First choice for somewhere to stay should be HA?tel Normandie , 41 bd Vauban (tel 03.86.52.57.80, fax 03.86.51.54.33, www.acom.fr/normandie ; 300-400F/a?¬46-61), which is wonderfully luxurious and reasonably priced, considering all its amenities: gym, sauna, room service, a 24-hour porter and a current copy of The Times to read over breakfast. Les Clairions , on avenue Worms in the Clairions district off the N6 to Paris (tel 03.86.94.94.94, fax 03.86.48.16.38, www.clairions.com ; 300-400F/a?¬46-61; restaurant from 100F/a?¬15.24), is less characterful but just as pleasant, and, down by the river, Le Maxime at 2 quai de la Marine (tel 03.86.52.14.19, fax 03.86.52.21.70; 400-500F/a?¬61-76; closed mid-Dec to Jan) is both expensive and elegant, with an excellent attached restaurant (menus 170-400F/a?¬25.91-60.98). For a simple and inexpensive stay, try the central HA?tel de la RenommA©e , 27 rue d'Egleny (tel 03.86.52.03.53, fax 03.86.51.47.83; 160-220F/a?¬24-34; closed Sun, one week in Feb & three weeks in Aug), whose restaurant has menus from 50F/a?¬7.62 to 145F/a?¬22.10. Cheapest of all are the foyers (which offer hostel-style accommodation): there is one at 16 av de la RA©sistance, across the tracks by the footbridge at the train station (tel 03.86.46.95.11; canteen 40F/a?¬6.10), and a second at 16 bd Vaulabelle (tel 03.86.52.45.58), at the back of the courtyard of the Peugeot and CitroA«n garage. There's also a pleasant municipal campsite , south at 8 rte de Vaux (tel 03.86.52.11.15; closed Oct-March), next to the riverside football ground.

Finding somewhere to eat is easy, as there are numerous reasonably priced restaurants. Le Bistrot de Palais , 69 rue de Paris (tel 03.86.51.47.02; closed Sun & Aug), is a lively place with a changing menu (from 100F/a?¬15.24); La Primavera , 37 rue du Pont (closed Sun, Mon & three weeks in Aug; menus 80-130F/a?¬12.20-19.82), does good Greek, Italian and Mediterranean food; and Le Quai , in the very pretty place St-Nicholas beside the river not far from the tourist office, does plats du jour at lunchtime for 59F/a?¬8.99 - though it is really a place for a drink. For good traditional cuisine, there's Le Saint PA©lerin , 56 rue St-PA©lerin, near the Pont Paul-Bert (tel 03.86.52.77.05; closed Sun, Mon & three weeks in Aug), with menus at 110F/a?¬16.77 and 120F/a?¬18.29. Finally, top of the range in culinary terms, the imaginative Le Jardin Gourmand , 56 bd Vauban, offers its cheapest menu at 150F/a?¬22.87 (tel 03.86.51.53.52; closed Tues & Wed, mid-Aug to Sept).