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Inspiration and great deals for your next low-carbon trips
Gardens on the water in the heart of a city of art and history, a massive Gothic cathedral listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and—less than an hour away by TER train—a bay where seals lounge on the sandbars… Good news: you don’t need a car to enjoy all of this.
With the Hauts-de-France TER trains, the Baie de Somme Railway, and the bike path that runs along the river to the sea, Amiens, the Baie de Somme, and coastal Picardy are particularly well-suited for slow travel. We’ll tell you everything you need to know to plan your car-free trip to the Somme.
Is it possible to visit the Somme without a car? Yes! Amiens, Abbeville, Noyelles-sur-Mer, Rue, and Ham are all served by the TER. From there, the Bay Train, biking, and walking take over.
How long has it been since you left Paris? About 1 hour and 5 minutes to Amiens and about 1 hour and 45 minutes to Noyelles-sur-Mer
Can we bring our bikes? Yes, it's free on standard TER trains. On certain routes and during certain times, you must reserve a spot (free of charge).
The best deal? The Somme Bay Railway TER Package: round-trip TER train fare to Noyelles and unlimited rides on the miniature train, €30.50 per adult.
How many days should I plan for? 2 days for Amiens and the bay, 3 to 4 days to bike down the valley, a week to see it all.
When is the best time to go? All year round! Only the boat tours in the Hortillonnages are seasonal (from April through October).
The first advantage of a car-free trip: the Somme has five train stations with good connections to Paris, Amiens, and other major cities in northern France. And if you want to combine train and bike travel, your bike rides for free on standard TER trains.
From Paris Nord, there are several direct routes to the heart of the department. For Amiens, allow about 1 hour and 5 minutes.
The K16 line connects Paris Nord to Amiens, Abbeville, Noyelles-sur-Mer, and Rue, before continuing on to Boulogne and Calais. The trip from Paris to Noyelles-sur-Mer takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Amiens is also directly connected to Lille, Arras, Rouen, and Calais/Boulogne.
And depending on the itinerary you have in mind, not all stations are equally interesting:
| Train Station | Ideal for |
|---|---|
| Amiens | A city trip and the Somme Valley Cycle Route (V30) |
| Abbeville | Join the Somme Valley and the south of the bay |
| Noyelles-sur-Mer | Correspondence with the Somme Bay Railroad |
| Ham | Browse the Somme Valley Cycle Route since entering the Somme |
You can get to Ham from Amiens via the K20 line, which continues on to Saint-Quentin. For full details on how to get there, check out the "Access" page on the Somme Tourisme website.
© Somme Tourisme, Jérôme Halâtre - Abbeville
Good news if you're bringing your bike: it travels for free on standard Hauts-de-France TER trains, subject to availability.
On certain routes and during certain periods, however, you must reserve a space for free. In 2026, this reservation is required from May 1 through November 1 for non-folding bicycles, particularly on the Paris Nord–Calais (K16) and Amiens–Calais (K21) routes. And as it happens, these are precisely the routes that serve Abbeville, Noyelles-sur-Mer, and Rue. So be sure to reserve your bike space before buying your ticket.
Also, be aware of high-speed trains: on Krono+ GV lines, bicycles are only allowed if they are disassembled or folded and placed in a cover.
Once you arrive at the bay, there’s no need to leave your bike at the dock: the Somme Bay Railway also lets you bring it along for free, subject to availability.
There are two special offers you should definitely know about before you leave:
| Offer | What she understands | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Somme Bay Railway TER Package | Round-trip TER ticket to Noyelles-sur-Mer, valid for 2 days, plus unlimited rides on the little train | €30.50 (ages 16 and up), €13.50 (ages 4–16), free (under 4) |
| Amiens Cœur de Somme Pass | Free or discounted admission to partner sites | €25 (24 hours), €32 (48 hours), €39 (72 hours) |
For a car-free vacation, the TER Package (available from April through early November) is hard to beat: it includes a round-trip TER ticket to Noyelles-sur-Mer, valid for 2 days, departing from any station in the Hauts-de-France region or Paris Nord, as well as unlimited rides on historic trains.
