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Voykit pocket guide · France
Lille
Give Lille 2 nights: old town, Palais des Beaux-Arts and a Roubaix half-day. One night only works if you arrive by early afternoon.
Lille is France's most northerly big city and the capital of Hauts-de-France, sitting on the Belgian border about 1 h from Paris, 35 min from Brussels and 1 h 22 min from London by high-speed train. The historic centre is compact and walkable, the food is Flemish-French, and the metro reaches Roubaix and Tourcoing. Two nights covers the core; three lets you add a museum day or a Belgian border hop.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, wet, short days); Braderie weekend if you dislike crowds
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2–4 |
| Moules-frites in a brasserie | €14–20 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a supermarket | €5–8 / €1–2 |
| Metro or tram single ride | €1.80 plus €0.20 card |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | €15–20 |
| Museum entry (Palais des Beaux-Arts, La Piscine) | €7–11 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LIL · Lille Airport (Lesquin)
- Small airport, mostly domestic and Mediterranean routes; direct coach to central Lille in about 20 min, €7 one-way, €9 return
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- TGV from the airport station to Lille Europe, about 1 h; do not use Beauvais (BVA) — no rail link
- CRL · Brussels South Charleroi
- About 120 km (75 mi) away; Flibco shuttle bus to LilleAbout 75 mi (120 km) away; Flibco shuttle bus to Lille
Typical fares
- Lille Airport → central Lille, coach
- €7 one-way, €9 return, about 20 min
- Taxi Lille Airport → centre
- about €20
- TGV Lille → Paris
- about 1 h, from about €25 if booked early (check)
- Eurostar Lille → London
- about 1 h 22 min, check in about 90 min before
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Two driverless metro lines (1 and 2) plus two tram routes and buses run by ilévia; both stations are on both metro lines. Single ticket €1.80 plus €0.20 for the rechargeable card, 24-hour pass €5.30 (2026 estimate). V'Lille bike share covers the centre. The centre itself is walkable end to end in about 25 min.
See and do
Known for
- Vieux Lille and the Vieille Bourse
- Palais des Beaux-Arts
- Braderie de Lille flea market (September)
- Moules-frites and local beer
- Eurostar and TGV crossroads
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Roubaix (La Piscine museum) | Metro line 2 to Gare Jean Lebas, then a 500 m walk | About 45 min |
| Villeneuve-d'Ascq (LAM museum) | Metro line 2 to Fort de Mons, then bus 6 | About 50 min |
| Arras | TER or TGV from Lille Flandres, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Dunkirk | TER from Lille Flandres, about 1 h 15 min | About 1 h 30 min |
| Amiens | TER or TGV from Lille Flandres, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 45 min |
| Calais | TER from Lille Flandres, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 45 min |
Sleep
- Vieux Lille
- Cobbled streets, boutiques and restaurants; quietest at night, best for a short first trip.
- Around Gare de Lille Flandres / Lille Europe
- Walk to both stations in under 10 min; practical for one-night stops and early departures.
- Rihour / Grand Place
- Central for the tourist office at Palais Rihour, metro line 1 and the main squares.
- Wazemmes
- Cheaper, student-heavy, market on Sundays; 15–20 min walk or metro from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Pickpockets around Grand Place and the stations, especially during the September Braderie.
- Metro platforms are much longer than the trains — check the floor markings for your door.
- Belgian destination boards are inconsistent: a train shown as Kortrijk/Courtrai may continue further into Belgium.
- Eurostar check-in needs about 90 min before departure for border formalities.
- Some museums close on Mondays or Tuesdays — check before you go.
Lille is generally safe for tourists. The real risks are pickpockets on Grand Place and around the stations, late-night bar streets in Vieux Lille, and the September Braderie crush: keep bags zipped and split cash.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lille yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Vieux Lille and the Vieille Bourse
- Palais des Beaux-Arts
- Braderie de Lille flea market (September)
- Moules-frites and local beer
- Eurostar and TGV crossroads
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Lille Tourist Office: en.lilletourism.com/
- Ville de Lille: lille.fr
- ilévia (Lille public transport): www.ilevia.fr/
- Lille Airport: www.lille.aeroport.fr/home/
- Wikivoyage: Lille, revision 5322205 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5322205
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lille
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries: embassies in Paris; the US, UK and others have consulates in Lille or nearby — check the current address before you travel.
Tipping: service is included by law; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lille). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.