Montpellier vs Marseille

Since you researched the attractions in both Marseilles and Montpellier and you found both equal in appeal, go to the one that is closest Avignon.
Or, maybe fly into Marseilles or Montpellier at the beginning and work your way back to fly back from Paris by train. That way you don't have to try to make the train from Paris to Lyon when it depends on the flight arriving on time.

A 2-night stay is very tight to tour Avignon, Nîmes and Arles. You might want to extend that to three nights, and spend two nights in the other city. I do not know Montpellier very well so I cannot advise vs. Marseille.

pinehmh1,
Wouldn't Marseille be a quicker trip for your Paris return than Montpellier? No transfer needed, just a fast TGV.

I live in the area. I know both cities extremely well. It’s hands down Montpellier. No question about it.
The train to Paris is only a half hour longer than from Marseille. Wonderful city, very walkable, but with tram lines going out in all directions. Young city, 20% students, but also a retiree magnet and everything in between.
By the way, Montpellier is only 20 minutes to Nimes by train. It’s a direct ride from Avignon to Montpellier on the TER.

Thank everyone for suggestion and comment.

US World News list Montpelier as the 4th top cities to visit in France. This is why I seek opinion for Montpellier vs Marseille. Yes, we have to make a transfer at Niem on our way back to Paris.

We can tour Avignon in the afternoon of the day we arrive. Next day at Arles. Since Neim is only 20 minutes from Montpellier, we can visit it from Montpellier. Any cities we can visit from Avignon on the 3rd day before we take train to Montpellier.

Hi, Bets, could you offer more recommendation since you live in the area? Thanks,

I sent an old post from Oct 2023 to you by private message. It has a list of things in town and is supplementing posts by janettravels and andrea.

There are plenty of direct TGV from Montpellier Saint Roch to Paris. No need to transfer in Nimes, and travel time is similar to Marseille-Paris.

I haven’t been to Marseille, but we spent 4 nights in Montpellier and enjoyed it very much. There is much to see in town and there is easy transportation to day trips if you want.

We decided to spend 3-night at Montpellier and booked hotel stay at Courtyard by Marriott Montpellier. The tram stops very close to the hotel from Saint-Roch train station. The direct express train is from Sue-De-France to Disney Paris at 1:50 PM and arrives at Disney around 5:19 PM. We will take a taxi to the Marriott timeshare resort.

Thank you for the valuable recommendations.

The Marriott is away from most things you want to see except walking along the Lez River and looking at the fantastic architecture in Port Marianne. You can also go to l’Abre Blanc for a rooftop drink. It’s not an area with cafes, street life, interesting shops, restaurants or galleries.
The tram is free for residents but you will have to buy tickets: 1.60 individual or 6.50 for a full day group ticket covering your whole party. No validating machine, just keep it on you.

@Bets. Thank you for letting me know the location of Courtyard is not ideal for tourist as well as the group tram tickets. I love this forum for insights which are not available in travel guide.

Should I book hotels close to Place De La? Any restaurants recommendation?

In April 2022 we stayed at Hotel Du Palais and loved it. The location was great and we were able to walk everywhere. It was a 10 minute or so walk from the train station as I recall.
https://www.hoteldupalais-montpellier.fr/?lang=en

Edit update:
Grand Hotel du Midi is a central as you can get. Recently renovated.
Hotel du Palais where Andrea stayed is in a wonderful area, but the hotel rooms are underwhelming.
The Citadines Aparthotel is a 10-minute walk to the Place de la Comedie. We've stayed there for two weeks.
Here's an article where some upscale hotels are mentioned, as well as the Citadines and the Grand Hotel du Midi.
Restaurants: I stick with Michelin recommendations: have enjoyed Le Petit Jardin a few times, Umami. Here's the Michelin: https://guide.michelin.com/fr/fr/occitanie/montpellier/restaurants?sort=distance There are many, many more restaurants available.

Here is the article that I forgot to include:
https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us/via/europe/france/best-hotels-in-montpellier

Hi Bets & Andres:

Thank you for the detailed information. We are looking forward to our times at Montpellier in 2 months.

Best,

Phillip