Lille (France)

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 ...
...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; ...

BNibbles 07.12.2004 (09.12.2004) · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

Lille is a large city in the Northern part of France, close to the border with Belgium. I recently visited this city with my mother and boyfriend, and as a result feel that I should strongly recommend it if you are looking for a short break at a less traditional destination. In terms of accessibility, Lille is an ideal place to go, as so little time needs to be spent travelling. Lille is a stopping point for the Eurostar on its way to Brussels or ...
...We decided to go to Lille because I needed speaking practice for my A-Level French, and when we had been to Paris the year before I had not had much practice because everybody just speaks English to you, and the vocabulary you need to use is just tourist vocabulary anyway. When we first arrived, at about 10 pm on a weekday night, the station of Lille Europe seemed very daunting, as it is a very large, modern building and it was virtually empty. Our ...

helendavis83 10.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

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 ...
...£10 per head. Kebabs in Lille are good too if you don't fancy sitting down to dinner! you get a huge choice of sauces to go with your kebab, and it's served in a naan style pitta bread (so it's nice and thick) As for nightlife, I used to work in a bar in Old Lille called Cafe Oz, it's in Place Louise-de-Bettignies and it's an Aussie bar. It's actually filled with french people, and the atmosphere is usually amazing! look out for the staff dancing ...

PollyErrington 16.03.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

...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... Vauban ! The city develops considerably, its population grows, ...
...industries, primarily the textile. Lille is today a dynamic metropolis. The inner city counted 185,000 inhabitants in '99, at the time of the last national census (ranking #13 in the country). The Grand Lille (Greater Lille), the whole of the agglomeration, accounts for 1.1 million (#4), and even 1.7 by including the Belgian part. Because the city of the north of France presents this characteristic, that to be a transborder metropolis, in which ...

Rijsel.Spirit 08.05.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

My family and I started going to Hossegor, (which is situated in the Bay Of Biscay, SW France), when I was about 5, way back in the mid 80's. Well, up he coast a tiny bit from there actually). We always stay at the same place when we're there. Its a 4star campsite called Le Vieux Port. The campsite has everything that you'd need. Even as young children we always had something to do. The entance consists of a long kind of driveway, along which runs ...
...for the kiddies. It all looks very classy, with flags from different countries running down both sides. Then you approach the reception and main bar areas of the site. The campsite has one very very nice bar which is never too crowded, but always is full of atmosphere. There are often live bands playing here (most of which sing in english, even thought they're mostly french). There is seating both outside and in. Unfortunately though, there is not ...

BJEEE 20.12.2000 (21.12.2000) · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

Lille is situated in the north of France, and this is where I live, not really, but I live around Lille. This is a amazing town, but I wish there was more english each summer ;o). Fist, it's really easy to come to Lille thanks to the ferries (that I took so many times!) and we have plenty of hotels there! I don't know if they are expensive or not because I don't need them! Those years, the town has being changed, I mean it's getting more and more ...
...close...I like the peanut butter, and won't be able to find it anymore!...Really good place for you not to fell far from GB! Lille is also an historic town! there are a lot of vistis that you can do there! Please excuse my mistakes, I am not english... ...

little_french_guy 24.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

Mon dieu! I could have chosen any of 51 other weekends for a short trip to Lille, but, in blissful ignorance, I chose this one, 20th & 21st June. We set out from London at 3.30 pm last Friday, leaving what we thought was plenty of time for the 110 mile journey to Dover, but, as usual, didn’t make sufficient allowance for the wretched M25. Sitting in an endless traffic jam is not the most relaxing way to start a mini-break and by the time we got ...
...but with only 20 minutes left to check-in, it became obvious that we wouldn’t make the sailing we were booked on. Now, I confess that we did, on those few miles of road where it was possible, exceed the speed limit perhaps by a teensy bit, but in most places it wasn’t an option. We finally drove into the port just 15 minutes before the boat was due to sail and so were checked in for the next boat, 45 minutes later than our intended departure. We ...

SuzanneW 23.06.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

...been wonderful. The history of Lille oouses out of the buildings and people. Every where you look are reminders of its past without ignoring its modern status of a metropolitan city. Depending on which mode of transport you use, the city comes alive the moment you arrive. I have driven here from Calais, from Paris and from Belgium. I have used the Eurostar, TGV and the mainline trains from Amiens. The old main line station used to be the main station ...
...of the town and suburbs. Lille Europe station is the 'new' intercity link for the Eurostar and TGV's. From Lille you can more or less go to any city in Europe. The motorways network is just as important (mind those radar traps!). Depending on the type of your visit, there is, like most cities, so much to visit and see. Lille offers a wonderful shopping centre (mall) called EuraLille which is situated between the two railway stations and is very hard ...

tazorii 27.01.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

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 ...
...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. ...

heideroosjes 05.12.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

...it seemed time to give Lille a chance. Well, I’m glad I did! Yes, I agree with the points, good and bad, made in the other ops but on the whole I had a good time and I will be returning. So, why? Lille is a city with a small town feel, but you need to be in the right area. Old Lille is charming, full of interesting shops, great little restaurants, wonderful old buildings etc. etc. ….. the rest is what you would expect of a city with ...
...the best art collection outside Paris to see. There are also ‘working girls’ and sleazy areas. So don’t expect Disneyland, it’s a working town (sometimes). One small piece of advice. Weekends are NOT a good time to visit if you want to shop – as I found out the hard way. Many Hotels offer you Sunday night free if you stay Friday night etc. etc. What they don’t tell you is that virtually everything, restaurants ...

Andy_W 19.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

Lille has often been associated with industry, and thus overlooked by many people. However the City of Lille is a vibrant exciting city, which rail connections to Brussels (45 mins away) and all over France. There are a lot of up and comin art galleries, with pictures for sale, many exquisite shops, and above all some great restaurants. The restaurant which had made visits to Lille for me, and which I became so attached to that I would go for dinner ...
...a series of cars to get our party of twelve to the station to make the last train, truly fantastic service. The place is attractive to young people and very relaxed, something which Lille as a whole has, where other citiesin France seem to lack this relaxed side of things. ...

Morgenhund 10.08.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)

...by car and Le Shuttle, Lille is a delight when you get there...so soon, too! Not only does it have bags of history, it also has plenty of places to eat and shop and drink. And so cheaply, too! A bottle of champagne in the supermarkets there is around £4; a decent Boss men's suit is less than £120 (around £250 in the UK) and the food is wonderfully good value. Besides the spending money aspect of this historic town, there are plenty of museums and ...

pertbutt 09.08.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Lille (France)