Nantes, France – An Honest Family Review

We decided quite last minute to head off for a long weekend. With no destination in mind, I jumped on Skyscanner and used my favourite feature – the “Everywhere” search – to find the cheapest flights from our nearest airport. Frankfurt came up as the cheapest option at just €25 return per person, but the flight times weren’t ideal. So we went with the second-cheapest: Nantes, France.

I’ll admit, I hadn’t even heard of Nantes before that search. But a quick Google reassured me there was plenty to keep us busy for a weekend away.

Arriving in Nantes, France

There are several ways you can get to the city when you land in Nantes, including city buses which only cost a few euro. We opted for convenience and took at taxi which was a 20 minute drive and cost €35.  

There’s also an airport shuttle bus that takes you to the city centre, tickets are €10 each.  You can get tickets from the driver or the ticket machine near the bus stop.

Our Hotel in Nantes, France

We arrived at our hotel, Seven Urban Suites,  and found out we had been upgraded to a one bedroom apartment. We had booked into the family room, but the apartment meant we had a separate bedroom and a little more space. All rooms here have a kitchenette. We paid £240 for 3 nights. The hotel is located 2 stops on the bus from the city centre in a quiet area. There’s a bakery and a grocery store just around the corner. The staff were very welcoming, and the reception area was lovely and modern. The rooms were basic, but clean and had all the facilities needed and there was a bus stop just across the street.  

Another hotel I was looking at was called Demain Hotel. This was located in the city centre, and was a really fun looking boutique hotel. Very colourful and unique. Unfortunately it was fully booked, but it’s on my list or next time!

Nantes Pass & the Tourist Centre

Le Voyage à Nantes is a great first stop in the city. The tourist centre staff were really welcoming, and it’s a good place to grab a map and ask about things to do. If you’re planning to visit lots of attractions, the Nantes Pass offers great value – covering entry to most sights, some restaurant discounts, free weekday transport, and even the airport shuttle if booked in advance.

We chose not to get the pass this time, as we preferred to stay flexible and take each day as it came. It would have saved money if we’d done all the paid attractions in one day with a 24-hour pass, but with kids, a relaxed pace worked better. I’d definitely consider the pass on a future trip.

How We Spent Our Time in Nantes, France

What We Did Instead:

Instead we headed towards the big yellow crane to an art display called ’On va marcher sur la lune’ (we walked on the moon). This is a play area with a big hill to look like the moon and in the ‘craters’ are little trampolines to bounce on. It was fairly busy, but the kids loved it. There are benches for adults to rest and enjoy the view of the river. There was also a stall selling coffee and snacks.  
We decided to have an afternoon break and headed back to the hotel, a short bus ride away. We popped into the shop and bought loads of local cheese, meats and other goodies to bring back with us for a French picnic in the apartment.  

We took the bus to Ile de Versailles, a little island within the city. There is a stunning Japanese Garden on the island. Loads of little pathways to walk down and small waterfalls all in a Japanese theme. So beautiful and relaxing.

The last thing we decided do was hire a little boat for a cruise down the river. The boats are motorised, but go very slowly, so no need for a special licence.  We hired from Ruban Vert, who have several points of hire in the city. We got ours from the Ile de Versailles. They hire boats for 2 – 9 people and you can hire for an hour or a full day!

We only hired for an hour as our time was limited, and it cost €37. The staff gave us a quick run through of how to operate the boat and off we went. I was so excited to give driving a boat a try, but I was terrible at steering. I swiftly passed the wheel to my husband, who was surprisingly good! We sailed up and down the river, soaking up the sun and the views. We had a great time looking at all the houseboats docked. The river was so quiet and it was the perfect end to our weekend.  

Nantes, France – In Conclusion

I didn’t have many expectations before we went, but Nantes completely surprised me. The city was full of parks and play areas, and the locals were so friendly. Our kids loved playing with others, and the free public transport made it easy to get around. We stayed just outside the city, but being only two bus stops away made it no problem at all.

There’s still so much we didn’t get to see, so we’ll definitely return. Next time, I’d love to take a river boat tour or a train to the coast for a beach walk. La Cantine du Voyage looks like a great spot too, with local food and a kids play area. We also missed museums like the Natural History Museum, which are included with the Nantes Pass – available online here or at the tourist office.

The city is filled with art and blends historic charm with modern creativity. For families, it’s a 10 out of 10 and can be done on a budget. Some of the best play areas we’ve come across, and the kids had a blast. We’ll definitely be back.

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Read about the best family city breaks here.