Nancy

Nancy is a moderate-sized city in the Grand-Est region of (eastern) France. Nancy is the capital of the French département of Meurthe-et-Moselle, and is the economic capital of the Lorraine region. It is also a major French university centre, with over 47,000 students and three major universities. Once the industrial and cultural powerhouse of Northeast France, the city boasts a very diverse architectural and cultural heritage. Parts of the historical city centre are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

By plane
is a small regional airport, about 30 km north of Nancy. The airport hosts only regional flights (Lyon, Toulouse, Mediterranean coast). Access to and from the city is provided by road (A31 motorway) or by shuttles (fare €8).

By train
Nancy is served by two major railway stations:

The Gare de Nancy Ville is the historical railway station, in the heart of the city, a major hub for national (including TGV) and regional trains (TER Métrolor). Major train lines include:
 * Paris - Nancy: 1 hr 30 min by TGV
 * Strasbourg - Nancy: 1hr 15 min
 * Dijon - Nancy: 2 hr 30 min
 * Lyon - Nancy: 4 hr
 * Luxembourg (city) - Nancy: 1 hr 30 min

There are washing machines on the station, but no baggage room and no lockboxes.

The Gare Lorraine-TGV is 20 km north of Nancy. The station is served only by TGV high-speed trains of the TGV Est high-speed line, linking Paris to Strasbourg. Destinations include Bordeaux, Northwest France, Lille, and various TGV stations around Paris (such as Charles de Gaulle Airport).

Because of local political feuds, the station was built halfway between Nancy and Metz, in the middle of nowhere. Thus, the station can only be accessed by road (A31 motorway). The station includes a taxi station. Additionally, a shuttle operated by the SNCF connects the station to Gare de Nancy Ville.

For schedules, fares and bookings, see the SNCF website.

By car
Nancy is an important regional automotive hub:
 * A31 to the north: Metz, Luxembourg
 * A31 to the west: Dijon, Lyon, Paris
 * A33/D400 (former N4) to the east: Strasbourg, Germany
 * N57 to the south: Épinal

By bus
International bus services are operated by Flixbus. Coaches usually stop at the Porte Sainte-Catherine, near the marina.

By boat
Nancy is crossed by the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, which is open to navigation for small boats and péniches. The Port de Nancy Saint-Georges offers dockage to visiting boats. It is on the eastern edge of the city centre, 500 m away from the place Stanislas.

On foot
Nancy is on the GR 5, a 2,600 km-long footpath that links the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

By foot
Walking is one of the easiest and most pleasant ways to get around. The city centre is very compact, so most places of interest can be easily reached by foot. For example, walking from the railway station to the Porte Sainte-Catherine takes about 20 min. Many streets are pedestrian-only.

By public transportation
The local public transportation system is operated by the Service de transport de l'agglomération Nancéienne, known as STAN. Coverage of the city is decent, but can be found quite wanting compared to other French cities of the same size. It can nonetheless be useful for moving around Greater Nancy, between the city centre and suburbs.

Until early 2023, the city had a peculiar "tramway", actually trolleybuses guided by a central rail set into the roadway. This never fulfilled the promises made by the manufacturer and was notoriously unreliable. It is now being replaced by a normal trolleybus route, but expect the city centre to be disrupted by works to rip up the guiderail.

Buses operate from 06:00 to 21:00. Service is dismal during Sundays and holidays.

On buses, you can buy tickets (€1.30) directly from the driver, but the ticket machines formerly provided at "tramway" stops are still in use. The only credit cards accepted are European-style ones with a chip.

Tickets are valid for one hour. If you'll be moving around Greater Nancy a lot, you might consider purchasing a "Pass 10" (€8.70) or a "Pass Découverte 24h" (€3.30). The latter one is valid for an unlimited number of trips during 24 hours.

There are two STAN offices in the city, where you can find maps and timetables, purchase tickets or ask information about the network.

By bicycle
There are about 130 km of safe bike routes in the Greater Nancy area. Cycling can be an excellent way to get around during spring and summer (much less in winter).

The city has a bike rental system called VélOstan, offering short- and long-term bike rental.

The short-term service is called VélOstan'lib and is quite similar to those found in other French cities. Users can to pick up, and drop cycles to and from over 25 points around the city. You need a credit card (Visa/MC/French CB) to make use of the service. It is very cheap: 30 min is generally more than enough if you stay close to the city centre.
 * 1-day ticket: €1.50, then free for the first 30 min of each ride, €1 for 30 to 60 min, then €2 every 30 min.
 * 7-day ticket: €5, then same fares as the 1-day ticket.

As of 2012, there are very few stations outside the city centre. Be careful not to go too far, as you may not find any station to return your bike to and then be overcharged. There are, however, plans to cover the whole Greater Nancy area.

