Travel, Accomodation and Tourism

Travel information

Amiens can be reached by direct train from Paris (Railway station: Paris Nord). Regional trains run approximately every hour and the journey takes 1 hour 15 minutes. One-way tickets cost €25.90 and can be booked in advance, including online (https://www.sncf-connect.com/). Please note that there are two railway stations: Amiens and TGV Haute-Picardie. We do not recommend the latter as it is located one hour from Amiens and a bus is required from there.

If you are flying, the closest airports are Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, and Beauvais.

If you are landing at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the RER B (suburban rail) will take you directly to Paris Nord railway station. If you are landing at Paris Orly, we suggest taking the Metro 14, then the RER D (changing at Gare de Lyon). Tickets to and from the airports cost €14 one way and can be purchased online via an app or at the airport/railway station. You will then need to have or buy a Navigo Easy pass on which to load your tickets. Please note that paper tickets are no longer sold.

If you are landing in Beauvais, there is a direct bus (No. 601) from Beauvais Airport (name of the station: « Tillé aéroport ») to Amiens Bus Station ; the journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. The bus station is close to Amiens railway station. A one-way ticket costs €2 and the timetable can be found here (https://files.oise-mobilite.fr/ftp/lines/ligne-601-a-partir-du-20240902.pdf).

The « Campus Citadelle » is located on Rue des Français Libres ; it is a 15-minute walk from the city centre (i.e. the cathedral) and a 25-minute walk from the railway station. A direct bus (N3 towards « Promenade ») goes from the railway station to the « Campus Citadelle » (bus station « Citadelle François Ier »). The first day of the conference (welcome talks, the first keynote and the welcome cocktail) will take place there, as will the tour of the Citadel of Amiens. The Citadel of Amiens was built at the beginning of the 17th century by Jean Errard, architect to Henri IV, and remained in military use until 1979. It has been a centre of detention and torture during WWII, the execution post and torture cells still exist. Since 2018, the Citadelle hosts part of the University of Picardy and especially the History faculty.

The « Logis du roi » (on the second and third days of the conference) is located on Passage du Logis du roi and is close to the cathedral. It is a 10-minute walk from the railway station. Built at the beginning of the 16th century, the « Logis du roi » was used as the governor’s residence. It is now connected to the « Maison du Sagittaire » (Sagittarius House), another Renaissance building. The main conference, the machine exhibition, the poster session and lunches will take place in both buildings.

On the fourth day of the conference, participants will go on an excursion to visit WWI heritage sites and memorials: Péronne memorial, the Lochnagar mine (a gigantic mine hole), Thiepval Memorial, Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial (where the trench « St John’s Road » can be visited). The excursion will depart from and return to Amiens.

Accommodation

End of June is the beginning of the high touristic season; accommodation in Amiens can be expensive and rooms quickly booked! There are various options to suit a range of budgets. Some suggestions are offered below. Prices are indicative only and are per night. Of course, many other hotels are available, possibly with discounts, via booking sites. There are no reserved contingents or reduced prices for the above hotels available. Reservation of these hotels is completely independent of the registration process and must be done by yourself.

  • Le Saint-Louis: 5-minute walk from the railway station, 5-minute walk to the logis du roi. Price per night: 90€

  • Moxy Amiens: 5 minute-walk from the railway station, 10-minute walk to the logis du roi. Price per night: 120€

  • Ibis Styles Amiens Center: 2-minute walk from the railway station, 10-minute walk to the logis du roi. Price per night: 150€

I you are a student or a academic (with teaching position), you can apply for a university room at the “Résidence du Castillon” (https://www.crous-amiens.fr/se-loger/courts-sejour-au-crous-damiens-picardie/). This university residence is located rue du Général Frère and is close to the Citadel (10-minute walk) but further away from the logis du roi (25-minute walk). University rooms are cheap (25€ for a student; 40€ for a university teacher) but do not expect the same level of comfort and service as you would get in a hotel.

Tourism

Amiens is a beautiful city in northern France. Besides the Citadel, there are some wonderful places to visit here:

  • Amiens Cathedral, built between 1220 and 1270, is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. It is open to visitors every day from 8:30am to 6:15pm. You can also book a tour to discover the treasures inside. (https://www.cathedrale-amiens.fr/).

  • the “Musée de Picardie” exhibits collections ranging from prehistory to 19^th^ century. Many statues and paintings from the cathedral, including the famous “Puys”, can be seen there, and visitors can learn more about archaeology in Picardy. The museum is housed in a building designed specifically for it in the mid-19th century, which was a real innovation at the time.

  • the Jules Verne House is a museum dedicated to the French writer who lived in this house for three decades. Jules Verne is mainly known for his “Voyages extraordinaires” (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, Around the World in Eighty Days, From the Earth to the Moon, …).

  • the “Hortillonages” are former marshes that were reclaimed in the Middle Ages to create fields suitable for market gardening. These farms and gardens are intersected by small canals and cover an area of more than 300 hectares. The area can be explored by boat (https://www.leshortillonnages-amiens.com/), or more partially on foot. During HistoCrypt 2026, will take place the international gardens festival will take place, with multiple contemporary artworks installed in the Hortillonages.

There are also beautiful places to visit close to Amiens:

  • Chantilly Castle (1 hour 20 by direct train). The castle was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency, who was one of Francis I's and Henry II's main counsellors. It was then partially rebuilt in the 1870s. Visitors can explore the former 'grand apartments' and 'small apartments', as well as the magnificent art and book collections amassed by the last Duke of Aumale. According to his will, the collection is displayed exactly as it was in the 19th century. You can also visit part of the castle: the Le Nôtre garden (with its “Grand Canal”) and the “Grandes Écuries” (stables where there still are horses). Both were built in the 17th century for the Prince of Condé.

  • the cities of Arras and Lille (40 minutes to 1 hour 10 by train), two of the finest cities in French Flanders with their “Grand-Place” (central square), their citadels, …

  • the Somme Bay is a large estuary leading to the English Channel. You can travel there directly by train from Amiens, alighting at the Noyelles railway station, and then taking the “Chemin de fer de la baie de Somme” (Somme Bay railway). The journey will allow you to discover the bay and the medieval city of Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme. You can explore the bay on a small boat cruise departing from Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme or book a kayak trip to observe harbour seals. If you hire a car, you can also observe migrating birds in the Parc du Marquenterre (a regional nature park), bathe in Mers-les-Bains (with its pebble beach and chalk cliffs) or in Fort-Mahon (with its sandy beach and dunes), or try land sailing.