Quick answer
Montpellier is about 77 km and 1h05 by car from Uzès (a route planner). There is no direct bus: by public transport you change at Nîmes and it takes about an hour and a half. The easiest day is to park at a park-and-ride, take the tram into the old centre and do the city on foot.
Good for: a day of walking, a museum and a long lunch, or a rainy-day alternative to the countryside.
Not for: a Monday if the museum is your reason to go, or a day when you want no driving at all.
Montpellier is the city of the Hérault, on the way to the coast. Its old centre, the Écusson, is compact and best seen on foot; the Musée Fabre, the Place de la Comédie and the Peyrou viewpoint all lie within a short walk or a tram stop of each other. For the sea and the oyster lagoon, see Sète and the Étang de Thau; for a smaller place on the way, see Sommières.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | About 77 km and 1h05 by car, by a route planner. By public transport there is no direct bus: train and bus via Nîmes take about 1h30. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day; train times on the day of travel. |
| Parking and tram | City guides advise a park-and-ride (P+Tram, the TaM network) and the tram into the Écusson. Trams 1 and 2 stop at Comédie and Corum, line 4 at Corum. A paid car park lies about four minutes on foot from Comédie. | Rates and the park-and-ride you choose: on the TaM site. We state no price. |
| The old centre | The Écusson is the best base if you want to walk everywhere; the Place de la Comédie is its heart. | Nothing; wear comfortable shoes. |
| Musée Fabre | About six minutes on foot from the Corum stop. Guides give 1h30 to 2h30, up to three hours for a full visit, and one guide says it is closed on Mondays and on public holidays. | Opening days and hours on the museum's site; they change with exhibitions. We found no hours and state no price. |
| Peyrou and Jardin des Plantes | The Peyrou, west of the museum, is the easiest place to get height over the city. The Jardin des Plantes, the cathedral and the faculty form one block to see together. | Opening hours of the garden: we found none. |
Arriving
Park once, then take the tram
Driving into the centre is the slow part of the day. Leave the car at a park-and-ride on the edge of the city and ride the tram to Comédie or Corum; from there everything on this page is a walk.
On foot
The Écusson, the museum and the view
Start in the Écusson and the Place de la Comédie, give the museum its two to three hours, and finish at the Peyrou for the view. Guides suggest weekday mornings for fewer crowds and a second day for the garden, cathedral and faculty if you want them.
Plan the day
Pick a city day or the lagoon
With about 1h05 each way a city day works well when the weather is poor or you want a museum and a long lunch. If you would rather be by the water, Sète and the Étang de Thau is a longer drive but a very different day.
Frequently asked
A day in Montpellier
About 77 km and 1h05 by car, by a route planner. Without a car you change at Nîmes (train and bus, about 1h30).
City guides advise against it: leave the car at a park-and-ride (P+Tram) on the edge of the city and take the tram into the Écusson. A paid car park exists about four minutes on foot from the Place de la Comédie.
Guides give 1h30 to 2h30, and up to three hours for a thorough visit. One guide says it is closed on Mondays and public holidays, so check the museum's site for your day.
There is no direct bus from Uzès. By public transport the route is bus and train via Nîmes, about 1h30 according to a route planner. Our page on getting here has the stations and airports.
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