To Commerce · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours
3 transfer options
Not everything runs all night.Not all night: the Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu runs 05:15–00:00, the Bus 38 to Pirmil runs 06:10–23:13.
Recommended
The cheapest way in. The Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu is 14 minutes quicker for €8.20 more, which is not worth it at this party size.
Bus
Bus 38 to Pirmil, then tram 3 or 2
38→3/2 · Naolib (Semitan, for Nantes Métropole)
30–36 min rideEvery 20 min06:10–23:13
The bus stop on the forecourt outside the terminal→Commerce
1 changeLuggage space
€1.80total for 1 adult€1.80 eachBuy ticketOn Naolib
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. The bus stop on the forecourt outside the terminal, the same stop as the shuttle, any bus 38 signed Greneraie
One EUR 1.80 ticket covers the bus and the tram within an hour of first validation; validate again on the tram. Ten rides are EUR 17.80 and a 24-hour ticket EUR 6.80 (EUR 15 for four people together). Buy at the machine by the airport stop, the Relay shop in Hall 2, any tram-stop machine or the Naolib app; the bus driver sells only a EUR 2.50 single, in cash. Not valid on the shuttle.
Luggage. A city bus and a tram, with one change: no racks, bags ride with you twice.
Hours. Bus 38 leaves the airport 06:10 to 23:13 Monday to Saturday and 07:00 to 23:22 on Sunday: every 12 to 20 minutes on weekdays (18 to 30 in school holidays), every 30 on Saturday, hourly on Sunday. Every bus meets a tram at Pirmil; the last reaches Commerce at 23:45, on Sunday at 00:00.
Boards at. The Navette Aéroport stop on the forecourt outside the terminal, beside its ticket machine
EUR 10 each way, the same at weekends; under-sixes ride free. The ticket also covers an hour on the trams, buses, Navibus and TER trains within the city area. Buy in the Naolib app, at the machine by the stop, at the Relay shop in Hall 2 or on board by card only. The ordinary EUR 1.80 ticket, the day ticket and the passes are not valid on the shuttle.
Luggage. Made for travellers with luggage: everything you carry rides with you at no charge.
Hours. Every 20 minutes from April to October and every 30 from November to March, the same every day of the week; nothing runs on 1 May. Gare Sud is 18 minutes from the airport and Hôtel Dieu 21, up to 24 in the morning peak, traffic permitting.
The options are still here — your budget or journey-time filter is drawn tighter than any of them. Widen either one, or reset the filters, to bring them back.
Prices are whole-party totals; group fares are included. Ride times are recorded journey durations — no waiting or onward travel has been added — and road times vary with traffic. Confirm prices and availability with the operator. Going the other way? Nantes to Atlantique airport: where each one boards and when the first one runs
How do I get from Nantes airport to Nantes city center?
For one traveler we recommend the Bus 38 to Pirmil at €1.80, 30–36 min, which is also the cheapest way in; the fastest is the Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu at €10, 21–24 min. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
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Arriving late?
Not everything runs around the clock: the Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu runs 05:15–00:00, and the Bus 38 to Pirmil, then tram 3 or 2 runs 06:10–23:13. Outside those hours, the Pre-booked private transfer is what remains. Set the hour you leave arrivals and the board keeps only what is running.
Luggage
Made for travellers with luggage: everything you carry rides with you at no charge.
Going somewhere specific?
"The center" is not one place, and the answer changes
The shuttle stops on the esplanade in front of the terminal, opposite the entrance to check-in desks D, with its ticket machine beside it; bus 38 stops in front of the terminal too. Bus 98, for tram 3 at Neustrie, stops at Aéroclub by the big roundabout, five minutes' walk.
Tickets
The EUR 10 shuttle ticket is sold at the machine by the stop, at the Relay shop in Hall 2, in the Naolib app, or on board by card only. The EUR 1.80 ticket for bus 38 and the tram comes from the same machine, shop or app; the bus driver sells only a EUR 2.50 single, in cash. Validate as you board.
The taxi rank
The head of the rank is right outside the terminal, opposite Arrivals 1; a taxi booked by phone waits under the "taxis commandés" sign in front of the car-rental building. No fare is fixed: the airport's own guide price to the centre is EUR 30 to 35 on the meter, and you can pay by card whatever the amount.
Uber and Bolt
Uber and Bolt both pick up at Nantes Atlantique. Neither names a fixed meeting point: request the ride once you have your bags and follow the app to the pickup spot, which may not be at the nearest exit. Uber lets you reserve the pickup before you land.
At night
The last shuttle leaves the airport at 00:00 and the first at 05:15; the last bus 38 is 23:13 (23:22 Sunday). Nothing else runs from the airport in between, so a late arrival means the taxi rank outside Hall 1 on the night meter, or a ride-hailing app.
