Montpellier

Montpellier isn't a touristy city as such and usually considered more as a jumping off point for other places.

As is typical with towns in the area there's a delightful medieval quarter. The Place de Comedie pictured is the main square in the town and where you'll find numerous restaurants along with the Antigone shopping centre. The tram system is presently quite limited in its extent but is being extended.

Although it doesn't have a lot of tourist attractions, this is the town where most French people would like to live apparently.

For the tourist, it's an excellent starting point for explorations of the area. Nimes, the Pont du Gard and Avignon are only 30 minutes or so away and in the other direction Carcassonne is around 90 minutes.

The nearest airport is Montpellier (MPL) although flights there can often be quite expensive so it may be worthwhile considering Nimes (FNI) which is only about 30 minutes away.

The TGV arrives from Gare du Lyon in Paris.