Train to Lille - connections, tickets and itinerary

• Documents: identity card. France is a member of the Schengen area.

• Currency: Euro (EUR).

• Local transport: Lille has a fully automatic VAL metro, trams and buses. A single ticket is a few zlotys and a daily ticket is a dozen or so.

• Best time to go: April, May and September, when daytime temperatures are 14-20°C and crowds are moderate.

• How much to go for: a weekend (2-3 days) is enough for the main attractions. During this time you will see the Vieux-Lille, the Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Citadelle.

• Practical tip: The Braderie de Lille - the largest flea market in Europe with more than 900 years of tradition and 10 km of stalls - takes place on the first weekend of September. If you are planning a trip on this date, book your accommodation well in advance.

The best choice is April, May or September, when daytime temperatures are 14-20°C and conditions are very good for sightseeing on foot.

Spring (March–May)

• The city's parks and gardens are in bloom, and the Parc de la Citadelle looks at its best in May.

• You can walk around Vieux-Lille without the summer crowds, and daytime temperatures are 10–18°C.

• Accommodation prices are lower than in high season.

Summer (June–August)

• This is the warmest time of year, with temperatures reaching 25°C.

• In August, some local restaurants and shops are closed due to holidays.

• You will encounter more tourists in the centre and accommodation prices rise.

Autumn (September–November)

• On the first weekend of September, the Braderie de Lille takes place, attracting more than 2 million visitors.

• In October, tourist traffic slows down and daytime temperatures are 10–14°C.

• The autumn colours are best seen in the Parc de la Citadelle.

Winter (December–February)

• In December, the Christmas market on the Grand'Place opens, with local delicacies and illuminations.

• In winter, accommodation prices are the lowest of the year.

• You can visit museums and galleries without long queues, and daytime temperatures are 4–7°C.

You will travel from Poland to Lille with one or two changes. Most often you change trains in Berlin, Brussels or Cologne.

From Wrocław

• From Wrocław, you travel via Berlin and onwards via Brussels or Cologne.

• You reach Berlin in about 4 hours.

• The entire journey takes several hours, depending on the transfer option.

From Warsaw

• From Warsaw, travel to Lille via Berlin and onwards via Brussels or Cologne.

• You reach Berlin in around 5.5 hours.

• The entire journey takes several hours.

• You can leave in the morning and arrive in the evening.

From Krakow

• From Krakow you travel via Wrocław or Warsaw to Berlin, and on to Lille via Brussels or Cologne.

• The entire journey takes several hours.

• The variant via Wrocław and Berlin is sometimes shorter than the journey via Warsaw.

Reservation of a seat is compulsory for the foreign leg. You can buy your ticket on Europodróże without creating an account - you give your e-mail address and phone number, and the ticket is sent to your mailbox and in an SMS. 30 minutes before departure you get an SMS reminder with a link to your ticket. The earlier you buy, the greater the choice of seats and the better the price. The rules for refunds and exchanges depend on the carrier and the type of ticket. With PKP Intercity, you can make a refund up to 20 minutes before departure, and exchanges up to 30 minutes before departure. See the refund and exchange policy for details.

You mainly get around Lille on foot and by metro, as the main attractions are close to the centre. Vieux-Lille, the Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Citadelle are all within a 2–3 km radius of the station.

Lille has the VAL metro network, trams and buses. The metro gets you to the main points of the city in just a few minutes. A single ticket costs a few zloty and a daily ticket a dozen or so.

For several journeys a day, a daily ticket is the better choice.

V'Lille city bikes operate throughout the city. This is a good option for longer rides between neighbourhoods, for example from the centre to the Citadelle or Wazemmes.

Taxis and ride-sharing apps are available at both stations. They come in handy with luggage or late at night.

If you are looking for accommodation close to the station, you will find hotels and apartments in various price ranges around Lille-Flandres station and Vieux-Lille.

Where to stay:

• Vieux-Lille - historic centre, close to the main attractions, wide choice of hotels and apartments in different price ranges.

• Lille-Flandres station area - conveniently located next to the station, a good choice for a short stay with an early departure.

