Car Hire in Nantes

Getting to Nantes

The province of Brittany is divided into Haute-Bretagne and Basse-Bretagne. The rocky 1200-kilometre coastline is a geographical wonder, with its promontories, coves and beaches. Brittany is accessible by air, rail and car; driving to the region from other parts of France can be a mesmerizing experience.

If you do decide to fly straight into Brittany, then Aéroport Nantes-Atlantique is located 12kms southeast of Nantes’ town centre. The airport is not serviced by international carriers, so, if you’re coming from abroad, you’ll have to fly into Paris. Air France offers daily flights to Nantes from Paris. A shuttle bus between Aéroport Nantes-Atlantique and Nantes' train station takes 25 minutes. A relatively cheap taxi service is also available.

If you're driving, take the A11 west of Paris. The 382-kilometre trip takes about 3 hours, and the roads are convenient and usually well maintained. To get to Le Baule from Nantes, take N165 northwest to Savenay, continuing west along D773 to Le Baule.

Many visitors travelling to Brittany opt for rail travel, with the lightning quick HGV running to Nantes. HGV trains to Nantes leave from Paris' gare Montparnasse (2 hours, 30 minutes). Slower trains also make the trip in about four hours. Nantes' gare SNCF is located at 27 boulevard de Stalingrad, a five-minute walk from the town centre. Trains to Le Baule depart from here to Le Baule-Escoublac, in the heart of the town, and take one hour.