Trains to and from Montpellier Airport (MPL)

Montpellier Airport is served by several important airline companies, including Air France, Iberia, Ryanair and Easyjet, and handles approximately 1.1 million passengers per annum. It is therefore ranked as the 10th busiest airport in France. It is a very important gateway for tourists, as it is the largest airport in the Languedoc Roussillon region, which is the third most popular for tourism in France. Although facilities and transport options at the airport are quite extensive, there is no airport train station. Passengers who would like to connect to the railway services of the city will first need to take the public bus which travels to the centre of the city.

The airport is located approximately 7km from the city, and in the Hérault department of France. It is along the southern coastline of the country, and provides access to the wide variety of tourist attractions in the area. There are lovely stretches of beaches, historical sights, rivers, seaside resorts and ski resorts in the nearby mountains. The airport consists of two terminal buildings which are modern and well organised for the efficiently of its operations, and there are various facilities for arriving and departing passengers. Passengers will arrive on the ground floor, and outside the arrival area, there are the bus stops and taxi ranks. Buses serve as a form of transport to the railway station of the city as there is no Montpellier Airport train station available. Most small airports of the country are not equipped with their own train station, but have buses which travel to the nearest railway services.

The airport buses depart approximately every hour, but also in accordance to the arrival flights of the airport, and take passengers to the Place de l’Europe, which is four stops from the main tramway station of Montpellier, and is very nearby to the railway station of the city. The bus tickets will cost just 1.50 Euro for a one way trip, and 2.40 Euro for a round-trip. Booklets of ten tickets can also be purchased, and these tickets can be used on both the buses and trams of Montpellier. Travelling to the train station of Montpellier will take about fifteen minutes, depending on traffic conditions. Passengers arriving at the train station will also have access to the airport by bus services, and can arrange to catch a bus which will deliver them at the terminal in time for their departure flight.

The Montpellier Train Station

The train station in Montpellier is known as the Montpellier Saint Roch Station, or the Gare de Montpellier, and is located at Place Auguste Gibert, BP 51238, which is just a few hundred yards from the heart of the city centre. It’s current name of Saint Roch was allocated in 2005, whereas it was formerly known as the Gare de Montpellier. Saint Roch is the name of a native of the city who was born in the fourteenth century, and who was a Christian Saint, martyr and famous son of Montpellier. It is one of the principle transport hubs of the Languedoc Roussillon region, and is the main station of Montpellier. It is also found between the two stations of Nîmes and Sète.

The train station consists of three levels, and is currently in the process of renovation. It is involved in an urban regeneration project called the Nouveau Saint-Roch, and the project is aimed at old railway properties. Facilities of the station include the Bodega du Lezard restaurant on Level 1, the Quai Bleu restaurant on Level 0 and Paul and Pomme de Pain, which are takeaways. They are generally open from 06:30 to 20:00 or 21:00 in the evening. There are baggage storage facilities available, one hotspot inside the station for WiFi access and public telephones. The nearest tourist office is in the centre of the city, at 30 Allee Jean de Lattre de Tassigny. Disabled travellers should arrive about half an hour before their train departs if further assistance is required, and wheelchairs and boarding ramps are available if required.

From the Montpellier train station, many local buses are available, and there is also a nearby coach station for journeys of a longer distance. The city’s main bus station is now right in front of the train station, whereas before, it was located above the tracks. This area is now a new short stay car park. Taxi ranks are found in front of the station as well, and passengers can even walk to the station from several nearby hotels in the city centre.

Montpellier is a major station on the lines from Paris, Italy and Spain, and is therefore frequented by many international trains. The French high-speed TGV services travel to Paris, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse, Dijon and Bordeaux, and intercity services (Téoz) travel to Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Bordeaux. There are night services available, to Strasbourg/Luxembourg, Nimes and Narbonne, and local services known as the TER Languedoc Roussillon, take passengers to Beziers, Nimes, Avignon and Narbonne. Express TER services are available to Perpignan, Arles and Marseille as well. To Spain, the Talgo services travel from Montpellier to Barcelona and Cartegena.

Montpellier Train Station is very important transport hub in southern France, and passengers should find both locations to provide excellent services. Although no train station at the airport, passengers will easily be able to reach the railway station and its trains to all parts of the country by the local bus service. The airport can be contacted at 04 67 20 85 00 for all further information.