How to Get to Montpellier

You have a few options on how to get to Montpellier.

1. Fly into Paris and take a train to Montpellier
2. Fly into Montpellier directly
3. Fly into another large French city, such as Lyon or Marseille, then take a train to Montpellier
4. Fly elsewhere in the world, spend a few days exploring, then fly or take a train to Montpellier

Most students end up flying into Paris and either staying in a hotel for a few days to visit the "most romantic city in the world," or taking the train straight away to Montpellier.

Flights

Flights to Paris tend to be cheaper than direct flights to Montpellier.  However, it is worth looking into, just in case you find a good deal.

There are no direct flights to Paris from Louisville, but there are some from the Indianapolis and Cincinnati airports.  

Reasonable student airfare rates may be obtained through STA Travel or Student Universe.  

Trains

The trains are clean and easy to use.  They are not very expensive and very quick.  A train ride from Paris to Montpellier will typically be about 3-1/2 hours long.  The seats are comfortable with plenty of room for your suitcases.  A trip of that length will get you a reserved seat.  The trains for shorter journeys, such as from Montpellier to Nîmes, will not have assigned seats and are first-come, first-served.  They are not as nice but are still much less expensive than renting a car or trying to find an uber and very fast.  

For the longer train rides (Paris to Montpellier), it's better to book in advance.  For shorter trips (Montpellier to Nîmes), you can purchase your ticket at a kiosk inside the train station (in Montpellier it is called Gare St. Roch).

For train schedules, pricing, and tickets in France see SNCF or Oui SNCF.  If you want to travel outside of France, go to Rail Europe for info about Eurail passes.

Getting From the Airport to the Train Station

You can travel by train directly from Charles de Gaulle airport to Montpellier Gare St. Roch.  If you choose to stay in Paris for a couple of days or find a cheaper train ticket from Gare de Lyon in Paris, for example, that's an option too.

A taxi ride from Charles de Gaulle into Paris will cost you about $60.  Do not take a ride from someone who approaches you (and they will) offering a taxi ride.  Go to the airport taxi stand where you'll be directed to the next available taxi cab.  Uber is another option but the prices are a bit more expensive (set up your account beforehand so you're not scrambling to do it with sketchy WiFi).  Lyft is not in France.

Allot 3 hours minimum to get off the plane, go through customs, retrieve your baggage, and exit the airport.

If you purchase your train ticket from Charles de Gaulle or Paris (the airport is about an hour drive outside of the city), consider getting a "flexible" ticket so that if your flight is delayed or cancelled, or you need more time to get to the station than you thought, you can change it.  Or consider staying a night in a hotel in Paris and exploring the beautiful city before you head to Montpellier!