Luggage
The shuttle takes you with all your luggage at no charge; there is no bag limit or fee. Bus 38 and the tram are city vehicles with no racks, so keep bags beside you.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
NA · Naolib (Semitan, for Nantes Métropole)Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu
From
The Navette Aéroport stop on the forecourt outside the terminal, beside its ticket machine
To
Hôtel Dieu, in the middle of the city a short walk from Commerce, via Gare Sud (the bus station beside the railway station, 18 minutes) and Lieu Unique for the Cité des Congrès
Luggage
Made for travellers with luggage: everything you carry rides with you at no charge.
Runs
05:15–00:00
Journey
21–24 min
EUR 10 each way, the same at weekends; under-sixes ride free. The ticket also covers an hour on the trams, buses, Navibus and TER trains within the city area. Buy in the Naolib app, at the machine by the stop, at the Relay shop in Hall 2 or on board by card only. The ordinary EUR 1.80 ticket, the day ticket and the passes are not valid on the shuttle.
It needs its own EUR 10 ticket: the EUR 1.80 ticket, the 24-hour ticket and the monthly passes are all refused on the shuttle, though the shuttle ticket is good for an hour on the rest of the network.
Bus 38 and the tram reach the same centre from the same forecourt for EUR 1.80 in about 40 minutes with one change. The shuttle buys about twenty minutes, a seat and room for the bags, for EUR 10 a head.
Every 20 minutes from April to October, every 30 from November to March; the timetable is the same seven days a week, and nothing runs on 1 May.
The last shuttle leaves the airport at 00:00 and reaches Hôtel Dieu at 00:21; the first is 05:15. A flight landing after midnight has no bus at all until 05:15.
Since 30 March 2026 the town-side stop is at the bus station beside the railway station, not at the old Gare Sud stop; for the way back, go through the bus-station building to quai A.
Every 20 minutes from April to October and every 30 from November to March, the same every day of the week; nothing runs on 1 May. Gare Sud is 18 minutes from the airport and Hôtel Dieu 21, up to 24 in the morning peak, traffic permitting.
38→3/2 · Naolib (Semitan, for Nantes Métropole)Bus 38 to Pirmil, then tram 3 or 2
From
The bus stop on the forecourt outside the terminal, the same stop as the shuttle, any bus 38 signed Greneraie
To
Commerce, the tram hub in the middle of the city — bus 38 to Pirmil in 20 to 25 minutes, then tram 3 (or tram 2 from the same stop) six stops on to Hôtel Dieu and Commerce in 10 to 11
Luggage
A city bus and a tram, with one change: no racks, bags ride with you twice.
Runs
06:10–23:13
Journey
30–36 min
One EUR 1.80 ticket covers the bus and the tram within an hour of first validation; validate again on the tram. Ten rides are EUR 17.80 and a 24-hour ticket EUR 6.80 (EUR 15 for four people together). Buy at the machine by the airport stop, the Relay shop in Hall 2, any tram-stop machine or the Naolib app; the bus driver sells only a EUR 2.50 single, in cash. Not valid on the shuttle.
Change at Pirmil, as the network's own directions say: every 38 stops there, and both tram 3 and tram 2 call there on their way into the city. The 38 no longer goes to Neustrie, whatever an older guide says; the airport's own page warns of it.
Weekdays it is a real service, every 12 to 20 minutes; at weekends it thins to every 30 minutes on Saturday and once an hour on Sunday, when the first bus is 07:00. With a Sunday flight the shuttle's 20-minute headway may be worth the EUR 10.
Buy before boarding or bring coins: the bus driver sells only a EUR 2.50 single in cash, and the shuttle ticket machine by the stop sells the EUR 1.80 ticket too. Validate on the bus and again on the tram, within the hour.
Tram 2 also runs Pirmil to Commerce, so take whichever comes first towards the city; for Gare de Nantes stay on tram 3 or 2 to Commerce and change to tram 1 for Gare Nord, or take the shuttle instead.
The last bus 38 that still meets a tram into town leaves the airport at 23:13 (23:22 on Sunday) and reaches Commerce at 23:45 (00:00 Sunday). After that only the shuttle runs, until 00:00.
Bus 38 leaves the airport 06:10 to 23:13 Monday to Saturday and 07:00 to 23:22 on Sunday: every 12 to 20 minutes on weekdays (18 to 30 in school holidays), every 30 on Saturday, hourly on Sunday. Every bus meets a tram at Pirmil; the last reaches Commerce at 23:45, on Sunday at 00:00.
What is the best way from Nantes airport to Nantes city center?
For one traveler, the Bus 38 to Pirmil, then tram 3 or 2 at €1.80, 30–36 min. The cheapest way in. The Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu is 14 minutes quicker for €8.20 more, which is not worth it at this party size. The same holds for a group of up to eight. How we weigh price against time is set out on the fares page, in numbers.
