The gare routière and gare SNCF are located in cours de l'Europe. The nearby tourist office (June–Sept Mon–Sat 9am–7.30pm, Sun 10am–1pm & 3–6pm; Oct–May Mon–Sat 9am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; tel 05.46.05.04.71, www.ot-royan.fr) and PTT are close to the Rond-Point-de-la-Poste at the east end of the seafront. You can rent bikes from Cyclojet in the gare SNCF or from Cycl'Océan at 23 & 37 cours de l'Europe; car rental is available from either Europcar, 13 place du Dr-Gantier (tel 05.46.05.20.88), or Avis, 75 av de Pontaillac (tel 05.46.38.48.48).Accommodation in Royan is expensive and in short supply in season, when your best bet is to camp up the coast to the north or visit for the day from Saintes or Rochefort. If you're booking ahead, try the Nouvel Hôtel de la Plage, 18 av de Cognac (tel 05.46.39.00.18, fax 05.46.38.41.14; under €30), a cheapie at Pontaillac beach to the west of town; frequent Aunis and Saintonge buses run from the train station via place Charles-de-Gaulle. The Hôtel de l'Hôtel de Ville, 1 bd Aristide-Briand (tel 05.46.05.00.64; under €30), is close to the beach, as is Hôtel de la Plage, right amidst the action at 26–28 Front de Mer (tel 05.46.05.10.27, fax 05.46.38.37.79; March–Sept; €30–40) There's also the more comfortable and central two-star Les Bleuets, 21 facade de Foncillon (tel 05.46.38.51.79, www.hotel-les-bleuets.com; €55–70), with sea or garden views. Finally, the three-star Family Golf Hotel, 28 bd Frédéric-Garnier (tel 05.46.05.14.66, fax 05.46.06.52.56; €55–70), has air conditioning and beachfront balconies, though its 1950s exterior is rather ugly. Alternatively, 3km southeast of Royan, in St-Georges-De-Didonne, there's an excellent little hotel, the Colinette, 16 av de la Grande-Plage (tel 05.46.05.15.75, fax 05.46.06.54.17; €40–55; half-board only mid-June to mid-Sept), in pleasant surroundings 100m from the sea. There are a number of campsites in the region and around Royan itself, including the Clairefontaine (tel 05.46.39.08.11, fax 05.46.38.13.79; closed Oct–May), a fairly pricey site at avenue Louise, allée des Peupliers in Pontaillac, and the municipal La Triloterie (tel 05.46.05.26.91, fax 05.46.06.20.74) off avenue d'Aquitaine – the road to Bordeaux.
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