Recommend Montpellier?

I vote "Yes". It's an attractive university town with a bunch of good side trips (many workable by train): Nimes, Arles, Avignon, Pezenas (craft town), Sete, Narbonne, Carcassonne (though people recommend an overnight there to avoid the swarms of day-trippers), Perpignan. I've read that Beziers has a weekly market worth checking out but haven't been there myself. Uzes might require a car (not sure).

I'm a fan of the Yellow Train running through the Pyrenees from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour de Carol. I think you'd need a night away from Montpellier to pull it off. You can take a regular train to Perpignan and change there to get to Villefranche where the Yellow Train begins its route. The train station for the latter town is called "Villefranche Vernet Les Bains".

Another vote for yes. We spent 4 nights in Montpellier last April and we found plenty to do. As mentioned above there are many day trip opportunities.

Thank you both! I'm happy to read your endorsements of Montepellier. And it's really good to know that many side trips can be taken by train. For some reason, I'd envisioned renting a car and driving, but that's always somewhat stressful and sometimes expensive!

I'm sure there are some places you could head with a car (maybe some small towns around Uzes??); the question is whether you'll run out of nice train-accessible (or bus-accessible) destinations first.

Actually, now that I think about it, the Cathar ruins aren't all that far away. They seem like an interesting possibility.

There’s plenty in Montpellier and the surrounding places that have been mentioned. In addition, there are a lot of tour companies with vans to take you to the chateaux, vineyards, and a famous monastery close by. These services are on the Office of Tourism website. The Cevenne mountains are behind the city, the Mediterranean Sea 10 kilometers. The tram will take you 3 kilometers from the sea where you can rent a bike, walk, or take a bus, passing flamingos on the way. Carcassonne and Marseille are each 1.5 hours by train in opposite directions. Avignon is a local train ride. Getting to Aiguës Mortes, the Pont du Gare, and Uzès is a bit more convoluted due to inconvenient bus times. You can also visit the Camargue, but that’s best with a car.
If you want to be carless, you need to find out what public transportation is available near this accommodation: tram, bus, and how far from the city center. What shops are nearby. Montpellier has been the fastest growing city in France for the last twenty years. It’s not in the host’s guidebook, so American tourists are rare, but there are plenty of European tourists and a growing US expat community.

Thank you, Bets and Acraven, for the helpful information!

We spent 4 nights in Montpellier in Oct.
It is nice, lively town with some interesting sites. The bus system is very good and convenient. We took a bus to the sea, walked about a km to the port from the stop, passing some marshland until we reached the port and the beach. Frankly, I was not very impressed with the seaside. No doubt, because I live in Sarasota which has one if the finest beaches in the US.
A day trip to SETE would be very worthwhile.

Thank you for the Sete recommendation and thoughts about the beach area!

I spent years in both LA and San Francisco, frequently going to the beach. Somehow, I'm never disappointed when I go to one of the many beaches near Montpellier. It's just a different vibe and culture.

Sete is an easy day trip, and I would also recommend Nimes, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, and hiking at Pic St Loup!