This page explains how to buy train tickets from Montpellier to other European cities at the cheapest prices, buying online direct from the operators, usually with print-at-home tickets.  Click here to buy tickets starting in another city.

There are now two stations:  Montpellier Saint-Roche is in the city centre. Montpellier Sud de France is a new out-of-town TGV station 4.5 km away.

I want to go from Montpellier to...

Before you buy your tickets

Take a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets.  It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?".  How far ahead can you buy train tickets?

European train travel FAQ

Montpellier to Paris from €20

• High-speed TGV trains link Montpellier Saint-Roch station with Paris Gare de Lyon in around 3h21 more or less hourly through the day.

  TGVs travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), with 1st & 2nd class & cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Many are double-deck TGV Duplex, see the TGV page for photos & tips.

• Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  It costs over €115 full-flex bought on the day.

• Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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Montpellier to Lyon, Nice & anywhere else in France

• Simply check times and buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in multiple currencies, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no booking fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  TGVs & TER regional trains link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Nimes and with Béziers, Agde, Narbonne, Perpignan.

  TGVs link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Lyon Part Dieu.

  TER regional trains link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Marseille St Charles with connections by TGV or TER to Toulon, Cannes & Nice.

  Intercités & TGVs link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Carcassonne & Toulouse.

  Irregular Intercités link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Bordeaux.

  There are also two or three daily TGVs which by-pass Paris, linking Montpellier with Marne la Vallée (for Disneyland), CDG Airport and Lille.

• Remember that TGV high-speed trains & (on these routes) Intercités are all-reserved so can in theory sell out (though in practice usually have places even on the day) and they have dynamic pricing, cheaper in advance, more expensive on the day.  TER regional trains have one fixed price and no reservations, you can buy on the day, tickets cannot sell out.  See the Train Travel in France page for more information.

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Montpellier to Brussels, Bruges & Belgium

Option 1, Montpellier to Brussels by direct TGV in 5h50.  The fastest & easiest option

• Every day, a couple of direct TGV trains link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Brussels Midi in as little as 5h51 at up to 300km/h (186 mph).   These TGVs by-pass Paris on the high-speed avoiding line through Marne la Vallée (for Disneyland) and CDG airport.

• TGVs have 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar, see the TGV page for photos & tips.

• Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no fee).  Look for the direct journeys with 0 changes.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Option 2, Montpellier to Brussels via Paris.  Means changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi, but more frequent & often cheaper

• Step 1, take a TGV from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Paris Gare de Lyon in around 3h21.

  The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi.  Most are double-deck TGV Duplex.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this.

• Step 2, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi in 1h22.

  Eurostars have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Change in Brussels for a Belgian domestic train to Bruges, they run twice an hour.  No reservation is necessary or possible for these, you just sit anywhere you like.  10 Minutes is enough to change in Brussels, if the Eurostar is late and you miss one, you catch the next one.  Belgian domestic tickets are good for any train that day.

• Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no fee). 

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  You can book this as one journey, but make sure it gives you at least 1 hour between trains in Paris, it sometimes gives less than this.  It can be better to book from Montpellier to Paris first, add to basket, then book Paris to Brussels, add this to your basket and check out.  The latter method gives you more control and allows you to build in a stopover in Paris, perhaps to have lunch there - maybe at the Train Bleu Restaurant at the Gare de Lyon or at one of these restaurants at the Gare du Nord.

A Eurostar high-speed train.  See panorama photos inside the train.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

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Montpellier to Amsterdam & the Netherlands

Option 1, Montpellier to Amsterdam with one easy change in Brussels.  The easiest option

• Every day, a couple of direct TGV trains link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Brussels Midi in as little as 5h51 at up to 300km/h (186 mph).  Change in Brussels for a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train to Amsterdam taking 1h50 more.

• TGVs have 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar, see the TGV page for photos & travel tips.  Eurostar trains have standard, comfort & premium classes.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).  These TGVs by-pass Paris on the high-speed avoiding line through Marne la Vallée (for Disneyland) and CDG airport, so there's no need to cross Paris.

• Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  Websites will show lots of 1-change journeys, some via Paris some via Brussels.  Look through the search results carefully, click to see details and find a journey with a change in Brussels not Paris.

Option 2, Montpellier to Amsterdam via Paris.  Means changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi, but more frequent & sometimes cheaper

• Step 1, take a TGV from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Paris Gare de Lyon in around 3h21.

  The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi.  Most are double-deck TGV Duplex.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this.

