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This article lists eight completely free activities for discovering Nantes in a day: the Grand Éléphant on Île de Nantes, the freely accessible Château des ducs de Bretagne, the Jardin des plantes, the Passage Pommeraye, the Talensac market, the fishing village of Trentemoult, the green line of the Voyage à Nantes and the banks of the Erdre. Plenty to enjoy the city without spending a cent, rounded off with a stay at a campsite nearby.
Creative, green and human-scale, Nantes is easy to visit without spending money: extraordinary machines to admire, a castle with free access, colourful fishing villages… Here are 8 free activities for a great day out — to combine with a stay at a campsite near Nantes.
Climbing aboard is chargeable, but watching the 12-metre mechanical elephant stroll around — and visiting the esplanade of the Machines de l’île — is free and spectacular. The old Alstom halls around it alone are worth the walk.
The courtyard, the ramparts and their walkway are freely accessible: you get to enjoy the moats, the Renaissance façades and lovely views over the city without a ticket (only the museum inside is chargeable).
Facing the station, one of the finest botanical gardens in France: greenhouses, ducks, century-old magnolias and the famous poetic plant sculptures that are Nantes’ signature. Free and open every day.
This covered 19th-century arcade, with its statues and monumental staircase, is one of the most elegant in Europe. Leaving it, the Graslin district and its Italian-style square extend the stylish stroll — free window-shopping.
The great historic market of the Nantes locals (Tuesday to Sunday morning): fish fresh from the auction, local market gardeners and galettes to take away. The atmosphere is free, the temptation a little less so.
This fishing village with multicoloured houses, on the south bank, is the favourite spot for a stroll among the Nantes locals. The Navibus ferry that takes you there costs just a standard transport ticket, and the flower-lined lanes can be savoured without restraint.
A line painted on the ground links the works of urban art scattered across the whole city: follow it for a free trail between surprising installations, hidden courtyards and viewpoints, from the castle to Île de Nantes.
“The most beautiful river in France”, according to François I: from Île de Versailles and its Japanese garden (free), towpaths run alongside manor houses and riverside cafés. Perfect on foot or by bike to wind down the day peacefully.
The campsites around Nantes offer the most affordable accommodation for exploring the city and its surroundings. By widening your search to Loire-Atlantique, you can easily combine a Nantes city break with the ocean beaches, from Pornic to La Baule, without blowing your holiday budget.
Watching the mechanical elephant stroll around the esplanade of the Machines de l’île is free. Only riding on top of the elephant costs money.
Yes, the courtyard, ramparts and walkway are open access. Only the museum inside the castle charges an entrance fee.
This fishing village on the south bank of the Loire is reached by Navibus, for the price of a standard public transport ticket.
It's a line painted on the ground that freely links the urban artworks scattered across the city, from the castle to Île de Nantes.
Campsites around Nantes and more broadly across Loire-Atlantique offer the most affordable accommodation for exploring the city while combining a city break with the ocean beaches.