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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 taxi3.1 mi 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 away; Flibco shuttle bus to LilleAbout 75 mi 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
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.