• Step 2, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Paris Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Centraal in 3h20, they leave every hour or two.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), they have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  You can book this as one journey, but make sure it gives you at least 1 hour between trains in Paris, it sometimes gives less than this.  It can be better to book from Montpellier to Paris first, add to basket, then book Paris to Brussels, add this to your basket and check out.  The latter method gives you more control and allows you to build in a stopover in Paris, perhaps to have lunch there - maybe at the Train Bleu Restaurant at the Gare de Lyon or at one of these restaurants at the Gare du Nord.

A Eurostar at Amsterdam Centraal.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

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Montpellier to Luxembourg

• Check times & buy tickets from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Luxembourg at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  But look carefully at the search results!

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• There is one direct TGV high-speed train from Montpellier to Luxembourg every day, leaving around 09:51 and taking around 7h41 with fares from €35 upwards.  This is the best train to take.

• However, there's another good option around 14:50 with one easy change at Lyon Part Dieu.  If you have any trouble finding this option on www.raileurope.com, try clicking More options, enter Lyon Part Dieu and a minimum 30-minute stopover duration.

• Other journeys shown in the search results are usually via Paris, shown as 1-change, but they in fact involve transferring by metro or taxi between Paris Gare de Lyon and Paris Gare de l'Est.  If you can, stick to the direct train, or to the 1-change option via Lyon.

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Montpellier to London

• See the London to France page for times, fares & tickets in either direction.

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Montpellier to Switzerland

Option 1, to Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Gstaad & Western Switzerland

• Check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  You'll see lots of 1-change options using a high-speed TGV from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Lyon Part Dieu then a TER regional train from Lyon to Geneva through great scenery.  Change in Geneva for Swiss domestic trains to anywhere in Switzerland.

• Tip:  The station in Geneva is sometimes called plain Geneva, sometimes Geneva Cornavin, sometimes Geneva main station.

Option 2, to Basel, Zurich & central Switzerland

• Check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  You'll see several 1-change options using a high-speed TGV from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Dijon or Lyon then a TGV or TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Dijon or Lyon to Basel & Zurich.  Change in Basel or Zurich for Swiss domestic trains to anywhere in Switzerland.  You'll also see some options via Paris, in this case an easy same-station change at Paris Gare de Lyon, so not a problem.

Montpellier to Italy

Option 1, Montpellier to Italy via Nice

• Step 1, travel from Montpellier to Ventimiglia on the Italian border on TER regional trains, leaving Montpellier Saint-Roch at 07:35, changing at Marseille St Charles & Nice Ville, arriving Ventimiglia at 14:15.  There's great scenery along the famous Côte d'Azur, past rocky headlands, yacht-filled harbours and millionaires' villas.

  The fare is around €60, fixed price.  It's 2nd class only between Montpellier & Marseille and between Nice & Ventimiglia.

  Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  Allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Ventimiglia.

• Step 2, travel from Ventimiglia to Genoa & Milan by Intercity train, leaving Ventimiglia at 15:10 arriving Genoa Piazza Principe 17:05 & Milan Centrale 19:03.  There's great scenery along the Ligurian coast.

  Change at Genoa for La Spezia, Cinque Terre & Pisa.  Change at Milan Centrale for an onward Frecciarossa high-speed train to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples.  See the Nice to Italy by train page for connections.

  Fares from Ventimiglia to Milan start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €26.90 in 1st class.  Milan to Venice or Florence then starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.  Milan to Rome starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  These fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy a ticket from Ventimiglia to anywhere in Italy at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  You'll find full details of the journey from Nice to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples with photos & tips on the Nice to Italy by train page.

• Later departures are possible from Montpellier to Genoa & Milan.  See the Nice to Italy by train page for Nice-Milan connections, then find a Montpellier-Marseille-Nice connecting journey using www.thetrainline.com, allowing at least half an hour between trains in Nice.

Option 2, Montpellier to Turin & Milan via Lyon

• Step 1, travel from Montpellier St Roche to Lyon Part Dieu.  I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Lyon, as these are two separate operators and two separate tickets.  You'll usually find a train around 13:00-14:00.

• Step 2, travel from Lyon to Turin or Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 17:20 every day, see the timetable here.

  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  I'd book one train, add to basket, then book the onward train, add to basket and check out.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

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Montpellier to Spain

Montpellier to Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Seville

The high-speed option to Barcelona

• Two TGV Duplex high-speed trains run by SNCF (French Railways) link Montpellier Saint-Roch with Barcelona Sants every day, leaving Montpelier Sud de France (an out-of-town TGV station) at 11:16 and Montpelier Saint-Roch in the city centre at 18:17, taking around 3h10.

  Two AVE S100 high-speed trains run by Renfe (Spanish Railways), leave Montpellier Saint-Roch for Spain every day, one at 09:33 for Barcelona & Madrid, the other at 16:29 to Barcelona.

