Every first weekend of September, Lille turns into Europe's biggest flea market. Between bargain hunters, mussels and chips, and pedestrian streets as far as the eye can see, the Braderie de Lille takes a little preparation to enjoy properly. Here, seen through the...
Calais still draws British day-trippers hunting for cheap wine, but not every shop by the port deserves the stop. This guide ranks the best Calais wine shops, from Calais Vins' 4,000-bottle cellar to smaller specialist cavistes. It also covers exactly how much you can...
Reaching Lille from the UK takes as little as 1h22 by direct Eurostar, though coaches, rideshare and driving through the Channel Tunnel all offer real alternatives. Choosing the right route matters as much as the destination, since prices, luggage rules and local...
The best terraces in Lille Lille does sunshine properly. The moment the clouds part, tables spill out across the old town, the Citadelle park fills up, and every rooftop in the centre seems to grow a queue. After years of living just outside the city, I have my own...
Once a year, my city turns into the largest flea market in Europe, and for two days you'll hear singing from an open window, smell mussels on every terrace, and lose all sense of time in a crowd that somehow never feels like a crowd. This guide starts where the...
I've been following the Clacton-on-Sea by-election with unashamed delight. A dustbin-helmeted independent taking on Nigel Farage is exactly the kind of political theatre I live for. And somewhere between his last press round-up and my second coffee, I started...
The duty free shop at Calais port is well-known to every British traveller who crosses the Channel. But for wine buyers, it is rarely the most rewarding stop. Calais Vins and Olivier Vins combine direct sourcing from French producers, a formal VAT reclaim service and...
Lille sits 80 minutes from London by Eurostar, yet most British visitors still fly straight past it. That is a mistake. The capital of Flanders combines world-class museums, a thriving estaminet food scene, some of the strongest beer in northern Europe and enough WW1...
Lille is the kind of city that surprises people. They expect a grey northern industrial town and find, instead, cobbled squares, a roaring food scene, and a train that puts Brussels 35 minutes away and Paris in under an hour. What they don't expect is how fast the...
Introduction Planning to attend the Grand Départ in Lille? Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your experience. 1. Book Your Accommodation Early Hotels fill up fast during the Tour de France. Choose a place close to the city center for easy access...