They're back in the top flight, so what better time to visit the rugby-mad and historic home of eight-times champions Agen?

How to get there: Agen is halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse, so a flight to either airport with BA, Air France or the budgets will place you no more than 90 minutes from the town by train.

Where to stay: Agen isn't overrun with hotels, but you'll find plenty of places to stay near the station at the junctions of Boulevard Carnot and Boulevard de la Republique. Our choice is the affordable and central Hotel Regina.

The stadium: Stade Armandie is south of the town centre, about 40 minutes' walk from the station. It's a picturesque walk along the banks of the Garonne, but really you're better off getting a cab to the ground.

L'atmosphere: The stadium was enlarged to hold 12,000 spectators the year the club dropped out of the Top 14, but the supporters of this rugby heartland didn't desert their players in the droves you might have expected, and there are plans to add another stand to bring the capacity to at least 15,000. Get there early for a few beers, vins and merguez-frites from the pitch-side vans before taking your seat in the lively Tribune Albert Ferrasse.

The bars: The Boulevards Carnot and Republique are full of tabacs, bars and more lively pub-style drinking dens, but there are some the rugby fan shouldn't miss. Brasserie de la Poste, on Boulevard Carnot, is the town centre's premier rugby bar. All the matches are on the big screen and you can get a good meal here before staggering off down Boulevard de la Republique towards Place Jasmin (stopping off at Cafe de la Bourse for a swift pit-stop). In the corner of Place Jasmin is Le Grand Cafe Foy, owned by former Agen hooker Philippe Piacentini and home to two Agen supporters' clubs. Next door is la Bodega - share a Giraffe on the terrace before heading for the game - and tucked away between them is Au Bureau, more of a pub but good for late-night drinks. If you want another demi on your way to the ground, Le Colonial and Le Fairplay (owned by French rugby legend Albert Ferrasse) are good for a brief stop, and don't forget to pop into Bar du Stade on Rue Sevin. Patron Gégé extends a warm welcome to all, and the locals are always up for a game or 10 of pool.

The restaurants: French culture (and Rick Stein) tells us that a good meal is never too far from the train station, and Agen is no exception, with Buffet de la Gare (it's in the station itself) offering the traditional three-course lunches with wine for around €15. A prune stone's throw away down Boulevard Carnot is a small lane leading to Rue Emile Santini, where restaurants offer menus at all prices. The nautical-but-nice Autour des Saveurs is the pick of the bunch but L'Equateur and La Part des Anges are equally good. And after hours, a gyros kebab in Place Jasmin is the order of the day!

The culture: Prunes are the order of the day in Agen (the self-proclaimed "Capital of Prunes"), and as the display in the tourism office announces: "Three a day and you'll go a long way!". Every September the town celebrates with a Festival of Prunes, although we don't know whether the prune-pit-flicking contest is open to non-Agenais. Unfortunately (or not), the Musée de Pruneaux is on a farm some 10km out of town, but you can always pick up a couple of free prunes from the bowl at the tourist office (and deposit them in the bowl at les toilettes publiques). Elsewhere, the town's Fine Arts museum contains works by Goya and Seurat, and the 540m-long aqueduct, built in 1849, is one of the longest in France and forms part of the canal that links the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean.

Excursions: If you don't fancy the prune museum, get out to Buzet-sur-Baïse for a boozy day out tasting the local wines. It's half an hour from Agen, but there are no trains and precious few buses, so you'll need to club together for a cab or draw straws to pick a designated driver. Find out more at www.vignerons-buzet.fr. Alternatively, you can pick up few bottles of Buzet from the local supermarché and spend the day lounging round on a canal boat. And if you're really desperate for a laugh, head off due south to have your photo taken with the 'Condom' street signs.

Double-teter: Agen is bang in the middle of rugby country, so the double-header options are countless. Toulouse offer Top 14 action a short train ride away, and check the local papers for matches involving the region's Federale league teams which include recently demoted Montauban - you're bound to find a quality lower-league match on every Sunday.

Going native: Down a glass of Armagnac before the game: the local 'eau de vie' is older than Cognac and - in case the locals should ask your opinion - smoother than the inferior northern drink.

Dragon food: Assuming that your missus will look at a plastic bag of soggy prunes and throw you promptly out of the door, treat her to a fine combination of the local fare. Shot glasses containing prunes, soaked in Armagnac can be bought at the town's covered market on Boulevard de la Republique, while the same stalls sell - guess what - prunes coated in chocolate. It's the gift that keeps on giving...

Le Rugby's Tour rating: 8/10. The return to first-division status means that the Stade Armandie crowds will be in full voice once more. Agen is a genuine rugby town with bars to match and offers an endless weekend of prune-related gags for fruit fans.