Nice to Montpellier
 

I will be driving from Nice to Montpellier, and I was wondering what you guys think is the most scenice route.

Both the coastal roads and the back country roads have their charms. It would mostly depend on whether you are on a schedule or not, because there are a number of cities worth visiting along the way.

viamichelin.com
down the med coast
usually more scenic
for me and quicker.

I only know the motorway from Nice to Arles (with a pleasant stop in Aix), but from Arles the route south to Ste. Maries de la Mer through the Camargue, with the flamingos & white horses is definitely worth it, then cutting back northwest to the fairytale fortress town of Aigues Mortes, then south through Grau de Roi (maybe for some seafood) before heading due west and then north to Montpellier makes a great little tour.

It depends on when you will be in the South of France. July and August are nightmares for driving along the coastline with hoards of tourists hitting the beaches. Off season, the drive is long, sinous but definitely worth while. I totally agree with dfourh above - stop in Aix, stop in Arles and then the scenic route to Montpellier and go to visit Sète, the authentic and unspoilt fishing town with a gourmet walking tour. According to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph “Sète is the most fascinating small town on the Mediterranean Coast.” Also conveniently located near Montpellier which has been listed by the New York Times in the” top 45 destinations for 2012”.

<<According to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph “Sète is the most fascinating small town on the Mediterranean Coast.” >>

While Sète is definitely worth a stop, that is definitely British hyperbole, fueled by the fact that Sète is often filled with loud, drunken holidaying Brits. It's a functional, working man's fishing town, with all the grit that that entails. It's also a pretty place, but nowhere near as pretty as many other nearby towns. Great seafood, though.

At any rate, take the coastal route if you're not going in high season. And savor the Camargue and Aigues-Mortes (which to me has one of the prettiest squares in all of Europe).

And Sete is not between Nice and Montpellier.

I gather the idea was that it is somewhat near Montpellier so if you were staying there, you could visit it easily. It is only about 40 km or so away, isn't it.

A lot of travel sections in papers exaggerate.

I'm a Canadian (not British), living in Sète. It is a truly fascinating town, a wonderful combination of authenticity, culture and leisure. Most people who live in Sète are not in favor of advertising because they don't want it to be invaded by tourists. The unique water jousting festival held in August draws a lot of tourists over a two week period with drunks of all nationalities just as all popular festivals in the South of France during the summer. To answer your question, it is a 30 minute drive or 15 min train ride from Montpellier.

Joutes Nautiques are common in summer along the Languedoc coast. There are leagues where Béziers, Agde, Marseillan, Mèze, Balaruc, Frontignan, Sète, Palavas and Le Grau-du-Roi compete.

The Grand Prix de la Saint-Louis held in August at Sete since 1743 is the final round of the heavy, medium, senior and junior leagues.

Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfYhRZIvOT4
More : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joute_n...languedocienne)