How to get from Nantes airport to the Puy du fou ?

1. Take the bus, the train and then a shuttle

The Puy du Fou is certainly the most famous amusement park in France along with Disneyland Paris. Created in 1989 in the department of Vendée, more precisely in the commune of Les Epesses, it stages villages and shows retracing the history of the region and, more globally, the history of France.

One can see there very impressive historical reconstitutions which take place in times as diverse as the Roman Empire, the Vikings or the Hundred Years War. It has received dozens of awards throughout the world for the quality of its shows and its scenography, and has been elected several times as the favorite park of the French. Each year, between one and two million people visit one or the other part of the park, i.e. the Grand Parc or the Cinescénie (night show).

The Puy du Fou is located between Cholet and La Roche-Sur-Yon, but the two biggest cities nearby are Nantes and Angers. To visit the park from the airport of Nantes Atlantique, you have several solutions.

The first is to take the bus, the train and then the bus. From the airport, there is indeed a bus that will take you to downtown Nantes. The airport bus is provided by the company Transports de l'Agglomération Nantaise (TAN) and will drop you off at the South Station in about 20 minutes. The price of the bus is 9 euros, and the ticket allows you to use all TAN transport (tramway, bus...) for one hour.

After reaching Nantes station, you will have to take a train to Angers. There are many trains throughout the day, between two and three per hour. You will have the choice between a Train Express Régional (TER) or a TGV. Travel time from Nantes to Angers is generally between 35 and 45 minutes.

Once you arrive at the TGV station in Angers Saint-Laud, you will have to make another transfer and take a special shuttle to the Puy du Fou. This shuttle must be booked before your arrival. It takes 1h30 to reach the park, and its price is 14,30 euros for a one-way trip, 29 euros for a round trip.

2. Take the bus, then the cab

Taking the train or the shuttle between Nantes airport and the Puy du Fou is an interesting solution on the financial level. It is indeed possible to make this trip for about 50 euros per person. But as soon as you are a large family, this choice is much less attractive from an economic point of view.

Moreover, with two obligatory transfers in Nantes-Atlantique station and in Angers Saint-Laud station, this solution is the one that will take you the most time. From the airport, it takes almost three hours to reach the park, not counting the waiting time at each station.

If you don't feel like wasting time, it's a good idea to consider taking another means of transportation. At Nantes airport, you don't have to take the shuttle bus to go downtown. You can also choose to take a bus. Among the regular lines of the TAN, line 38 allows you to reach the city of Nantes, as well as line 98 which intersects with line 3 of the tramway at the Neustrie station.

Recently, a shuttle bus has been connecting the 400 meters that separate the Neustrie station and the airport. This solution is therefore interesting in many ways. If you want to go back to Nantes station from the airport, the combination of bus and tramway will take longer than the shuttle, but the price will be lower.

On the other hand, once you arrive at the Nantes train station, the only alternative to the train to Angers and the special Puy du Fou shuttle is the cab. It will take you about an hour from downtown Nantes, knowing that it is difficult to find a cab that will take you directly from the airport to the park. The price of the trip from the center of Nantes to the Grand Parc in Les Epesses is usually around 100 euros.

 

3. Rent a car from a company based at the airport

The cab makes it easy to get from downtown Nantes to the park. If you are alone, the price can be considered prohibitive. However, if there are two or more of you, the price for a cab will not change. This option becomes immediately more interesting.

But for those who want to save even more time and money, there is one last option. You can choose to rent a car from a company at Nantes-Atlantique airport.

You will be able to leave directly from the airport to the park without any stopover or transfer, for an estimated time of one to one and a half hours. Renting a car will also allow you to be in control of your schedule, since you will be able to leave whenever you want.

Finally, as far as price is concerned, renting a car is probably the most advantageous mode of transportation if you are with your family or in a group of more than two people. Indeed, it is necessary to count a few tens of euros per day for an entry-level vehicle. This is the price of freedom. Depending on the length of your stay and the number of kilometers you drive, it can quickly become very interesting, especially if your only objective is to visit the park.

 

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