Prepare
Heels are strictly for shop windows: wear trainers to get the most out of Lille, whose narrow streets demand to be explored on foot. Make sure your belt can loosen up a notch or two, as for every smart boutique there's another shop selling chocolate and beer.
Savour lower back pain as a spectator sport in April with the Paris-Roubaix cycle race along bumpy cobblestones and bring a ladle to May's dotty yet satisfying Soup Festival. Party in the squares during June's gay pride and music festivals, and catch the annual spring-summer Transphotographiques contemporary photography exhibition at the Maison de la Photographie. Shop till you drop at the enormous Grande Braderie flea market over the first weekend of September. Get the best view of the city in December from the big Ferris wheel on Grand' Place at the Christmas Market.
New Year's Day (1 Jan), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), May Day (1 May), VE Day (8 May), Pentecost (May), Ascension Day (May), National Day (14 Jul), Assumption Day (15 Aug), All Saints' Day (1 Nov), Armistice Day (11 Nov), Christmas Day (25 Dec).
Explore Lille's indoor malls and museums between November and February and in April, traditionally the rainier months. While temperatures rarely slip below freezing even in January, hearty local stews and beers are great reasons for lingering in bistros and bars. In December and January temperatures hover around 6°C, while spring and autumn are a comfortable 14°C - 16°C. Summer months average 23°C, hitting the high 20s in June and July.
220V AC, 50 Hz, two (round)-pin plugs are standard.
+33 (national), (0) 3 + eight-figure number (Lille).
The Euro (€) is the currency.
GMT +1 (+2 in summertime)
With 36% of Lille's population aged under 25, pretty much anything goes fashion-wise. Nonetheless, this is still the capital of prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear fashion), so stylish designer wear wins admiring glances. At smarter restaurants and the opera house, dress to impress if you don't want to be upstaged by your dinner.