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Voykit pocket guide · France
Nantes
Naoned
Give Nantes 2 nights: one full day for the castle, Passage Pommeraye and Les Machines de l'Île, plus a half-day for the Erdre or the Jules Verne museum.
Nantes is the capital of Pays de la Loire and a former Breton ducal seat, 2 h 20 min by TGV from Paris Montparnasse. The old town, the castle and the Île de Nantes machines sit within a walkable core, and the city is compact enough to cover in two nights without a car. It rains often and the Atlantic keeps summers mild.
- Country
- France
- Local name
- Naoned
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet and grey)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–160 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Police 17 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | €1.50–3 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €13–18 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a supermarket | €5–7 / €1–2 |
| 5 km taxi ride3.1 mi taxi ride | €15–20 |
| Tram or bus single ride | €1.80–2 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
| Museum entry (castle, Musée d'Arts) | €9 adult, free for children (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NTE · Nantes Atlantique
- 8 km southwest of the centre; Navette Aéroport shuttle to the station and Place du Commerce, or bus 38 to Pirmil for tram 3.5 mi southwest of the centre; Navette Aéroport shuttle to the station and Place du Commerce, or bus 38 to Pirmil for tram 3.
Typical fares
- NTE airport → Gare de Nantes, Navette Aéroport
- €10, about 20 min (check)
- Taxi NTE airport → centre
- about €30, 20 min (check)
- TGV Nantes → Paris Montparnasse
- about 2 h 20 min; fares vary, book ahead (check)
Get around
Naolib runs three tram lines, two BusWays, buses and Navibus river ferries; a single ticket is valid for one hour with transfers. Trams and buses are free at weekends. The centre is flat and bike-friendly, with Naolib vélo self-service bikes (first 30 min free).
See and do
Known for
- Château des ducs de Bretagne
- Les Machines de l'Île and the Great Elephant
- Passage Pommeraye
- Jules Verne's birthplace
- Musée d'Arts de Nantes
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Nazaire | TER train from Gare de Nantes, about 50 min | About 1 h 15 |
| Angers | TGV or TER from Gare de Nantes, 40–45 min | About 1 h |
| Le Mans | TGV from Gare de Nantes, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 45 |
| Guerande | Train to La Baule or Le Croisic, then bus or taxi | 2–2.5 h |
| Montsoreau | Train to Angers or Saumur, then bus or bike along the Loire | 3 h+ |
Sleep
- Bouffay and Feydeau
- Old town, pedestrian streets, cafés and bars; walk to the castle and cathedral.
- Graslin and Passage Pommeraye
- Neoclassical square, opera, shopping arcade; quiet at night.
- Around Gare de Nantes
- Best for a one-night rail stop; trams and the airport shuttle at the door.
- Île de Nantes
- Near Les Machines; fewer restaurants, 15–20 min walk to the old town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twah-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Nantes rain is frequent year-round: carry a light waterproof.
- The cathedral is closed after the 2020 arson; check before you plan around it.
- Musée Thomas Dobrée has been closed for reconstruction: check the official site.
- Naolib vélo plans renew monthly, even the no-commitment ones: cancel explicitly at the end of your trip.
- Only use taxis from the official rank at the airport; ignore drivers soliciting inside arrivals.
Nantes is generally safe by day; the real risks are pickpockets around the station and tram stops, and late-night drink spiking in Bouffay bars. Keep bags zipped and walk in lit streets after midnight.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Nantes yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Château des ducs de Bretagne
- Les Machines de l'Île and the Great Elephant
- Passage Pommeraye
- Jules Verne's birthplace
- Musée d'Arts de Nantes
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Nantes official city site: www.nantes.fr
- Le Voyage à Nantes (tourist office): www.levoyageanantes.fr/
- Naolib public transport: naolib.fr/en
- Nantes Atlantique Airport: www.nantes.aeroport.fr/en
- Château des ducs de Bretagne: www.chateaunantes.fr/en
- Les Machines de l'Île: www.lesmachines-nantes.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Nantes, revision 5323593 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323593
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
NantesNaoned
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland have embassies in Paris; Nantes has consulates for several countries (check before you travel).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/nantes). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.