Nantes’ rail initiative to expand accommodation options for Rugby World Cup, as city celebrates 10 years since its European Green Capital award

With just over six weeks to go until the first of four Rugby World Cup matches at Nantes’ La Beaujoire stadium, attending fans are encouraged to opt for accommodation in the Châteaubriant area and travel to the matches by TER (Regional Express Train), thanks to a new initiative put in place especially for the Championship.

In order to extend the available accommodation options north of the city, access to the stadium will be facilitated from La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Sucé-sur-Erdre, Nort-sur-Erdre, Abbaretz, Issé and Châteaubriant, all served by the T1 railway line. The frequency and times of trains on this Nantes–Châteaubriant line will be adapted to the different matches. The closest stop to the stadium will be Haluchère-Batignolles, around 1km away.

Thanks to this initiative, hotels, campsites, gîtes and B&Bs in the Châteaubriant area (almost 70km north of Nantes) will be only one hour by train from Haluchère-Batignolles. It will therefore be possible to travel to the stadium from these towns and return after the match, with adapted timetables before, during and after matches (even those finishing at 11pm).

What’s more, journeys between Nantes and La Chapelle-sur-Erdre are free at weekends. For journeys beyond La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, choose the ‘billet live’ ticket type (available to match ticket holders only), which provides TER tickets at €5 per journey to attend certain events and festivals in the Pays de la Loire region.

This year marks 10 years since Nantes became the first French city to win the European Green Capital award in recognition of its environmental policies. Since 2014, it has ranked as France’s second greenest city and continues to develop its accessible forms of low-carbon transportation. Free public transport is available throughout the city centre at weekends, while 747km of cycle paths crisscross the greater Nantes area.

Nantes will be hosting four Rugby World Cup matches at its La Beaujoire stadium:
-Ireland v Tonga on Saturday 16 September at 9pm;
-Argentina v Chile on Saturday 30 September at 3pm;
-Wales v Georgia on Saturday 7 October at 3pm;
-Japan v Argentina on Sunday 8 October at 1pm.

Join our press trip to Nantes!
We have places remaining on our trip to Nantes and Loire-Atlantique, 4-7 September 2023.
Itinerary highlights include urban art and culture, cycling (new cycle route ‘La Régalante’ opens between Nantes and the Mont-Saint-Michel in spring 2024), thalassotherapy in Pornic, kayaking on the Loire and wine tasting at the Chateau de Coing.
Please register your interest with Rachel at rachel.johnston@atout-france.fr.

Further information
Browse the Nantes 2023 press kit (for sustainability policies, turn to p32-33)
Visit Nantes’ page on the Rugby World Cup site
Purchase your ‘billet live’ on the SNCF site