Our travel notes
Traveling to Lille
Lille is at the very North of the French territory, at the border between France and Belgium. Brussels is 110 km away and Paris 220 km - but for instance, Switzerland is over 1000 km away. Even though all modes of transport will lead you to Lille, some will turn out to be more convenient according to where you come from. Lille is within a short reach of the European capitals.
The Lille-Lesquin international airport is only 10 minutes away from the inner centre. Bus shuttles will take you to the Euralille shopping outlet (7 for an outward trip, 9€ for the return ticket). The airport has domestic and international lines.
Despite its far Northern location, Lille is quite well connected to the railway network. In fact, It is right in the middle of the Eurostar line linking Paris to London! Thus Lille is only 1 hour away from Paris with TGV, and 40 minutes away from Brussels with Thalys. TGV (the French fast-track railway) is a comfortable, fast and convenient solution for travelers that live close to a major railway station.
If you live in the neighboring regions or in Belgium, driving to Lille can turn out to be a winning choice. It is definitely the cheapest mode of transport. Besides, if you cannot charter a whole bus for your group, try the new regular lines that have been developing since the liberalization of the sector started.
Hotels of all standards for all kinds of groups
As a city, Lille is only the 10th biggest in France- but the conurbation as a whole has 1 million inhabitants, which makes it the 4th biggest in the country. It even spreads over Belgium! It is no wonder that Lille has such a wide choice of accommodation equipped to host groups. Let's take a tour of the main districts. Lille's throbbing heart is located in the centre, more precisely at the iconic Grand'Place. The neighboring streets are very busy shopping areas. North of the centre, Euralille encompasses the two railway stations of the city, Lille Flandres and Lille Europe, that are only 400 m away from each other. It is also home to the "Lille Grand Palais" events centre and the St Sauveur market. The old historical town, with its winding lanes from the Middle Ages, spreads towards the North-West. It is home to the birth house of Général de Gaulle and to the Hospice Comtesse museum. Southwards, the quiet Wazemmes district gets lively every Sunday when the market is on. Eastwards, Fives is a former industrial district, with its own centre and attractions. A vibrant, down-to-earth area, it keeps its local traditions alive- such as for instance the Fives wine. Westwards, the lively Vauban Esquermes district hosts a large number of students (there are over 15,000 of them in Catholic faculties), close to the city zoo, which you can visit for free. Finally, the Bois Blanc district is dubbed the "Island of Lille" because of its location between branches of the Deule river; it is currently undergoing conversion and has found a new impulse with the Euratechnologie business centre.Groupcorner helps you select the hotels that suit your needs in terms of location and equipment.
