For SFowler, getting around Bourges
 

Sorry, SFowler, for some reason Fodors wouldn't let me reply to your Bourges post.
We made three trip to Bourges this summer, so we certainly like it! It's fine as a day trip, although I think it's even better to spend the night.
When you leave the train station, walk straight down the main street (you come out, face the fountains and then head down). In about 5 minutes you will come to the Mercure Grand Bourbon hotel. I suggest you stop in there and ask for a free map of the town (unless you can get one at the train station). There are a few ways to get to the Palais Jacques Coeur; I would say the walk takes about 20 minutes. Give yourself plenty to time to walk around the old town and to visit the cathedral. Caveat: the area between the station and the old town is rather unprepossessing; don't let this discourage you.
Re restaurants, we ate at many during our visits there, but our favorite in the old town was the family-run d'Antan Sancerrois. Very good food, lively atmosphere, reasonably priced, great wine list, helpful staff. However, it's not open for lunch on Saturdays and it's closed Sundays. Reservations suggested, this is very popular with the locals and always busy.
Have a great time and don't forget the camera!

One other thing about Bourges restaurants: they tend not to be open that long during lunch hours. Suggest you be seated before 1 pm. On our first trip to Bourges, we arrived about 1 pm and it was hard to find the (better) restaurants still seating customers after 1:15 pm. The hotel called around and persuaded Le Senat (as noted in Cigalechanta's post to you) to seat us at 1:30 pm; we were the last customers seated and the restaurant was virtually empty by the time we finished lunch an hour later. We liked Le Senat, but thought the food and atmosphere were better at d'Antan Sancerrois.
(Unfortunately, I don't have my Bourges map with me here in Florida, so I can't give you more specific info.)

Thanks so much for the information. It will be a big help! We will arrive early in the day so we should be fine for lunch.

Sorry, Sfowler, I made a mistake...d'Antan Sancerrois IS open for lunch on Saturdays, but closed for lunch on Mondays (and closed all day Sundays). It's on 50, rue Bourbonnoux, and the phone number is 33 (0) 2 48 65 96 26. As I said above, reservations strongly advised. We really liked their "poire" of charolais beef (a poire is a nice cut, not a pear).
The rue Bourbonnoux is a street you should not miss while you are in Bourges! One of the most picturesque in the old town. Also, re the Palais Jacques Coeur, IMHO, the outside is more interesting than the inside. Our favorite museum in Bourges was the Hotel Lallemant, also on rue Bourbonnoux, just down the street from d'Antan Sancerrois. Definitely worth seeing during your trip there, but note, they are closed for (long) lunch hours. In the square at the bottom of rue Bourbonnoux, just below the Hotel Lallemant, are several cafes and restaurants. Avoid the Italian restaurants there, they are very mediocre. Of the cafes, we thought the Cafe Europa had the best coffee (it also serves food).
Aux Trois Flutes is supposed to have the best pastry in town, if you get an afternoon urge for a nibble.
Have you gone to www.bourgestourisme.com ? Lots of helpful info there.
Wear comfortable shoes, you will be walking on a lot of cobblestone streets.
We would like to get to Bourges and Sancerre one more time before we move to the UK, but I'm not sure we can fit it in.

A review of d'Antan Sancerrois from Le Point magazine:
Dans un cadre rustique et chaleureux, avec poutres apparentes et vieilles pierres, les fins gourmets savourent les sp&eacute;cialit&eacute;s de la r&eacute;gion : clafoutis de chavignol aux pleurotes, sancerroise de charolais avec son gratin de bettes &agrave; la moelle... Sans oublier la panoplie de fromages, hardiment rebaptis&eacute;e < ch&egrave;vres et vaches d'chez nous >.

Funny thing about Bourges, Julius Caesar said it was one of the most beautiful towns he'd ever seen--and then promptly destroyed it. And at one time there was an almost successful campaign to make Bourges, rather than Paris, the capital of France.

I have had the privilege to spent extended stays in Bourges and absolutely loved this town. The Cathedral blew me away, the stained glass windows are breathtaking. I did stayed at the Grand Bourbon, great hotel, about 15 minute walk to the cathedral. The shopping in Bourges is not bad at all either....:-D