Transport

All scientists or doctoral students with talent passport status whose driving licences were issued outside the EEA (European Economic Area) must exchange their driving licences if they wish to drive legally in France.

The process must be completed within one year following the start date of validity of the first residence permit or the date of validation of the long-stay visa valid as a residence permit.

To be able to exchange your licence, you have to go to the prefecture for the area where you live in order to submit an exchange of driving licence application.

Download the procedure and the list of documents to be provided (Hérault Prefecture)

Cerfa form to be downloaded for the application:

Cerfa n°14879*01  : Application for driving licence by exchange

Cerfa n°14948*01 : Driving licence application – European Union format

NB: this procedure does not apply to doctoral students with student status. They are not required to exchange their driving licences. They may drive with their original licences accompanied by a French translation produced by a sworn translator.

If you have a driving licence issued in a country in the European Economic Area, you may drive legally in France and in Europe.

However, in the case of a long stay, it is recommended to have your driving licence registered at the prefecture for the area where you live.

The exchanging of a driving licence for a French driving licence becomes mandatory in the event of an offence resulting in a suspension or point penalty measure. It is also necessary when the licence reaches its expiry date

Download the procedure and the list of documents to be provided (Hérault Prefecture)

Cerfa form to be downloaded for the application:

Cerfa n° 14879*01: Application for driving licence by exchange

Cerfa n°14948*01 : Driving licence application – European Union format

The tramway is the ideal mode of transport for getting around Montpellier.
TaM (Transports de l’agglomération de Montpellier) manages all of the public transport in Montpellier and the neighbouring municipalities.
The TaM network comprises 4 tramway lines, 40 bus lines and 56 Vélomagg bicycle stations
All of these modes of transport combine and are linked to the municipal bus and regional and national train networks.

Annual travel cards

You can purchase your travel card in all of the TAM mobility offices or online at: : http://commercial.tam-voyages.com/

Are you an employee? Good to know:

Employees can benefit from the payment of 50% of the mobility contract price by the employer. Enquire with your HR department.

Documents required for registering online or at a mobility office:

• a scan or copy of your identity document when your card is created,
• a bank account information document (RIB) if you choose direct debit
• an passport-sized photo in paper, png, jpeg or pdf format (which can be taken in the mobility office free of charge) when your card is created
• a SEPA direct debit mandate completed and signed by the bank account holder if you choose payment by direct debit
• payment for your travel card or the first monthly payment if you have chosen payment by direct debit as well as the €5 cost of the card one needs to be created
• a photocopy of the payer’s identity document, if he or she is not the card holder

Tickets without travel card

If you make occasional use of public transport, you have the option of purchasing tickets from the ticket machines at each tramway stop and from bus drivers
Further information on the various tickets and their prices: http://commercial.tam-voyages.com/

NB :

Tickets can be validated inside the buses, inside the trams and on tram platforms.
After validating your ticket, you may use it for one hour throughout the tram and bus network.

Practical Information

Tramway and bus timetables

Good to know:
There is also a TAM mobile application available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store, to assist you on a daily basis and make your travel easier.

Contact

Telephone : 04 67 22 87 87 

The 3 mobility offices offer the same services, with the sale of all the TaM services:

• 27, rue Maguelone (station de tramway : Gare Saint-Roch)
  34000 Montpellier
  du lundi au samedi de 9h à 12 et de 14h à 17h

• 6, rue Jules Ferry (station de tramway : Gare Saint-Roch)
  34000 Montpellier
  du lundi au vendredi de 7h à 19h

• Espace Mobilité Mosson (station de tramway : Mosson)
  du lundi au vendredi de 9h à 12h et de 14h à 17h

NB:

• You can make an appointment online at www.tam-rendezvous.com in order to avoid waiting times in the mobility offices.

Montpellier offers a bicycle rental service for your day-to-day journeys, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. 56 automatic bicycle stations are available to you throughout the city. Borrow a bicycle at the station of your choice and drop it off at any other, depending on your route.

Vélomagg offers the first hour of rental free of charge for each rental and then €0.50/hour.

It is reserved for annual subscribers aged over 18 and for persons with mobility contracts.

Price: €10/year

Find all of the information concerning Vélomagg on the TaM website

Montpellier and Hérault have a major bus network that provide you with direct and regular access to a very large number of tourism sites and municipalities in the department.

TaM has a network of 36 lines.
For information on the timetables and routes of the buses, visit:
http://www.tam-voyages.com/

The amigo :

On Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays, from midnight to 5 a.m. and until 6 a.m. in July and August, the Amigo is a bus that makes journeys between Montpellier and the clubs and discos located outside the city centre. The price is the same as for a TaM ticket.
For further information on the timetables and routes of the Amigo

There are also several bus companies that connect certain French and European cities:

Eurolines

Adresse : 8 rue de Verdun, 3400 Montpellier
https://www.eurolines.fr/

Ouibus

Ouibus est la filiale bus de longue distance de la SNCF. Elle permet de voyager à bas prix.
https://fr.ouibus.com/

Linebus

Adress : Avenue du Colonel Pavelet, 34000 Montpellier
The buses in Montpellier leave from the SABINES line No 2 tramway station.
https://www.busbud.com/fr/compagnie-de-bus/linebus

Hérault transport

The buses in the department enable you to get around the department with its 68 regular lines.
https://www.herault-transport.fr/

Montpellier Taxis Bleu du midi

Transport by taxi over all distances, for individuals or groups. Booking, tourist tours, etc.
http://www.taxibleudumidi.fr/

148, Rue Marius Carrieu
34080 Montpellier
Téléphone +33 (0)4 67 03 20 00

Today, carsharing is a very widely used means of transport in France. Carsharing consists of sharing your personal vehicle with other users who wish to make the same journey as you. This makes it possible to share and reduce the costs of transport (petrol, tolls, etc.), reduce road traffic and meet new people. Carsharing enables you to travel throughout France but also to go abroad.

The Blablacar website is the most widely used carsharing website in France.

The train is a very widely used mode of transport in France to go to other French cities or to neighbouring countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg or Spain. France has a large railway network that enables you travel easily between the various cities in France. SNCF is the only railway company in France and alone manages all of the train traffic in France.

The Montpellier Saint Roch state is located in the heart of the city, 200 metres from the place de la Comédie. The four tramway lines and the buses (lines 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 16) enable you to get to the various districts of Montpellier.

To book a train ticket or to find out more about what SNCF offers

Montpellier has its own airport with multiple destinations in France and abroad. It is located 8 kilometres from the city centre, i.e. a 10-minute car journey. The airport can be easily reached via shuttle bus, taxi and car rental services.

Montpellier’s air transport network is served by 17 airline companies including Air France, Air Arabia, Volotea, KLM, Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways.

To book a plane ticket or to find out more about Montpellier airport

How to get to the airport