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Practicalities
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A well-stocked
tourist office
, esplanade Georges-Pompidou (July & Aug 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-1pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm & 2-6pm, Sun 10am-1pm; tel 05.57.52.97.97, fax 05.57.52.97.77,
tourisme@arcachon.com
), can be reached by following avenue Gambetta back from seafront place Thiers. In summer boats leave the jetties of Thiers and Eyrac on various
cruises
, including the A?le aux Oiseaux (2hr; 75F/a?¬11.43), an exploration of the Arcachon basin with a look at the Dune de Pyla (2hr 30min; 75F/a?¬11.43), and a visit to an oyster farm with tasting (1hr 15min; 65F/a?¬9.91). There's also a regular boat service from here to Cap Ferret on the opposite peninsula (30min; 60F/a?¬9.15 return).
You'll be hard-pushed to find an inexpensive hotel , but a couple of reasonable ones are the small, friendly Le Pergola , 40 cours Lamarque-de-Plaisance (tel 05.56.83.07.89, fax 05.56.83.14.21; 220-300F/a?¬34-46), and the St-Christaud , 8 allA©e de la Chapelle (tel 05.56.83.38.53; under 160F/a?¬24-220F/a?¬34; half-board only July & Aug, 400-500F/a?¬61-76), further out of town. Pricier options include the Marinette , 15 allA©e JosA©-Maria-de-HA©rA©dia (tel 05.56.83.06.67, fax 05.56.83.09.59; 300-400F/a?¬46-61; closed mid-Nov to mid-March), and the luxurious Villa TA©rA©sa , 4 allA©e Rebsomen (tel 05.56.83.25.87, fax 05.57.52.22.41; 400-500F/a?¬61-76), both in the ville d'hiver . Alternatively, there are many holiday apartments to rent; ask for the booklet ClA©vacances from the tourist office. Camping is another option, with plenty of sites around the Arcachon basin, though only the three-star Le Camping Club , allA©e de la Galaxie (tel 05.56.83.24.15), is actually within the town; set in an expanse of bird-filled woodland beyond the ville d'hiver , it's worth the high summer prices. Hostellers can take the boat to Cap Ferret, where there's a small, basic HI hostel at 87 av de Bordeaux (tel 05.56.60.64.62; July & Aug only).
A great
restaurant
to sample some of the local seafood is the colourful, jam-packed
La MarA©e
, 21 rue de Lattre-de-Tassigny (menus from 55F/a?¬8.38 for weekday lunches, and 99F/a?¬15.09 in the evening; closed Dec & Jan, also Mon & Tues evenings out of season); not only is it inexpensive, but if you're lucky you can sit out on one of two tiny wrought-iron balconies. Another good option, just round the corner at 17 rue Jehenne, is
La Plancha
, serving tapas (from 12F/a?¬1.83 per dish), paella and other Spanish fare. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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France,
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