What is the cheapest way from Nantes airport to Nantes city center?
For one traveler, the Bus 38 to Pirmil, then tram 3 or 2 at €1.80. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from Nantes airport to Nantes city center by bus?
For one traveler the cheapest bus is the Bus 38 to Pirmil at €1.80, 30–36 min; the fastest is the Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu at €10, 21–24 min. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Nantes by any means. See every option by bus
How do I get from Nantes airport to Nantes city center by taxi?
One taxi reaches Commerce: the Pre-booked private transfer, €71 for one traveler, 25 min, to any address in Nantes. It is not the cheapest way in: the Bus 38 to Pirmil at €1.80 is. The fastest way overall is the Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu, 21–24 min. See every option by taxi
How long does it take to get from Nantes airport to Nantes city center?
Bus 38 to Pirmil, then tram 3 or 2: 30–36 min. Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu: 21–24 min. Pre-booked private transfer: 25 min
How far is Nantes airport from the city center?
Nantes Airport does not publish a distance to the city. By time: the fastest way in, the Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu, takes 21–24 min; the cheapest, the Bus 38 to Pirmil, 30–36 min.
Is there Uber or Bolt at Nantes airport?
Uber and Bolt both pick up at Nantes Atlantique. Neither names a fixed meeting point: request the ride once you have your bags and follow the app to the pickup spot, which may not be at the nearest exit. Uber lets you reserve the pickup before you land.
Where do I catch the Bus 38 to Pirmil at Nantes airport?
The bus stop on the forecourt outside the terminal, the same stop as the shuttle, any bus 38 signed Greneraie. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Commerce, the tram hub in the middle of the city — bus 38 to Pirmil in 20 to 25 minutes, then tram 3 (or tram 2 from the same stop) six stops on to Hôtel Dieu and Commerce in 10 to 11.
Is there a train from Nantes airport to Nantes at night?
The Navette Aéroport to Gare Sud and Hôtel Dieu runs 05:15–00:00. The Bus 38 to Pirmil, then tram 3 or 2 runs 06:10–23:13. Outside those hours the pre-booked private transfer is what remains; it is €71 for the vehicle. Every 20 minutes from April to October and every 30 from November to March, the same every day of the week; nothing runs on 1 May. Gare Sud is 18 minutes from the airport and Hôtel Dieu 21, up to 24 in the morning peak, traffic permitting.
Worth knowing
The Navette Aéroport is EUR 10 each way, including weekends, and runs non-stop to Gare Sud beside the railway station in 18 minutes and on to Hôtel Dieu in the middle of the city in 21. From the airport 05:15 to 00:00, every 20 minutes from April to October and every 30 from November to March; no service on 1 May.
The ordinary EUR 1.80 ticket is not valid on the shuttle, but it covers the other way in: bus 38 from the same forecourt to Pirmil, the tram interchange south of the river, then tram 3 or 2 to Hôtel Dieu and Commerce. About 40 minutes with one change, for a fifth of the price. The 38 runs 06:10 to 23:13 on weekdays, every 30 minutes on Saturday and hourly on Sunday.
Buy before you board where you can. The machine beside the airport stop and the Relay shop in Hall 2 sell both tickets; the Naolib app sells both as mobile tickets. On the shuttle the driver sells the EUR 10 ticket by card only; on bus 38 the driver sells a EUR 2.50 single in cash only. Validate on boarding.
No taxi fare is fixed: the Préfecture publishes a meter with maxima only. EUR 2.60 to start, EUR 1.11 to 3.00 a kilometre by tariff letter (the night and Sunday rates from 19:00 to 07:00), EUR 8 minimum, EUR 4 per passenger from the fifth, EUR 2 per bag beyond three each; cards are taken for any amount. The airport's own guide price to the centre is EUR 30 to 35.
Nothing flips with party size: there is no fixed per-car fare, and the bus and tram cost EUR 1.80 a head whatever the group. Eight people pay EUR 14.40 by bus 38 and tram, EUR 80 on the shuttle, and a meter in a taxi that seats four (five to eight in a larger car, with the supplement).
Between the 00:00 shuttle and the 05:15 one nothing leaves the airport: the last bus 38 is 23:13 (23:22 on Sunday), and none of the night lines comes near. The trams run in town until 00:30, and until 02:30 on Friday and Saturday nights, but a late arrival at the airport is a taxi on the night meter.
Bus 98 also stops near the airport, at Aéroclub by the big roundabout, five minutes' walk from the halls, for tram 3 at its Neustrie terminus: the same EUR 1.80 ticket, but it finishes at about 20:40 and runs nine times on Sunday. Bus 38 no longer goes to Neustrie; it is the Pirmil bus.
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