Day trips to Lille

Even a few hours in Lille will be memorable, and if that’s all you’ve got, we’ve got some ideas on how you could spend your time here. 

Is Lille worth visiting for a day?

Yes, Lille is an ideal destination for a day trip to France. Only a short drive from Calais, the largest city in the Hauts-de-France region is a place full of culture, history and art – as well as family-friendly activities. Situated close to the border with Belgium, Lille feels Flemish as much as it does French, an influence you can see in its architecture, hear in its language and taste in its food and drink. Visit in early September and you’ll get to experience the joy and madness of the Braderie de Lille, the annual flea market festival, and in December there is nothing better than a quick trip to Lille’s Christmas market. 

Lille in one day - Choose your perfect itinerary

The Vieille Bourse is the most beautiful building on the Grand Place

First-time Lille itinerary – Vieux-Lille and Grand Place

•    Walk around the old town (Vieux-Lille) – a lovely compact area of cobblestone streets, packed with inviting little shops, boulangeries and patisseries, and elegant corner buildings reminiscent of Paris.

•    All roads in Vieux-Lille lead to the Grand Place – Lille’s main square, the perfect stop for lunch in one of its many restaurants and pavement cafés.

•    The Grand Place’s most stunning building is La Vieille Bourse, the old stock exchange, built in the 17th century. Now its inner courtyard is home to a thriving book, art and flower market.

History and culture itinerary - Palais des Beaux-Arts and Citadel of Lille

A historic site, the Citadel is still a live military facilityCitadel de Lille

If you’re familiar with the coastline of Hauts-de-France you’ll no doubt have seen many of the fortifications of Vauban, one of France’s greatest military engineers. The star shaped fortress he designed at Lille was called the ‘queen of citadels’. It still serves as a French military facility, so while the interior is only accessible by special arrangement with the Lille tourist board, the footpaths surrounding the citadel and moat are open to the public. You get an appreciation of the scale of the structure, some of it ruined but in most places very well preserved, and the importance of its role in the defence of France’s borders. 

Palais des Beaux-Arts 

Located on the Place de la République, Lille’s main fine art museum is one of the best in France outside of Paris. For only a small entry fee, you can see masterpieces of European painting, including works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya, Delacroix and Breugel the Elder. Sculptures by Rodin and Claudel, sketches by Vauban, and drawings by Raphael are more of the treasures to be found here. The museum is free to enter on the 1st Sunday of the month, and €7 at other times. 

Family-friendly Lille itinerary - Parks, museums and attractions

Lille’s Palais des Beaux-Arts

•    Lille Zoo – a small zoo in the Citadel Park, with rhinos, zebras, lemurs and monkeys. Entry is just €6 for adults and €3 for children. 

•    Cita Parc – an amusement park also within the grounds of the Citadel, mainly for younger children. The rides are gentle, with some small coasters and a log flume.

•    Climb the Belfry – there is something exciting for children about climbing a tower like Lille’s Art Deco belfry, and they’ll be bounding up the 415 steps, even if you might take your time over the climb. It takes around 45 minutes to get to the viewing platform, and the view from 104 metres up is breathtaking for young and old.

•    Palais des Beaux-Arts – the fine arts museum has plenty of activities for children, such as interactive games and puzzles that help young art critics discover more about the works on the walls. Admission is also free for kids under 12! 

Food, markets and shopping itinerary - Lille’s local specialities and markets

The legendary Méert patisserie and tearoom (Image credit: Velvet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

•    Visit a brewery – Lille is a city renowned for its love of beer, and microbreweries, called ‘brasseries’ in French, offer tours, tastings and often serve food too at their bars. One of the best is Célestin, in the old town. There’s even a special tourism agency, dedicated to beer-themed tours of Lille.

•    Waffles at Méert – Lille’s most famous tearoom, Méert, has one of the most delicious looking windows in the city. Of all the many delights at this historic patisserie, try its speciality, a thin waffle filled with Madagascar vanilla cream. 

•    Wazemmes market – experience the hustle and bustle of Lille’s most famous covered market. Fresh fruit and veg, meat, cheeses, street food and flowers are sold every day from Tuesday to Sunday, with outdoor stalls on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.  

Seasonal day trips to Lille

Follow the scent of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts to the Christmas market 

Autumn – Experience the Grande Braderie de Lille

The Grande Braderie de Lille is the largest flea market in Europe, and is held every year on the first weekend in September. It’s a tradition that dates back to the 12th century, and completely takes over the Grand Place and the Vieux Lille, and spills out into other districts. The market’s signature dish of moules and frites is eaten all over the city during the weekend, with bars and restaurants open through the night. The millions of mussel shells do not go to waste either - they are recycled into paving tiles! 

Christmas - Explore Lille’s Christmas markets

From mid November to late December, Place Rihour is the setting for Lille’s Christmas market, one of the most popular in northern France. The square is turned into a winter wonderland, dominated by a 50-meter high ferris wheel and a Christmas tree almost as high. If you’re looking for a pre-Christmas break, Lille makes for the perfect day trip – you’ll have enough time to pick up some gifts at the market, a souvenir waffle or two and savour the atmosphere of the old town lit up for the festivities. 

Planning your Lille day trip from Calais

Park your car and walk to the Grand Place 

How long does it take to drive from Calais to Lille?

It’s a drive of just 68 miles from the LeShuttle terminal in Calais to Lille, and in normal traffic the journey should take around 1 hour 15 minutes. Even better, this is a toll-free route, as there are no toll plazas on the main autoroutes you’ll be driving on between Calais and Lille, the A16 and A25. 

Where should you park for a day trip to Lille?

There are two short stay car parks in the Citadel park, the Champ de Mars Petit Paradis, and the Liberté – Métropole, with 6 hours parking starting from under €9. There are also car parks on the eastern edge of the city centre, such as the Grand Palais car park, and park and ride options from railway stations connected to the Lille Metro network.  

What day is market day in Lille?

Most days are market days in Lille, given the number of different markets there are, but Sunday is the busiest day at the Wazemmes covered market, which is open every day except Monday. 

Are shops closed in Lille on Sundays?

Most shops are closed on Sundays in Lille, including the main shopping centres and malls, but some convenience stores and bakeries will still be open. The market at Wazemmes is open until 3pm, and the bookstalls at the Vieille Bourse will be open. Shops are open on the three Sundays before Christmas. 

Plan your day trip in Lille with LeShuttle

Who says you can only go to Calais for a day trip in France? Travel to Lille in no time after your 35-minute crossing on LeShuttle.