Anyone been to Lille?

Chelseagirl · Anyone been to Lille?

I am planning to visit Bonjean Mititary cemertey in Arementieres next Spring, to visit my great grandfathers grave.

We would like to stay in Lille which is not too far (15-20 mins on TER Train)

Can anyone recommend a hotel in Lille?
We plan to travel by Eurostar to Lille.

Any advice? What to do in Lille etc...

Thanks

CG

THE THIEF OF BAD GAGS

Lille is brilliant depending on what type of hotel you want i can reccomend 2 in the centre they are only 2* by french standards but are very good and i have satyed in both

the first one is the Continental on place de la Gare this is just outside the Eurostar teminal and is very handy , the trains dont disturb you at all ,

the second one and my personal favourite is de la Paix Hotel on Rue de Paris this is iin the city centre andis a 16th century house converted into a hotel and is very different to most hotels

as for what to do SHOP , there is a huge shopping centre at the terminal called Euro Lille and is duty free , also eat in many of the places around the main square , its a university town so a lot of places are young orientated and the atmosphere is very good i recommend Brasserie Flore http://www.restaurantsdelille.com...ant-cafe-brasserie-flore_eng.html it is regional cuisine and very good , they do have atourist menu which a lot of peopel use for day trips but the a la carte is very good

have alook at http://www.lilletourisme.com/uk/ and it will help you ,

i have been about 4 times and loved it everytime i think its a lot nicer than Paris more compact and cheaper

any questions just ask

THE THIEF OF BAD GAGS

also

if you are going when they have the market DEFIANTELY GO

Wazemmes Market
Place de la Nouvelle Aventure
Definitely one of the best street markets in Europe. The streets around the Church of St Paul et St Pierre are filled with numerous stalls selling antiques, crockery, art and books. On the Place de La Nouvelle Aventure, toys, clothes and knitware can be found alongside market gardeners fruit and vegetable stalls, piled high with organically grown vegetables freshly harvested. The brick built market hall at the end of square sells meats, fish and cheese. Tables of the cafes and restaurants spill out onto the streets selling traditional dishes alongside food from around the globe.

one of the things i have always suggested to people who do this trip is TAKE a cool box or BAG you can go made on cheeses , Pates etc and you can keep them cool in the bag for the trip home

Chelseagirl

Thank you TOBG

I like the sound of the converted house into a hotel. I will have a look at it on line.

I heard there is a market on Sundays, we will be there for the weekend so will be able to go.
I love a market

I said to my dad we better go four the weekend as there is bound to be a market for mum and there is.

We was planning on going in spring, is the weather okay then. Mild (ish)

Did you go by Eurostar?

CG

THE THIEF OF BAD GAGS

GoldenChippie

we stayed near some of the war graves this year, we met two guys who were doing a tour of the war graves and they said Lille was one of their favorite places to stay.

its a beautiful area, you will be very impressed with the cemetaries,they are kept so well.

Chelseagirl

yep went by Eurostar , as i used to work for them LOL[/quote]

We will get the Eurostar from Waterloo, how does it take?

Where is the best place/time to book to get a good deal?
Parents are pensioners, so I want to get the best deal for them

Might make it May rather than April, in case we have April Showers!! :evil:

guest

Thank you for the pics, did you go to see them too?
It all looks very well kept...

Where did you stay?

Chelseagirl

TTOBG
Would it be cheaper to book Eurostar and Hotel together?

CG

THE THIEF OF BAD GAGS

the best deals are when the trains come out , the eurostar is like budget airlines the timetables/prices only come out 13 weeks before , then book , if its april/may diont go in the bank hols and if you can go midweek its cheaper , althou if you book a package the hotel MAY offer 3 nights for the price of 2 over the weeknd so you go friday and come nack Monday

it takes 2 hrs to get to Lille , but i havent been on since they got slighly quicker so i would say 1 3/4 hrs now

seniors dont reallt get any consideration of discount you may be lucky and find the one train that they are cheaper BUT anothertrain they will be more expensive

IF YOU BOOK MAKE SURE YOU USE EITHER EUROSTAR THEMSELVES OR YOU MA GET A BETTER DEAL WITH EUROSTAR HOLIDAYS DIRECT WHO ARE THE REGISTERED PACKAGE HOLS FOR EUROSTAR AND CRESTA HOLIDAYS RUN IT FOR EURSOSTAR

Chelseagirl

Thank you,
I will have to go weekend as mum's want to go to the market lol

Looking forward to it, wish I was goining NOW!!!!

Thanks again.

Simon

We are off to Lille in two weeks for a couple of nights (Xmas market....we usually go to Cologne or Dusseldorf, but we got bored with those). Staying at some new place next to the Eurostar station. I'll let you know how it is ....

Simon

We've just gotten back from Lille, very nice it was too. Stayed at the Suitehotel by the Eurostar station about 10 minutes walk from the centre: pretty reasonable price and a good, quiet location (or well soundproofed anyway).

Lille itself was really nice, we loved the old town and all the chocolate shops. The **save Hilda, don't say it!** market is a bit dull, but there are plenty of other attractions!

Piccies to follow!