The gare SNCF is 5km from the Vieux Port, but a bus meets every train. The old town and port look out across the Baie de La Ciotat, whose inner curve provides the beaches and resort lifestyle of La Ciotat's modern extension, La Ciotat Plage. The gare routière is at the end of boulevard Anatole-France by the Vieux Port right beside the tourist office (Easter–May Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–6pm, Sun 10am–1pm; June–Sept Mon–Sat 9am–8pm, Sun 10am–1pm; Oct–Easter Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2.30–6pm; tel 04.42.08.61.32, www.laciotatourisme.com).For hotels, the cheapies are La Marine, 1 av Fernand Gassion (tel & fax 04.42.08.35.11; under €30), and La Rotonde, 44 bd de la République (tel 04.42.08.67.50, fax 04.42.08.45.21; €40–55), both in the old town. In La Ciotat Plage, Miramar, 3 bd Beaurivage (tel & fax 04.42.83.33.79; €85–100; half-board compulsory in summer), is set amidst pines by the sea, while across the bay, on Corniche du Liouquet, you can stay in little villas in a park at Ciotel Le Cap (tel 04.42.83.90.30, [email protected]; over €150). La Ciotat has nine campsites, three of them by the sea, of which St-Jean, 30 av St-Jean (tel 04.42.83.13.01, fax 04.42.71.46.41; €8 person; closed Oct–end-March), is the closest to the centre (bus #4, stop "St-Jean Village"). La Ciotat's best restaurant is La Fresque, 18 rue des Combattants (tel 04.42.08.00.60; closed Sun), with exquisite seafood dishes and menus from €14–28. Otherwise, Coquillages Franquin, 13 bd Anatole-France (tel 04.42.83.59.50; closed Sun–Tues), serves perfectly respectable fish dishes, and there are plenty of cafés and brasseries around the Vieux Port and along boulevard Beaurivage in La Ciotat Plage.
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