Classic route
Intercités Nantes–Bordeaux
Nantes → Bordeaux · France
The Atlantic link that skips Paris: marshes of the Vendée, La Rochelle’s towers and the Charente to Bordeaux — ridership doubled, contracted to 2036.
How this line was checked
- Line drawn from OpenStreetMap relation 2827379 — the same nodes OpenStreetMap holds for this railway, thinned to within 30 m of them
- Checked against OpenStreetMap: the whole line lies on real track, a median 9 m from it
- Checked against the running timetable via ÖBB Scotty: our line sits 0.1 km from the shape of IC 3831
- Wikipedia has an article for this line
- See for yourself: open this line on the map with OpenStreetMap's own railway drawn underneath it
Questions and answers
How long is the Intercités?
The Intercités runs 375 km from Nantes to Bordeaux.
How long does the Intercités take?
The fastest scheduled journey is ≈ 4 h 20 min for the 375 km. That is an average of 87 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 160 km/h.
Who runs the Intercités?
SNCF Voyageurs, with Intercités.
How old is the Intercités?
The line has been in service since 1873. That is the year the atlas dates it from: for a modern brand running over an older railway, it is the railway's date, not the brand's.
How often does the Intercités run?
4 direct trains on a weekday (counted on 2 September 2026).
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Planning this trip? Journey time & direct trains: Bordeaux → Nantes · Nantes → Bordeaux.