The Amiens Cœur de Somme Pass, on the other hand, is entirely digital: you simply show a QR code at the entrance to participating venues to enjoy free or discounted admission. Its validity period begins with the first use, and it covers museums, guided tours, boat rides, and shows. Bonus: It even lets you enjoy a discount on the Baie de Somme Railway.
As soon as you step out of the train station, you can start exploring on foot or by bike. For a weekend of slow tourism in Amiens, you can go from the colorful houses of the Saint-Leu neighborhood—the historic heart of the city—to a boat ride through the Hortillonnages, all without ever needing a car.
It’s hard to talk about Amiens without mentioning its Hortillonnages. Imagine a mosaic of 300 hectares of gardens that have been cultivated since the Middle Ages, crisscrossed by small canals known locally as “rieux.”
To explore them, you have several options:
And if you’d rather keep your feet on the ground (or rather, on the pedals), you can also bike along the towpath through the gardens all the way to Camon. It takes about 15 minutes from downtown. You can find all the options on the "Hortillonnages" page on the Somme Tourisme website.
© Somme Tourisme, Jérôme Halâtre - L'Hortillonne Footbridge in Amiens
Start by getting lost in the Saint-Leu neighborhood, with its colorful houses lining the waterfront. If you're there on a Saturday morning, you'll also come across the floating market which, as a minor quirk, doesn't really hold up on not on the water, but on the quays along the Somme. You’ll find only local farmers there, including the hortillons who come to sell their vegetables.
Just a stone's throw away stands the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, it is the largest medieval building in France, with an interior volume of 200,000 m³.
And be sure to come back after dark: Chroma is transforming its facade with a free show about 50 minutes. Good to know: In 2026, it will take place from July 11 to September 12, and then return during the Christmas market.
© Somme Tourisme - Amiens Cathedral illuminated for the Chroma show
To round out the tour, head to the Picardy Museum (which houses collections of archaeological artifacts, sculptures, works of art, and paintings) and Aronnax.
© Somme Tourisme, Jérôme Halâtre - The Picardy Museum
Aronnax, what’s that all about? The Jules Verne Trail: a 2.6-kilometer route through downtown, from the house where the writer lived from 1882 to 1900 to the Cirque Jules Verne, where he delivered the opening speech in 1889. A short distance from the city center, the Madeleine Cemetery is home to his grave.
© Somme Tourisme - Nautipoulpe, Aronnax Trail, Amiens
Even before you leave, you can try out the Amiens Tourism Carbon Calculator to measure the impact of your stay.
Locally, several restaurant owners are opting for short supply chains, such as Amiens Market Halls (with Papoyo) or The Hummingbird, for an afternoon snack on Rue des Jacobins. And to spend the night surrounded by nature, From One Island to Another offers eco-friendly lodging right in the middle of the marshes. Check out our reporters’ micro-adventure to learn more:
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Amiens and the Somme Bay in 2 Days Without a Car: Our Micro-Adventure by Train and Bike
It takes less than an hour by TER to travel from the streets of Amiens to the vastness of the Baie de Somme. A member of the “Most Beautiful Bays in the World” club, it can be explored without a car and in many different ways: by mini-train, bike, on foot, or even by canoe, in the heart of the Baie de Somme Picardie Maritime Regional Nature Park.
Marquenterre Park - © Destination Baie de Somme
Here, he’s the star of the railways: the Somme Bay Railway. Operated by steam or diesel, depending on the day, this historic train runs on the “Bains de mer” network, created in 1887 to serve the seaside resorts. It connects Noyelles-sur-Mer to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Le Crotoy, and Cayeux-sur-Mer.
© Somme Tourisme, Fleonardi
To get from Le Crotoy to Saint-Valery, allow about an hour (but here, the journey itself is clearly part of the experience). It’s best to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before departure so you can settle in at your leisure. And if you’re traveling with your bike, you can bring it on board and keep riding when you arrive.
