Rent a Car in Montpellier

Montpellier itself is one of the most walkable cities on the Mediterranean coast: Place de la Comédie, the Écusson's narrow lanes and the Antigone district are all connected by an extensive tram network, and a car adds little inside the city. The reason to hire a car here is the coast and the countryside around it: Palavas-les-Flots is about 15 minutes away, La Grande Motte with its distinctive pyramid architecture is roughly 25 minutes, and Sète — often called the Venice of Languedoc for its canals and working harbour — is about 30 minutes south-west.

Further out, the vineyards of Pic Saint-Loup are around 30 minutes north, the Camargue's flamingos and white horses are about an hour west, and the Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct is roughly 45 minutes north-east. None of these combine well by bus or train if you want to see more than one in a day, so most visitors renting a car in Montpellier do it for the coast towns, the vineyards and the day trips inland — not for getting around the city centre.