Michel Ruc, Lille

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

...I’ve now been to Lille three times in the past year or so, each previous time, merely for the day. Only over the last weekend did we stay overnight. Why Lille? Well, rather like the reason dogs lick their naughty bits, it’s because we can. Lille is the first main stop in France on the Eurostar/TGV route from the Channel Tunnel – yes, I know you could get a train that stops at Calais (Fréthun), but that’s like getting out at Bristol Parkway and expecting to be in Bristol! Gare Lille-Europe arrives outside your train window 1 hour and 40 minutes after London Waterloo International disappears. Stage 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), means that we now get to hurtle through Kent at 186 M.P.H. before slowing to a mere 100 M.P.H. to shrug off the 32 miles of tunnel in a mere 20 minutes. Doing 'a ton' MORE than even the over... Read review

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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

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Advantages: environment, people, heritage, access (train/road), transportation (subway/tramway)
Disadvantages: still has a bad reputation (weather ?)

...Treasures Lille... Apologies for the French pun (title), I couldn't resist ! And if it was true ? The city conceals a number of wonders indeed. With you to discover them ! The town was born towards 11th century, and knew a disturbed history. At the beginning, as its name indicates it, it's just an island, a fortress surrounded by marshes (medieval name: Lisle, which means "island", so). The place has a strategic importance, it is targeted by foreign powers, from where many wars: Lille is in turn French, Spanish and Flemish. Conquered ultimate once by the king Louis XIV in 1667, it is definitively attached to France in 1713, following the Treaty of Utrecht (Peace of Utrecht). Many monuments go back to this time, like the Citadelle, for instance, built by the military architect Sébastien Le Presle, more known under the name of... Read review

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