Montpellier

Montpellier is a city in the South of France.

Apart from an attractive city in itself, it is situated next to a main highway A9/E15 connecting cities such as Perpignan and Barcelona to the South, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille to the East, Lyon and Paris to the North, and Toulouse and Bourdeaux to the West.

Going South or West: Perpignan, Toulouse, Bourdeaux and Barcelona

In Montpellier there isn't a Péage so best thing is to make your way as close to the highway A9/E15 as possible.

Option 1: First option is to get to Place de L'Europe (location), for example by taking tramline 1. From there you can already see signs to the highway. You can either follow those signs and the main road (Avenue de Président Pierre Mendes France) for about 15 to 20 minutes, or get a ride from where this road starts to either your destination or to a better location further up the road, at the roundabout where the main highway A9/E15 actually connects to the Avenue de Président Pierre Mendes France.

note: there is not a very good spot for cars to stop, but they stop at the roundabout for traffic with enough time to ask drivers for a ride, and for them to open the door.

• Location on the map of the roundabout

Option 2: A second option is the roundabout off Avenue de Palavas. However there is no good spot for cars to stop at the roundabout, and nowhere on the ramp either. Zac waited for an entire day for a ride to Perpignan without luck and shamefully retreated to the train station.

Going North or East: Lyon, Paris, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille

Follow the same directions as above.

Option 3: Since few month there are a new tramway line in Montpellier, line 2, it go directly to a toll(peage). Take tram number 2 at the train station, direction "saint jean de vedas", then get out at the stop "saint jean le sec", on the stop look around and you will see a toll, you can hitchhike on this toll if you want, but there a low trafic, so the best is to go on the big toll where all the car from north or south have to stop, this big toll is 500 meters more in the south. To get on, you need to walk after the little toll on direction of highway, it illegal so you need to walk along the road but on the grass close to it...then will see the big toll from where it's easy to get 300 or 400 km ride to every directions.

Additional information about Montpellier:

You can find free luggage storage at the "Musee Fabre" a new big museum in the center of Montpellier, close to "place de la comedie", of course the luggage storage is for people who visit the museum, but if there are a lot of people they will don't pay attention. It's a room on the left in the entrace, there are box where you can put a bag, you need to put 1 coin inside to have the key but after they give you back. It's a nice painting museum for people who like art, last time i get a free entrance telling i was a student in art university, i told i forget my student card and they gave me a ticket:-)