EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

The tourist office (July & Aug daily 9am-noon & 2-6pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-noon & 2-6pm; tel 05.62.05.22.89, fax 05.62.05.92.04) stands at the corner of place de la République and rue Dessoles. West of the tourist office, place de la Libération leads to the allées d'étigny, with the gare routière off to the right.

For a very central place to stay, try the modest Hôtel Sheherezade , at 5 rue d'Espagne near the cathedral (tel 05.62.05.13.25; 160-220F/¬24-34; Moroccan restaurant downstairs). Slightly superior alternatives are the Hôtel de Paris , 38 av de la Marne (tel 05.62.63.26.22, fax 05.62.60.04.27; 220-300F/¬34-46; closed Nov), and Le Relais de Gascogne , 5 av de la Marne (tel 05.62.05.26.81, fax 05.62.63.30.22; 220-300F/¬34-46). To reach avenue de la Marne from the gare SNCF , turn right on avenue de la Gare, follow it to the end, then turn left.

There's also a rather drab HI hostel , Foyer des Jeunes Travailleurs (tel 05.62.05.34.80), in the Le Garros housing development, about 25 minutes' walk from the station: turn left out of the station along avenue Pierre-Mendés-France, and then left again at the T-junction; after crossing the rail tracks, take the first right and keep straight ahead to find the hostel at the far end of rue du Bourget. The municipal campsite (tel 05.62.05.00.22; closed mid-Nov to mid-April) is beside the river on the south side of town, and there's a GR653 gîte d'étape 4km east at the Château St-Cricq (tel 05.62.63.10.17).

Avenue d'Alsace, in the lower town, is the best place to look for inexpensive places to eat . Alternatively, up by the cathedral, place de la République and place de la Libération boast a fair selection of cafés and brasseries; try Café Daroles by the fountain (menus from 70F/¬10.68). For something a bit more traditional, La Table d'Hôtes , off rue Dessoles at 7 rue Lamartine, offers good Gascon fare from 68F/¬10.37 (closed Sun evening & Wed).