When it comes to cycling, the bay is definitely in the big leagues: in 2026, the Baie de Somme Destination was recognized as one of the Top 30 Cycling Destinations in France, a national recognition program that highlights regions committed to cycling tourism. The Vélomaritime (EuroVelo 4) runs through the region. To plan your route, head to baiecyclette.com and Cycling Through the Somme.
In Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, take the time to explore the medieval city, the marina and the docks.
© Somme Tourism - Saint-Valéry
It’s also one of the best starting points for taking a trip by pirogue or canoe to explore the bay and, with a little luck, catch a glimpse of its famous seals ! For an animal-friendly outing, choose a Qualinat-certified nature guide : The network lists, among other things, seal-watching tours by canoe.
© Somme Tourisme - Kayaking in the Hortillonnages of Amiens
To avoid disturbing them, here are three very important rules to keep in mind:
And please note: you must know how to swim to get on board. The bay also offers plenty of non-motorized activities:
As for wildlife, the migratory birds are waiting for you at the Marquenterre Bird Sanctuary, north of the bay. In the salt marshes, you'll also come across Henson horses and salt marsh lambs.
How about a trip to the beach? Quend-Plage and Fort-Mahon offer long stretches of sandy beaches to the north of the bay. To the south, Cayeux-sur-Mer and Mers-les-Bains are known more for their pebble beaches.
Baie de Somme Zéro Carbone is a collective of restaurants, lodging providers, and service providers committed to eco-friendly transportation and local supply chains.
The network was founded in 2009, following a carbon footprint assessment conducted by the Les Tourelles hotel in Le Crotoy. Today, it brings together about 50 tourism professionals from the bay area and organizes various events, including zero-carbon weeks, conferences, and a food festival.
When looking for a place to stay overnight, you might also want to choose eco-friendly accommodations recognized by environmental certifications such as La Clé Verte, the European Ecolabel, or LUCIE—such as Les Tourelles in Le Crotoy or the Domaine du Val.
Whether it’s a quick weekend getaway, a few days spent between the city and the countryside, or a full week of cycling: the Somme is perfect for all kinds of trips. And contrary to what you might think, you don’t have to wait until July to enjoy it.
If you want to turn the trip into a journey in its own right, follow the Somme Valley Cycle Route (V30).
This developed trail runs along the Somme River for about 160 km, from Ham to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. The terrain is flat, and the trail is fully secured between Péronne and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. The final section, between Abbeville and Saint-Valery, is about 15 km long and runs along the maritime canal.
And it would be a shame to just keep pedaling without stopping: along the way, you can discover the Valley Community Centers Network, follow the Viewpoint Trail, to cross "A Bridge, a Work of Art" or set out on a boat ride at the Maison des Marais in Longpré.
To return, simply take the TER train from Noyelles-sur-Mer or Abbeville.
© Somme Tourisme - The Hortillonnages in Amiens
Short answer: all year round! And depending on the season, the experience changes quite a bit:
Marquenterre Park - © Destination Baie de Somme
From the floating gardens of Amiens to the wide-open spaces of the bay, passing through the valley that connects the two along the river, the Somme seems almost tailor-made for exploring without a car.
The TER will drop you off at the right spot, and then the little train, your bike, and your own two feet will take care of the rest. Two days are enough to get a change of scenery; with a few more days, you can take the time to follow the Somme River all the way to the sea.
And something tells us that after seeing the bay in the sunshine, you’ll probably want to come back to experience its winter lights.
And to get our best tips and ideas for train travel, feel free to subscribe to La Locomissive and to join the HOURRAIL Club! :
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The HOURRAIL Club: the community for low-carbon travel and slow travel
This article was produced in partnership with Somme Tourisme and the Baie de Somme Picardie Maritime Regional Nature Park.
This guide is produced in partnership with:
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
