Signature experience — Nantes
The Machines de l’île with the family
Duration
Half day
Price
From €350
Mercedes
Dedicated vehicle & chauffeur
Back in 2007, the Grand Elephant took its first steps across the former Dubigeon shipyards, shuttered since 1987, stirring a dormant industrial memory on the Île de Nantes. Beneath iron-and-glass halls dating to 1901, La Machine’s kinetic bestiary fuses stagecraft and shipyard logic: misting trunks, exposed cables, riveted shells. A curious detail worth spotting: the Marine Worlds Carousel spans 25 meters over three tiers, reimagining 19th‑century panoramic rides through contemporary performance engineering.
Your driver collects you at the hotel around 9 am in a Mercedes V-Class and reaches the Île de Nantes in about 12 minutes from Place Graslin. The vehicle stays on standby: you explore, board the Grand Elephant (we can pre-book), while your driver handles timing and tickets. With local insight, the route flows—Gallery of Machines, then the Carousel—before a 1.6 km hop to the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany and, time permitting, a final 900 m glide to the Nantes Museum of Arts. Flexible, smooth drop-off wherever you prefer.
Your itinerary
- I
9:00 am — Pick-up at your hotel (central Nantes) and a 12‑minute drive to the Île de Nantes.
- II
9:20 am — Gallery of Machines: visit and demos (45–60 minutes).
- III
10:30 am — Board the Grand Elephant or watch from the walkways (30 minutes).
- IV
11:15 am — Marine Worlds Carousel, then transfer to the Castle and the Museum of Arts (30–40 minutes total).
What’s included
- ✓ Dedicated Mercedes driver
- ✓ Hotel pick-up
- ✓ Waiting and multiple drop-offs
- ✓ Ticket/timing coordination
Your chauffeur’s tip
Go at weekday opening (10 am outside school holidays): Grand Elephant slots sell out fast. Aim for rear seats on the upper deck for the best views over the Nefs and the Loire.
Book this experience
Confirmed within 30 minutes · Fixed price quoted in advance