First Day in Montpellier

When you first arrive in Montpellier, it will most likely be at the train station.  Or you may have opted to fly into the airport.  When you arrive in Montpellier at the train station, named Gare Saint-Roch, your host family may or may not meet you there.

From Gare Saint-Roch to Dorms via Tram
If you are on your own to get to the dorms, the exits within the train station can be a bit confusing.  To get to the tram, you will need to take an escalator down at the sortie Centre-ville / rue Jules Ferry.  When you exit the station, this is your view:

The middle (straight ahead) has a little park.  There are streets, including tramlines, on either side of the V-shaped park in the center.  The street on the left of the garden will have the tram line 3, which will take you directly to the dorms.

You won't have a tram pass yet (you'll get that on Monday morning, at the Maison des Relations Internationales), so you'll have to buy one.  At the tram stop, you can buy a ticket at the kiosk.  They have the option of single-use or one-day, among others.  The kiosks are in French or English and do take credit cards.

Take tram ligne 3 direction Mosson or Juvinac.  Either one will take you to the dorms.

You will exit the tram at the stop Les Arceaux.  It is the one after La Cabane.  Get off the tram, turn right, and on your left, you'll see large, green metal swinging doors.  Just next to that is a regular-sized door.  This is the entrance to the campus.

You will buzz on the intercom and stop at the front desk (right in front of you to your right as you enter).  At the front desk, you will check-in and receive your key.  You may also get a checklist to note the condition of your room upon arrival.  We recommend taking photos of your dorm room as soon as you get there, just in case.  They will tell you which Bâtiment your room is in.

Your room key fob will give you access to the bâtiment doors, the first door you came in from the streetside, and the campus exit on the other streetside by the archways.


Driving to Dorms
If your host family will be picking you up and driving you to the dorms, you will enter on the other side of campus.  The red X marks the spot.  The tram stop Les Arceaux is marked for reference.  It is at roughly Boulevard Benjamin Milhaud and Rue Gustave.

There is a set of metal gates at the entrance that you will be able to park in front of while they open the gates.  Buzz the intercom and they will open the gates to let you in.  Parking is in front of you after you enter.

After parking, head to the front desk near the tram stop entrance (see above for more information on checking in).

For Everyone
A couple of pertinent things for everyone, regardless of how you get to the dorms:

• Consider heading to the store soon after arriving.  You will most likely want a fan or two for your dorm room, bath towels, and some snacks to tide you over.  See the post on What the Dorm Room Will Be Like and the lists of Things To Buy and Things To Bring to cover all your bases.
• Most stores and shops will be closed on Sunday.  If you arrive on Sunday, there will be some restaurants and shops open near Place de la Comédie but they may not have the selection you're looking for.  See the post on Sundays in France for more information.  The post on Where to Buy What is a guide for shopping.
• Here is the address for Les Arceaux.