Montpellier : how to go to the beach without car ?

Posted 3 years ago

When you don't have a car, going to the beach from Montpellier can seem complicated. So to help you, here are some tips from our team !

Which beach to choose ?
- You want a beach near a tourist center with shops and restaurants, then choose : Palavas (10 km) or Carnon (12 km)
- If you want a wilder beach without houses nearby, then choose the Petit travers and the Grand Travers (between Carnon and La Grande Motte) or Villeneuve les Maguelones, Les Aresquiers

How to get there ?
There are no less than 6 possibilities to go to the beach without a car from Montpellier:
1/ By train to Villeneuve-les-Maguelone: 5 minutes by train in which you can embark your bike (free of charge) then 20 minutes (3 km) to pedal to reach the magnificent Pilou beach.
2/ Bus 32: leaving from the stop Garcia Lorca (tram 4), the bus takes you to the stop Pilou in Villeneuve-les-Maguelone where the TAM provides 200 bikes free of charge to reach the Pilou beach in 10 minutes (only on weekends in June and then every day from 1st July to 31st August, present your subscription or your validated transport ticket. Give an identity document as a deposit. A bicycle is lent to you free of charge. Use it for the day and bring your bike back to the Vélomagg' plage reception desk until 7pm).
3/ By bike on the cycle tracks: 45 minutes to 1 hour by bike with 2 cycle tracks, one starting from Port Marianne along the Lez to Palavas and the other along the Avenue Raymond Dugrand along the tram 3 to Carnon.
4/ Bus 131: from the stop Garcia Lorca, bus 131 serves Palavas in 20 minutes, 20 return trips per day, 1.60€ per trip (2020 price)
5/ Tram line 3: take the beach shuttle (Hérault Transport) from the terminus Etang de l'Or of tram 3, it takes you from 10am to 9pm to the beaches of the petit and grand traverse (free with the tram ticket).
From the terminus, you can also:
Walk to Carnon (or further) in 1/2h walking time
Rent a bike at the Velomagg'Loisirs station (or bring your own) and all the beaches are easily accessible. (0.50 €/h - 2020 price)
6/ Bus 606 : from Place de France (tram 1), this bus serves the Grand travers and the Grande-Motte in 25 minutes and even goes as far as Grau-du-Roi, 1.60€ per trip (2020 price)

Useful information
It is possible to take your bike on the tram, except during rush hours during the week (7-9 am and 5-7 pm) and at weekends the tram may be a little overloaded to accept bikes. Voilà! Hoping you feel less confused now we wish you a nice stay at the beach! And don't forget sunscreen !