Lille

The statements and opinions on this page are solely those of its authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of CouchSurfing International.

Main Square of Lille

Today, with its 220.000 inhabitants, the main city of the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais Lille is integrated in an urban community of 87 smaller cities, which makes more than one million inhabitants, ranked at the 4th biggest city in France. The great cultural diversity of this so dynamic metropolis, contributed to the nomination of Lille, “European Capital of the Culture” and “Town of Art and History” in 2004. There are many students who make it lively and vibrant. Moreover, Lille is very well situated and at reasonable distance from the main cities in europe like Paris (1h by train), Brussels(30 minutes) and London (1h30 minutes). On November 2007 there were approximately 620 actives couchsurfers.

So in this page you can find any information about Lille, the city, the CS Activities, the History, the cultural life and its night life. If one day you get to Lille, this page will help you to know Lille more than others !

CS ACTIVITIES IN LILLE

CS Meetings in Lille

CS Stand at the Braderie de Lille 2007

The CS Communauty in Lille is very active. There is sometimes some special events, like a hiking tour to make discover the Region of Lille called Nord-Pas-de-Calais, some parties or even some trip to go together to some CS Meetings in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, England or in Paris.

There are also 2 regular meetings a month:

The monthly CS meeting is scheduled the first Tuesday of each month in a different bar to make discover a new place each time.
The CS Quizz is scheduled each Thursday in the middle of the month. It happens in the Mecanisme Dubitatif, the Headquarter of the CS Community of Lille.

To know when and where is programmed the next one : check CS Group of Lille for more information. The CS Calendar for Lille is a great way to keep informed of all recent events.

If you want to have some view on what happen on these CS Meetings in Lille, just check the Numeric Library of CS in Lille!

Mailing List

You can be informed by some events taking place in Lille and in the area by mail. But your profil has to be registered in Lille as city of residence or by joining the CS Group of Lille .

How to find a Couch in Lille

The number of active couchsurfers is growing in Lille. It should be easy to find a couch. There is many Couch Surfers in Lille ready to host someone, and even sometime to cook to you something. It can happen that you receive some invitation to surf some couch in Lille in the case if you are travelling close for here. You don't know why ? Because ...

"The People in the North of France have in the Heart the Sun they don't have in the Sky"

Otherwise it could be a good idea to ask people in suburbs instead (because the city is very popular), like in Lambersart, Lomme, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Hellemmes, Villeneuve d'Ascq, Marquette, Mouvaux, Marcq en Baroeuil, La Madeleine, Ronchin, Faches Thumenil or Englos.

CouchSurfers in Lille

CS Jungle Speed Meeting

Meeting Organisers

Delphine & Olivier CS City Ambassadors of Lille
Jéjé CS Lille Group Moderator
Jeremy Photo Maker and Meeting Organisation Teacher
Julie Organiser of the Concert Meetings
Arnaud, Jean François, Thibault, Olivier S. and others Quizz Organisers
Taina Tarot meeting organiser

It is only a little list of members in a city where many others Couch Surfers are activ. Anybody is able to organise a CS Meeting, everybody is welcomed to do it, especially if it is to suggest a great idea ! So if you have an idea, create your own meeting by clicking here, and make an announce for this meeting on the CS Group of Lille !

Coffee or a drink

Here is a list of couchsurfers who are willing to show their city if they have time :
Jéjé Antoine Jeremy Siavauch Delphine Sylvain

TRANSPORT

How to get to Lille

By Plane

Always a TGV to get to Lille

Lille has his own Airport called "Lille-Lesquin", you can get then by bus to the city center, but there is not to much flight companies who get in this Airport.

Here are the other possibilities: from the Airport Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle, and take the Train (TGV) until Lille. From the Airport Bruxelles-Zaventem or Bruxelles-Charleroi, you have then some train to get to Lille.

By Train

Lille Flandres train station is the busiest outside Paris, with 61000 travellers per day. From Brussels-Midi, you have some train who go directly to Lille (1h). From Paris, you will find some train direct to Lille in the train station "Gare du Nord" (1h). From London, you will find some Eurostar which go to Lille directly (1h30).

There is also another train station called "Lille Europe" which is 5 minutes walking from "Lille Flandres".

By Bus

You have some bus companies like Eurolines which can get you to Lille easily.

By Car

Lille is at the centre of 6 motorways: From Paris, take the A1, direction Lille, exit of the Paris ring "Porte de Clignancourt". From Brussels, A27 take the direction "Doornik". From England, take the Shuttle or the Ferry direction Calais, take direction Dunkerque and then direction Lille A25. From Reims and Lyon: A5 and A31. From Gent, Antwerp and Amsterdam take the A22. From Valenciennes, Mons and Liege, take the A23.

Important: If you come from Belgium by car, don't forget that the Flamish Name of Lille is "Rijsel".

Advise: use the bicycle in Lille!

How to circulate in the City

Transpole is the society who is in charge of the Tramway, the bus and the subway in Lille and in the area.

The Subways and the Tramways are working from 5.30 a.m to 12.30 a.m from Monday to Saturday and from 7.00 a.m to 12.30 a.m on Sunday. There is 2 differents Tramway Lille, both start from the Lille Flandres Train Station, one goes to Roubaix, and the other to Tourcoing. The Bus are working from 5.30 a.m to 10.30 p.m from Monday to Saturday and from 8.00 a.m to 10.30 p.m on Sunday.

It is easy to walk through the city, and it is necessary to precise that you don't have any hill to climb around, so it is easy to cross the City in bicycle. If you want to have some information to know how to buy some cheap bicycle in Lille, just check this page.

THE CS TRAVEL GUIDE OF LILLE

The Boulevard Faidherbe during Lille 3000

Presentation of Lille

If you are interested about the History of Lille, you can find a special page here. You will know how Lille has been an influenced city and will be for centuries ...

What to do in the Main City of the Nord Pas de Calais ?

You can find the many nice place to visit here on the page called Cultural Patrimony of Lille, where the historical monuments, the differents museums and the differents gardens or parks are described. The ideas won't miss you when you will be in Lille ! To have a simple look on what to visit in Lille, just check the Map of the City of Lille.

Otherwise, if you are interested about local specialities like the typical local foods or drinks, restaurant (you will find the complete list of the restaurants in Lille, with opinions from Couch Surfers), shops and markets are exposed on this page (TO BE COME).

You are interested about parties, place for some concerts, night gathering, meetings in Lille, you can find all the informations in this page called Pubs, Bars and Nightlife in Lille. You will find on this page the only complete list of all Bars & Clubs in Lille available in english on the Web, with opinions from Couch Surfers on each of it (TO BE COME) ! You will see how dynamic is the City of Lille even during the nights !

Informations for Students and Workers who arrive to Lille

Dear Students and Workers, you have chose the City of Lille to stay, so you find here all the informations required for your installation ! (TO BE COME)