Road trip south of France – route from Montpellier to Perpignan + map

If you want to discover in 15 days one of the most beautiful regions of southern France namely the coasts of Languedoc Roussillon in Occitanie, Here is my road trip with itinerary + map Google map of me circuit touristique.

Ce road trip from Montpellier to Perpignan passes, including Beziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne, let you discover the magnificent Catalan coast, the breathtaking landscapes of Corbières, traces of the Cathar period as well as the mythical Canal du Midi.

Road trip from Montpellier to Perpignan – how long ?

La Occitanie region cannot be visited in 1 week, even if you limit your road trip to coast between Montpellier and Perpignan. No, to really enjoy it, discovering the Languedoc Roussillon coast and its hinterland will be the ideal, a 2-week road trip in the south of France. Of course, if you have 3 weeks or more, this tour will only be more interesting, enjoyable and relaxing. But for 15 days the circuit is quite suitable.

South of France Road Trip – My Essentials

To allow a tourist route consistently to discover in 15 days The most beautiful places in my region by the sea, I had to first select only the Occitanie sites that seemed to me the essence in the Mediterranean :

• Montpellier
• Sète
• Beziers
• The Canal du Midi
• Narbonne
• Abbey of Fontfroide
• Carcassonne
• Minerva
• Perpignan
• Collioure
• Salse the castle
• Gruissan

South of France road trip – map of my itinerary

Mediterranean Coast Tour – Montpellier – DAY 1

My road trip starts with Montpellier Here you can take a small tour of the city center and take the streetcar to see the charming little streets, the 17th century mansions. and 18. Discover the 19th century, the Place de la Comedie, the Opera, the Arc de Triomphe. Saint Pierre Cathedral… See my tourist circuit for Visit Montpellier in 1 day or my itinerary to Montpellier in 2 days

Recommended hotel in Montpellier: Palace of the Kings of Aragon

Coastal tour Mediterranean Sea – Sète – DAY 2

Port of Bouzigues and Etang de Thau

This morning you will drive towards Sète, which is only 30 km from Montpellier. However, before visiting the town of Georges Brassens, I recommend you to make a small tour of the townPond of Thau with a step at port of Bouzigues.

You can visit the museum of Thau pond (located on the quay of the fishing port) and thus inform you about the life of the farmers of the sea, about the breeding of shellfish and everything related to fishing. You can also take a boat trip to discover the oyster beds.

For lunch you can taste the famous oysters and mussels from Bouzigues, raw or cooked in many ways, in the restaurants or tasting bars that border the pond.

Visit of Sète

In the afternoon, you can discover Sète (see my walking tour to visit Sète on foot):

• The Georges Brassens Museum
• The marina
• The Môle Saint-Louis
• The marine cemetery of Sète

And of course you can enjoy the magnificent long beach that stretches almost 12 km from Sète to Marseille.

Recommended hotel in Sète: Hotel Port Marine

Coastal tour Mediterranean Sea – Agde – DAY 3

Agde, Cap d'Agde, Grau d'Agde and Tamarissière are visited by many French and foreign vacationers who appreciate these very lively seaside resorts and their beautiful beaches for which naturists go crazy.

Agde is also an ancient Greek city unique in Languedoc, whose architecture is worth a visit. You can walk from the city walls to the marina and take pretty alleys and charming little squares.

Recommended hotel in Agde: Hotel Le Belle Vue

Road trip in Occitania – Beziers + Canal du Midi – 4. DAY

The Canal du Midi at the 9 locks of Fonseranes

early this morning departure towards the 9 locks of Fonseranes, a space dedicated to the Canal du Midi right next to Beziers.

Enjoy the canal and its 9 consecutive locks and you can choose:

• walk or bike along the canal,
• inform you about the history of this work,
• Witness the passage of boats through the locks of Fonseranes,
• Or take a cruise along the water to be carried along the canal in the shade of the hundred-year-old plane trees .

Several cruise companies offer you to embark for an hour, a half day or a whole day.

Beziers

In the afternoon you can visit Beziers with its Saint Nazaire cathedral, its municipal theater, the Saint Jacques church and its arenas.

Recommended hotel in Beziers: Villa Rosa

Road trip in Occitania – Narbonne – DAY 5

Why not spend the day today in Charles Trenet's hometown?

Here are main attractions in Narbonne:

• Les Halles
• The Palace of the Archbishops
• The archaeological museum
• Saint Just and Saint Pasteur Cathedral
• The Canal de la Robine
• The Horreum
• Charles Trenet's home

At the end of the afternoon, enjoy one of the many .

Recommended hotel in Narbonne: Hotel de France

Road trip in Occitania – Fontfroide Abbey – DAY 6

This Cistercian abbey in the heart of the Fontfroide massif is a must for tourists. With its Romanesque, Gothic and Classical architecture, its gardens and its isolated location in the Fontfroide massif, it is a real movie set! In addition, many films, documentaries and advertising campaigns are regularly filmed there.

