Pattern published by the département since 3/11/2025: one ferry every 20 minutes between first and last departure; times are calculated and indicative · Sailings shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Summer hours mentioned on another page The département's 'Conditions d'accès aux bacs de Loire' page gives this line as 06:20–20:30, extended to 21:30 from 15 June to 15 September. That does not match the crossing's own timetable page, which the board follows. For a late summer crossing, check with the Maison des bacs (+33 2 40 86 01 29).
Morning and evening rush The département steps up the service 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00 with continuous rotations; at those times the grid is only a guide.
Reserve ferry, refuelling, drills Short stoppages (evening refuelling, safety drills) and the use of the reserve ferry are announced in advance under upcoming events on the crossing's page. Couëron town hall gives the reserve ferry Anne de Bretagne a capacity of 17 vehicles.
Heavy vehicles Over 3.5 tonnes, crossing only with a Maison des bacs exemption (valid one year), outside the busy slots 07:00-09:30 and 16:30-19:30.
Map – Couëron–Le Pellerin Ferry
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Walk-on or cycle passenger | Free |
| Car or motorbike | Free |
Free for everyone, Couëron town hall says: foot passengers, cyclists, drivers and motorcyclists. No ticket is required. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes still need an annual exemption and are barred at the busiest times.
The Couëron–Le Pellerin ferry is one of the two free Loire crossings run by the Loire-Atlantique département; the other is Basse-Indre–Indret. You can walk on, cycle on, ride on or drive on, and no ticket is needed. It runs every day of the year except 1 May.
Monday to Friday the first ferry leaves Le Pellerin at 06:00 and Couëron at 06:10. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the day starts later, at 06:30 from Couëron and 06:40 from Le Pellerin. Evenings stay the same all week: the last departures are 20:50 from Couëron and 21:00 from Le Pellerin. Ferries run every 20 minutes, with a stepped-up service in the morning and evening rush.
On summer evenings there is a mismatch to be aware of: the département's access-conditions page still says the line runs until 21:30 from 15 June to 15 September, but the crossing's timetable page does not. If you plan a late crossing in summer, ask the Maison des bacs, the ferry office in Basse-Indre, on +33 2 40 86 01 29.
The two ferries, Lola and Île Dumet, entered service in 2012 and 2013 and were built in Loire-Atlantique by the Merré yard at Nort-sur-Erdre and Mecasoud at Saint-Nazaire. Each is 68.80 m long and 12.50 m wide, with a top speed of 8 knots and a 136-tonne maximum load. When the reserve ferry is in use, the département posts it under the crossing's events; Couëron town hall gives that ferry, the Anne de Bretagne, a capacity of 17 vehicles. Four crews, each made up of a captain, a chief engineer and a deckhand, take turns on each line.
The crossings became free in 2005, after which ridership rose by 50%, according to the département. It plans to double this line, with new landing stages so two boats can run at once at peak times, and gives 2030–2031 as the horizon. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes need a yearly permit issued by the Maison des bacs and are barred in the busy slots (07:00–09:30 and 16:30–19:30). No crossing time is published.
- Be at the landing a few minutes before departure; vehicle boarding can close before the posted time.
- Check the operator's notices on the day — high river levels, wind, fog, works or maintenance can change or suspend crossings.
- Find out how you pay before you travel: some river ferries are free, others sell tickets on the quay, on board or online.