Montpellier is one of the largest cities in the region of Occitania and the seventh-largest city of France. The city is is renowned for its prestigious universities The University of Montpellier, founded in 1220, is one of the oldest in the world. If you want to explore Occitanie, you can easily plan day trips from Montpellier by train to beautiful cities located less than two hours from the city.
In the article, I briefly described the places that can be reached by regional trains in less or about two hours. If you will choose TGV, you can quickly get to Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Lyon. However, these trains are significantly more expensive than regional trains. Journey time from Toulouse to Paris by TGV trains is less than 4 hours. Currently, there are direct trains from Montpellier to Madrid, Barcelona and Luxembourg (on certain days).
Day trips from Montpellier by train
Train Montpellier – Carcassonne
Frontignan – a pleasant town renowned for its wine. You can see Old town, beaches, Saint Paul’s Church from 12th century, City Museum and La Peyrade bridge dating back to 17th century.
Sete – a city often referred as “the Venice of Languedoc”, because the city is traverse by network of canals the Étang de Thau salt lake and the Mediterranean Sea. The city is divided into lower city and the upper town on Mont St Clair hill. On the hill you will see ‘Quartier Haute’ district with former houses of the Italian fishermen, currently owned mainly by artists and Paul Valery Museum with works of contemporary artists. In the lower city there is an interesting Pointe Courte sector. The city has a nice Old Town and beaches on the outskirts.
Agde – a bustling city located 4 km from the Mediterranean Sea. A popular destination among tourists, situated on an ancient basalt volcano. Old Town features buildings built from distinctive black basalt, for example cathedral of Saint Stephen from 12th century. In the Ephebe Museum you can see excavations from Roman times. 5 kilometers from Agde lies Cap d’Agde – a very popular seaside resort
Beziers – one of the oldest cities in France, definitely worth visit. There are two main attractions of the city: the Saint Nazaire Cathedral from 13th century and one of the bridges into town (12th century). The Old Town is nice and pleasant. There are many churches and museums, narrow streets, picturesque views from the bank of the river. A popular seaside resort of Valras-Plage is located 14 km from Beziers. You can take a bus from train station.
Narbonne – a worth to a visit charming historic city. Most attractive buildings are located in the Old Town. You can stroll along the Canal du Midi running through the centre of the city and admire beautiful buildings, for example the Archbishops Palace, in fact two palaces which house the Town Hall for Narbonne, the Archaeology Museum and the Fine Arts Museum, the unfinished magnificient Gothic Cathedrale Saint Just and Les Halles – covered market in a 19th-century pavilion. You will find also Horreum Romain – an ancient Roman underground warehouses are the only visible remains of the Roman town of Narbo Martius.
Carcassonne – one of the most beautiful towns in Europe lissted as a World Heritage Site. Fortified town situated on the former border with Spain. Carcasconne is world-famous for its ramparts and is packed with tourists all year round. The town is divided into fortified city and Lower City. The fortidied Cité de Carcassonne features maze of narrow, cobbled streets, medieval buildings and two notable landmarks: Basilica of St Nazaire and Comtal Chateau which currently houses tourism office.
Train Montpellier – Avignon
Nimes – a beautiful city often called “the French Rome”. There are interesting monuments from Roman Times: well-preserved amphitheatre, the Augustan Temple, Temple of Diana, and ancient aqueduct Pont du Gard, and Roman Temple “Maison carrée”. Tourists can also visit the cathedral and Museum of Fine Arts. Only the Magne Tower remained from the original city fortifications.
Avignon – one of the most famous cities in France, known as the “City of Popes”. The historical centre of Avignon is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The symbol of the city is Pont d’Avignon and Palais des Papes – the palace complex served as the residence of several popes during the 14th century. Its imposing grand halls and intricate frescoes draw millions of visitors each year. The well-preserved medieval Old Town is surrounded by the original fortified city walls. There are many churches and impressive buildings, so there is a possible to plan one-day trip to Avignon, but if you want to explore the city, you will need two or three days.
Train Montpellier – Marseille
According to the timetable, you need change trains at Arles station.
Arles – a charming compact city where many artists have lived, including Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. The main higlights are dating back to the Roman times and most of them is listed as a UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Most famous is Roman amphiteatre, worth-visit are also Roman Theatre, the Alyscamps – a large Roman necropolis, the Thermae of Constantine on the edge of the city and remains of Barbegal aqueduct. In the Museum of Arles and Provence visitors can see many Roman artefacts. Romanesque Church of Saint Trophime and cloister are also popular among tourists. The Museum Arlaten is dedicated to the history of the city and region.
Marseille – the second-largest city in France. Most important landmarks in the city are The Old Port (Vieux-Port), the main harbour and marina of the city, guarded by two forts, Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure, the Abbey of Saint Victor founded during Roman period, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, the Marseille History Museum. On the small island 1,5 km offshore is located the prison of Château d’If. From the 19th-century Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde built in the hills you can enjoy a beautiful views of Marseille. The basilica it’s a symbol of Marseille and a pilgrimage site. The oldest district in the city – Le Panier is characterized by narrow, winding streets filled with artisan shops, galleries, and cafés.
Montpellier – Perpignan
Perpignan – a medium-sized city located at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea. The city center sometimes reminds Catalunyan towns and cities. An extensive Old Town with picturesque streets and colorful buildings is well preserved. Most important landmarks are the 14th century entrance gate Castillet and Palace of the Kings of Majorca overlooking the city. There is also the Cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste from 14th century.
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Train travel in France – a comprehensive guide
