Is the Nantes City Pass Worth It? An Honest Review

If you’re planning a trip to Nantes and wondering whether the city pass is worth buying, I’ve done the maths for you – because I bought one, used it, and can tell you exactly what I got out of it. So here’s the rundown, how it worked for me, and whether or not it will work for you.

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What Is the Nantes City Pass?

The Pass Nantes gives you free entry to over 50 attractions and unlimited use of the city’s public transport (trams, buses, Navibus water buses, and the airport shuttle, plus the park-and-ride). It comes in 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour and 7-day versions. The app has great listings for independent shops, coffee shops, and more to help you plan your trip, a few discounts, and a free drink at a handful of places, too.

The easiest way to know exactly what’s included is to download the Pass Nantes app. I’ve shown some pages below. The discounts are on the final image. There’s a free visit and wine tasting at Chateau de Coing, and a guided tour of the restored Liveau Paper mill to add to this, too.

One important thing to know: while your entry may be free to some places, you still need to book ahead for some activities. This is especially true for the activities on the Île de Nantes, such as the Galerie des Machines de l’Île and the Carrousel des Mondes Marins.

To book ahead, make your reservations online, where you can, choosing the Nantes Pass option so you don’t pay again. Not everything can be reserved online in advance. Be prepared to email well in advance or, possibly easier, call the activity to reserve a place. When you attend, show your activated Nantes pass to take up your reserved place.

Another thing to know: the clock starts ticking the first time you use it, not from when you buy it. So you can buy it in advance, make any reservations, and activate it just before you start using it. I used a 24-hour pass split over 2 days, starting the clock around midday when I had my first booking at the Galerie des Machines de l’Île.

Buy the Nantes City Pass on GetYourGuide:

What Does It Cost?

I bought the 24-hour pass for €29 with GetYourGuide, which worked out slightly cheaper than booking directly. Here’s a guide to the remaining prices.

If you’re staying more than a day in Nantes, the jump from 24 to 48 hours is only €11 – worth considering if you’re not in a rush.

What I Used It For

I spread my 24-hour pass across two half-days, which worked well. Here’s what I visited and what it would have cost me without the pass:

I paid €29 for the pass. This gave me a saving of €31.50. Around the cost of the pass itself. A definite saving.

A few things to note here that could change the equation for you:

• Airport Shuttle: I used the airport shuttle, which is €10 each way; I only used it one way, as I arrived in the city by Flixbus and spent time there before activating my pass. There are slower, cheaper public transport options to the airport if you don’t mind the extra time. I will say the shuttle was very convenient, and I was glad to use the fast and easy service after several very long days on my feet in Nantes,
• Trams and buses: These are free on weekends, so if you are visiting then, your savings may be less than mine.

I also purchased a €12 ticket to ride the Grand Elephant at Les Machines de l’Île. This is not included in the pass and is best booked ahead. Don’t miss it, though; it’s quite unlike anything else. Whether or not you choose to ride him or not, you will most certainly see him, either walking in and out of his home in the Gallerie or outside in Parc des Chantiers. And if you stand in his way, he will likely soak you by squirting water from his capacious trunk.

What I Didn’t Get to Use

This is where it gets interesting, because the pass includes a lot more than I managed to fit in. Here are just a few of the things I missed:

• River cruises on the Erdre (€17 independently – note these require advance booking)
• Jules Verne Museum
• Musée Naval Maillé Brézé
• The little tourist train
• Planétarium
• Le Chronographe archaeological site

If you managed to squeeze in a river cruise on top of everything else, the pass would represent extraordinary value. The cruise alone at €17 would nearly cover the cost of the pass, along with just a couple of museums.

Practical Tips

Here are some useful things to know before you go.

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Is It Worth It?

For me, yes – clearly. I saved around €30 on a €29 pass without even trying particularly hard, and I still missed several things I’d have liked to see.

That said, it’s most worth it if you’re planning to pack in a lot of sightseeing. If you’re only visiting one or two attractions, or planning to spend most of your time eating, wandering and soaking up the atmosphere (which is completely valid in Nantes), then the pass probably won’t pay for itself.

The sweet spot is if you want to visit the Machines de l’Île (Galerie + Carrousel) and at least two or three other museums or attractions, or you would be paying for transport or park-and-ride. At that point, the maths works out in your favour straight away.

Get the Nantes City Pass on GetYourGuide

Where to next

Planning your visit to Nantes? I have a guide to visiting Les Machines de l’Île Nantes, including Le Grand Elephant and a full guide to things to do in Nantes, with some suggested itineraries and a map.

If you are looking for tours and experiences, there’s more below.

And if you like the mechanical creatures in Nantes, did you know there are more in Toulouse? Yes, Le Grand Elephant has a huge relative, a massive minotaur and companions at Halle de la Machine in Toulouse. I have a city guide on Toulouse too, with plenty more things to do for the whole family, including a hands-on aerospace attraction.

I hope you found this useful and interesting. If you’d like more guides like this straight to your inbox, I have a regular newsletter, and I’d love to have you join it.

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