Nantes
Discover Nantes
Nantes (Breton: Naoned) is the capital of Pays de la Loire region in northwest France. Historically it was part of Brittany, whose dukes built up its castle and made the town their capital. It was also a major port on the Loire. Nowadays the economy of Nantes is driven by the service sector; in 2020 the population was 320,732. The River Loire is navigable by shallow-draught boats for 140 km upstream. Nantes 50 km upstream is at the confluence with the small River Erdre, which has dumped its silt to form river islands and break the Loire into a leash of channels. The Namnetes were a Gaulish tribe; their name likely meant "river" or "stream". The Romans took control in the 1st century BC and stayed until the 5th century AD. In medieval times the town belonged to Brittany, whose dukes built up the castle and resisted the growing power of France, until a dynastic marriage of 1491 united the realms. In 1598 the town gave its name to the Edict of Nantes, which granted tolerance of Protestants or Huguenots; this ended religious wars in France but displeased many and horrified the pope. It was revoked in 1685, leading to a mass exodus of Huguenots and the blighting of French industry.
What to Experience in Nantes
Taste of Nantes...
Standard precautions about avoiding drunks, low-life and demos, any of which can turn violent. Central areas and the trams are well policed. Always start by checking the embassy website - something like a lost passport will be handled from there or even from the home country rather than the local consulate. This section doesn't list Honorary Consuls, who will express sympathy at your predicament but advise you to call the embassy in Paris. As of June 2022, Nantes has 5G with all French carriers.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options47.156944-1.6077781 Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE ), Bouguenais, ☏ +33 892 568800. This has regular flights from Europe and UK (mostly by budget carriers) and North Africa, and seasonally from Montreal with Air Transat. For the time being, Air France fly 2 or 3 times a day from Paris CDG, but this is likely to fall foul of the law banning French domestic flights for journeys that can be done overland in less than 2½ hours. Other domestic flights are from Lille, Lyon, Montpellier, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse. The airport has the usual facilities including cafes and car rental. It's a single terminal, with a ground-level concourse for both departures and arrivals. (updated Jun 2023) Hourly trains from Paris Montparnasse take 2 hr 20 min via Le Mans and Angers, and continue to Saint-Nazaire. From Paris CDG airport you normally change at Les Halles / Montparnasse for a four hour journey, but occasional direct services from Lille or Strasbourg via CDG take three hours....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
TAN (Transports de l'Agglomération Nantaise) is the integrated public transport network, with three tram lines, two BusWays (buses with re-assignment surgery into trams), 50-some daytime bus lines, three night buses, and Navibus river ferries. Most stops have real-time indicator boards. In 2023 an adult single ticket is €2 buying on board, €1.80 from a ticket machine, €1.60 from a carnet of ten, and €1.52 by e-ticket "Formule Sur Mesure". These tickets are valid for one hour with unlimited transfers. A 24-hour ticket is €6 for one person and €11 for up to four people. Town trams and buses are free on Saturday and Sunday: this includes Bus 38 to the airport but excludes the navette. City fares, last published in 2019, are €7.10 flagfall, €1.78/km travelled and €26/hr waiting. These apply M-Sa 07:00-19:00. There are taxi ranks by Place du Commerce and the railway station.
Where to Stay
Standard precautions about avoiding drunks, low-life and demos, any of which can turn violent. Central areas and the trams are well policed. Always start by checking the embassy website - something like a lost passport will be handled from there or even from the home country rather than the local consulate. This section doesn't list Honorary Consuls, who will express sympathy at your predicament but advise you to call the embassy in Paris. As of June 2022, Nantes has 5G with all French carriers.
Money & Budget
Standard precautions about avoiding drunks, low-life and demos, any of which can turn violent. Central areas and the trams are well policed. Always start by checking the embassy website - something like a lost passport will be handled from there or even from the home country rather than the local consulate. This section doesn't list Honorary Consuls, who will express sympathy at your predicament but advise you to call the embassy in Paris. As of June 2022, Nantes has 5G with all French carriers.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Standard precautions about avoiding drunks, low-life and demos, any of which can turn violent. Central areas and the trams are well policed. Always start by checking the embassy website - something like a lost passport will be handled from there or even from the home country rather than the local consulate. This section doesn't list Honorary Consuls, who will express sympathy at your predicament but advise you to call the embassy in Paris. As of June 2022, Nantes has 5G with all French carriers.
Glimpses of Nantes
white and black dome building photography
L’éléphant en marche, une des réalisations majeures des Machines de l’Île à Nantes : 12 Mètres de hauteur, 8 mètres de largeur et 21 mètres de longueur pour une masse de 48,4 tonnes d’acier et de bois.
Home (anglais, n.m) : Chez-soi, foyer Instagram 📸 : @stevenrsl
aerial photography of buildings
a group of people sitting on top of a lush green field
aerial view of city buildings during daytime
La place Royale, située dans le centre-ville de Nantes, est conçue en 1786 par l'architecte nantais Mathurin Crucy. Aménagée en 1790 après la destruction des remparts médiévaux, elle constitue l'élément central d'un ensemble homogène de bâtiments répondant à l'architecture classique construits à cette occasion. Elle est dotée d'une fontaine monumentale inaugurée en 1865.
a hallway with many doors and windows
a narrow city street lined with tall buildings
a bunch of boats that are sitting in the water
white and black dome building photography
L’éléphant en marche, une des réalisations majeures des Machines de l’Île à Nantes : 12 Mètres de hauteur, 8 mètres de largeur et 21 mètres de longueur pour une masse de 48,4 tonnes d’acier et de bois.
Home (anglais, n.m) : Chez-soi, foyer Instagram 📸 : @stevenrsl