, Les Jardin des Plantes (a Botanical Garden), La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, La Place de la Comédie and the Musee Fabre art museum.
Montpellier is a good place for walking and there is a pleasant esplanade in the city which has benches, trees, outdoor markets and restaurants. However, walking at night time is not necessarily advised though you should be fine as long as you stick to the well-lit areas.
Food in Montpellier is very multi cultural and you are just as likely to have a good meal in a kebab shop as in a French restaurant. If you want to stick with fine French food try the classy Le Jardin de Sens, though you will pay for the privilege. You are sure to be spoilt for choice with the wine list as the Languedoc Roussillon region produces more wine than the whole of
Australia. Pastis is a commonly drunk aperitif in Montpellier.
If you want to go out at night you can wet your whistle at a number of bars, including English and
Irish pubs. For later in the night there are a number of clubs where you can go salsa dancing including Oxymore, Le Kilamanjaro and El Cuba Café. And there are more modern nightclubs too such as The Fizz and Cargo, which are located near the centre of town by the train station and plays dance music.
Enjoy sightseeing in southern France with Montpellier car rentals. This is the eighth biggest city in France and it was built alongside the River Lez. Montpellier was founded by Toulouse Counts who built a castle there. Two of the outer towers of the castle still remain and this is a very photogenic city with a lovely cathedral.
Not only is Montpellier pretty but it is close to the Mediterranean Sea which means that you can combine some city sightseeing with a nice day out at the beach. Summers in Montpellier get very warm so consider renting a vehicle with AC.