Vieux-Lille (Old Town)

17th-century Flemish architecture, cobbled streets and red-brick townhouses. The tour takes 1.5–2 hours. Admission is free, as you walk through an open neighbourhood.

Palais des Beaux-Arts

One of the largest art museums in France outside Paris. Here you will see works by Rubens, Van Dyck and the Impressionists. The tour takes 2–3 hours. There is an entrance fee.

Citadelle

A 17th-century fortress designed by Vauban, surrounded by an extensive park. A walk in the park is free, and the interior of the fortress is sometimes open during open days. A tour of the park takes 60–90 minutes.

Notre-Dame de la Treille Cathedral

A neo-Gothic cathedral with a modern façade of translucent marble that lets light through and changes colour depending on the time of day. Admission is free. The tour takes 30–45 minutes.

Braderie de Lille

The largest flea market in Europe. More than 2 million visitors come to 10 km of stalls, and the event has a tradition of over 900 years. The market takes place on the first weekend of September.

1-day itinerary

Start the morning with a walk around Vieux-Lille and stop in at Notre-Dame de la Treille Cathedral. Allow around 2 hours for this stage. Around midday, visit the Palais des Beaux-Arts and set aside 2–3 hours for the museum. Spend the afternoon walking around the Citadelle and through the park. In the evening, head to the Wazemmes district for dinner at one of the local brasseries.

Weekend itinerary (2 days)

You can arrange day one in the same way as the 1-day plan.

Day 2: In the morning, visit the Sunday market in Wazemmes, one of the most colourful markets in northern France. In the afternoon, walk around Euralille, the modern business district designed by Rem Koolhaas. If you have more time, take a train to nearby Roubaix — it is a ten-minute ride from Lille-Flandres station, and well worth a visit for La Piscine, an art museum housed in a former art deco swimming pool.

Lille lies at the crossroads of France and Flanders, and this is well reflected in the cuisine. Three dishes worth trying:

Carbonnade flamande - beef braised in dark beer with onions and mustard. You'll find this filling dish in many brasseries in Vieux-Lille.

Moules-frites - mussels with frites, a classic of northern France. During the Braderie de Lille, restaurants compete for the highest pyramid of empty shells.

Potjevleesch - a cold terrine of several types of meat in jelly. You'll find this traditional Flemish dish in local restaurants.

Lille lies in a brewing region. You can buy local craft beers in the bière de garde style in brasseries and pubs throughout the city centre. Try them at one of the establishments on Rue de Gand in Vieux-Lille.

For something sweet, order merveilleux - a dessert of whipped cream, meringue and chocolate, a Lille speciality. Waffles can be found in the patisseries in Vieux-Lille - they are served warm, with icing sugar or chocolate.

The Wazemmes district is a less touristy part of town with a Sunday market, restaurants with lower prices and an authentic atmosphere. It's worth having breakfast or lunch here.

Where to eat:

• Vieux-Lille - boutiques with local products and design, ceramics, textiles and handicrafts.

• Euralille - a shopping centre next to Lille-Europe station with well-known brands, good for shopping before your train departure.

Souvenirs

• Local beers - buy bottled craft beers in the bière de garde style in the shops at Grand'Place.

• Merveilleux - a Lille speciality in decorative boxes, ideal as a sweet souvenir.

• Ceramics - buy wares with Flemish motifs in the shops on Grand'Place.

The currency in France is the euro (EUR). In Lille you can pay by card practically everywhere.

Budget - hostel or budget hotel, food in brasseries and at Wazemmes market, mostly free attractions such as Vieux-Lille, the Citadelle and the cathedral, plus a daily transport ticket.

Mid-range - a two- or three-star hotel in the centre, restaurants in Vieux-Lille, the Palais des Beaux-Arts and one additional museum, plus a daily transport ticket.

Comfortable - boutique or four-star hotel in Vieux-Lille, dinners in restaurants with tasting menus, taxis instead of public transport and entrance to all paid attractions.

Amounts do not include the train ticket from Poland.