Montpellier

From the airport

Bus: take the shuttle bus to Place de l'Europe, from there you can take a tram into the town. The tram runs every few minutes.

Shop

Perlolita is a haven for busy-fingered beady-eyed creative squirrels. Choose your beads and make your own bijoux in the chatty workshop.

Weekly rag La Gazette Montpellier (on sale in news kiosks every Friday) costs  1 euro and contains gossip, news, sports and complte listings for all kinds of events throughout the city. It is a great way to get some local knowledge.

Villeneuve-les-Maguelone beach is a short bus ride from the centre and offers nine kilometres of unspoilt sand and clean water. Closer to the village, the Fete de la Mer offers fun and sporting activities on the sands all month of August.

Day trip

Beziers. This is normally a bustling market town, about 40 minutes away from Montpellier, but from 14-17 of August, the world-famous feria arrives in town. More than a million visitors are expected to throng the town for Spanish music, food and wine.

Nantes

From the airport

Bus: the Tan Air shuttle bus picks up from outside Hall 2 and runs to Nantes south SNCF, Cite des Congres and the town centre.

Shop

A great spectacle, Marche de Talensac is a traditional market selling fresh produce from local farmers. Open daily except Monday.
Place Viarme is where artits and craftspeople have their workshops. The Nantes Flea Market is held every Saturday morning.

Take advantage of a Nantes Pass, available from the tourist office. A one-day pass gives entry to many attractions, plus free access to the public transport network.

Have a great day out at Les Machines de l'ile, a museum in the former shipyard at Boulevard Leon Bureau, with fabulous machines on display.

Rue Crebilon is the city's smartest street and this is where you will find all the big names and boutiques. Right in the centre, it links the Place Royal with Place Graslin.

February is not the warmest month of the year. so you may prefer to stay indoors. The Chateau des ducs de Bretagne is a large fortified castle and includes the new Nantes History Museum. Take a morning tour then settle in for a long lunch somewhere warm. 

Place Fernand Soil is a quiet, secluded square just a few metres from the main shopping streets. Shaded by a massive central tree and with a selection of cafes, this is a great place to relax.

Nantes has been a Tour de France stage town 30 times, including the very first race back in 1903. 

Day trip

Le Croisic. Pretty seaside pot with plenty of attractive beaches and fish restaurants, a great seafood market, not to mention the fantastic Ocearium, with sharks, turtles, penguins and many more sea creatures from around the world. Just an hour away from Nantes.
Angers. Take a voyage of discovery and learn the secrets of distilling oranges to make liqueur and how to mix great cocktails at the Cointreau Distellery. Angers is 90 kilometres from Nantes by car.