Railway - P.Lovell
Railway- Olivier Leclercq
The classic journey is to catch the train to Le Crotoy,
Taking you over the lock bridge in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and skirting around the bay and marshes where you can see swans, herons, egrets, waterhens and all kinds of ducks.
The steam train ride lasts an hour.
The scenery is awe-inspiring, especially the vast stretches of salt marshes where huge flocks of sheep graze when the tide’s out and the countless hunting lodges hidden to perfection.
The Noyelles-sur-Mer stop gives you a chance to see how rotating boards manoeuvred old locomotives
Then, there’s a stop in Le Crotoy to visit the traditional little fishing port.
The second journey takes you to Cayeux-sur-Mer from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme station on board an old railcar or steam train.
It’s faster, approximately 30 minutes
Takes you through the “bas champs” (lower fields) to the family-friendly sea resort famous for its pebble beach, boardwalk and row of huts stretching over 2km.
“Departure imminent, our History is the destination, drop Anchor”
All the journeys will take you on a trip back in time, put the “fun” into “functional” and you can even take your bike on board the luggage van then come back on the bike paths. There are special time slots for disabled visitors so they can board and enjoy the ride stress-free.
The cherry on the cake is you can book dinner on board every Friday or Saturday night in summer. Not only can you enjoy a menu bursting with regional produce and local flavour but you can also feast your eyes on the sunset over the bay.
If you’re not driving, you can connect on the SNCF trains on the Paris-Calais route then take a steam train to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Cayeux-sur-Mer or Le Crotoy.