Getting to Nantes cheap!!!?

[lulu_bucket]

Thanks Chris, fantastic BUT we are going to the Rugby world cup on the Sat 22nd so need to be in Nantes either Fri night or early ish sat morning (wouldnt want a flight delay or similar). We can stay at a hotel the Friday and Sat or Sat and Sun depending on how we get there! Special 18th pres for my son and its proving to be more expensive than I thought when we were offered good tickets!!! Help and thanks again. I shall be looking into it.
We are in Staffordshire so obv E Mids< B'ham Manchester are best. Any ideas welcome.

[tel b]

Eurolines will take you for �86 return London/Nantes. Not my favourite method of travel but needs must...
May be departures from other UK towns, I didn't try Manchester but it was a no-no from Nottingham.
See www.nationalexpress.com

[Buenchico]

(Multipart post):

Hmm.

The Ryanair flights, from East Midlands to Nantes don't help, because they only operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays. The only option from East Midlands would be to take either the 0640 (arrives 0910) or 1640 (arrives 1900) flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle, on Friday 21st with Bmibaby. There's a return flight on Sunday 23rd at 1900 (arrives 1915). The inclusive fare is currently quoted at �113.88.
http://www.bmibaby.com/bmibaby/en/index.aspx?& LinkId=133

The rail journey, from CDG airport to Nantes, takes around 3 hours, with the cheapest ('Discovery Stay') pre-booked return fares costing around �63.
http://www.sncf.co.uk/

[Buenchico]

From Birmingham, FlyBe operate to La Rochelle but there are no flights on Friday 21st and there are no train services to connect with the flight on Saturday morning. However you might want to consider hiring a car. If so, the 0705 flight arrives at La Rochelle at 0955. The inclusive outbound fare is �53.02. It's 92 miles from the airport to the centre of Nantes. ViaMichelin estimates the driving time as 1 hour 45 minutes. There's a return flight on Sunday at 1345 (arrives 1425) for an inclusive fare of �74.92.
http://www.flybe.com
Car rental phone numbers here:
http://www.larochelle.aeroport.fr/EN/services. htm

I've looked at using FlyBe's service from Birmingham to Brest but the train journey to Nantes is over 4 hours and there's no train early enough to catch the Sunday flight back.

[Buenchico]

FlyBe also operate from Birmingham to Paris Charles de Gaulle. The cheapest flight on Friday 21st is the early one at 0630 (arrives 0900), with an inclusive fare of �57.72. The flights at 1030 and 1310 are probably too expensive (�142.72). The 1725 flight (arrives 2000) is priced at �72.72. Returning on the 23rd, the 1410 flight (arrives 1435) is dearest, at �107.21. The flights at 1620 (arrives 1645) and 2035 (arrives 2100) are priced at �82.21.

FlyBe's services from Manchester to La Rochelle don't help, because they don't operate on the right days of the week. Their services to Rennes have suitable times but the prices are quite high. The outbound service, from Manchester on Friday, is at 1005 (arriving 1255), priced at �132.73 inclusive. The return service, on Sunday, is at 1320 (arrives 1410), priced at �86.09. Return train fares, from Rennes to Nantes, start at �23 but you need to be aware that the first train on Sunday doesn't arrive at Rennes rail station until 1151, which doesn't leave you much time to get to the airport.

FlyBe offer plenty of flights from Manchester to Paris Charles de Gaulle but they're all quite pricey. (From �102.27 to �132.27 outbound and from �97.66 to �197.66 return).

Jet2's flights from Manchester to CDG are cheaper. The outbound flight, on Friday 21st, leaves at 1300 (arrives 1530), with an inclusive fare of �93.00. The return flight, on Sunday 23rd, leaves at 1620 (arrives 1650), with an inclusive fare of �70.21.
http://www.jet2.com/

Summing all that lot up, it looks like your best option (if you don't mind hiring a car) might be the Birmingham to La Rochelle route. Otherwise, East Midlands to CDG might be best.

Chris