jawl

I have plans to stay four nights in the Montpellier region. This seemed like a good base as we have a car and planned a few day trips. One day of exploring would be Saint-Guilhem Le Desert to Herault. Another day would be Nimes, Orange, and Avignon. We are coming from Clermont-Ferrend and on our way to Barcelona.
My request is do you think Montpellier is the best place to base for four nights or do you know of another village that would be charming. We do not long for excitement but do enjoy being in a peaceful, historical, good food, safe parking, and cultural area.

StuDudley

Montpellier itself is very difficult to get in and out of. Almost the entire center of the city is car free. It is a wonderful city - but I'm not sure I would describe it as peaceful (large student population). One of my favorite cities in the region is Pezenas. Get a walking itinerary at the tourist office, and consider staying there.

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Stu Dudley

jpie

My favorite smaller town/village in the area is Uzès which is a great base to stay in and and explore the villages around like Isle sur la Sorge and also visit the Pont du Gard. I am actually not so much a fan of Pezenas. But Uzès is further east although the driving distances aren't that big in the area. I agree that Montpellier is probably not the best base since it is hard to get in and out of by car. We have stayed outside of Montpellier before and there is a tram that runs into town.

You don't say what time of year you will be there but if you want a base more in the area west/south of Montpellier I would be tempted to base near the coast if it isn't July/August. In the high summer season places like Agde and Sete can be tough to drive in and out of and to park, but if you are going there in the spring or fall there are lovely places by the sea there.

StCirq

<<do you know of another village that would be charming.>>

Montpellier is not a village, and it is not peaceful. It's a big, bustling city, albeit a wonderful one, home to the oldest university in France.

If you want a smaller city with plenty of cultural oomph, nearby Castres with its Spanish influence (well-known Goya Museum, colorful riverside houses where tanners and weavers and spinners once worked) and birthplace of Jean Jaurès is a very interesting place. If you want something quieter without the cultural pizazz, you could head to a beach town just south of the city, or even Sète

StuDudley

Uzes is one of our favorite villages also. We stayed there for 2 weeks several years ago. But it is a 2 hr drive to St Guilheim, and longer to the other sites you might want to visit in the Herault. IMO, if you plan to spend most of your time in Provence (incl Pont du Gard & Uzes) stay in Uzes. If you want to mainly explore the Herault - stay in Pezenas.

Stu Dudley

jawl

Thank you so much for the input. I will be looking into each of the suggestions. I love this forum!

jawl

We plan to travel in Late September

jpie

To be honest, coming from Clermont-Ferrend headed towards Barcelona, I would be tempted to split the time-using Uzes as a base for Nimes Oranges Avignon, Pont du Gard, etc. then move to either Pezenas or down by the beach to Sete or Agde to explore Saint-guilhem-le-désert

StCirq

Are you renting a car in France and dropping it off in Spain? If so, I hope you're aware of the drop-off charges.

I think jpie's last idea is a good one.

kerouac

Near Montpellier, two places that I consider to be musts are Sète and Lodève.