Montpellier

Montpellier is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, as well as the Hérault department. The city is situated on hilly ground 10 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean coast on the River Lez. The name of the city, which was originally Monspessulanus, is said to have stood for mont pelé, or le mont de la colline.

Montpellier is located 52 kilometres from Nîmes, 168 kilometres from Marseille, 248 kilometres from Toulouse. It is at a distance of 750 kilometres from the capital of France, Paris. Montpellier's highest point is the Place du Peyrou, at an altitude of 57 m. The city is built on two hills, Montpellier and Montpelliéret, thus some of its streets have great differences of altitude. Some of its streets are also very narrow and old, which gives it a more intimate feel.

Montpellier is served by railway, including TGV trains. Montpellier's main railway station is St Roch. The Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport is located in the area of Fréjorgues, in the town of Mauguio, southeast of Montpellier.

The TaM manages the city's public transportation, including its tramway network consisting of 2 lines and several parking facilities. Line 1 runs from Mosson in the west to Odysseum in the east. Line 2 runs from Jacou in the northeast to St. Jean-de-Vedas in the southwest. They intersect at Gare St. Roch station, Place de l'Europe and again in front of the Corum. Work on Line 3, which is planned to be in service by 2012, will start in the near future. This 22.4 km line will link Juvenac and Perols with a branch to Lattes and will serve 32 stations.