The Best Day Trips To Take From Lille

Easily accessible by train and car, Lille is a great hub to set out on short excursions to beautiful and interesting places around it. These museums, historical landmarks, charming towns and seaside resorts are all within easy day trip distance.

Arras

The city of Arras, just 40 minutes south of Lille, is a jewel of Flemish architecture. The magnificent belfry, the Vauban Citadel and City Hall are just some of the highlights. If you are there around the holiday season, Arras holds the biggest Christmas market north of Paris every year, from the end of November to the end of December. While you are there, the Vimy Memorial is just north of the town, honouring a major World War I battle – the Battle of Vimy Ridge – which marked the engagement of Canadian forces against three divisions of the German army.

Guise

Lens

Once known for its mining history, the city of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region is now mostly known for being the home of the Louvre Lens Museum. The first satellite of the venerable Paris institution opened in 2012 and attracts more than a million visitors each year. The town is a lovely place to visit – with the charming Place Jean Jaurès peppered with restaurants and bars, pretty townhouses and brightly coloured businesses with large windows.

Roubaix

A former public swimming pool in the town of Roubaix, La Piscine is now home to the André Diligent Museum of Art and Industry. The central pool was converted into an exhibition space, still masked by a thin layer of water with sculptures on either side – a tribute to the original use of the building – and the shower cabins have cleverly been turned into display cases. Just over 30 minutes from Lille, La Piscine worth a visit for the collection of paintings dated from the 19th and 20th centuries, fashion and design and the great temporary exhibitions they hold each year.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is synonymous with the heroic evacuation of allied troops pushed by invading German forces in 1940. Heavily damaged during the war, the city nevertheless offers visitors worthwhile museums, and an opportunity to learn about the momentous events that shaped the course of history.

Boulogne-sur-Mer

The friendly coastal town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, about an hour and 20 minutes from Lille, is a great spot to spend a day or a weekend. Numerous landmarks offer a fascinating look at more than 2,000 years of history, the castle-museum is an incredible surprise with an eclectic collections of historical, archeological and artistic treasures – and the newly renovated crypt is jaw-dropping. Lovely restaurants offer the best of the sea, and the jewel on the crown is a visit to Nausicaa, an ocean visitor center located on the beach. It’s a great place for the whole family to have fun while learning about the role of the ocean in the health of our planet.

Le Touquet

Situated on the Opal Coast in the Pas-de-Calais, just under two hours from Lille, the chic seaside resort of Le Touquet Paris-Plage is a world unto itself. The wide sandy beaches and lovely dunes add to a fun and friendly pedestrian center packed with superb boutiques and great restaurants. There are lots of opportunities to practice sports – from waterside thrills to tennis, riding and golf – in a spectacular setting.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.