Cheap Flights from Dublin to Nantes

October is the cheapest month for this trip, and it works well on the ground as well: the Atlantic autumn is mild and the city is back to its everyday pace after the visitor season. Prices are published for every month of the year, so you can read the shape of it at a glance. Summer is the stretch when demand peaks; the weeks around Christmas and New Year tighten up too, and French school-holiday weeks in winter are worth watching. If your dates are flexible, compare a midweek departure with a weekend one before you commit — on short European hops the weekday often matters as much as the month.

The difference you feel day to day is in the baggage. Ryanair and Vueling sell low-cost fares that cover a small personal bag, so a cabin bag or hold luggage is an extra. Air France, KLM and Lufthansa sit at the full-service end, typically with a full-size cabin bag included and hold luggage depending on the fare, and their regional arms HOP!, KLM Cityhopper and Lufthansa City Airlines fly the shorter legs on the same terms. Iberia Express and Aegean route through Madrid and Athens, so their connecting journeys take longer. Several of these carriers fly the route nonstop and the rest add a stop, so check the number of stops first if your time matters more than the fare.

Arrange your way into town before you land. Nantes Atlantique, the city's only airport, sits close to the centre, so the transfer is a short ride: a dedicated shuttle bus links the airport with the city, taxis wait outside the compact single terminal, and hire-car desks are on site if you plan to see the Loire by road. The one-airport simplicity holds on the Irish side too, where frequent buses connect Dublin Airport with the city. Check the last shuttle's departure time if your flight lands late in the evening, and allow a little extra time at security on summer weekend mornings.

Currency

EUR (€)

Power sockets

Type C, E · 230 V

Language

French

Emergency number

112, 15, 17

Driving side

right

Calling code

+33

Internet domain

.fr

EU / Schengen

EU member, Schengen area

Population of Nantes

328 k (2023)

Time zone

UTC+02 (Europe/Paris)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Book connecting trips on one ticket when you can, so the airline rebooks you if a first leg slips.
• If separate tickets are unavoidable, leave a wide gap between flights, as each booking protects only itself.
• Check the baggage allowance before you pay: low-cost fares cover a small personal bag, cabin and hold bags cost extra.
• Price the full-service options with bags added, because the gap over a low-cost base fare often narrows.
• Check the documents France requires for your nationality; citizens of Ireland and other EU countries can use a passport or identity card.
• Fares move with the seasons, so weigh October and the shoulder months against summer dates before you commit.