Lille Essentials

Lille Essentials

Currency Euro Flight Time UK 1 Hour Time Zone GMT = +1 hour Language French Voltage 240 V (European two-pin plugs)

Tourist Attractions

Visitors can take advantage of an inclusive sightseeing pass to make the most of limited time - the Lille City Pass offers free entry into over 20 attractions and public transport. There are many impressive cultural sights and museums packed into a compact area, making the best use of a combined day of sightseeing and shopping. two of the most popular museums include the huge Fine Arts Museum, with its prestigious collections of Old Masters and sculpture, and the Charles de Gaulle Museum.

Opening Hours

The main shopping areas of Lille are at Eurolille, a huge mall close to the two mainline rail stations and throughout the Old Town district. Shops are open throughout the day between 9am and 7pm, with some of the smaller retail stores closing at lunchtime. There are a number of interesting markets held through the week, such as Place du Concert, which open early at 7am and last until mid-afternoon. Banks and post offices are open Monday through Friday from 9am – 5pm with some open on Saturdays.

Food & Drink

Lille's famous 'estaminets' - traditional restaurants, are the best place to sample some of the area's finest cooking. With much influence from the Flanders region, mussels (moules) can be sampled in a variety of flavours, and Potje'vlesch - a terrine of veal, rabbit, fowl and pork, will leave every diner more than satisfied. Wash down a fulfilling meal with a glass of Blanche de Lille beer, served with a slice of lemon.

Tipping & Etiquette

Service charges are usually inclusive on restaurant bills, but for more intimate brasseries and cafes, a tip of 10% would suffice for satisfactory service. In bars, taxis and coffee shops, it is customary to round up to the next euro, although gratuities are not normally expected.

French Phrases For Tourists

Hello Bonjour Do you speak English? Parlez vous Anglais? Goodbye Au revoir Excuse me Excusez moi Good Evening Bonsoir How much is it? Ça coûte combien? Yes Oui Where is...? Ou est …? No Non Hotel L'hotel Please S'il vous plait The bill please L’addition s’il vous plait Thank you very much Merci beaucoup Beer Une Biere How are you? Comment allez vous? Coffee Un café 


Useful Numbers

• Calling the UK from Lille – 0044 + area code minus zero + number • Police – 158 • Ambulance – 155 • Fire - 150

Disabled Access

The city itself is one of the most compact and well-signposted, and is very accessible for wheelchair users. Vistors will find many well-designed and helpful facilities at Lille train station on arrival, and the whole tramway system is fully accessible without assistance. Much of the city centre is pedestrianised, making shopping trips delightfully free of obstacles and noise, and shopping centres and attractions are generally wheelchair-friendly, with wide ramps and elevators.

French Embassies

• GB Embassy - 35, rue du Faubourg St Honoré 75383 Paris Cedex 08 Tel: +33 (0)1 44 51 31 00 • British Consulate - 11 square Dutilleul 59800 Lille Tel: +33 (0)3 20 12 82 72 • French Embassy - 58 Knightsbridge London SW1X 7JT Tel. (44) 207 073 1000


Weather

Spring is undoubtedly the best time to visit, when the region is in bloom, and the weather is warm and sunny, but not too hot. There's generally great weather from May to September, and highs of 15C - 20C mean ideal conditions for sightseeing and outdoor activities. Summers are hotter with plenty of sunshine, and therefore more crowds, and winter experience colder weather, but are generally milder that those elsewhere in Europe.