For reasonable, if somewhat charmless, hotel accommodation , try the HA?tel Victor-Hugo at 19 av V.-Hugo (tel 05.65.68.14.59; under 160F/a?¬24), or the better HA?tel du Clocher to the left, off the east end of the cathedral at 4 rue SA©guy (tel 05.65.68.10.16, fax 05.65.68.64.27; 160-220F/a?¬24-34). More upmarket is La Tour Maje , in boulevard Gally, behind the tourist office (tel 05.65.68.34.68, fax 05.65.68.27.56, www.hotel.tour.maje.fr ; 300-400F/a?¬46-61), a modern building tacked onto a medieval tower. Budget accommodation is available at the Foyer Ste-ThA©rA?se , 21 rue Bonald, parallel to rue SA©guy (tel 05.65.77.14.00, fax 05.65.77.14.10), and at the HI hostel in ONET-LE-CHA?TEAU , 3km to the north, at 26 bd des Capucines, Quatre-Saisons (tel 05.65.77.51.05, fax 05.65.67.37.97), with a good canteen serving local specialities for around 50F/a?¬26.22, which you can reach by taking bus #1 or #3, direction "Quatre Saisons", stop "MarchA© d'Oc/Les Rosiers/Eapucine". Rodez' municipal campsite (tel 05.65.67.09.52; closed Oct-May) is on the river bank in the quartier Layoule, about 1km from the centre.

As for eating , one of the best places to sample local cuisine is La Taverne , 23 rue de l'Embergue (closed Sun; menus from 70F/a?¬10.67), with an attractive terrace at the back, while the place to go for more gourmet food is the classy GoA»ts et Couleurs , 38 rue Bonald (closed Sun & Mon), where menus range from 99F/a?¬15.10 to 360F/a?¬54.88. Le Bistroquet , 17 rue du Bal, off place d'Olmet (closed Sun & Mon), does good salads and grills for around 80F/a?¬12.20. For a drink , head for the CafA© de la Paix , on place Jean-JaurA?s, or au Bureau , in the Tour Maje.