The City

Montpellier is one of France’s fastest growing cities and is well known as vibrant student town with a Mediterranean feel. It is in an ideal location and it is obvious why students flock from all over the world to study here. The town centre itself is broken up into many different squares interlinked by narrow, winding passages. La Place De la Comédie which is considered as the ’new’ City centre, locally known as ’L’Oeuf’ is a large square headed by the famous theatre and surrounded by a plethora of bars and restaurants. The main shopping street, Rue de la Loge, leads from Place de la Comédie up through the town to the ancient Arc de Triomphe and aqueduct. Montpellier is definitely a city to explore, lose yourself in the streets and you will undoubtedly fall on some of the gems of culture and history that the city has to offer.

The shopping in Montpellier is excellent with a huge range of independently-run boutiques as well as well-known chains such as Mango, Zara and Naff-Naff. The Polygone shopping centre is home to the popular French department store Galeries Lafyatte and even has extended opening hours around Christmas. Avoid it on a Saturday though as it gets extremely busy!

If you have had enough of the city then you can escape to Palavas-les-Flots to catch some rays and wallow in the Med in-between lectures. The beach is about a 20min bus ride from the city and if you’ve purchased a ‘TAM’ card you can use this on the tram as well as the bus. However don’t expect Nice. Palavas isn’t the prettiest place in the world but it certainly beats Blackpool. Just a heads up, Wednesday afternoon is the lycée students’ afternoon off so the bus is normally packed during the summer.

University

Montpellier like many other french cities has more than one university and each faculty specialises in different areas.

Montpellier I; is a law and business based university.

Montpellier II; focuses on science and technology. It is located quite a way north of the city.

Montpellier III; offers social sciences and arts based courses. The campus is located to the norh of the city, but a good bus system means getting out there isn’t too much of a chore.

Le ’Sup de Co’ ; a specialist business school, of which there are only a handful in France. A real privilege if you get to study there but it is quite far out of the centre and a bit of a mission on trams and buses. However, the local transport system means that it can be done easily; it just takes a little while!

Be prepared for 8.15am lectures and also lessons on Saturdays!

Food and Drink

Thanks to its size and geographical positioning, food and drink in this city are really quite cheap. Again, like is so familiar across all of France, Montpellier is home to many small, independently run restaurants which results in a healthy competition for the desire to make good food cheaply. If you look around, you will be able to find 3 course set menus for as little as €10! The house wine is generally also very good and a 75ml carafe will cost you in the region of €5/6.

Le Bouchon (situated on Place St. Roch) offers a 3 course menu for €11 and is renowned for its delicious fresh and local menu. For these prices we really do recommend you explore the endless back streets as the restaurants on Place de la Comédie tend to be a bit pricier.

Out on the town

The massive student population (50% of the population are under 25) makes Montpellier one of the liveliest cities in France and with all the varying nationalities it is a veritable cultural melting pot. There is a big Irish contingent here for example, resulting in three very good Irish pubs, all owned by the same family: Fitzpatrick’s, O’Carolan’s and The Inn.

The bigger clubs are situated outside of town due to lack of space and the pedestrianisation of the city centre. There’s a bus service (the ‘Amigo’ bus) which departs at midnight and 1am from outside the train station. Coming back varies but there are normally services around 3.30 and 5.30am. Taxi’s are readily available and aren’t overly expensive, between a few of you it won’t break the bank. The bouncers of the clubs all have taxi numbers and are more than happy to call you one if you need it. One of the most famous clubs is La Villa Rouge, a predominantly gay club playing a range of music from house to dirty techno. O Bar is also a favourite, particularly in summer due to the swimming pool! There are entrance fees to these clubs however and drinks can be expensive – but it is definitely worth it once in a while.

If you don’t feel like heading out of town then there are lots of lively bars for pre-drinking which shut at 1am. The Cuban-themed ‘Cubanitos Café’ is a big hit with happy “hour” from 12noon-9pm and lots of salsa dancing! Oxymore is popular with the Erasmus students and runs cheap student nights every Thursday. If you fancy a quiet drink head up to La Place Jean-Jaures with several different cafés and bars to choose from. The heated outside terraces mean that you’re able to sit outside all year round, making it a great people-watching place. These bars also shut at 1am but are open from 10am. Momento Café is particularly good on a Tuesday night as it plays host to a big Erasmus night as is the Australian Bar ‘Ayers Rock,’ a short tram-ride away at Place de l’Europe. If you fancy continuing the night and are with a good crowd there are a few small clubs in town which shut at 5am (or 6am in the summer). Le Fizz is tucked away down a small alley and is popular with the French students. Cargo and IDEM (Internationale Discothèque d’Etudiants Mondiale) are also popular student haunts but I suggest being particularly merry when venturing to these places as they tend to be quieter during the winter months.

Do pay attention to the seasonality of Montpellier: places tend to close earlier in the winter or only be open on selected nights.

