Quick answer: Cheap car hire Nantes Airport starts from around £20 per day for a small car in the quiet season. Booking cheap car hire Nantes Airport early secures both the price and your pick of automatics. The rental desks sit just outside the terminal on the esplanade, a short walk from arrivals. Nantes is the busiest gateway in Western France and the natural entry point for Southern Brittany, the Gulf of Morbihan and the Loire castles. Drive on the right, book an automatic early if you want one, and most of the region’s main roads are toll-free.
Nantes Atlantique is the busiest airport in Western France, and for good reason: it is the natural gateway to Southern Brittany’s coast, the Gulf of Morbihan and the Loire Valley’s castles, all within a couple of hours’ drive. Cheap car hire Nantes Airport is the smart first booking for anyone planning to explore beyond the city itself, because public transport thins out fast once you leave Nantes.
The region’s finest moments, a hidden Atlantic beach, a walled medieval town, a scattering of megalithic stones older than Stonehenge, sit at the end of quiet roads that no bus reaches. Whatever your route, cheap car hire Nantes Airport is the booking that makes the whole trip possible.
This page covers what car hire in Nantes actually costs, where to collect your car, what a Nantes gateway unlocks, and the driving rules you need to know. Whether you are heading South to the coast or East to the Loire, the aim here is to help you book with confidence and get on the road with no surprises.
How Much Does Cheap Car Hire Nantes Airport Cost?
Cheap car hire Nantes Airport starts from around £20 per day for a small car in the quiet season, typically January and February. Prices rise through spring and peak in July and August, when Nantes’ deep supply still gives it the keenest rates of any Brittany gateway thanks to strong competition between rental desks.
A small hatchback is the practical choice for the region’s narrow coastal lanes and old-town parking, and if you want an automatic, book it early: automatics are a smaller share of the fleet everywhere in France and sell out first in summer. The table below shows how cheap car hire Nantes Airport moves through the seasons.
| Season | Small car, per day (approx) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January & February (low) | from £20 | Cheapest months, best availability |
| March to May | £24 to £30 | Prices rising, book 3+ weeks ahead |
| June to August (peak) | £32 to £45+ | Book early, automatics sell out first |
| September to December | £22 to £28 | Good value shoulder season |
Where to Collect Your Hire Car at Nantes Airport
Unlike some airports, the rental desks at Nantes Atlantique are not inside the terminal. As soon as you exit Arrivals, follow the signs across the esplanade to the car rental building, a short and well-signposted walk from the main terminal. Major suppliers including Sixt, Enterprise, Avis, Hertz, Alamo, Dollar, Budget and Europcar operate from this shared building, with some smaller providers running a short shuttle bus to an off-site desk. Give yourself 15 to 20 minutes from landing to being in your car.
On return, follow the Car Rental signs back to the same building, where an attendant will inspect the car before taking the keys. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days at Nantes Atlantique, so arriving mid-week or outside peak morning and afternoon hours generally means a quicker, calmer collection.
What a Nantes Gateway Unlocks
Nantes sits at the crossroads of two of France’s great touring regions. To the South and West, the coast road opens onto the Gulf of Morbihan, a sheltered inland sea scattered with islands, and onward to Carnac, where thousands of standing stones have stood in ordered rows since long before the pyramids. The Atlantic resort towns of Pornic and Le Croisic make an easy day trip, with genuine sandy beaches and none of the crowds of the Riviera.
To the East, the Loire unwinds past a string of fairy-tale châteaux, vineyards and riverside villages, all within a comfortable two-hour drive of the airport. Few other French gateways put both the wild Atlantic coast and the grandeur of the Loire within such easy reach of a single car hire desk, which is what makes cheap car hire Nantes Airport such a strong first booking for a touring holiday.
Heading into Southern Brittany? Our guide to the Gulf of Morbihan scenic drive maps a full loop around the little sea, from the walled city of Vannes to the great megaliths of Locmariaquer and the Pearl of the Gulf, the Île-aux-Moines, with verified drive times, parking notes and a downloadable route guide.
For the deep past, the Carnac scenic drive takes in the greatest concentration of standing stones on Earth, older than the pyramids, along with the sailing port of La Trinité-sur-Mer and the wild Côte Sauvage of the Quiberon peninsula.
Driving From Nantes Airport: Rules and Roads
France drives on the right, and Nantes’ approach roads are modern dual carriageways that make the transition easy even for a first-time driver in France. Speed limits follow the standard French rules: 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on two-way rural roads, 110 km/h on dual carriageways and 130 km/h on motorways, lower in the wet. The roads West toward the Southern Brittany coast are largely toll-free, while heading East on the A11 toward the Loire and Paris does carry tolls, so budget for those if that is your route.
Carry your driving licence, passport and rental paperwork at all times. France’s drink-drive limit is a strict 0.05%, lower than the UK, so the simplest approach on a driving day is not to drink at all. For the official rules of the road, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office keeps an up to date summary on its France travel advice pages. Watch for priorité à droite at smaller junctions, where traffic joining from the right can have priority, and take the first roundabout gently: it will feel natural within a couple of miles.
What You Need to Hire a Car at Nantes Airport
Bring a full, valid driving licence, your passport and a credit card in the lead driver’s name for the deposit. Most suppliers require drivers to be at least 21, with a young driver surcharge under 25 at many companies, so check your chosen supplier’s terms when booking. If your licence is not in French or English, an International Driving Permit is worth carrying alongside it to avoid any argument at the desk. Book your automatic, if you want one, as early as possible: it is the single most useful piece of advice on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cheap Car Hire Nantes Airport
How much does it cost to hire a car at Nantes Airport?
Cheap car hire Nantes Airport starts from around £20 per day for a small car in the quiet season, rising through spring and peaking in July and August. Booking three or more weeks ahead typically secures a lower rate and a better choice of car.
Where are the rental desks at Nantes Airport?
Outside the terminal, across the esplanade. Follow the signs from Arrivals to the shared car rental building, a short, well-marked walk of a few minutes.
Do I need an International Driving Permit for Nantes?
UK and EU licences are accepted as they are. If your licence is not in French or English, carrying an International Driving Permit alongside it is a sensible precaution.
Should I book an automatic at Nantes Airport?
If you prefer one, yes, and book it early. Automatics are a smaller share of the hire fleet across France and are the first cars to sell out once summer bookings begin.
What can I reach from Nantes by hire car?
Southern Brittany’s coast, the Gulf of Morbihan and Carnac’s standing stones to the South and West, and the Loire Valley’s châteaux to the East, all within around two hours’ drive of the airport.
Compare Cheap Car Hire Nantes Airport
Ready to book? Use the search above to compare cheap car hire Nantes Airport across all the major suppliers. Choose a small car for the coastal lanes, book early for the best low-season price and your pick of automatics, and Southern Brittany and the Loire are yours to explore at your own pace.
Nantes is one of four gateways into car hire in Brittany, alongside Rennes, Dinard and Brest. If you are also considering the centre or North of the region, our Brittany hub compares all four airports side by side.