Nantes is the sixth largest city in France and is considered one of the most desirable places to live in the country. It is the perfect destination for a city break. It’s a vibrant university city where history and the present day are fused to offer visitors art, culture, fun and tasty cuisines. Located in the south of Brittany, it is just 45 minutes away from the Atlantic Ocean. Apart from that, Nantes is also known as the Venice of the West for its prominent water features. The River Loire courses through the center of the city and the River Erdre also runs through Nantes. It is reputed to be one of the most beautiful rivers in France and is the scene of romantic dinner cruises.

Airports in Nantes

Nantes Atlantique International Airport

This airport is the main international airport serving Nantes, France. It is located in the municipality of Bouguenais, 10 km southwest from the Nantes city centre. There are no direct flights from Manila to Nantes however both KLM and Air France offer flights from Manila to Nantes with one stopover in Taipei and transit in Amsterdam. Ticket fare will range around PHP 78,000 to 112,500 per one-way ticket.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Nantes?

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travellers to find the cheapest flights to Nantes. All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Nantes.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Nantes?

Nantes has an oceanic climate, which means it rains throughout the year but has mild summer temperatures, so if you're looking for a summertime vacation spot where the heat is not overwhelming, Nantes will probably the best place for you. If it happens to get hot, a swim in the Erdre river or a stroll through the Japanese gardens on Nante's river islands, the Ile de Versailles or Ile de Nantes will certainly cool you down. The shoulder months of May and September-October can be a bit chilly with a bit more rain but are also favorite months to visit Nantes.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Nantes?

Château des Ducs de Bretagne - This chateau is the old seat of the Dukes of Brittany. It is a fortified palace in the eastern part of the old town and is hard to miss due to its sturdy walls and towers that encircle the refined Grand Logis where the dukes lived. The castle was built in the 13th century and was occupied for 300 years by the Dukes until becoming a French royal residence in the 1500s. The courtyard and ramparts are free to enter, but you pay to visit the Nantes History, which reveals the different stages in the city’s evolution, from the slave trade to its time as an industrial port. The green space by the deep moat, the Douves du Château, is a spectacular spot for an afternoon break in summer.

Les Machines de l’Île - The west side of the Île de Nantes is inhabited by whimsical animatronic creatures inspired by Jules Verne's writings and Leonardo da Vinci's fanciful gizmos and brought to life by the artist François Delaroziere. All these extraordinary machines are interactive: The Grand Éléphant, for example, is 12 metres tall and carries 52 passengers on its back for a walk in which you can feel the vibration of every step. The Carrousel des Mondes Marins is a gigantic carousel with moving marine creatures, and the Arbre aux Hérons is a climbable sculpture with ramps and stairways in the form of a huge tree. The indoor Galerie des Machines has many more sculptures and shows you how they were designed and built.

Jardin des Plantes - Classified as one of France’s “remarkable gardens”, the Jardin des Plantes contains 10,000 plant species in its seven hectares. The gardens are right in the middle of the city, just ten minutes on foot from the Château des Ducs de Bretagne. It’s no ordinary park: The Palm House here is a fabulous late-19th-century metal and glass structure with plants from tropical America, while the three greenhouses to the sides have orchids from Africa and Asia. As you tread the paths, you'll see mature trees like the 220-year-old magnolia and two massive sequoias that were planted 150 years ago.