Visitors

Montpellier plays host to a huge range of hotels and bed and breakfast equivalents. From the grand Hôtel du Midi to the Youth Hostel, accommodation for the people that will be coming over to visit you is not hard to find. Prices tend to range from €14 a night in the hostel to €110 in the Hôtel du Midi. The majority of the hotels are situated just off Comédie and you can expect to pay between €55-70 a night for the 2* ones. So there really is no excuse for your friends and family not to come and stay!

The boring stuff

When you first arrive in Montpellier there are a number of things that we suggest you get out the way.

TAM Pass and Trams; Due to the pedestrianisation of the city centre, Montpellier has an extremely effective public transport system. There are two tram lines covering the whole of the city – the blue one and the orange flowery one. Tickets can be bought at each of the tram stops and you must buy one before you get on the tram otherwise the TaM Police can fine you up to €80. A single ticket costs €1.30 and a return just €2.40. However, you can purchase a TaM pass for 10 journeys (€10.80) 31 days (€30) or 12 months (€210). A year-long pass may seem expensive but if you’re using the tram everyday more than once (to go to Uni for example) it soon pays for itself. You can also use them on the buses to the beach and to the clubs out of town. Make sure you validate them as soon as you board the tram as the TaM officers will catch you out! Trams run from 4.55am until about 1.40am on both lines and there is normally one every 5minutes. Although be aware of reduced services on Sundays and jours fériés (bank holidays etc).

Housing Benefit; As a student in France you will be eligible for housing benefit. It is a monthly payment offered by the state to help students to afford their rent. In order to receive this benefit you must apply for it at the Caisses d’Allocations Familiales or CAF as it is better known. You can apply for housing benefit either on-line or at the CAF itself. The address is:

6, rue de la Poesie,
34000 MONTPELLIER

We do recommend that you try to complete the necessary paperwork on the internet as the waiting time at the CAF is notoriously long. If you have any problems filling out the forms don’t hesitate to ask us for a hand!

You will need your landlord to sign your CAF form so make sure you catch them as soon as possible, especially if they live outside Montpellier or even outside France!

Gas and Electricity; EDF are the main suppliers of gas and electricity in France. Once you have secured your accommodation, you will need to contact EDF to inform them that you are the new tenant. You will get your bills from these guys which we suggest you pay as soon as they arrive. Failure to pay may mean disconnection at a charge of €30. If you have any problems with the supply of gas or electricity get in contact with the supplier and notify the landlord. The number for EDF (your region) is: 08 10 00 34 34.

Bank Account; When you arrive we recommend that you open a bank account asap. Having a French bank account will allow you to pay bills and manage your money more easily.

To open an account, you will need your passport (or pièce d’identité), a letter with your address on it (for example a bill in your name) and your stamped registration letter/form from your French University.

There are a number of Banks to choose from all offering slightly different packages. La Banque Postale, is a subsidiary of the post office ’La Poste’. The advantage of having a bank account with ’La Poste’ is that you will be able to access your money and carry out transactions from practically anywhere in France, unlike other banks who often require that you return to the holding branch to carry out any transfers or transactions.

LCL also offers a good service as, when you open an account with them, you are able to have household insurance for €1 a month. They also present you with a €40 gift voucher which can be redeemed at any of the stores in Montpellier, as well as online. However, watch out for the fact that they may send you magazines in the post and charge you €8 for it after the first six months.

Like with any bank, make sure you fully understand the terms and conditions before you sign. They are usually very good at explaining everything and there will often be an English-speaking employee if you get really stuck.

Transferring Money; Thanks to our english banking service you are able to pay your rent into an English bank account so you will not be charged for transferring money or be stung by exchange rates. In order to fully benefit from this fact we suggest that you use travelers cheques to transfer money between accounts. Travelers cheques are secure and there is no charge for cashing them. It is an ideal way to move money between your English and French account without losing money.

Sundays; Like the majority of France, absolutely nothing is open on a Sunday in Montpellier. Cafés and bars are open until early evening and some alimentations but no supermarkets or shops so make sure you stock up! Also, during the week the French like to have a leisurely lunch and tend to take around 2hrs! So don’t be shocked to find that offices, Doctors and some smaller bank branches are shut from 12-2pm. Wednesday afternoons are also temperamental with some businesses being closed altogether.

Doctors; There are quite a few doctors’ surgeries in Montpellier with the majority of them being appointment only. However, in some cases if you get there before 12noon you don’t have to have made an appointment. Similarly there are surgeries where you can go in whenever and be seen. Be prepared for a bit of a wait though. Despite having an E111 European health card, you will have to pay. It’s around €22 for a consultation and then up to €40 for medication (depending, obviously, on the circumstances) which can all be claimed back. The pharmacy will give you a form which you have to send off in order to be reimbursed, which can take up to 6 weeks. Similarly with hospital treatment, you will be sent a bill but can claim it back.

Guide written by Rose Darby, English exchange student Montpellier, 2007/2008.

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:: rosedarby | 24 Mar 2008

Montpellier is beautiful and has so much going on. 10mins from the beach and with some of France's best nightclubs - Definitely worth a visit!