The Gare de Nantes, part II !!!

Posted in Bretagne, France

We have come quite often to Nantes, a City that needs to be visited more by all. A wonderful historical city with many monuments to see, many wonderful properties. I was again on my local road warrior mode and as bit not back, decided to give it a refresher to this must to visit City of Nantes, Loire-Atlantique dept 44 of the Pays de la Loire region,in my belle France ; even if old Bretagne! Do read my previous posts on the city as well, For now let me tell you more of the Gare de Nantes, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Nantes gare de Nantes front mar24

My father took me to the train station in Auray and took there the TER train to Nantes changing trains in Redon for Nantes. At the train station of Nantes took the navette airport bus to the airport of Nantes.  This service I have to say taken it many times and it is wonderful at only 8,50€ the transfer (now is 9€). Arriving a day earlier to catch my very early flight to Krakow, Poland, I stayed in a familiar hotel the Escales Oceania hotel at Nantes airport ,very good deal and done it before nice place. It just across from airport nice easy walking. At Nantes Atlantique airport (NTE) took an Air France flight to Roissy CDG (Paris). The connection at CDG was done ok,and took my flight on Easyjet to Krakow Poland; all ok. This taking the easy CDGVAL train that goes from T1 to T3 at CDG and parking spaces as Roissypole train/bus  hub. Once in Krakow took a taxi to my hotel the Sheraton Grand Krakow.(part of the Marriott group).

The return ,I arrive at Roissy CDG airport at Saturday 19h10 or 7:10 pm; here had change of flights from the original leaving of 17h to one leaving at 21h35 or 9:35pm arriving at Nantes on Air France by 22h45 or 10:45pm. A car rental on Europcar was to be waited for me with the keys at the train station of Nantes Mercure centre gare hotel as the normal hours of Europcar closed at 18h15!! A great service for a train station car rental agency!!! The hotel is next door literally attach to the train station!At that time, already almost 23h or 11 pm, calling the night service of my travel agency FMC, got a hold of an agent who told me all cars were taken as it was the Ascension weekend in France as well as Sunday been Mother’s Day here!!! (Sunday May 28th) lol!  The very same scenario tried to beat out on my taken earlier flights!  took upon myself to stayed the night in Nantes and asked for a train ride back home on Sunday! So I booked myself the Hotel du Grand Monarque in Nantes right across from the Church of Saint Clément at rue Maréchal Joffre. The official Hotel The Originals du Grand Monarque:  https://www.theoriginalshotels.com/hotels/du-grand-monarque-nantes-gare

At least, I had time in the morning to go for lunch to my fix hub across the train station of Nantes in the Café des Plantes for a nice Andouille steak, café gourmand and nice cold grimbergen blonde beer. My return home was finally booked at the next available train Sunday 15h20 or 3:20pm from the train station of Nantes to Auray where again my old reliable father was waiting with my oldest son. I arrive at Auray at 16h44 and home by 17h30 Sunday May 28th!!! Mother’s Day restaurant had to wait for Monday….! The official Café des Plantes : https://cafe-des-plantes.fr/

One of the train stations I have used the most in France is the one in Nantes. Simply because in my going out of my area, the Nantes Atlantique airport (see post) is a requirement and from close to my home either Auray or Vannes there is TER connection to the Gare de Nantes, and then an airport express bus to the airport. So when duty calls, and the car is not, then the train it is, and Nantes wins heads down. I passed close this week and could not resist driving by for the memories of always as this blog is my life’s history, Very much enjoyable trip with my boys !!!

The gare de Nantes train station is connected to Paris Montparnasse in 2 hours + and to Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Strasbourg and Montpellier directly by TGV. In addition, an international Nantes – Brussels link is open, thanks to the extension of an already existing Nantes – Lille relationship. Intercity trains also serve the gare de Nantes station to Bordeaux and to Lyon. The station is also the point of convergence of the main TER Pays de la Loire lines and in particular the Interloire line, in collaboration with the Centre-Val de Loire region, to and from Orleans. Also, with the TER Bretagne coming from Auray or Vannes the ones I take. A very nice ride indeed and very much on time!

The Gare de Nates replace in the   mid-20C the old station of Nantes-Orléans, run by the company of Paris-Orléans. The former central station of Nantes, the Orleans station is built on the site of the Prairie de Mauves which was call as such until 1887, at rue Stanislas-Baudry, that is to say slightly further west of the current station. It was inaugurated in November 1853, two years after the arrival of the first trains from the Orleans Railway Company.

The SNCF on the Gare de Nantes:  https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/nantes

The SNCF connections on the Gare de Nantes:  https://www.sncf-connect.com/gares/nantes

The TER trains of the Pays de la Loire region on Gare de Nantes: https://www.ter.sncf.com/pays-de-la-loire/se-deplacer/gares/nantes-87481002

There you go folks, do visit Nantes ,and its wonderful monuments.  A must to visit while in the city ; see more of the  the Gare de Nantes , part II !!! Again, hope you enjoy this post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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