The French Flemish melting pot of Lille, the fourth biggest city in France, is the shortest journey from the UK on Eurostar and well worth considering as a first hop off when starting/finishing a European adventure. 

Highlights

Station stroll ideas

If you have an hour or two to spare waiting for a train, why not go for a wander?

Tourist info have provided a set of maps and ideas on where to visit here.

I've also made a downloadable PDF and accompanying google map which will give you a feel for the place and take in the sights.

Guided tours

If you would like a guided tour, then there is a list of options here - most start from the Tourist information office.

If you are into station architecture, there is a tour (in French) which takes you from one station to the other. 

There is also a network of greeters who will show you the place from their point of view for free.

Luggage

If you want to stroll without a care in the world, including your luggage, you could try using Bounce to find a place that will take your bags.

Getting there

Lille is around 1 hour 20 minutes from London, 1 hour from Paris and 45 mins from Brussels.

Useful links

Tourist info: https://en.lilletourism.com/

Where next?

How about Lyon?