Car Rental Lille

Lille is a relatively easy city to get around by car. Its streets are less congested than many other French cities and finding a parking space is rarely a problem.

On-street parking is available in and around the city center and Old Town, along with several parking lots, so you won’t have to walk far to any of the city’s main sights, stores or restaurants.

The city’s main beltway is the D750, running along its western and southern edges. It becomes the D749 at the northern end and D651 along the eastern side. This connects with the A25 freeway towards the channel port of Dunkirk, the A22 and A27 routes into neighboring Belgium, and A1 to Paris, which is a two-and-a-half hour drive south from Lille.

In France you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road. French freeways are called autoroutes, prefixed with an ‘A’, and are mostly toll roads. They’re indicated by blue road signs and marked ‘Péage’. You can pay with cash or card.

The speed limit on autoroutes is 80mph (130km/h) dropping to 70mph (110km/h) when wet. N roads are two-lane freeways indicated by green road signs with a speed limit of 70mph (110km/h) or 60mph (95km/h) when wet. The speed limit on main single lane roads is 55mph (90km/h), reducing to 30mph (50km/h) in built-up areas.

When driving on autoroutes you need to be aware that lane discipline is much more strictly followed in France and you’re expected to pull into the inside lane when there is space. When buying petrol (Essence), Sans plomb is unleaded and Gazole is diesel.

Lille’s Old Town (Vieux-Lille) is the main focal point for visitors, with its impressive central square – the Grand Place – surrounded by pedestrian cobbled streets and Flemish-influenced 17^th century townhouses. But there are also fantastic art collections to enjoy and great cuisine to savor.

Gaze at fantastic art collections

Just outside Vieux-Lille on the Place de la République is the city’s Fine Arts Museum – Palais des Beaux Artes. Its excellent collection of paintings dating back to the 15^th century includes works by Manet, El Greco and Picasso. There are also interesting exhibitions of porcelain and pottery, classical archaeology and scale models of the fortified cities of France and Belgium.

Lovers of modern and contemporary art should head for the Musée d'Art Moderne, d'Art Contemporain et d'Art Brut, or LaM as it’s better known. Found in the suburb of Villeneuve-d’Ascq, about six miles east of the Old Town, this museum and sculpture park showcases colorful pieces by greats such as Braque, Miró, and Modigliani.

Eight miles north-east of Lille, in the neighboring city of Roubaix, is the La Piscine Musée d'Art et d'Industrie, an innovative museum of fine and applied arts (furniture, textiles, fashion) housed in an art-deco municipal swimming pool.

Savour local delicacies

Lille is one of France’s big gastronomic centers. The cuisine is hearty and filling, and the cheeses and beers, in particular, are of the highest quality. You have to try the city’s devilishly tempting waffles – gaufre fourée – which are unlike any other waffle you’ll have seen or tasted. These paper-thin sandwiches filled with fluffy vanilla cream are impossibly moreish.

Lille boasts many great restaurants, bistros, bars and cafés, but for something unique to the region, try a classic estaminet (Flemish-style eatery) serving traditional dishes in an informal atmosphere.

In the heart of the Old Town district and full of historic charm is Au Vieux De La Vieille, where you can sample typical regional Flemish-influenced dishes on picturesque Place aux Oignons. Also in the Old Town is Maison Meert, an 18^th century tearoom, restaurant and patisserie that will set your taste buds tingling with its delicious pastries.

See the new Louvre in Lens

Northern France’s newest star in its glittering artistic firmament is the fabulous Louvre-Lens. It’s an outpost of the world-renowned Louvre gallery that was recently opened in the city of Lens, about 25 miles south of Lille.

In this stunning new building you’ll find a series of works selected from the Paris Louvre and featuring the likes of Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya and Poussin, as well as ancient European and Eastern antiquities.

Soak up the atmosphere at local markets

The city has an excellent range of shopping opportunities in its chic designer boutiques and in nearby Roubaix you can pick up a bargain at one of the factory outlets.

Best of all, though, are Lille’s bustling markets, where food stalls are laden with delicious produce, cheeses and gourmet delicacies, while the city’s Old Stock Exchange is filled with dozens of booksellers. Don’t miss the huge Christmas market either – it’s one of the most popular in France.

Discover the best of this fascinating French city and beyond with car rental in Lille.