Hotels in Montpellier

Montpellier: Mediterranean University City on the Hérault Plain

Montpellier sits 10 km from the Mediterranean coast in southern France, connected to the sea by the Étang de l'Or lagoon and the resort town of Palavas-les-Flots. Founded in the 10th century, it houses one of Europe's oldest medical schools — the Faculté de Médecine, established in 1220 — giving the city a scholarly character that persists today. The Place de la Comédie, a 19th-century oval square anchored by the Opéra Comédie, forms the civic centre, flanked by the pedestrian Rue de la Loge and the shaded promenade of L'Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle.

Where to Stay in Montpellier

Hotels concentrate in three zones: the Écusson (the medieval old town), the Antigone district — a neoclassical quarter designed by Ricardo Bofill in the 1980s — and around Gare Saint-Roch, the main rail hub. Tram lines 1 and 2 connect these zones and reach the Odysseum retail and leisure complex in the east.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: TGV trains link Montpellier to Paris Gare de Lyon in about 3 hours 20 minutes.
• Getting around: Four tram lines cover the city; single tickets are valid for one hour.
• Climate: Summers are dry and hot; pack a light layer for cooler evenings in May and September.
• Day trips: Nîmes (50 km west) and Sète (25 km southwest) are reachable by direct regional train.