Parking in Nantes

• Onepark (44000) is open 24 hrs, close to Nantes Natural History Museum, Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery, and Les Machines de L’ile.
• 21 Quai Ernest Renaud Parking (44100) with 77 spaces and open 24/7, close to Jardin Extraordinaire (botanical garden), Jules Verne Museum, and the Planetarium.
• Parking Feydeu (44000) close to Château des ducs de Bretagne, Miroir d’eau, and Éloge du Pas de Côté this car park has 495 spaces and is open 24hrs.

Key roads in Nantes

• The A11 links Nantes and Paris to the north of the city and connects to the Nantes ring road.
• The Nantes ring road (N844) circles the city and allows you to bypass Nantes from the north to the south.
• The N137 takes you north to Rennes.

How to get from Nantes to Paris

It takes just over four hours to drive the 386km from Nantes to Paris.

1. Join the Périphérique/E3from Nantes Atlantique Airport and head east to join the A83.
2. Continue on the A844 to exit 43 and join the A811.
3. At exit 22 join the A11 (toll road) then continue onto the A10, then the A6B.
4. Exit onto Bd Périphérique and continue until you reach the exit for Paris Centre.

How to get from Nantes to Rennes

Rennes is just a one and a half hour, 115km, drive from Nantes.

1. Leave the car hire car park at Nates Atlantique Airport and join the Périphérique/E3.
2. From there, take the exit towards Rennes to merge onto the N137.
3. At the Rennes roundabout, take the 2^nd exit to merge onto the N136.
4. Follow the signs for Rennes until you reach the city centre.

Best places to stay in Nantes

Oceania Hôtel de France Nantes

24 Rue Crébillon, 44000 Nantes

This four-star hotel in the heart of the city offers guests a modern and artful display to contrast the classic exterior. Beautiful rooms coupled with a chic bar and restaurant make this an ideal place to stay for those wanting to soak up the very best of French culture.

L’Hôtel Voltaire Opéra

10 Rue Gresset, 44000 Nantes

This charming boutique hotel is minutes from the city’s best arts and cultural attractions. They offer classically fashionable rooms, some with balconies, in bright and airy spaces, along with a restaurant and bar, so you can make the most of this ideal location in comfort and style.

Radisson Blu Hotel

6 Pl. Aristide Briand, 44000 Nantes

If you fancy just a little more luxury, the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel has you covered. This grand hotel was the former Palais de Justice and is now an elegant venue that offers spacious rooms a central location and amazing food. Why not treat yourself and relax in the Aquatonic Spa after exploring the city sights.

Best places to eat in Nantes

Restaurant Art N’Blum

10 Rue Léon Blum, 44000 Nantes

As the title suggests, this artful and creative restaurant is famous for its imaginative set menus that explore the very best of French cuisine. Each meal is specially paired with local wine, so you can appreciate the food at its best.

Cuit Lu Cru

5 Rue Châteaubriand, 44000 Nantes

This classic yet-rustic restaurant prides itself in sourcing the very best local and fresh seasonal produce to make its traditional French dishes, with a twist. Everything’s made on site, with high-class dishes, tinted with a little bit of rustic home cooking.

Gwaien

63 Rue de Bel air, 44000 Nantes

Gwaien is a popular, if slightly less formal, dining option, though still crafts beautifully creative dishes to suit all palettes. They’re known for their friendly and homely atmosphere, and for priding themselves on sourcing the very best local and fresh produce, from seasonal vegetables to freshly caught seafood.

Best things to do in and around Nantes

Les Machines de L’ile

Parc des Chantiers, Bd Léon Bureau, 44200 Nantes

This dreamlike artistic exhibition project is housed on the Isle of Nantes within the old shipyard buildings. Here, you’ll find huge mechanical steampunk creatures constructed from scrap, wood, and metal. It really is something you have to see to believe, with great wooden elephants, giant mechanical spiders, and huge metal birds, and you can ride them too.

Château des ducs de Bretagne

4 Pl. Marc Elder, 44000 Nantes

This 15^th century castle was once home to the Dukes of Brittany and the French Monarchy, and now serves to educate and inspire tourists with centuries of the country’s history. Walk the halls of this grand château and learn all about the castle’s, and the city’s, rich history.

Arts Museum of Nantes

10 Rue Georges Clemenceau, 44000 Nantes

The Arts Museum of Nantes is home to a huge collection of historic and contemporary French art, with the building itself being a great spectacle in its own right. One of the largest and oldest art museums in France, it was set up in 1801 by Napoleon Bonaparte.