How walkable is Nantes?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Nantes has a walkability score of 73 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. It is the 5th most walkable of the 6 cities ranked in France.
What's within walking distance of the centre
2,474 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Nantes. The nearest grocery is about 3 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- Petit Casino, 4 min
- Express Nantes François Ii, 6 min
Restaurants & bars
- Shab'shabou, 3 min
- Le Diamant D'asie, 3 min
Shopping
- Trajectoires Cycles Nantes, 3 min
- StreetShop Nantes, 4 min
Coffee
- Le Louis Blanc, 5 min
- La Fourmi, 5 min
Banks
- ESPACE UNICC CENTRE PAYS DE LOIRE, 7 min
- Banque Tarneaud, 7 min
Parks
- Square du Lait de Mai, 7 min
- Square Gustave Roch, 8 min
Schools
- École Émile-Péhant, 7 min
- Bureau d'études Akongo, 11 min
Books & libraries
- Jardin d'Eden, 3 min
- Librairie Gemmes des Archanges, 4 min
Culture & entertainment
- TNT - Terrain Neutre Théâtre, 6 min
- D'Alice, 6 min
Measured from the centre at 47.2095, -1.5534, the point near Nantes's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 281 street intersections per km², and blocks average 53 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Nantes's score of 73 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 97 within 1 km of the centre, 84 from 1 to 3 km out and 63 from 3 to 5 km out. 65% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Nantes. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 99 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 97 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 84 | 86% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 63 | 48% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Paris, France | 343 km | 99 |
| Bilbao, Spain | 453 km | 61 |
| Toulouse, France | 465 km | 74 |
| Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom | 474 km | 70 |
| Bristol, United Kingdom | 478 km | 78 |
Questions about walking in Nantes
Is Nantes a walkable city?
Around its centre, yes. Nantes has a walkability score of 73 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 99. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 5th of 6 cities in France and joint 240th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in France?
Paris is the most walkable of the 6 cities ranked in France, with a score of 99. Nantes ranks 5th with 73.
How does Nantes compare with nearby cities?
Nantes sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 73, against Paris (99, 343 km away), Bilbao (61, 453 km away) and Toulouse (74, 465 km away).
Which part of Nantes is most walkable?
Nantes's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 99. Walkability averages 97 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the west (averaging 78) and falls most to the south-west (54).
How is Nantes's walkability score calculated?
For Nantes it is the average of 84 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 55 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
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