An easy change from Eurostar to TGV at Lille
Lille Europe sits astride the London/Brussels/Paris high-speed line. You can change here from Eurostar onto a direct TGV high-speed train to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Brittany, Nîmes or Montpelier, avoiding the need to change stations in Paris, a much easier option! Lille is also a great place for a short break.
Lille Flandres is Lille's original station, in the city centre a 6-minute 450m walk from Lille Europe. Regional trains & some TGVs use Lille Flandres.
Lille Europe
Overview Location map Station plan
Built in 1993, Lille Europe is a modern concrete & glass station with just 4 platforms, used solely by high-speed trains including Eurostar. It's a strong contender for Draughtiest Station in Europe! The photo below was taken from the adjacent pedestrianised square, Place François Mitterrand. The main entrance is under the roadway, where escalators go up from ground level to the concourse. That road heads straight to the city centre & Lille Flandres.
Platforms
Platforms 43 & 45 are on the west side of the station, closest to the city centre.
Two through tracks for non-stop trains pass through the middle of the station, hidden underneath the concourse.
Platforms 44 & 46 are on the east side of the station also hidden underneath the concourse.
There are lifts, stairs & escalators between each pair of platforms and halls 1, 2, 3 & 4.
See station plan (please let me know me if the link stops working).
Above, platforms 45 & 43, taken from the bridge from concourse to main exit. That's hall 3 at the upper level on the right.
Above, platforms 45 & 43, also taken from the bridge from concourse to main exit, this time looking south towards Hall 2.
Concourse
The concourse is long and thin, it sits on top of the two through tracks and platforms 44 & 46, see station plan.
Halls 1, 2, 3 & 4: The concourse has several wider areas along its length designated halls 1, 2, 3 & 4. Hall 1 is at the southern (Paris) end and Hall 4 at the northern (London) end.
Eurostar check-in is in Hall 4, at the northern end of the station. When arriving by Eurostar there are no formalities, you simply go up any escalator from the platform onto the concourse and can walk freely out of the station.
The main exit is between halls 2 & 3, it crosses over platforms 43 & 45 to the pedestrianised Place François Mitterrand outside the station, towards the city centre.
Hall 2, looking north towards halls 3 & 4. Note the departure screens in the background and the steps & escalator up to the roadway.
Hall 4 at the northern end of the station, looking north. The arrow marks the entrance to Eurostar check-in. Note the departure screens.
Arriving by Eurostar
When changing trains from Eurostar onto a TGV, allow at least 20 minutes between trains on the outward journey from London.
If the onward TGV leaves from Lille Europe, it's a quick and easy same-station change. However, a handful of onward trains leave from Lille Flandres, a 6-minute 450m walk away so then you need to allow extra time.
When you arrive by Eurostar from London, take the escalators or lifts from the platform up to the concourse - there are no formalities on arrival, all border control is done in London before boarding. Check departure screens to find the platform for your onward train. Changing trains is simple, it only takes a few minutes.
Departing by Eurostar
When arriving by TGV and taking a Eurostar to London, allow at least 40 minutes including the 30 minute Eurostar check-in.
Check-in closes 30 minutes before each Eurostar departure, but in practice they know when a connecting TGV is running late and you'll usually be allowed through even 15 minutes before your Eurostar leaves if your TGV has been delayed.
To board a Eurostar to London, go to Hall 4 at the north end of the concourse to check-in at the Eurostar terminal. It's clearly signed and you'll see the Eurostar check-in gates and staffed kiosk at the entrance to the terminal. Scan your ticket barcode to get through the check-in gates or use the staffed kiosk, have your passport checked, go through X-ray & metal detector security, then wait in the departure lounge.
The departure lounge has seating, tables, a shop selling snacks & drinks and toilets. There's no business lounge at Lille Europe, but you may find an area at the back cordoned off for Business Premier passengers with a coffee machine and water dispenser.
When the Eurostar approaches Lille there's a boarding announcement and passengers are allowed down escalators or lifts onto platform 43 or 45, a few minutes before the London-bound Eurostar comes in.
Check where to stand! The platform is divided into zones marked with letters O, P, Q, R and so on. The platform departure screens show you where to stand along the platform for your car number, so you don't need to run up and down like a headless chicken, see the photo below.
Ticket office
The ticket office is on the concourse in Hall 1. The photo below looks south from hall 1, towards the car hire offices, toilets and left luggage office.
Toilets, ATMs, WiFi, car hire...
Toilets are south of hall 1, after the car hire offices. There's an entrance fee, payment is by contactless bank card or coins.
(There are also toilets inside the Eurostar terminal, after check-in)
There is an ATM in Hall 3, between the bureau de change & toilets.
The station has free WiFi.
There are car hire offices (Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Alamo) on the main concourse towards the southern end.
Above, toilets & car hire offices. Looking north towards hall 1. The left luggage office is behind the camera.
Left luggage
If you need to leave your bags, there's a staffed left luggage office at the extreme south end of the concourse, on the right beyond Hall 1, see the luggage lockers page for prices & opening times.
Above, the left luggage office.
A meal, coffee or beer between trains
You'll find the usual range of shops and snack kiosks at Lille Europe station, including a Paul sandwich shop in Hall 4, see the photo above.
