Citadines Lille Centre, Lille

Advantages: Near London by train, cosmopolitan feel, excellent transport connections, eating out, plenty to see
Disadvantages: Dog poo

...-the-limit cars on the adjacent M20 HAS to be the best advert for a train you?ll ever see. Lille is a hub for northern Europe?s fast rail routes, being on the border with Belgium ? Brussels is an impressive 38 minutes away, and Paris is no slouch at one hour distant. Lille is a former European Capital of Culture, having just handed over the mantle to Cork last month. Outside of Paris, Lille is northern France?s centre for art and museums, and overall, France?s 4th-largest city. Most of all, Lille is a nice place; to eat in, to stay in, to wander around and look at, and heaven forbid, to buy things in! WHY PICK NOW? AKA ?CROYEZ-VOUS AU PÈRE-NOËL?? Good question ? I?m glad you asked. If the passengers on Saturday?s 10:42 departure for Brussels were anything to go by, the Torygraph?s* ?get a weekend return for the price of a day... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Beautiful
Disadvantages: None

...Having visited Lille on a number of occasions I have been astounded by the beauty of the city itself. The main square is of interest as the ageing buildings tell a story of the city's past. The museums cover a number of aspects, not only from Lille's history but also other important factors such as the Museum of Religious Art and the Natural History museum. Lille not only provides such wonder but a superb array of shops, cafés and restaurants making it an enjoyable visit. Lille also has many parks such as the 'Le Bois de Boulogne' which is at close proximity to the city centre. The park combines leisure activities as well as a zoological park. The large train station makes this city more accessible where parking may not always be easy. I would recommend Lille to anyone who enjoys historical beauty as well as a good time.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Varied culture, fab cuisine, nice people
Disadvantages: Some shops closed Sun and Mon

...I lived in Lille for 1 year. I went there as part of my degree. And I must say that I fell in love with the city after just one day. I lived in the Old part of Lille (Vieux Lille) which is about 2 mins walk from the town centre. It has so much charm! the cobbled streets boast a large variety of boutiques, some of which are privately owned and some of which are widely known brand names such as Hermes, and Louis Vuitton. these can be found in rue de la Grande Chaussée, and rue Chats Bossus. For some bigger shops you can head off to EuroLille (a very large shopping centre in between the 2 main train stations) it consists of mainly chain stores, and has a huge supermarket called Carrefour. Carrefour has a brilliant seafood section filled with fresh produce, there's also a fantastic 'ready to eat' area where you can usually sample... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful