Are you looking for a weekend trip that won’t break the bank?
As far as France goes, Paris has long topped the list of city break destinations. But just an hour down the tracks, there is a vibrant university city that’s arguably the country’s most underrated metropolis.
Lille is the leafy capital of Hauts-de-France, located just 10 or so miles from the Belgian border. Beautiful and lively, it’s ideally located for a weekend away from London (though it’s within easy reach of a number of other cities) and has plenty of options for those on a budget. Here’s how I spent a weekend in Lille for a grand total of less than £200.
Table of Contents
Getting There
With no direct flights from London, the Eurostar is by far the easiest (and most sustainable) way to kick off your weekend in Lille. There are up to 9 trains a day from King’s Cross St Pancras, with prices starting from just £29 each way. If you’re really looking for a bargain however, I’d recommend checking out Eurostar Snap.
Eurostar Snap is a ‘snap’ sale site, where you can pick up tickets to Paris, Lille, Brussels and Bruges at a heavily reduced price. The catch? You can’t pick the exact train you take, and can select only a morning or afternoon departure time. However, if you can book fairly last minute and be flexible with your train times, it’s an option well worth taking advantage of.
I purchased my tickets with Eurostar Snap at just £25 each way. When I checked the same tickets on the regular site the total came to almost £200, a saving that more than covered my spending money for the entire weekend in Lille.
Once you’re on board, it takes less than an hour and a half to arrive at Lille Europe, where getting to the city centre couldn’t be easier. It’s just a 15-minute walk in a straight line from the station, or if you would prefer, about 20 minutes on the city’s highly efficient Metro (more on this shortly).
Travelling From Elsewhere?
| Travelling From | Journey Duration | No. of Stops | Train Frequency | Example Cost of a Standard Return |
| Brussels | 34m – 39m | 0 | Every 1-2 hours | € 30 |
| Paris | 1h 2m – 1h 13m | 0 | Hourly | € 30 |
| Amsterdam | 2h 38m – 4h 24m | 1-2 | Hourly | € 100 |
| Frankfurt | 4h 27m – 6h 42m | 1 | Every 1-2 hours | € 125 |
To check out specific train times and prices, visit thetrainline.com
Where To Stay
For budget accommodation for your weekend in Lille, check out what’s available on Airbnb. There are a ton of low-cost options on there, and I managed to find a quirky studio flat for just £22 a night. If you have a little more to spend and would like to stay in a hotel, Lille City Hotel is in a fantastic location, and you can pick up a single room for as little as £44.
Whatever route you go down, you don’t need to worry too much about location. Lille is relatively small, and I ended up walking everywhere (partly to see more of the city, partly to offset some of the Belgian beer). I only ended up using the Metro once to catch the early train back to London King’s Cross. It was not only super easy to navigate, but incredibly fast.
There are only two lines that cover the whole city, and as I was there during peak times there was a train every single minute. If, like me, you sometimes get a bit anxious about getting the right tickets, there’s no need to worry. There are easy-to-use machines at each Metro station with options for different languages and an explanation of what each ticket is for.
What To Eat
Though I spotted plenty of tempting restaurants during my stay, I only ended up eating out once over the weekend. I nabbed a table outside of the charming L’Abbaye, a modest brasserie just off the main city square that proved the perfect spot for a bit of people-watching. The menu had a great mix of dishes, including a range of vegetarian options, which I was pleasantly surprised by.
Curiously, ‘Le Welsh’ (or Welsh rarebit to you and me) seems to have made its way into most of the brasseries in Lille, and L’Abbaye was no exception. Beer soaked bread? A mountain of cheese? I just couldn’t resist giving it a try. What came out of the kitchen was an earthenware dish gloriously coated with cheese, topped with a crisp fried egg and a generous side of chips for good measure. Delicious as it was, I couldn’t quite finish it, and I even ended up skipping dinner that evening.
Once you’ve recovered from your ‘Le Welsh’, don’t miss out on a trip to Meert, a stunning patisserie and tea room that’s more than 100 years old. The mouth-watering pastries lined up in their window are truly something to behold, from the lemon and yuzu tart piled high with meringue to the gorgeously decadent Gianduja ganache slice. I opted for their famous gaufre Meert, a thin, oblong waffle filled with sweet Madagascan vanilla. Granted, Meert is not particularly cheap, but for a real taste of Lille this shop is not to be missed.
What To Do
There’s no shortage of things to do during a weekend in Lille, and entrance to most is very reasonably priced. If the weather’s nice, head over to the Citadel Park, a beautiful space encircled by the Deûle canal. There you’ll find lush woods, manicured gardens and the delights of Lille Zoo. For just 4 euros entry, I whiled away a few hours here, admiring the furry, feathered and reptilian residents. For a small zoo, there’s a remarkable range of animals to be found, and the enclosures are all beautifully well-kept. Even if animals aren’t your thing, a stroll around the park with a coffee and croissant in hand is a great way to spend a sun-kissed Sunday morning (you could even hire a boat if you are that way inclined).
Money Saving Tip
If you can time your trip over the 1st Sunday of the month, entry to the Palais des Beau-Arts, Musée d’Histoire Naturelle and Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse are all completely free.
Art-lovers in Lille shouldn’t miss out on a trip to the Palais des Beaux-Arts. One of the largest museums in France, it’s worth a visit for the architecture alone, with a huge central atrium and gorgeous domed ceilings. I was flattered to be offered a student ticket, coming in at just 4 euros a pop. When I woefully told the member of staff that my student days were far behind me, he surprised me by saying that the concession rate was available to anyone under the age of 30.
Inside, you’ll find three huge floors packed with 19th-century sculptures, Impressionist painting, intricate relief maps and much, much more. There’s even a free app where you can find guides to the gallery’s top works to help make the most of your visit. For another art haven which I unfortunately didn’t make it to, check out La Piscine Museum. As the name suggests, it’s housed in a former swimming pool, with a stunning art deco interior that’s perhaps one of the most unusual in France.
For a fascinating few hours that needn’t cost you a penny, wander over to Vieux-Lille. The old town comprises winding cobbled streets lined with charming art galleries, shops and estaminets, the French equivalent of a classic pub (one word of warning before you duck in for a Belgian beer – estaminets will usually require you to order food as well as drink). It’s by far the most Instagrammable part of the city, with colourful old buildings that take you back in time.
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