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Paris to Montpellier by train
How to take the train from Paris to Montpellier
Montpellier has two stations served by the high speed trains from Paris, St-Roch station has a location convenient for the city centre, but a new high speed line has built to the south of the city and the Sud-de-France station is on this new route, so the journey time to Montpellier-Sud de France is around 15 mins faster.
Montpellier-Sud-France has more convenient access by car, but taking a combination of a free-shuttle bus and tram to the heart of the city takes around 25 mins.
Therefore the journey guides below solely focus on the trains which serve Montpellier St.Roch.
You can only take high speed trains from Paris to Montpellier-St Roch station, but both the regular TGV InOui services and low-cost, but more basic, Ouigo services share the route.
It's particularly worthwhile to click on the Train Guides below so that you can compare the two train services.
However, if you need to arrive at a specific time you will often have to take one train service or the other.
The Ouigo services can plug gaps between the TGV InOui departures.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the regular InOui services
Journey Summary
3hr 25min - 3hr 35min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Note that these trains depart from the Gare De Lyon in Paris.
Final Destination: Montpellier or Beziers or Barcelone or Perpignan
All trains also call at: Nimes
Most trains also call at: Valence TGV
There have been changes to travelling by train from Paris to Montpellier
50% of the TGV InOui trains from Paris have been diverted from Montpellier St-Roch station and will instead call at the brand new Montpellier Sud-de-France station.
This new station is on the edge of Montpellier and is connected to the city centre by a combination of a free shuttle bus to the Odysseum tram terminus on line/route 1.
So if you are heading to Montpellier city centre take care to specifically select Montpellier-St Roch as the arrival station when looking up this journey.
To Montpellier-St Roch
Monday to Friday: 5 x trains per day
Saturday: 3 x trains
Sunday: 4 x trains
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 months ahead of the travel date, but bookings can open sooner when SNCF is running a promotion.
If tickets aren't on sale yet for your travel date, you can sign up to the ticket availability notification service on Oui.SNCF.
When looking for tickets on Oui.SNCF tick the 'direct trains' box, on Trainline tick the 'fastest journeys' box.
The price is dictated by demand per departure, so book ahead and try and be flexible re: your departure and arrival times, as trains leaving earlier or later may be cheaper.
The Oui.SNCF (French national railways website) will indicate the cheapest price per day - click on this and you will be shown the departures on which this price is available.
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey, but rail pass users will need to be pay a reservation fee prior to boarding these trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Oui.SNCF | from €41 | |
| Download the Oui.SNCF app | from €41 | |
| SaveATrain | from €41 | |
| Happyrail | from €41 | |
| Trainline | from €41 | |
| RailEurope | from €41 | |
| Omio | from €41 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The low cost, more basic Ouigo trains now provide an alternative to taking these TGV InOui trains from Paris Gare De Lyon to Montpellier St-Roch station.
Also if you'll need or want to arrive in Montpellier city centre between 13:45 and 18:30, you'll have to take those trains.
That's because from 10:14 to 15:08 they now plug a gap between the departures of these TGV InOui trains from Paris Gare de Lyon to Montpellier-St Roch.
Those Ouigo trains usually depart from Paris daily at 06:09; 12:26 and 14:12.
For most of the train journey from Paris to Montpellier, the part of the trip between Paris and Nimes, you should be travelling at more than 270 km/h on the high speed lines.
This is not an outstandingly scenic journey, but the views from the windows pick up to the north of Nimes, as the train travels through Provence.
Option 2: Save money by taking the more basic Ouigo services
Journey Summary
3hr 10min - 3hr29min (Ouigo)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Montpellier
When making a city centre to city centre train journey from central Paris to Montpellier, you now have a choice of travelling by [standard TGV InOui trains or by these Ougio trains.
So you can now opt to save money, but have a much more basic on board experience, and travel on a Ouigo.
Also if you'll need or want to arrive in Montpellier city centre from Paris on a direct train between 13:45 and 18:30, you'll have to take these trains.
That's because from 10:14 to 15:08 they now plug a gap between the departures of those alternative TGV InOui trains from Paris Gare de Lyon to Montpelliier.
These Ouigo trains usually depart from Paris daily at 06:09; 12:26 and 14:12. .
3 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead* of the travel date, usually
*Tickets for the alternative service of TGV InOui trains are usually made available 4 months ahead, so if you look up this journey more than 4 months ahead on Oui.SNCF, you will only see these Ouigo services, but they are not the only option on this route.
How tickets can be booked and used for a journey by a Ouigo train, differs from booking tickets on a TGV (InOui) service.
What is particularly worth being aware of when booking tickets for journeys by Ouigo train services is:
(1) 1st class/Premiere tickets are not available.
(2) Reservations are included when booking, as they are on TGV InOui trains, but you can opt to pay a surcharge to select a specific seat (more info is available on the Ouigo 'Train Guide').
(3) You cannot book or collect tickets for Ouigo trains at stations.
(4) Additional fees apply if you want access to a power socket, or to travel with additional luggage; click the Ouigo 'Train Guide' to access more info on the luggage allowances on Ouigo trains; they're more restrictive than on TGV InOui trains.
Though these factors, and more, are why you can make big savings by opting to travel by these Ouigo trains and not on the standard TGV InOui trains.
Eurail and InterRail Pass Users:
Rail passes cannot be used on Ouigo trains, but if you will be travelling with a 2nd class pass, our guide to using rail passes in France, explains why taking a Ouigo train can be worth considering.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Oui.SNCF | from €19 | |
| Ouigo | from €19 | |
| Trainline | from €19 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
If you do opt to travel from Paris to Montpellier by these Ouigo trains, you should aim to be at the Gare De Lyon, 30 mins before the train is due to depart.
And that's because you need to pass through 'reception' before boarding a Ouigo train, staff need to verify that all passengers are abiding by the 'rules' of travelling on a Ouigo train, no additional un-booked luggage, no bikes etc.
These Ouigo trains travel on the same high speed line between Paris and Provence which the alternative TGV InOui trains take.
So you should be travelling at more than 270 km/h for more than 80% of this journey.
The route becomes more scenic to the north of Nimes, when the train will be travelling across Provence.
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