Pays de la Loire · France
Where to stay in Nantes
Nantes is a city in Pays de la Loire, France, home to about 328,000 people.
- Best months
- May to September
- Nearest airport
- NTE8 km · Nantes Atlantique Airport
- Currency
- EUReuro
- Time zone
- Europe/Paris
- Language
- French
About
About Nantes
Nantes is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, 50 km (31 mi) from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 327,734 in Nantes proper (2023) and a metropolitan area of 1,050,815 inhabitants (2023).
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.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Nantes
See
- Château des ducs de Bretagne
- Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul
- Musée des Beaux-Arts
- Île de Versailles
- Église Sainte-Croix
- Tour Bretagne
- Basilique Saint-Nicolas
- Île Feydeau
- Place du Commerce
- Passage Pommeraye
- Théâtre Graslin
- Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Nantes
21 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Ancien Palais de justice de Nantes | 1852 | 0.7 km |
| Hôtel La Pérouse | 1992 | 0.2 km |
| Sozo Hotel | 1.0 km | |
| Aparthotel Adagio Nantes Centre Adagio | 0.6 km | |
| Best Western Plus Hotel de la Régate Best Western | 8.8 km | |
| Chateau d'Yseron | 24.3 km | |
| Citadines Confluent Nantes | 2.6 km | |
| Golden Tulip Nantes Carquefou Suite Golden Tulip | 10.5 km | |
| Maisons du Monde Hôtel & Suites - Nantes | 0.7 km | |
| Mercure Nantes Centre Gare Mercure Hotels | 0.8 km | |
| Mercure Nantes Centre Grand Hotel Mercure Hotels | 0.4 km | |
| Mercure Nantes Centre Passage Pommeraye Mercure Hotels | 0.6 km | |
| Novotel Nantes Carquefou Novotel | 10.5 km | |
| Novotel Nantes Centre Bord de Loire Novotel | 1.2 km | |
| Novotel Nantes Centre Gare Novotel | 0.9 km | |
| Oceania l'Hôtel de France Nantes | 0.7 km | |
| Okko Hotels Nantes Château | 0.2 km | |
| Quintessia Resort | 5.4 km | |
| Residhome Nantes Berges de la Loire | 1.3 km | |
| Seven Urban Suites Nantes Centre | 1.5 km | |
| Westotel Nantes Atlantique | 7.3 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Nantes
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Nantes are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; December is the wettest, with about 98 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Nantes: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE), about 8.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS, 96 km) and La Rochelle Île de Ré Airport (LRH, 119 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Naolib 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.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
NTE · Nantes Atlantique Airport
RNS · Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport
LRH · La Rochelle Île de Ré Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Nantes
Stay safe
Nantes is generally a safe city, but the standard precautions around avoiding intoxicated people and being careful of your belongings apply. Political demonstrations can (and regularly do) turn violent. Try not to stay around.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Nantes: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Nantes?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Nantes are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; December is the wettest, with about 98 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Nantes?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE), about 8.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS, 96 km) and La Rochelle Île de Ré Airport (LRH, 119 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Nantes?
euro (EUR).
Nearby
Destinations near Nantes
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.