Factory & Co is a 'New York coffee & diner' selling coffee, snacks, upmarket burgers and chips on the main concourse, www.factoryandco.com.
Burger King on the far side of the square opposite the station's main entrance in the EuraLille shopping centre, it has free WiFi & a children's play area.
If you've more time, there are plenty of restaurants in the city centre where you'll find moules-frites to rival Brussels.
Factory & Co New York diner at Lille Europe, next to the waiting room (salle d'attente). Looking south from Hall 2 towards Hall 1.
Supermarkets & shops
There is a small mini-market in the station. There are larger supermarkets in the city centre.
Hotels near Lille Europe
If you need an overnight hotel between trains, try Crowne Plaza EuroLille or Novotel Suites Lille Europe, both are at the station itself, or the Hotel Lille Europe, just 250m away on the road towards the city centre.
Lille city centre: Walking, taxis, metro
Lille is a very pleasant city, great for a short break. The mayor insisted that the high speed line was built through central Lille, whilst mayors in other cities wanted to keep it out of town. Lille's mayor was proved right, since the line was built it has transformed Lille's fortunes from run-down mining town to vibrant city of northern France. You can easily pop into the city centre if you have a long wait between trains.
Walking: Lille city centre is an 11-minute 800m walk away. Lille Flandres is a 6-minute 450m walk from Lille Europe, see the section below. See map of Lille showing stations.
Taxis: For a taxi fare calculator see www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Lille-France.
Metro: Lille has a small metro network, with stations at Lille Europe & Lille Flandres, see www.ilevia.fr. At Lille Europe, the metro entrance is in Hall 2.
A tale of two mayors...
In the late 1980s, the mayor of Amiens insisted that the proposed Paris-London/Brussels high-speed line should not be built anywhere near his lovely city. The mayor of Lille insisted the exact opposite, that the new high-speed line should be built right through his city centre. Both mayors got their wish.
Amiens was by-passed by the high-speed line. Left high & dry, the city is now clamouring for its own high-speed link which could take decades. Meanwhile, the depressed former coal-mining city of Lille has been transformed, Its high unemployment reversed as companies have relocated to a perfect location with easy access to London, Paris, Brussels and other parts of France. Lille has become a popular short break destination with tourists from the UK, Belgium and other French regions keen to try Lille's moules-frites with the city's hotels & restaurants just a short walk from the new station. The former major of Lille has become something of a hero.
To walk from Lille Europe to Lille Flandres
This is an easy 6-minute 450m walk, see walking map.
The main exit from the concourse at Lille Europe is between halls 2 & 3, crossing over platforms 43 & 45 and down the short escalators to the pedestrianised square below the road bridge (Place François Mitterrand), see the photo below. Walk straight ahead of you, the ground rises to join the roadway, and just keep walking straight ahead along the main road (Av. le Corbusier) until you come to Lille Flandres station in the city centre. You can't miss it!
Metro line 2 links Lille Europe with Lille Flandres, just one stop on metro line M2, see www.ilevia.fr. But it's hardly worth it!
To walk from Lille Flandres to Lille Europe
This is an easy 6-minute 450m walk, see walking map.
Walk out of Lille Flandres main station exit and turn right. Walk along the Avenue le Corbusier until you see Lille Europe in front of you.
The photo below is taken from Lille Europe's main entrance, looking back towards Lille Flandres. I always walk down the slope into the pedestrianised square, then up the escalators onto the concourse. But you can also continue along the overhead roadway into an upper level entrance and take an escalator or stairs down to the concourse. Both work!
Metro line 2 links Lille Flandres with Lille Europe, just one stop on metro line M2, see www.ilevia.fr. But it's hardly worth it!
Lille Flandres station
Lille's original station is a terminus called Lille Flandres in the city centre, an easy 6-minute 450m walk from Lille Europe.
Platforms
The station has 17 platforms, numbered 0 to 16 from right to left as you stand on the concourse inside the big arched trainshed.
Platforms 2-9 are the main platforms inside the huge arched trainshed, TGVs from Lille Flandres to Paris or Bordeaux typically leave from platforms 7-9.
Platforms 0 & 1 are just outside the trainshed, a short walk along platform 2.
Platforms 10-16 are in an extension on the north side of the main trainshed, regional trains to Belgium typical leave from here.
There are automatic ticket gates between concourse and platforms 7-9, scan your ticket QR code to open them.
One or two TGVs to the south (notably the Lille-Bordeaux route) leave from Lille Flandres rather than Lille Europe. Most TGVs to Paris leave from Lille Flandres, as do all regional TER trains including regional trains to Calais and Brussels.
Facilities
The station has all the usual facilities: Ticket office, retail & food outlets, toilets. But there's no left luggage, so use the one at Lille Europe.
A bit of history
The facade at Lille Flandres was that of the original Gare du Nord in Paris, built in 1869-1892. It was dismantled & moved to Lille at the end of the 19th century when a new bigger Gare du Nord was built. The clock and top storey were added when the station was rebuilt at Lille.
Lille Flandres station.
Main hall, inside the entrance.
Main trainshed and platforms 2-9, numbered from right to left.
Ticket gates to platforms 7-9, the ones usually used by TGVs. Scan the barcode on your ticket and they will open.
Platforms 10-16, numbered right to left, in an extension to the side of the main trainshed. 10 & 11 are a little way along platform 12.