The gare SNCF is located a couple of minutes' walk south across the Aveyron from the old town. For information about buses, contact the tourist office just north of the river on promenade du Guiraudet (May–June & Sept Mon–Fri 9am–noon & 2–7pm, Sat 9am–noon & 2–6pm; July & Aug also open Sun 10am–noon; Oct–April Mon–Fri 9am–noon & 2–6pm, Sat 9am–noon; tel 05.65.45.13.18, www.villefranche.com), beside the bridge. For those who want to stay overnight, there are two pleasant hotels: L'Univers, 2 place de la République at the end of the bridge opposite the tourist office (tel 05.65.45.15.63, [email protected]; €30–40), with a good traditional restaurant (from €14); and the more modest Bellevue, 3 av du Ségala (tel 05.65.45.23.17, fax 05.65.45.11.19; under €30; closed school hols in Feb & Nov, also Mon eve & Sun), also with a decent restaurant (menus €12.50–43), a little further out of town on the Rodez road. In a rather unpromising location, 3km out on the Figeac road, Le Relais de Farrou (tel 05.65.45.18.11, www.villefranche.com/relais_farrou; €40–55; restaurant from €19) offers more luxurious surroundings and good food. For cheaper accommodation, there's an excellent Foyer des Jeunes Travailleurs HI hostel (tel 05.65.45.09.68, fax 05.65.45.62.26), next to the gare SNCF. There's also a gîte d'étape by the river at La Gasse (tel 05.65.45.10.80; closed Nov–April), 3km out of town on the D269 back road to La Bastide-L'Évêque, at the start of GR62b, plus a campsite, 1.5km to the south on the D47 to Monteil (tel 05.65.45.16.24, fax 05.65.45.55.58; closed Oct–March). Finally, next to the covered market is a welcoming workers' diner, Café des Halles, where you can eat a substantial meal for €9 at shared tables.
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