Saint-Nazaire France
194
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
CroisiEurope (190 Cruises)
MS Lafayette
65 Cruises
Image not available
Ms Loire Princesse
125 Cruises
Crystal Cruises (2 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
Right in the port basin, near the large historic docks, after coming up the Loire estuary. You first see the giant gantries of the Chantiers de l'Atlantique, then the massive outline of the submarine base.
The guided tour of the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, about two hours by coach, then Escal'Atlantic, a self-guided route of 60 to 90 minutes. Both sit in the same port area and make the most coherent call.
Yes, by coach departing from the old concrete fortress: workshops, assembly docks and viewing platforms. With luck, a future cruise ship lies in the dock, still open like a full-scale model. The site covers around a hundred hectares.
A recreation of the world of the great ocean liners, across more than 3,700 square metres, set inside the giant bunker built by the occupying forces during the Second World War. You cross a boarding gangway, walk the passageways, and pass from first-class salons to the emigrants' steerage.
Yes, the Espadon, in French naval service from 1960 to 1985, can be toured with an audio guide. The tightness of the bunks and passageways says a great deal about life aboard. Anyone claustrophobic is better off skipping it.
Because it was almost entirely bombed during the war. It reinvented itself in the 1950s with clear, open planning facing the sea. The city's story is not told through ancient monuments but through its almost physical relationship with shipbuilding.
Yes, the roof terrace of the submarine base, laid out as a belvedere. The view takes in the port, the estuary and the vast Saint-Nazaire bridge, whose steel span crosses the Loire for more than three kilometres.
Yes. Past the docks, the seafront runs toward long sand beaches lined by a promenade popular with cyclists. A few kilometres away, the beach at Saint-Marc-sur-Mer was the setting for Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, filmed in 1951: a statue of the character still greets swimmers.
To Guérande and its salt marshes, or to La Baule and its crescent bay, about fifteen kilometres away. They suit visitors who prefer the coast to shipbuilding.
The euro and French. Cards work everywhere: this is a substantial city with full services. Shipyard tours must be booked ahead and fill quickly in season.
