Amiens
A day or overnight stop in Picardy, Amiens pairs a UNESCO Gothic cathedral with canal market gardens, a 52-meter belfry and Jules Verne's former home.
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Amiens is a city in northern France, about 120 km north of Paris, and the capital of the Somme department in the Hauts-de-France region. Its central landmark is Amiens Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in France and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Measured by volume, its interior ranks with the biggest of any cathedral, and the west façade holds over 3,000 carved statues, gargoyles and chimeras.
Beyond the cathedral, visitors come for the Hortillonnages, marshy market gardens split by canals near Saint-Acheul, and for Saint-Leu, an old quarter of wooden and brick houses at the foot of the cathedral. Jules Verne settled here in 1871 and stayed until 1905. A day trip from Paris by train works, but one or two nights leaves time for slow walks along the canals. The free light show on the cathedral façade runs in summer and in December, and December also brings the largest Christmas market in northern France. Rain falls through the year, so pack layers and rain gear.
Amiens in five
- Take the direct train from Paris NordRegional trains run from Paris Gare du Nord in about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30. A day trip works well, and a regional ticket costs far less than a TGV fare.Getting around France
- See the cathedral facade after darkIn summer and again at Christmas the west front is lit with a colored projection. Check the dates with the tourist office, because they change each year.
- Row a boat through the HortillonnagesThe floating gardens are a patchwork of market gardens on canals, and boats run from spring to autumn. Hire a guide or a punt for a half hour and check the season with the tourist office.
- Add the Somme with a driver or a tourThe memorials and trenches near Albert and Thiepval sit 30–45 minutes north-east of the city and have no useful train. Book a guide or rent a car for a half day.Arras
- Eat in the Saint-Leu quarterCafés line the canal on the riverside, with a lively lunch crowd and quiet evenings. Book a table at weekends and in July and August.
Need to know
- Airport
- Paris (CDG), about 1.5 hr by train via Paris Nord
- Getting there
- Regional train from Paris Nord in about 1 hr 10–1 hr 30
- Getting around
- Walking; bike or boat for the Hortillonnages
- Best base
- Near the cathedral and the Saint-Leu quarter
- Time needed
- 1 day from Paris, or a night with the Somme
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryRain13 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh7°Low2°Cold, quietJanuaryRain
Poor
- High
- 7°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 87 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- FebruaryPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh9°Low3°Cold, quietFebruaryPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 3°
- Precipitation
- 59 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- MarchRain14 rainy daysHigh12°Low4°Grey, mildMarchRain
Mixed
- High
- 12°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 69 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Grey, mild
- AprilPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh15°Low5°Spring lightAprilPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 49 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring light
- MayPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh18°Low8°Green, mildMayPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 64 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Green, mild
- JunePartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh22°Low12°Gardens at bestJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 67 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Gardens at best
- JulyPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh24°Low14°Cathedral light showJulyPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 52 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cathedral light show
- AugustPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh24°Low14°Warm, busyAugustPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 57 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, busy
- SeptemberPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh21°Low12°Mild, quietSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 57 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, quiet
- OctoberRain13 rainy daysHigh17°Low9°Autumn colorOctoberRain
Good
- High
- 17°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 76 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Autumn color
- NovemberRain13 rainy daysHigh11°Low5°Grey, rainNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 11°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 73 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Grey, rain
- DecemberRain13 rainy daysHigh8°Low3°Christmas marketDecemberRain
Poor
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 3°
- Precipitation
- 79 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Christmas market
Average daily high and low in Amiens, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Amiens
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
10
- Feels like
- 7°
- Humidity
- 76%
- Wind
- 18 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 86%
Amiens
09:47 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today12°8°86%Monday: Drizzle. High 12°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 86%.
- Tue11°5°2%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 11°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Wed9°3°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu10°3°0%Thursday: Clear. High 10°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri9°2°6%Friday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 6%.
- Sat9°0°9%Saturday: Fog. High 9°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 9%.
- Sun11°5°12%Sunday: Cloudy. High 11°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 12%.
Updated 07:13 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Day trips by train
- Arrasabout 1 hour by carGrand'Place and the underground tunnels; a good second northern stop.Read the guide
- Rouenabout 1.25 hours by carA Gothic cathedral city on the Seine, with Joan of Arc history.Read the guide
- Lilleabout 1.5–2 hours by trainFlemish brick squares and the Eurostar station.Read the guide
Before you go to Amiens
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Rules for Amiens, checked
- Check the entry rules for your nationality on the France-Visas website before you fly or take a train.Source
- Customs limits apply to food, plants and animal products brought into France from outside the EU. Check the French customs site first.
- Most parking in the center is paid, and some neighborhoods use a residential parking system. Read the signs before you leave a car.
- Some northern housing estates have seen riots and social problems in past years. Keep to the central areas described in guides.
Plan around Amiens
Paris and regions with the rules for visitors
Read the guideArrasFlemish gables and tunnels, an hour north
Read the guideLilleBig northern city with a TGV link to Eurostar
Read the guideRouenAnother cathedral city, 1.5 hours west
Read the guideEurostar and EurailWhether a rail pass pays for northern France
Read the guideAmiens FAQ
Is Amiens worth visiting?
Yes for the cathedral, the canals and the floating gardens, all in a compact center. It is quieter than Paris and gives a northern-France stop without a long detour.
Can you visit Amiens as a day trip from Paris?
Yes. The direct regional train takes about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30, so you can see the cathedral and the Saint-Leu quarter by lunch and be back by evening. Stay a night to add the Somme or an evening cathedral light show.
How many days do you need in Amiens?
One day covers the cathedral, the Hortillonnages and a riverside lunch. Two days lets you add the Somme battlefields or Jules Verne's house at a slower pace.
What is Amiens known for?
Its cathedral, among the largest Gothic churches in France, the Hortillonnages floating gardens, macarons and Jules Verne, who lived and wrote here for years.
Do you need a car in Amiens?
No for the city. You need a car or a guided tour for the Somme memorials, which sit in countryside with no good public transport.