From the Roquios to the Navibus

People have crossed the Loire here for as long as anyone can say. A first public service starts in 1791; the state regulates it in 1804. In 1887 steamers arrive that everyone soon calls “Roquios” – a nickname said to come from a local character whose wedding anniversary was a great party. Shipyard workers from Chantenay took them every day; you left your bicycle with the cycle dealer on the quay. On Sundays the Roquios also brought families from Nantes to the beach at Beaurivage. The service stops in 1958, with the car.

In 2005 the crossing returns as the Navibus, two lines to Gare Maritime and to Bas-Chantenay. At the end of 2025 the pontoon was moved a little downstream.

Plan your visit

Sources: Rezé Histoire no. 97 (April 2026), “3 walks to understand Trentemoult”, Rezé Histoire association – rezehistoire.fr. Texts rewritten by trentemoult.com; for more, get the magazine.