  It's an enjoyable & scenic ride, passing Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes between Montpelier & Narbonne, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks before Perpignan, with (in summer when it's light) great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, see more photos & information about the journey.

• Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  You can also book the TGVs at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, in €, no booking fee and seat selection if you book 1st class.  You can also book the AVEs at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com, in €, much more fiddly.

The classic route to Barcelona, slower, but more frequent & cheaper

• Every 2 hours, a TER regional train links Montpellier Saint-Roch with Portbou just over the Spanish border in around 2h55.  Look up train times for this at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or the official French Railways site www.sncf-connect.com. 

  The fare is around €33, fixed-price, cannot sell out, can be bought on the day at this price.

  I'd allow at least 15 minutes to change at Portbou, but if you miss one you take the next one, there are no reservations and tickets are good for any train.

• Every hour or two, a Spanish regional train links Portbou with Barcelona Plaza Catalunya & Barcelona Sants in around 2h13 to 3h14.

  The fare is around €14, fixed-price, cannot sell out, can be bought on the day at this price, just buy at the station. 

  You have to look up times & fares for these at rodalies.gencat.cat, these local trains do not appear in normal train booking systems.

A local train from Portbou to Barcelona, at Portbou.  Yes, these local trains do exist, and are very useful!  But you can only find timetables at rodalies.gencat.cat, not on the usual booking sites.  You buy a ticket on the day at the station.  Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

If going to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Cordoba, Malaga, Seville or elsewhere in Spain

• Step 1, travel from Montpellier to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Montpelier Sud de France (an out-of-town TGV station) at 11:16, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.

  This train has 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar, there's great scenery at low speed past the lakes in Southern France, past the Fort de Salses near Narbonne.  There are great views of Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees on the Perpignan-Barcelona high-speed line at up to 320 km/h (199 mph).

  Fares start at €39.  Fares work like air fares so book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Check times and buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, looking for the direct morning train with 0 changes.  You print your own tickets.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and so on by high-speed train.

  For Madrid, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.

  Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.

  For Cordoba & Seville, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Cordoba 20:10, Seville Santa Justa 21:25.

  For Malaga, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 21:45.

  For Valencia & Alicante, a fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.

  All these trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up).  You print your own ticket.

  Booking for Spanish trains normally opens only 60 days ahead, but this varies.  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees, seen from the train  One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.

Montpellier to San Sebastian or Bilbao

 Option 1, Montpellier to San Sebastian or Bilbao via Barcelona.  The fastest & easiest option

• Step 1, travel from Montpellier to Barcelona as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona:  Hotels close to Barcelona Sants station with good or great reviews include the Hotel Barcelo Sants (4-star, great reviews, directly above Barcelona Sants station itself, recommended), AC Hotel Sants by Marriott (4-star, just 50m from the station), Hotel Catalonia Roma (3-star), Hostal Baler (2-star), Hotel Transit (1-star), Meeting Point Hostel (inexpensive private rooms & dorm beds).

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to San Sebastian or Bilbao by Alvia train.

  Fares start at €28 in standard class or €38 in comfort class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Check times and buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.  You print your own tickets.

Option 2, Montpellier to San Sebastian via Hendaye.  A useful alternative

• Step 1, travel from Montpellier to Hendaye on the Spanish border.

  There are various departures with 1 easy change, usually in Bordeaux, a leisurely journey taking most of the day.

  Check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, looking for a 1-change option and clicking for details to see that it goes via Bordeaux not via Paris.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren.

  On arrival at Hendaye, walk out of the station and turn right, walk to the little Euskotren station in the corner of the forecourt.  Buy a ticket for €2.75 and hop on the next metro train, they run every 30 minutes from Hendaye to San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, journey time 37 minutes.

  You can check train times & fares from San Sebastian to Bilbao at www.euskotren.eus.  Remember that San Sebastian is Donostia in the Basque language and the Euskotren station in San Sebastian is usually just called Amara.

• Step 3 if going to Bilbao

  Local trains run every hour from San Sebastian Amara to Bilbao's Zazpi Kaleak station (journey time 2h29 from Amara) or Bilbao's Matiko station (the train's final stop, 2h35 from Amara), fare €6.30, buy a ticket at the station.

  The trains used on this route are similar to the Hendaye-San Sebastian trains pictured above, along a route with some good countryside and coastal views.   In Bilbao, Matiko station is 18 minutes walk from the Guggenheim Museum, Zazpi Kaleak station is further from the Guggenheim (22 minutes walk) but closer to both the old quarter and the 19th century new town.

  You can check train times & fares from San Sebastian to Bilbao at www.euskotren.eus, remembering that San Sebastian to Bilbao will be listed as Amara to Matiko as those are the station names.  The adult one-way fare is shown as 'ida'.

