Discovering a new airport can be stressful: where to go, how to get organized...
Here is our complete guide to Nantes-Atlantique airport, your gateway to the Loire Valley and its magnificent chateaux!
We share with you everything about: flights, map, parking, car rental, access to the city, restaurants, hotels, cabs...
Why use Nantes-Atlantique airport
A small airport with access to the Loire Valley and more
Nantes-Atlantique airport, code NTE, is ideal for avoiding the major Paris airports and for direct access to the castles of the Loire Valley, Brittany and the beaches of the French Atlantic coast. For example:
- Nantes to Tours (in the middle of the castles): 2h drive
- Nantes to Angers: 1h
- Nantes to La Rochelle: 1h45
- Nantes to La Baule: 1h
- Nantes to Carnac: 1h 40
- And Nantes to Paris: 4h
Moreover, it is not very big, and you don't feel like you are wasting your time walking for miles.
Companies present
Are present with regular flights to and from Nantes-Atlantique:
- Transavia
- Vueling
- Easyjet,
- Volotea,
- Swiss
- Ryanair
- Air Corsica
- Aegean
- Air Lungus
- Iberia
- ...
Find a flight to or from Nantes
Destinations / flights with Nantes
You can frequent connections between:
- Nantes and the United Kingdom (Gatwick)
- Nantes and Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Majorca)
- Nantes and the Canaries (Lanzarote, Tenerife, Fuerteventura)
- Nantes and Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Funchal in Madeira)
- Nantes and Corsica (Ajaccio, Bastia)
- Nantes and Greece (Athens, Herklion in Crete, Corfu)
- Nantes and Morocco (Marrakech, Casablanca)
- ...
Find a flight to or from Nantes
Map of Nantes airport
As you can see from the airport map below, the terminal is not very large and all the parking lots are very close.
Don't expect to walk for hours like in other airports!
The car rental area and cabs are just outside the building.
No need for a plan for the interior of the building. It's really small and well signposted. You won't get lost!
Car rental at Nantes airport
You can rent a car directly from Nantes airport.
Several international companies are available.
The building is clearly marked and just outside the terminal. You don't have to walk much.
Our favorite platform to compare prices and find great deals is Discovercars.com. In addition to the great prices, we love the ease of use of the platform (with lots of filters) and the insurance they offer.
Compare prices and see the best deals in Nantes
You can rent with :
- Notice
- Sixt
- Enterprise
- Europcar
- Hertz
- National
- Alamo
- Thrifty,
- Dollar,
- Budget
And also, with companies that are located a little further from the terminal (often cheaper): Rentscape.
See our detailed article with all our tips to help you rent a car in Nantes.
Gas station
When you return your rental car, be aware that there is a gas station right next to the airport parking lots, in case you didn't find it before.
Getting to the train station or to the city: cab, shuttle...
Distance from the city
It is a 12 km / 20 min drive from the airport to downtown Nantes.
The road is not difficult. But, as there is a limited access by bridges, there can be traffic jams (at the beginning and end of work hours).
Therefore, allow more time.
By car
The airport is located southwest of the city.
You have to take the ring road and exit at exit 50 or 51.
Cabs
The airport is really not big. When you get out, you will easily see the sign indicating the beginning of the cab line.
There are usually always cabs available at the time of arrival and the queues are usually not very long.
Cabs take you to the city center and throughout the agglomeration as far as Saint-Nazaire.
For a trip to the city center count between 30 and 40 euros.
If you order a cab before, it will be waiting for you not far away under the sign "cabs commandés": see taxis-nantes.com or Hep Taxis.
Nantes airport shuttle
To reduce your expenses, there is also a shuttle to the center of Nantes;
It is located right in front of the terminal.
It says "Airport Shuttle" on it.
The Shuttle makes 3 stops in the city: the South Station, the City of Congress and the city center (Hôtel-Dieu), in 20 minutes.
The price is 9 euros.
See the current operating hours on the airport website.
