The gare SNCF and gare routière are together on place Sémard, a ten-minute walk from the central place du Square along avenue de la République and rue de la Gare. The tourist office occupies a small kiosk on the downhill side of place du Square (April–June & Sept Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–6.30pm, Sun 10am–noon & 2–5pm; July & Aug daily 9am–7pm; Oct–March Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–6.30pm; tel 04.71.48.46.58, www.iaurillac.com), with a number of guidebooks and maps on sale, as well as a money-changing facility when the banks are closed. There's Internet access at the Faisan Doré cyber café, 8 place d'Aurigues.For a place to stay in the centre of town, try the smart and comfortable Le Square, 15 place du Square (tel 04.71.48.24.72, www.cantal-hotel.com; €30–40; with a reasonable restaurant from €10.40), or the Renaissance, just next door (tel 04.71.48.09.80, fax 04.71.48.54.81; €30–40; closed first half July). Another good option is the family-run Hôtel Delcher, just off the square at 20 rue des Carmes (tel 04.71.48.01.69, fax 04.71.48.86.66; €30–40; closed Dec & last two weeks of July; good food from €10.98). There are a number of restaurants where you can sample Auvergnat specialities. Two of the most popular are the atmospheric Le Terroir du Cantal, 5 rue du Buis (closed Sun & out of season Mon), with its rough-stone walls and wooden benches, and Poivre et Sel, 4 rue du 14-Juillet (closed Sun & Mon; menus from €9.60), featuring classic dishes such as magret de canard. The pretty, riverside Birdland, by the Pont-Rouge, done out in the French version of pub style, serves pizzas for around €6.50 and menus for €17 (closed Sun); if you're looking for nightlife, the Bateau-Lavoir disco is part of the same establishment (Thurs–Sun 11pm–4/5am; €8). Finally, Aurillac's most unexpected event is an annual international street theatre festival (www.aurillac.net) during the last full week in August, which attracts performers from all over Europe and fills the town with rather more exotic characters than are normally to be seen in these provincial parts.
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