Bonjour! Salut! Bienvenue! ⊠(okay so maybe Iâm still not quite fluent in French, however, I still managed to get by on my trip to Nantes). During a revision session in November with my friend, when the world of business studies was just getting a bit too much, we took a break and took the only sensible option⊠booked a holiday! Trust me, it’s a great procrastination technique. Now I know what youâre thinking – a) How can you afford that as a student? b) Where even is Nantes and what is there to do there? Well, I was the same as you, I had never heard of the place until it came to booking it. So here is my honest review of my trip and some of the highlights that this destination had to offer.
So how much�
As I said before, just like most of you, I am also a student, and so money can often be a bit tight. However, holidays do NOT have to be super expensive! We did lots of research on different airlines and were flexible with our dates to get the cheapest deals possible. We also decided that we were only going to go for a couple of days and so didnât need to purchase a suitcase to fly with. We were also very flexible with our accommodation options and opted for a private room with a shared bathroom and kitchen apartment. This may not be for everyone as you are sharing with strangers, however, it was very cheap and worked perfect for us. Another thing to bear in mind when you travel is your transport options in the area. We were lucky to be in an area with great public transport including regular buses and tram services which made getting around quicker and cheaper. It also meant that we got a better gauge of where we were throughout out trip as we were having to sort out transport ourselves and pay
attention a lot more.
How did we end up with Nantes?
Iâll be completely honest⊠it was the cheapest option! Neither of us had ever been here before but after doing some research, it was one of the cheapest options we could find for dates just before Christmas. We used the likes of Trip Advisor and TikTok to check that there was enough to do there, and then we booked it. Nantes is a city in France. It offers a couple of tourist landmarks to go to as well as some pretty Christmas markets in December. Overall, there werenât loads of activities to do, but there were lots of opportunities to practice your French and immerse yourself in French culture. With not loads to see, we also decided to take a train to La Rochelle and Angers, two similarly beautiful French cities.
Local culture and people
France is known for its gorgeous cuisine; however, it wasnât the food that necessarily caught my eye but rather their culture around eating. I personally love French restaurants and cafes. One thing I really picked up on is the lack of phones at peopleâs tables! It made such a change to watch people really interact with one another. I also love how everyone sits outside little cafes at metal table and chairs, come rain or shine. Even on our coldest day in Angers, we sat outside with our coats on, blankets on our laps, and underneath a heat lamp. A bit of fresh air and genuine chats with your friends is such an effective mood booster! Similarly, every little side street you turned down would have various independent little bakeries for you to stop in during the day, and little cheese and wine shops to stop in for the evening.
Activities and attractions:
If you are quite active, like myself, then Iâm sure you will be interested in what activities there
are to do here. With a bit of research, we found various sight-seeing opportunities
- Nantes and Angers Marches de Noel â The Christmas Markets! This was our main point of call this trip as we were there so close to Christmas, and I would definitely recommend going! After a month filled with revision and exams, these markets really put me in the Christmas spirit. There were lots on offer including local artists handmade gifts, various food (both sweet and savoury), and a mulled wine and hot chocolate bar! This had to be one of my favourite parts of the trip.
- Les Machines de LâIle â Le Grand Elephant â now this is a must-see attraction! Slightly odd I will admit, but something that Iâve never seen before. It is a fully mechanical elephant that you can ride on. It takes you around the former shipyard on the river and only takes about 30 minutes all together. A great mix between art and mechanics! Thereâs also a little gift shop after if youâre like me and want to pick up a cute poster or postcard of your experience.
- Les Anneaux â These are large, colourful, light up rings located along the water, designed by the famous artist Buren. It is supposed to be a âmust-seeâ attraction in Nantes and so for that reason, I would recommend going to tick it off your list. However, it wasnât a highlight for me. If you go, I recommend seeing them at night so that you can see them lit up. Unfortunately for us, the local bars were rented out for a private function that evening so we couldnât go in, but this is also an option if youâre nearby.
- Chateau des ducs de Bretagne â perfect for any history-lovers out there! This castle is free to walk around too which makes it perfect for when youâre on a budget. Pretty views, great stories to learn from â an attraction that I personally really enjoyed.
Challenges
In a completely honest review, we didnât really have any problems with the trip itself. People in Nantes were super friendly and would help us when we were trying to practice our French. Things werenât cheap nor were they really expensive. We had a nice mix of activities and overall enjoyed this part of France. The one big issue we had was actually our flying experiences. On flying out there, we had to land in Bordeaux due to poor weather conditions in Nantes. This caused quite a delay to our travel, meaning slightly less time in Nantes unfortunately. And to finish off the trip, our flight home was heavily delayed! We spent around 6 hours in the airport in total, and without any proper food as we had already gone through passport control. This wasnât exactly a pleasant experience, especially when youâre going home and just want to be back on home soil. Two very tired, and hungry, travellers but we made it back to London eventually.
Overall, I would definitely recommend a trip to Nantes if you get the chance. I particularly enjoyed the Christmas markets so December could be an ideal time to go (and it wasnât too cold either). La Rochelle, which is just a short train journey away, was also beautiful and great for a little bit of shopping and exploring. I personally would recommend just going for a few days, I donât think you need too much more than that to get around and see the different things that the city has to offer.