PLAN YOUR TRIP IN
Loire Valley
The castles of the Loire Valley
- Discover our selection of the most beautiful castles of the Loire Valley
- Where to go to visit the castles of the Loire Valley - article to come
Cities and villages
- Visit the beautiful cities along the Loire River
- Stroll under the charm of the villages of the Loire Valley
- Choose from the best things to do in Nantes
Practice
When to arrive at the airport
Since the airport is small, you can plan for less time. But since the Covid, the durations are lengthened.
We advise you to arrive 3 hours before international flights and 2 hours before domestic flights. If the measurements get slack, you may consider less time.
Parking at Nantes airport
Drop-off point
There is a drop-off zone right in front of the airport.
Follow the pink/purple "Drop Off" sign.
In this area, the first 10 minutes are free.
Paid parking lots
You have several choices to park at Nantes airport with parking from P1 to P11.
- P1 is the covered parking (orange): about 150 euros for a week
- P2 to P6 are the closest parking lots to the terminal (blue): about 115 euros for a week
- P7 to P9 are a little further away but require only a little more walking (green): about 70 euros for a week
- P11 is 5 minutes by shuttle from the airport - the cheapest with reservation required: about 45 euros for a week
You can reserve
Parking for electric cars
If you drive an electric car, there are charging stations on P11 ECO (usable from 3 days parking). Reservation is essential.
Free or cheap parking
It is not possible to park for free near the airport.
This implies that there will always be at least one cost to travel from your free parking location.
We must therefore seek to reduce costs:
- Find a free place in Nantes and take the shuttle (9 euros each way)
- Reserve a space in the P11 parking lot (starting at 5 euros per day, depending on the duration)
- look into collaborative parking systems (parking in private homes).
Valet parking
There is no valet parking at Nantes airport but you can book a valet system where your car is picked up from outside and brought back to you when you arrive.
These services are available on Bluevalet or Le-voiturier-nantais.
Do not
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Restaurants, hotels and facilities
Eating in Nantes airport
You can find several restaurant offers in the airport of Nantes.
But if you plan to eat there, be aware that the lines can be long, very long! Last time, I gave up buying a coffee for my brother...
You have:
- a coffee: Starbucks
- Small catering: "La Buvette du Voyage", "La Brioche Dorée", "Prêt A Manger
- a restaurant: "La Grande Tablée
Hotels near Nantes airport
Right next to the airport you find 3 hotels:
- Oceania Hotel - see photos, prices and availability
- Hotel Escale Oceania - see photos, prices and availability
- B&B Hotel Nantes Airport - see photos, prices and availability
Hotels in town
But since you are only 20 minutes from downtown, you can choose a hotel with more charm and enjoy a great dinner in the city.
We advise you:
- Maisons du Monde hotel - see photos, prices and availability
- Coeur de Loire hotel - see photos, prices and availability
- Sozo Hotel - see photos, prices and availability
Or see our article with all our favorite hotels and tips.
Relaxation area and other services
The airport also has:
- a relaxation area right in front of the terminal
- free wifi
- services for families (familliz): self-service strollers, breastfeeding areas, activities during school vacations...
- stores: magazines, books and Duty-free
- a cash withdrawal terminal (CIC)
- A luggage filming machine to protect them
- A special section for those who have advantages with certain companies
DON'T MISS THE BEST CASTLES IN the Loire Valley
- the most beautiful castles of the Loire Valley - discover
- the most beautiful gardens (to come)
- the châteaux of the Loire Valley where to stay (5 unforgettable hotels) -discover
- the best Loire Valley castles to do with your family (coming soon)
- itineraries: 3 days
- or our list with more than 100 castles of the Loire Valley - discover
Frequently asked questions
How to contact Nantes airport ?
The coordinates of the Nantes airport are:
Address: 44346 Bouguenais cedex
Telephone: 0 892 568 800 (0.40 € TTC per minute from France)
What is the name of the airport in Nantes ?
The airport of Nantes is called Nantes-Atlantique and has the code NTE.
How to get to Nantes airport from the train station ?
From the Nantes train station, it is very easy to reach the airport: either take the shuttle bus which provides the link in 20 to 25 minutes or take a cab which costs between 30 and 40 euros.
Which Transavia Nantes hall?
All departures from Nantes airport are in the same building. There is only one L-shaped one.
You can see the status of all flights departing from Nantes here, with their check-in counters.
