By Plane

Languedoc is a fast-growing destination for ‘northerners’, as you can see from the places planes come from. Most airports are close to city centers and have some sort of public transport. The information below is an indication only. Destinations change often as routes are added or pulled. Some are seasonal as well.

Click on the city name for its airport website.

Toulouse (Many destinations in France and the rest of Europe)

Carcassonne (London, East Midlands, Liverpool, Dublin, Glasgow, Cork, Brussels)

Perpignan (London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Southampton, Brussels)

Beziers (London, Bristol, Southampton, Dusseldorf, Stockholm, Oslo)

Montpellier (London, Leeds, Brussels, Frankfurt, Madrid, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Casablanca)

Nimes (London, Liverpool, Brussels, Malaga, Palma, Rome)

Marseilles (Many destinations in France and the rest of Europe)

If you want to bring your bike with you on the plane this article on the CTC site has some helpful tips.

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By Train

Languedoc is served well by trains. It is less than 3 hours from Paris to Nîmes, so around 6 hours from London using a Eurostar/TGV combo. From northern Europe travelling through Paris is almost certainly the way to go. The east-west train line along the Mediterranean will get you here from Spain or Italy, and a TGV from Geneva will have you here in 4 hours.

Buying Tickets

If you are buying tickets from outside Europe you might try Rail Europe, though you’ll pay a premium. It could be worth it though, since booking trips through multiple countries can be confusing and usually not even possible in one shot, when using a country’s national railway. To do your own search for routes and timetables (from outside France) try the excellent DB BAHN (German National Railways) site for just about anywhere to anywhere. There is an option for bikes in this search engine. If you are coming to Languedoc from within France see Transportation.

Travel Times to Montpellier by Train: London (6.75 hrs) Brussels (6 hrs) Amsterdam (7.5 hrs) Frankfurt (8.75 hrs) Berlin (13.5 hrs) Luxembourg (6.5 hrs) Zurich (7.25 hrs) Geneva (4.5 hrs) Milan (10 hrs) Barcelona (5 hrs)

Tip: there are some interesting overnight trains to look at that will save you time and possibly money (save on accommodation). If you are coming from Northern/Central Europe DB Bahn has a good network in and around Germany, that can be linked (with a little creativity) to the French overnight system, Lunéa. Elipsos, a Spanish overnight train, can get you to Perpignan (in Languedoc) from Paris, Zurich and Milan and points in between.

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By Ferry

You won’t get directly to Languedoc by ferry, unless you are coming from North Africa. However, France has plenty of ferries (mainly in the north) and you could certainly come into Brittany, Normandy, or northern France and get here. If you are coming from the south (yes, including North Africa) then Sète (serving Morocco and Algeria) is the only port actually in Languedoc. Just over the border in Provence though you have plenty of ferries coming into Marseilles, Toulon, and farther east, Nice. These routes tend to serve Italy (Sardinia) and Africa (Tunisia).

Here is a sight with a list of ferries coming into France. Good for a reference at least.

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By Car

Languedoc is well connected to the rest of Europe via fast (but not free!) autoroutes.

Here’s an idea of the time it will take from: Geneva (4 hours)       Barcelona (3 hours)        Milan (6 hours)        Paris (7 hours) 

Try the Via Michelin site for very detailed driving directions from all over Europe.

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By Bus

European Bike Express has four different set routes from the UK. You pay one price for out and back (or just out), then choose your destination(s). Of course you can get dropped off in one place and come back from another. Destinations in Languedoc include Perpignan,Narbonne and Montpellier.

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By Bicycle!

Why not? If you’ve got the time it’s the best way to get here! Some ideas are below, but really the options are endless.

From Spain – enter Languedoc over a ‘secret’ Pyrenean mountain pass!

From Provence – Nîmes is less than 100 km from Luberon, the heart of Provence. Head west past mighty Mt. Ventoux, cross the Rhône River and you’re here!

From Southwest France - cruise along the Canal du Midi from Toulouse.

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Once you’re here you might need transportation, accommodation, a bike shop or perhaps a guided ride. To navigate further use the tabs up top.