You can visit it freely or with a guide, discover the terraced gardens, the Saint-Fiacre enclosure and the rose garden. Finally, a tasting of the AOC Corbières wines produced on the abbey's 40 hectares of vines.

Your day can continue with a hike in the massif (free application Fontfroide Unusual download).

At the end of the afternoon you can take the road to Carcassonne, where you will arrive in 1 hour drive.

Recommended hotel in Carcassonne: Hôtel de la Cite

Road trip in Occitania – Carcassonne – 7. DAY

Carcassonne

You can spend the morning visiting the largest fortress in Europe: the Castle of the Count, the Bastide of Saint-Louis, the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire, the Theatre de la Cite, the ramparts and the Porte Narbonnaise.

Minerva

In the afternoon why not discover Minerva This is a 1-hour drive from Carcassonne. Because of its location on a rocky outcrop overlooking the gorges of Cesse and Brian, the town of Minerve is magnificent.

This Cathar town, which gave its name to the Minervois region, is one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Then return to Carcassonne for an overnight stay.

Road trip in Occitanie – Les Corbières – 8. DAY

The Corbières massif stretches from the gates of Carcassonne to Leucate and from the foothills of the Pyrenees at the foot of the Montagne Noire. It is a region of vineyards with a great variety of landscapes and Cathar remains.

Today you will take the guided tour of Limoux, then you will discover the Cathar fortresses of Peyrepertuse and Puilaurens, picturesque villages with narrow streets like the one of the famous priest of Cucugnan and castle of Queribus.

When you leave, you can taste the famous Corbières wines at a winery.

You will arrive in Perpignan at the end of the day, where you will spend the night.

Recommended hotel in Perpignan: Best Western Plus Windsor

Coastal tour Mediterranean – Perpignan – 9. DAY

Day visit to the city of Perpignan, which Salvador Dali called the center of the world. Rich in a strong Catalan cultural identity and a marked heritage city of art and historyPerpignan is a city I particularly like.

To visit it, start from the Promenade des Platanes and then head towards Casa Xanxo, one of the rare Gothic houses in Perpignan. Then visit the Cathedral of Saint John and the Museum of Fine Arts, not forgetting the Palace of the Kings of Majorca.

If you still have some time, you can discover by car the small village of Tautavel 30 kilometers from Perpignan.

If the Roussillon and the Catalan coasts attract you, discover my tour of1 week around Perpignan !

Coastal tour Mediterranean Sea – Collioure – Day 10

Early departure to discover a small jewel of the Mediterranean coast 26 km from the Spanish border: Collioure.

The decor, loved by painters, is charming and picturesque: royal castle overlooking the sea, small beaches, cafe terraces, colorful facades, a small harbor in a bay and a pretty bell tower with a pink dome!

Recommended hotel in Collioure: Hotel Le Bon Port

South of France Road Trip – Salse le Chateau – 11. DAY

Today it is ideal to enjoy Collioure a little more, have lunch there on the terrace of a restaurant and go to the street in the early afternoon.

Salses the castle

The drive to Salses le Chateau takes about 1 hour. On the way, I advise you to stop in Rivesaltes to buy some of the natural AOC sweet wine.

In Salses you can visit the castle from the 15th century. and 16. Visit the century. The only example of Spanish architecture on French territory, it is very well preserved and forms a beautiful military fortress.

Beaches of Franqui and Coussoules

Then take the road again towards the beaches of La Franqui and Coussoules, which in my opinion are the 2 most beautiful of the Languedoc coast (be careful, there is usually a lot of wind).

Recommended hotel in La Franqui: hotel from the beach

South of France Road Trip – Reserve of Sigean – DAY 12

From La Franqui, the Reserve Africaine de Sigean is only half an hour drive away. It is best to go there for half a day and return to La Franqui in the afternoon to enjoy the sun and the beach.

This reserve with more than 3800 animals covers about 300 hectares. It can be visited by car on a "safari" circuit where you can see the animals as if they were in their natural environment.

South of France Road Trip – Gruissan – DAY 13

Gruissan

Gruissan is a seaside resort made known to the public by Jean-Jacques Beinex 'film 37 ° 2 le matin. The beach of the chalets where the film was played stretches for 2 km of fine sand with lines of wooden chalets on stilts.

But Gruissan is also an old village with its Barbarossa Tower, located in the middle of the ponds overlooking the Mediterranean and worth a detour.

La Clape

If you don't want to be lizards all day, I recommend a short hike in the Massif de la Clape right next to Gruissan (10-15 km).

Protected area, natural and wild, this massif of the Clape is a wonder. Depending on the trail, you can climb up and enjoy a panoramic view of the entire coast, the ponds and the village of Gruissan.

Recommended hotel in Gruissan: Alcôve Marine

Road trip south of France – Return to Montpellier – 14. DAY

To complete this route and return to Montpellier, you need a 1h30 drive. But you can go on if you have time with my little one Road trip in Camargue !

Hotel in Montpellier

Recommended hotel in Montpellier: Palace of the Kings of Aragon