The long-term rental service is called VélOstan'boutic. Users can rent bikes and accessories for up to one year. Price range from €2 for half a day, to €80 for a whole year. Reduction may apply in certain cases. There are 5 shops around the city, including one in the main railway station (exit Place Thiers).

If you stay long enough to need your own bike, you can find cheap used bikes at the Atelier Dynamo, a small collective workshop. Membership can be as low as €15/year (for students), usable bikes can be found for €25 or more.

By car
The streets of the city are narrow and not adapted to mass traffic. The local authorities are actively discouraging the use of cars in the historical centre, and have set up many pedestrian-only streets as well a labyrinth of one-way streets. Surface parking is rare and expensive. Avoid driving within the city if you can.

There are several underground car parks in the centre, as well as three park and ride car parks on the outskirts of the city. The latter are managed by STAN (see public transportation section for more info).

Taxis
The fares are fixed by the authorities and can vary depending on your destination or the time of the day. Minimum fare is €6.20 (as of January 2011). Taxis cannot be hailed on the street; you need to go to a taxi station or to call for one.

The major taxi companies are:

Highlights

 * The Tourism Office, where you can pick up handy maps and other information, is in a building on the southern side of Place Stanislas, facing the statue's back.
 * The Tourism Office, where you can pick up handy maps and other information, is in a building on the southern side of Place Stanislas, facing the statue's back.

Art Nouveau
There are lots of Art Nouveau buildings in Nancy, of which some examples are listed below:

Cinemas


Le Cameo is a small independent regional chain. Mostly foreign films in original version and a few avant-garde movies. There are two addresses in Nancy:

Learn
Nancy is a major French university centre. With over 47,000 students, it is among the 10 largest in the country.

The city has many universities and research centres, including the prestigious engineering college Ecole des Mines de Nancy. Traditional strong points include law, medicine, computer science, mathematics and material sciences/metallurgy.

The presence of so many students gives the city a very vibrant atmosphere. It is a nice place for spending a student exchange program (such as ERASMUS) or a post-doc.



Buy
A couple of nice bookstores

Local specialities

 * Quiche Lorraine - quiche with little bacon bits—is a local speciality. This can be found in any boulangerie/patisserie for roughly (€2), but the better version can be found in restaurants.
 * Bergamots,
 * mirabelle stuff,
 * macaroons

Eat
The most obvious place to get a bite is the rue des Marechaux, also named rue Gourmande by locals. This little street is lined with restaurants of all kinds. You'll find various French (surprise!), Chinese, Cuban and late-night snacks of varying quality.

Small bakeries and delis can be found throughout the city. Kebab shops and oriental restaurants are numerous around Saint Nicolas street.

At the covered market on Rue St. Dizier you can find fresh fruits and vegetables, a couple of butchers, a triperie, and one stand that sells fresh fish (and a pretty nice selection; you can even get octopus!), plus a couple of small restaurants.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Drink
Nancy has its fair share of Irish pubs, wine bars, cafes, and other drinking establishments. The night life is quite active, due to the presence of many students. However, things tend to be more subdued during the summer holidays. Major nightlife spots are in the Ville vieille and near place Stanislas.

In case you need more than just drinks and are looking for a seedier kind of nightlife, you can find it around the rue Mouilleron (west of the railway station), near the Chat Noir night club (see below).

Stay safe
Nancy is a relatively quiet town, but usual advice applies. The city has seen a spike in muggings in the late 2010s.

Most of the upper northern neighbourhoods, known as "Plateau de Haye", as well as the commune of Vandoeuvre, have the reputation to be sensitive areas. As there is little of interest for tourists there, it is probably better to avoid these areas altogether.

Stay healthy
There are two major hospitals with emergency rooms:

However, in case of emergency (even not life-threatening), it is better to call the Centre 15 than to directly to the hospital, as emergency rooms usually have long waiting lines.

Connect
There is no municipal WiFi network. However, many hotels and fast-food joints provide free WiFi to their customers.

There are several cyber-cafés around Saint Nicolas street.

Respect
When talking to locals, do not make unflattering comparisons of Nancy viz. the neighboring city of Metz. The two cities have been political rivals for many centuries. Both are vying for the title of capital of Lorraine. This causes sometimes some crispations. To give you just an example, in 1970, the administrative seat of the Lorraine region was transferred from Nancy to Metz. It caused a small scandal back then, and some people are still bitter about it today.

Go next

 * Metz, the other capital of Lorraine.
 * Lunéville Home of King Stanislas' massive castle.
 * Saint-Nicolas de Port, a small neighbouring town, home of a massive basilica dedicated to Saint-Nicolas. There is also a museum of brewery, set inside a former beer factory.
 * Luxembourg The capital of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg is only 90 min away by train.
 * Strasbourg - The capital of Alsace.
 * The Vosges mountains. Many hiking paths and beautiful scenery. Small, low-altitude ski resorts. 1 hr by car, train service up to Épinal.