Whole Earth Guide

Picardie is just north of Paris and consists of the Departments of Aisne, Oise and Somme.

Although often eclipsed by its southern neighbour there are quite a number of attractions within the confines of this region which attract a diverse group of people.

More of a pilgrammage than a tourist destination the Somme area attracts a considerable number of visitors with numerous battlefields and cemetries throughout the area.

In terms of more traditional tourist attractions the Chateau of Chantilly houses not only a magnificent chateau and grounds but one of the finest collection of historical paintings in France.

Amongst the collection of Les Plus Beaux Villages in this region are Parfondeval and Gerberoy.

Although not an overlly popular region in itself, Paris being nearby makes for a wide selection of airport options with Beauvais (BVA) being the most convenient although you can also choose to fly to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY).

Although the rail network is quite extensive, if you're planning on visiting Somme sites then you'll need a car.

A selection from Somme...

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The First World War graves in France

I find the cemeteries in France really fascinating.

Naturally there are loads of military ones around the sites of past battles in the two world wars. The second world war ones up around the Normandy beaches are perhaps the most impressive in terms of the sheer scale of carnage that they represen...more

Chateau de Chantilly

You've probably heard of Chantilly from the song Chantilly Lace and they've been producing the lace since the 17th century although the silk laces weren't introduced until the 18th and the colours until the 19th century.

Today though, most people go to Chantilly to see the chateau which is one of...more

Our selection in Expat Banking : Opening an account in America as a non-resident

This used to be really easy: pick a big bank, check that they opened accounts for non-residents, then pop your application in the post.

Post 9/11 though the Patriot Act is with us and it imposes such stringent "know your customer" regulations on the banks that it's no longer possible to open an a...more

Don't worry if we don't currently cover the country you're looking for as we're expanding our coverage in the months to come. If you'd like to contribute to this guide, just click here. Contributions should be around 300-400 words with a photo.

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