At Hendaye, get off the train, walk off the platform through the SNCF station ticket hall		there's an Euskotren ticket machine to the right of the exit doors, you can either buy a ticket here or in the Euskotren station

The Euskotren station is 50m across the forecourt from the mainline SNCF station.  Courtesy of Geoff Phillips.

The new Hendaye Euskotren station, for trains to San Sebastian.  Photo courtesy of Geoff Phillips.		Hendaye Euskotren station, looking back towards the station building.  Photo courtesy of Nicholas Brooke.

There is only one platform, and it's where the trains start.  So no worries, you can't get on the wrong train, they all go to Irun and San Sebastian-Donostia Amara.  These air-conditioned metro trains leave every 30 minutes, a turn-up-and-go metro service.  There's plenty of space for luggage and they even have a wheelchair-accessible toilet.

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Montpellier to Lisbon & Portugal

• Day 1, travel from Montpellier to Madrid as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Madrid.  The classic Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.

• Day 2, travel from Madrid Atocha to Lisbon Santa Apolonia by daytime trains as shown on the Lisbon to Madrid page.

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Montpellier to Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin & Germany

Option 1, using the daily direct TGV from Lyon to Baden-Baden, Mannheim & Frankfurt.  The fastest & easiest option

• Step 1, take an early morning TGV train from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Lyon Part Dieu.  I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Lyon in case of delay, which means leaving around 06:35.

  Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee) - but I'd first book the Lyon to Germany stage, then book this connection afterwards.  Booking for this stage opens up to 4 months ahead.

• Step 2, travel from Lyon to Germany by TGV Duplex, leaving Lyon Part Dieu every day at 10:04 direct to Baden-Baden, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Frankfurt, arriving Frankfurt am Main Hbf at around 15:55.

  Change in Mannheim for Cologne, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and most other German destinations.  You can reach almost anywhere in Germany the same day you leave Montpellier.

  Fares from Lyon to Germany start at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book from Lyon to any German destination at either the German Railways website int.bahn.de, www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Option 2, Montpellier to Germany via Paris.  Wider choice of departures, but means changing stations in Paris..

• Step 1, take a TGV from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Paris Gare de Lyon in around 3h21.

  The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi.  Most are double-deck TGV Duplex.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no booking fee).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin or anywhere in Germany as shown in the Trains from Paris page.

  Paris to Cologne by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) takes 3h20 with fares from €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.

  Paris to Frankfurt by ICE train takes 3h50 with fares from €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy Eurostar tickets from Paris to Cologne at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, booking opens up to 4 months ahead.

  Buy all other tickets from Paris to Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, booking opens up to 6 months ahead.

  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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Montpellier to all other countries

Option 1, via Mannheim.  Suitable for travel to Scandinavia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Russia

• Step 1, take an early train from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Lyon Part Dieu and the direct TGV Duplex from Lyon Part Dieu to Mannheim, then a connecting train to Hamburg Hbf or Berlin Hbf, as explained in the Montpellier to Germany section above.  Buy tickets from Montpellier to Lyon at www.raileurope.com, then book from Lyon to Hamburg or Berlin at int.bahn.de or www.raileurope.com from €39.  You print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg or Berlin.  Suggested hotels in Hamburg.  Suggested hotels in Berlin.

• Step 2, next morning take a train from Berlin Hbf to Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, Moscow, or from Hamburg Hbf to Copenhagen for onward trains to Sweden & Norway.  You'll find more detail for this part of the journey on the Trains from Hamburg page or the Trains from Berlin page.  Book this journey at int.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

Option 2, via Paris.  Also suitable for travel to Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, but usually a more expensive routing

• Step 1, take a TGV from Montpellier Saint-Roch to Paris Gare de Lyon in around 3h21.

  The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi.  Most are double-deck TGV Duplex.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no booking fee).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this, but for mission-critical connections I'd allow at least 2 hours.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Scandinavia, Austria, Slovakia, Czech republic, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and all points east as shown on the International trains from Paris page.

Option 3, via Milan.  Useful for travel to Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic & beyond

• Step 1, travel from Montpellier to Marseille or Nice then from Nice to Milan by Thello train as shown in the Montpellier to Italy section.  Have dinner in Milan.

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Vienna overnight by excellent Nightjet sleeper train as shown on the Trains from Milan page.

• Step 3, travel from Vienna to Bratislava, Prague, Budapest in just a few hours as shown on the Trains from Vienna page.  You can also catch direct trains from Vienna to Warsaw, Bucharest, Lviv, Kyiv, Belgrade.

• For Slovenia, travel from Montpellier to Milan on day 1, stay overnight, then take a train to Trieste and on to Ljubljana on day 2.

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