Nantes car hires from £22/day

Because you will often be driving on the highway, you can rent any vehicle you’d prefer. A sports car, luxury vehicle, or convertible might be a fun choice for your Nantes vacation. However, a compact car might be your best bet because of the cost of petrol in France. Some common cars driven around the area include the Peugeot, Renault, Volkswagen, and Nissan.

You’ll travel mostly on the motorways during your vacation. The speed limit on these major highways is between 80 km (49.70 mph) and 110 km (68 mph). If you happen to be in a residential neighborhood, be sure to drop your speed to 30 km (18 mph). You’ll always need to adjust speeds in inclement weather.

You will likely have to pay to park your hire car in downtown Nantes. However, many hotels offer free parking for guests. If this is not your situation, consider leaving your car at a parking lot such as Parking Feydeau or NGE Commerce Public Park (a parking garage in the center of downtown). Valet public parking services are also available at the Nantes Train Station.

On average a car hire in Nantes costs £31 per day.

Car hire companies onsite at Nantes Atlantique airport include Thrifty and Dollar.

Car hire companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Nantes Atlantique airport to off-airport locations include Avis, Thrifty and Dollar.

Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.

A Small car hire in Nantes costs £39 per day, on average.

A Luxury car hire in Nantes costs £37 per day, on average.

A Medium car hire in Nantes costs £57 per day, on average.

Most car hire providers in Nantes offer insurance but the level of protection can differ substantially. If you're unsure whether to get extra protection for your car hire in Nantes, check out KAYAK's car hire insurance guide.

If you plan on using cheap car hire in Nantes, you will need a valid driver's licence, your passport and a return ticket, plus an International Driving Permit in some cases. Persons with a booking should have their confirmation details as well as the card used for the reservation. You should know that some providers, like Hertz, allow the use of bank debit cards (Visa or MasterCard) as well as major credit cards for payment purposes.

We think the drive from Nantes to Bordeaux is an excellent way to discover the Atlantic coastal region of France. You can follow the A83 down to Sainte Hermine then take one of the secondary roads through Marais Poitevin Regional Natural Park, to La Rochelle. You can then follow the A10 south, crossing the Dordogne via Pont de Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac into the wine-producing region of Bordeaux. La Cite du Vin and Place de la Bourse are two prominent landmarks en route to the city centre.