If you are planning a road trip around Brittany or the western Loire Valley in France, Nantes, capital of the Loire Atlantique Department is a wonderful place to start your journey.

There are more than 20 trains a day connecting Nantes railway station with Paris. Leave the French capital from the Gare Montparnasse and you can travel the 342km in just under 2hr on the fastest high-speed TGV train. You can also reach Nantes direct by train from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, a trip of just under 4hr.

Nantes Station is a busy transport hub with connecting train services to major cities like Strasbourg and Bordeaux as being a stop on the high speed service from Orleans to the Atlantic coast. Built in the 1960s, the station’s facilities include a travel information desk, left luggage, a first-class lounge, taxi rank and within the precinct of the station, an Avis car rental location.

Hiring a car from Nantes Railway Station gives you the chance to explore the lower Loire Valley, head into rural Britanny or drive to the Atlantic coast with its small towns and vast sandy beaches. So, if you are planning a road trip in Northwest France and looking at options for Nantes car rental, Avis has you covered as soon as you step off the train.

You’ll find our Avis office at 20 Rue Cornulier, a 2min walk from the entrance of Nantes Railway Station. As you come out of the station, turn left towards the station’s multi-storey car park and head along Rue de Lourmel. Cross the road before you reach the station car park and you will see the Avis rental counter in front of you on the corner of Rue de Cornulier.

From our Avis office at Nantes Station, it’s just an 8min (2.7km) drive into the heart of Nantes. Turn left out of the car rental car park onto Rue de Cornulier and at the end of the street, take a right turn onto Rue du Copenhague. At the roundabout take the first exit onto Rue du Progres an onto the Tbilissi Bridge over the L’Erde Canal. Turn onto Av John Kennedy and continue into the centre of the city via Rue de Stalingrad.

At the intersection of the majestic River Loire and the L’Erde Canal, Nantes is a busy port city with a lively centre.

Several of the city’s attractions are within easy reach of Nantes Station. The River Loire is just a short walk south of the station and you can follow the river into the centre of the city. The Château des Ducs de Bretagne, once home to the Dukes of Brittany dominates the heart of Nantes. Now a museum with multimedia exhibits, you can step back in time with a walk around the castle’s fortified ramparts. The 7 hectares of Nantes’ impressive Jardin Des Plantes – one of the top 4 botanical gardens in France - are the perfect place to relax.

Towering above the city, Gothic Nantes Cathedral, which has received major renovation work following a fire, dates back to 1434 and took more than 400 years to complete. Even just from the outside, it’s an awe-inspiring sight.

After enjoying Nantes’ historic buildings, take a walk through the Old Town and stop off in one of the many cafes and restaurants. Don’t miss the chance to sample some of the region’s most popular dishes, warm crispy crêpes with your favourite topping or the kouign amann, a famous Breton pastry made with puff pastry, salted butter and caramelised sugar.

As well as great drives around Brittany there are plenty of fun road trips to be had from Nantes Station with your Avis hire car. Head for medieval Angers, a 1hr30min drive up the D273 Loire Valley road to enjoy the city’s old town with its half-timbered houses, rich history and culture. Along the way, stop off at the beautiful Chateau de Serrant.

Alternatively drive southwest to the coast at Les Sables D’Ollone, regarded as one of the most beautiful bays in France, a 1 hr 18 min (106.2 km) drive via A83, D763 and D160.  

The roads in and around Nantes are easy to navigate and Nantes Station is the perfect base to begin a road trip around the Loire Atlantique Department. Hiring a car from Avis at Nantes Station gives you the freedom and flexibility to explore at your own pace. If you are feeling inspired, why not check out our experts’ guide to great France road trips.

If you are picking up your hire car from Avis at Nantes Station and want to explore Nantes, you’ll find plenty of public parking around the station area. There are three on-street parking options in the city centre with two chargeable zones (yellow and red) and a free zone (blue) where you can park for free for 1.5 hours on presentation of your parking disc. Pay for parking at the nearest parking meter. Don’t forget parking in some popular tourist sites can be at a premium in the peak summer months (July and August) and it is worth checking local parking and even booking ahead before you set off.

If you are heading out to explore Britanny and the lower Loire Valley from Nantes Station, our friendly Avis team is on hand to help make your road trip around the Loire Atlantique region of France as easy as possible.

Be aware that Nantes, like many French cities, has a Low Emissions Zone (Zone à Traffic Limité) to cut pollution and congestion. In ZTLs only residents or permitted vehicles have access at certain hours so check your route before your drive. It’s worth avoiding the rush hour around Nantes and traffic can also be heavy with motorists leaving Nantes on Friday nights and returning home from the coast on a Sunday evening so try and avoid making your own getaway at these times.

If you are new to driving in France, we’d advise familiarising yourself with the latest advice plus the road rules in France.