Montpellier Gay Travel
wolfyy’s Montpellier gay guide to where to stay, nightlife, things to do, & local gay life.
The Gay Travel Experience: Montpellier, France
Montpellier is a charming LGBT-friendly city in the south of France. It’s a must-visit if you’re traveling the coast.
Home to the largest student population in France, trendy Montpellier is filled with young residents. The majority of the people living here are actually not natives!
I was passing through Montpellier on my way to Barcelona and stayed for a few short days. My experience visiting Montpellier was unique since it was the first time I tried gay Couchsurfing. Starting out my solo gay travel adventure, I figured “why not?”
A wonderful local host quickly accepted my request. He welcomed me along with another German traveler into his home and showed us an authentic Montpellier experience. In this Montpellier gay guide, I’ll share all these experiences along with advice on where to stay and local nightlife.
Gay Montpellier: Hotels & Where to Stay
Montpellier is relatively small, but the city center has quite a bustle.
I stayed a decent distance outside the city center, in Saint-Éloi. This area of town was peaceful and easy to get to with Montpellier’s fantastic public transport.
I recommend staying in a hotel nearby the Montpellier city center. From my explorations, I would say that areas north of the city center are even prettier, so staying in this area may be just as nice. The areas further to the south of central Montpellier are more so under development.
Montpellier is a smaller city, so there is expectedly no gay neighborhood. It’s also France’s fastest-growing city and with so many buildings under construction in the south, maybe one day we will see a gay area!
Hotels & Apartments for Montpellier Gay Travelers
Here are some fantastic hotels and apartment rentals I recommend for gay travelers in Montpellier that are highly rated, centrally located, and affordable.
Montpellier Gay Travel Experiences
Le Jardin des Plantes
Le Jardin des Plantes was one of my favorite things to do in Montpellier. It’s a free outdoor garden with a variety of plant species. They had a few flowers I had never seen before, a greenhouse with cacti, and plenty of seating to take in the peaceful surroundings.
The Montpellier-France local travel site has additional information on the Jardin des Plants Botanical Garden, including their hours and how to get there.
Broc Café is right across the street from the garden. They serve burgers and other lunch food. The espresso was delicious too. The outdoor seating is great to take in some sun. They also have wi-fi available.
Visit La Promenade du Peyrou
La Promenade du Peyrou is the perfect spot for sightseeing and stellar views in Montpellier. It’s one of the best places to visit in the entire city.
Here you can take in wonderful vistas from the elevated promenade. There are plenty of areas to sit and enjoy a snack. Across the street is the beautiful Arc de Triomphe.
Continuing toward Place des Martyrs-de-la-Résistance from the Arc de Triomphe, you’ll pass dozens of high-end stores and coffee shops. I had a lovely afternoon window shopping and watching the locals here.
Koffee & Kitchen is without a doubt the best coffee shop in Montpellier. They have an entire second floor with a modern design, catering to students and professionals. With great coffee, cheap lunch food, and fast wi-fi, you can’t go wrong.
Popular Activities
Montpellier Bars
Montpellier is filled with students, and students love long evenings of drinking more than anyone. I followed suit with my local gay student host, exploring Montpellier’s nightlife, as well as a student house party.
My host Julien introduced me to his gay friends that were attending the University of Montpellier with him. Everyone was welcoming and accepting. I had a blast!
The Black Cat is a bar located close to the city center and has a large open seating area outside where you can drink all night long.
This bar is perfect for large groups because when you go to pay, you simply tell them a count of how many drinks you’ve had. It’s way easier than splitting a bill between a group.
Montpellier Gay Travel Tips
Public Transit in Montpellier
Trams and buses in Montpellier are excellent. They run until about midnight. Late at night, it will be hard to come by a street taxi, so plan ahead for how you will return home.
Don’t try to board a tram without a ticket. In multiple instances, I have seen officers board the tram checking to see if everyone has validated their ticket. It’s a cheap ticket, so just buy a few at once so you have them ready.
Although Montpellier is a coastal city, it’s not much of a beach town. It takes quite a bit of time to get to the beach via public transportation. I opted to stay in the city.
Traveling to Montpellier by Bus
Traveling between cities in France is quite convenient by bus. I traveled all around the Mediterranean coast using FlixBus buses, which are almost always exactly on time, comfortable, civilized, and safe. They’re also pretty cheap.
France LGBT Rights
France is one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world! Today, same-sex couples can adopt children. Proudly, France was the also the world’s first nation to declassify being transgender as a mental illness.
There is a small segment of the population that is fiercely opposed to LGBT rights, and they are quite outspoken. Although I did not witness any of this on my journey through the south of France, theres a chance you may feel it in larger cities.
France’s latest milestone in advancing LGBT rights involves MSM blood donations. Taking a step in the right direction, the health minister announced a reduced abstinence period before gay men can donate blood. The law changed this time period from one year to four months.
For additional resources, visit the official Montpellier tourism website.
Explore more France gay destinations with wolfyy’s gay guide to Paris, the “city of love,” or Nice gay travel guide.
See wolfyy’s complete collection of gay travel guides for more gay destination ideas around the world.
