Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE) is the main airport serving Nantes and the wider Pays de la Loire region in western France.
The airport is located 8 km southwest of Nantes city centre, near the Loire estuary.
Nantes Airport handles around 6-7 million passengers annually, making it one of France’s top 10 airports and the busiest airport west of Paris.
Major Airlines - easyJet, Transavia, Volotea
Nantes Airport is dominated by low-cost carriers, with just 3 budget airlines operating more than half of all flights - easyJet, Transavia, and Volotea. All three consider Nantes a focus city from where they offer direct, point-to-point flights to dozens of destinations all over Europe.
Ryanair also offers several flights to Nantes from around 10 of its other bases on the continent.
The biggest network carriers at NTE are Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Iberia, and British Airways. They provide links to their major hubs, including Paris-CDG, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid, and London.
Nantes Airport also offers flights to some other Francophone countries, including Canada, Tunisia, and Morocco, courtesy of airlines such as Air Canada, Air Transat, Nouvelair, and Royal Air Maroc.
Flights increase during the summer, when seasonal routes such as Guadeloupe, Athens, Palermo, Rhodes, and many others begin.
Click here to see all airlines at Nantes Airport.
Terminal Layout and Gates
Nantes Atlantique Airport has one L-shaped terminal, divided into four halls (1 to 4). It has been expanded and reconfigured several times over the years to cope with increasing passenger numbers and demand for air travel.
The terminal handles flights to and from Schengen, non-Schengen, and domestic destinations. It is very compact, and walking distances from check-in to the gates are no more than 5 minutes. Summer is the busiest period when queues may form at Security.
Hall 1: houses Arrivals, several shops and restaurants, an Information point, and Lost and Found.
Hall 2: Contains most of the Check-in desks.
Hall 3: Contains 8 gates mainly used by low-cost airlines.
Hall 4: A later single-storey building connected to the rest by a lobby. Handles Air France flights, regional flights, and some low-cost airlines via 7 gates.
Click here for the best things to do in Nantes.
WiFi and other services
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal. Select the “VINCI Airports wifi” network and follow the on-screen instructions on how to register and connect. You will need a valid email address. The network is unlimited in time or duration.
Other passenger services include:
ATMs: Located in Halls 2 and 3.
Currency exchange: ICE Currency exchange desk in Arrivals.
Tourist information desk: Located in Hall 1.
First Aid Station: On the main level of Hall 3.
Infirmary: On the Ground Floor of the terminal, in the departure hall opposite Starbucks.
Baby-changing facilities: One nursery in Hall 3, and 2 more in boarding areas 3B and 4B. All have microwaves for warming up baby food.
Postbox: Located landside in Hall 2. You can buy a stamp in the Relay store nearby.
Lounges at Nantes Airport
Nantes Airport has no traditional airport lounges.
Les Brasses, located in Hall 1, landside, Ground Floor, is not a traditional airport lounge; instead, it functions more as a restaurant with a more casual setting, but it is the closest thing to a lounge available at NTE.
It is open from 6 AM to 10 PM daily and welcomes passengers of all airlines. Members of lounge membership programs like Priority Pass or Lounge Key get a 23 EUR credit in Les Brasses.
Dining Options at NTE
Nantes Airport has a reasonable selection of cafés, bars, and casual dining outlets.
The two Relay stores (landside in Hall 2 and airside in Hall 3) stand out as a good place to buy snacks, confectionery, drinks, sandwiches, etc. to go.
Sit-down and casual places to eat and drink at NTE include:
Big Fernand: Try the “French hamburger” in this quirky but warm restaurant before Security.
Ker Juliette: A local Breton fast-food concept offering authentic buckwheat pancakes, crêpes, galettes, and more. Find it in the Public Area.
Starbucks: A well-known international coffeehouse that also offers snacks, sandwiches, and desserts. It’s located landside.
Pokawa: Specialises in gourmet poke-bowls with exotic flavours. Located in the Public Area.
Le Brioche Dorée: A friendly and modern eatery offering pastries, cakes, sandwiches, hot dishes, salads, drinks, and more, on the Ground Floor of the public area, before Security.
Transport to and from the airport
If you are coming to or leaving the airport by car, use the Southern Ring Road (Exits 50 or 51), or Rue de l’Aviation. The driving time between Nantes Airport and the city center is about 20 minutes.
The most convenient transport mode otherwise is the shuttle bus “Navette Tan Air”. It connects the airport to the Nantes city centre and Nantes railway station every 20 minutes (every 30 minutes on Sundays):
From the city centre, the first shuttle leaves at 05.30 (06:15 on Sundays) and the last leaves at 22.30 (22:45 on Sundays).
From Nantes Airport, the first shuttle leaves at 06.15 (07:00 on Sundays) and the last leaves at 22.45 (23:45 on Sundays).
You can take the shuttle from the forecourt in front of Departures. In the city, the shuttle stops at the South Station, the City of Congress, and Hôtel-Dieu. Single tickets cost 9 EUR, which includes an airport surcharge.
For a standard public transport fare, you can take TAN Bus Route 38 towards Pirmil or TAN Bus Route 98 towards Neustrie, where you can transfer to the Tan Tram Line 3.
Taxis are always available just outside the exit to Hall 1. Ordered taxis have a special rank in front of the Car Rental Building. Look for the sign “Taxi commandées”.
The standard journey time to central Nantes is 15 to 20 minutes with fares around 30-35 EUR, depending on distance.
Click here to book a private transfer from Nantes Airport.
Major rental companies, including Avis/Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, and Sixt, have service desks on the esplanade, right next to the Car Rental Building. Renting a car is a smart choice if you want to explore the Loire Valley and the Atlantic coast.
Parking at Nantes Airport
Nantes Airport provides several official parking areas, categorized as Proximité, Navette, Éco, and Couvert.
P1 Couvert is an indoor parking zone with direct, 2-minute walking access to the terminal. It requires a reservation and costs 45.20 EUR per day.
Proximité parking lots include P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6. These are outdoors, about a 2 to 5-minute walk from the terminal. Rates start at 74.50 EUR for 3 days.
Éco parking lots include P7, P8, and P9, all outdoors and about 10 minutes from the terminal. Prices start at 57 EUR for 4 days of parking.
P11 is the navette parking lot - the cheapest and the farthest parking facility at NTE. It is linked to the terminal via a free shuttle that runs every 10 minutes. P11 is ideal for longer stays - 97.20 EUR for 10 days of parking. Charging points for electric vehicles are available here.
Additionally, there is also a “Dépose minute” parking right in front of the terminal, equivalent to a Kiss & Fly zone. Parking there is free for up to 10 minutes, two entries per 24 hours.
All parking lots are open 24/7. Booking is recommended, especially during the summer, and will guarantee the best rates. For short-term parking rates, check the official airport booking portal.
Hotels near Nantes Airport
There is no hotel directly connected to the terminal, but 3 hotels are right outside it:
Hôtel Oceania Nantes Aéroport: A 4-star hotel offering a complimentary shuttle, an on-site restaurant, and a business-oriented setup.
Hôtel Escale Oceania Nantes Aéroport: A 3-star hotel with good reviews and an exceptional breakfast.
B&B HOTEL Nantes Aéroport: A simpler, more budget-friendly, 2-star bed&breakfast with quiet and comfortable rooms. The public bus to the city stops just a few steps away.
Central Nantes is less than a 30-minute drive from the airport and offers a wider range of accommodation options.
Click here for more information about Nantes Airport hotels.
Nantes, France
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