Travel tips
Montpellier city centre is easily walkable. It covers an area of fewer than 2 sq km. It’s filled with landmarks and iconic buildings such as the Aqueduc Saint-Clément, the Botanical Garden, and Montpellier Cathedral, just to name a few. Downtown Montpellier is also home to a great range of dining and shopping options, as well as cool bars for enjoying a nightcap.
Cycling is also a pleasurable way of exploring the city on brighter days. For longer distances, Transports de l'agglomération de Montpellier (TaM) runs an extensive network of streetcars and buses that cover the city and its vicinity. TaM also runs a bike-sharing scheme called Vélomagg.
How does Montpellier’s public transportation work?
Transports de l'agglomération de Montpellier (TaM) runs 4 tramway lines and 41 bus lines. Tramway and bus lines are cleverly connected to offer convenient access to anywhere in the city as well as nearby towns and villages.
The tramway operates daily from 4.30 am to 1 am (2 am on Fridays and Saturdays). If you’re a night owl, night buses are also available between midnight and 5 am (6 am in July–August) on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Single, 10-trip, day, and week tickets are available. Tickets can be purchased on the bus and at the vending machines at hand in the 84 streetcar stations. If you plan to travel a lot, you can also install the M’Ticket app on your mobile phone. Note that the streetcars and buses are wheelchair accessible.
Taking a taxi cab in Montpellier
Allô Taxi cab Montpellier (+33 (0)7 64 32 92 68), Taxi cab Bleu du Midi (+33 (0)4 67 03 20 00), and Taxi cab Giraud (+33 (0)7 86 56 25 26) are just a few of the taxi cab companies that operate in Montpellier. You can also easily find taxi cab lines in front of hotels and main attractions. It’s easy to hail one on the street.
Convenient yet rather expensive, getting around Montpellier by taxicab is not your best option if you’re on a budget, although a taxi cab ride may be your most convenient option to get back to your hotel if you’re enjoying a late night out. Note that tipping for taxi cabs in France isn’t necessary, but if you’re happy with your driver’s service, you can give an extra 5% or 10% of the fare. In France, all taxi cabs are obliged to accept payment by Visa and MasterCard.
Uber is the main ride-sharing app used in Montpellier. Uber rates are slightly cheaper than standard taxicabs.
Renting a automobile in Montpellier
Renting a automobile is preferable if you plan to go outside the city and explore the stunning landscapes of Camargue and enjoy the many beautiful beaches along the coast. Automobile rental companies are available at the airport and throughout Montpellier. Foreigners can use their country driving license accompanied by a notarized translation in French for up to 3 months. An International Driving Permit is fine too.
As for parking spaces, there are plenty across Montpellier with various price bands. Note that the inner city is a car-free zone, though.
Cycling around Montpellier with Vélomagg
Montpellier is one of the most bike-friendly cities in Languedoc-Roussillon. It hosts over 150 km of countryside and urban cycle routes. Different options for hiring a bike in Montpellier are as follows:
- Vélomagg is the bike-sharing scheme run by TaM. You can join the system by downloading the M’Ticket app on your phone and enter your credit card info. You’ll then just have to get to one of the over 50 stations settled throughout the city and get yourself a bicycle.
- W Ville & Vélo (+33 (0)4 34 43 04 52), Ebike Premium (+33 (0)9 63 54 27 18), and Cyrpeo - Montpellier (+33 (0)4 67 27 87 72) are just a few of the shops at which you can hire bicycles in Montpellier.
