Luxury holidays in Languedoc-Roussillon

When to go

High season (July, August and early September) is the busiest tourist time, but it’s buzzy rather than crowded. Late September is quiet but not too quiet.

Getting there

• Planes

  From the UK, British Airways flies to Montpellier; Marseille airport is also an option, especially if you're staying in Provence first. Ryanair flies from Bristol and London Stansted to Montpellier (www.ryanair.com); EasyJet flies in from London Gatwick (www.easyjet.com). Air France also flies from Paris Orly to Montpellier (www.airfrance.com).You can access the west of the region via Carcassonne from Bournemouth, London, Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh and East Midlands with Ryanair.

• Trains

  The TGV goes from Paris Gare de Lyon to Perpignan via Nîmes, Montpellier, Béziers and Narbonne (www.tgv.com). UK passengers should take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Lille and change (www.eurostar.com).

• Automobiles

  You’re unlikely to need a cab in the smaller cities, since the streets were made for strolling; in Montpellier there’s a shiny tramway linking the station, Place de la Comédie and Eighties-built quartier Antigone. If you do want one, you’ll need to ring; if it’s a ‘late-night return to the sticks’ scenario, book through your hotel.

• Taxis

  You’re unlikely to need a cab in the smaller cities, since the streets were made for strolling; in Montpellier there’s a shiny tramway linking the station, Place de la Comédie and the Eighties-built new town, Antigone. If you do want one, it’s not possible to flag taxis down; you’ll need to call them and, if it’s a late-night-returning-to-the-sticks scenario, book in advance through your hotel.