Travel Information

Helpful information about holidaying in France, travelling around the country and getting to Marseillan Village. Plus a few extra transport tips, some useful maps and travel time info and links to additional information to help you plan your holiday.

Travelling to Marseillan

The Languedoc is well positioned for easy access from all parts of France and the village of Marseillan is readily approached from any direction, either by air, car or train.

The nearest major airport, Montpellier Mediterranée, is a small international airport approximately 50 kms north-east of Marseillan. It receives a number of domestic flights daily and also from several European countries, the UK and Morocco. The airport is a pick up point for Europe-lease cars and also has a large range of rental car companies operating from the terminal.

A short distance away is Montpellier-Saint-Roch train station, one of the principal transport hubs of the Languedoc area. Many international trains stop here and train services depart to most major French cities, including Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Perpignan, Lille, Dijon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Besançon as well as direct services to Paris CDG airport.

Regular local train services operate daily through Marseillan-Plage, and some of the high-speed TGV services extend past Montpellier and through nearby Agde, without requiring a train change. From Agde you can take a taxi or bus to Marseillan or rent a car from the local rental car firm in nearby Cap d’Agde

If you are already travelling in Europe by car, you can approach Marseillan from any direction on either the major Péage motorway or the extensive local highway network.

Getting around the area

Airports

Montpellier Mediterranée international airport is around a 45 min drive from Marseillan on the A9 péage, or slightly longer on the local D roads. The airport is a pick up point for Europe-lease cars and also has several rental car companies operating within the airport. Alternatively, you can take a taxi to the nearby Montpellier-Saint-Roch train station and catch a local train.

Beziers also now has a small airport (named Béziers/Cap d’Agde), with a range of flights from England, Scotland, Germany and Sweden, as well as domestic flights in France. Rental cars can also be picked up at this airport and buses to Agde and Marseillan meet each flight.

Further afield, Toulouse and Marseille have international airports where you can pick up Europe-lease and rental cars, or catch trains to Montpellier, Béziers or Agde.

Train Stations

Montpellier-Saint-Roch train station is one of the principal transport hubs of the Languedoc area due to its position on the lines from Paris and Spain. The station is also home to a number of car rental companies and taxi services into Montpellier or to the Mediterranée airport.

High-speed train services such as TGV, AVE and TGV Ouigo depart from Montpellier to major French cities, to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and to Barcelona and Madrid in Spain.

Intercity and TER Occitanie regional services provide multiple options to smaller stations in the Languedoc area, including Marseillan-Plage. These daily services are often linked with local buses for an end-to-end transport option.

Bus Services

If you wish to use public transport during your holidays in Marseillan, you will find several transport options. Regular Inter-City services run from Marseillan to the Sète and Montpellier-Saint-Roch train stations and Montpellier Mediterranée airport. Visit www.mobilité.agglopole.fr for more information.

Smaller Departmental trains, run by LiO Hérault Transport, include Line 650 - Marseillan Gare route (Agde, Vias, Béziers train station); Line 659 between Sète, Marseillan, Florensac, Pomérols and Pinet; and Line 684 between Marseillan-Plage and Agde. Visit www.herault-transport.fr for more information.

Shuttles and Mini-buses (navettes) run from Marseillan through Agde SNCF Station, Vias Centre and the Béziers-Cap d'Agde Airport. Flights into this airport are met by a regular navette bus.

Travelling by Car

If you are travelling by car, you can approach Marseillan from any direction. The main thoroughfare is the A9 péage (toll motorway) which runs north to south, through Montpellier and into Spain. The local D roads can be narrow and are often busy, so travel can be slow. From the north, you can leave the A9 at Exit 33 for Sète/Mèze and travel on the D613 alongside the Bassin de Thau through Mèze and on to the D51 to Marseillan.

From the south, the A9 is again the best option, exiting at the Agde off-ramp (No.34) and travelling through Florensac to Marseillan on the D28.

Rental cars are available at most airports and train stations and if you are staying in Europe for more than four weeks, a Europe Lease is worth considering. This is a scheme run from New Zealand with Peugeot and Citroen in Europe, where you effectively buy a brand new car under an agreement to sell it directly back to the supplier in France when the rental term is complete. We highly recommend Delwyn at www.peugeotdriveeurope.co.nz

Biking and Bike-Packing

The languedoc is a hive of cycling activity in the warmer months, with the Canal du Midi cutting through on its way from Toulouse to Sète. Most canal boats come equipped with bikes and the canal has reasonably flat bike paths adjacent to much of its length.

The area is also home to some more remote cycling away from the canal as it reaches out to the Haut Languedoc national park and up into the Grand Causses national park. A massive network of well-maintained and well-signposted bike paths covers the region and many have bike maintenance stations and pumps trackside at regular intervals.

The roads are generally very safe for bikes, with many locals using them as their main form of transport. There are bike rental providers in virtually every town – including Marseillan, on the right side of the Port (www.artimon-bike.fr). Bike-packers are a regular sight, and there are many bike-servicing, food and accommodation options tailored to the biking community.

Exploring on foot

If you feel like climbing a mountain, walking along the Mediterranean coast or strolling through the vineyards, the Hérault has an incredible range of hiking options, including mid-range mountains, vineyards, coastal paths and picturesque villages.

There are literally thousands of kilometres of perfectly signposted and safe hiking trails in the region from easy stroll to mountainous passes. A favourite for us is Les Gorges d'Heric (pictured above) up to the Col de Bartouyre, a 3-4 hour round trip with stunning views as a reward for a fairly steep climb.

Check out other options at www.outdooractive.com/en/hikes/herault