Passengers head down the escalators to take a TGV train - Eurostar passengers take a different route

Lille Europe (Lille)

This guide to Lille Europe station provides insights into what to look out for when departing and arriving by train - and how to make the transfer to Lille Flandres station

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TGVs have arrived at voie/platforms 43-45 TGVs have arrived at voie/platforms 43-45
Signs hanging from the roof in Hall 3 Signs hanging from the roof in Hall 3
The entrance on Place Francois Mitterand The entrance on Place Francois Mitterand
Hall 3 with the access to voies 43-45 on the right and 44 -46 on the left Hall 3 with the access to voies 43-45 on the right and 44 -46 on the left
Looking the other way in Hall 3 towards Hall 4 for Eurostar Looking the other way in Hall 3 towards Hall 4 for Eurostar
One of the escalator connections to voies (platforms) 43 and 45) One of the escalator connections to voies (platforms) 43 and 45)

The two stations in Lille:

Lille has two main train stations:

(1) Lille Europe - this station

(2) Lille Flandres - which is where trains from Lille to Amiens, Rouen and some cities in Belgium including Ghent/Gent and Antwerp/Anvers depart from.
The TGV InOui services to Bordeaux and Mulhouse, as well as the Ouigo services from Lille also depart from Lille Flandres station.

Lille Europe station was built for the high speed trains, so it's used by Eurostar and the TGVs to Bruxelles.
Most of the TGV trains between Lille and destinations in France, other than Paris, use Lille Europe - and some of the trains between Lille and Paris also use this station.

However, most of the TGVs between Lille and Paris depart from/arrive at Lille Flandres station.
So if you will be taking a TGV from Lille to Paris - check your ticket to confirm which station your train will be departing from, before setting off to the station.

Lille Flandres station is closer to the city centre, although Lille Europe station is located a comparatively short distance to the north of Lille Flandres; so it also has relatively easy city centre access.

An introduction to Lille-Europe:

Lille Europe is a huge train station, despite the fact that it only houses four voies (platforms/tracks); though this small number of voies can mean that if you'll be making connections between trains you won't have to go far.

The station facilities are housed on an enormous concourse, which sits above the voies (platforms/tracks).
Therefore when arriving by train you have to ascend upwards to access the terminal building, and when departing you need to make your way down to the trains.

What makes Lille Europe unusual is that this terminal spans the length of the platforms, which results in an extremely long and thin building.
It was designed that way in order to provide the terminal with both multiple entrances/exits AND multiple access points to and from the voies (platforms/tracks) which the trains arrive at and depart from.
Though there is only route to the Eurostar departures.

The idea, we assume, is to ensure that when you step off a train, you won't have to go far to find an access point up into the terminal above - and if you will be taking a TGV, no matter which entrance to the station you use, there will be an adjacent route down to the trains.

Both pairs of voies (platforms/tracks) 43/45 and 44/46 are connected to the terminal by stairs, escalators and elevators, but at Lille Europe, these aren't grouped together.

So when arriving by train, the closest route up to the terminal building may be by taking the stairs, but the alternative escalator and elevator will be available further along the voie (platform/track).

Similarly when departing by a TGV, the nearest access down to the trains from where you are in the station, may be a staircase, but if you want to use an escalator, or elevator instead, you may have to move into a different part of the station to find them.

Also worth knowing is that despite its size, the passenger facilities at Lille Europe are comparatively sparse.
The only dining option is provided by a cafe and there are few retail outlets in the station.

Departing by train:

The concourse at Lille Europe virtually spans the length of the station and gives access to the trains, which depart from the level below.

This concourse is divided into four Halls, and when looking at the station from the city centre, Hall 1 is on the right, with Hall 4 on the far left.
At the far end of Hall 4 is the location of the Eurostar departure lounge, so you have to access the Eurostar trains through Hall 4.

In contrast the TGV departures can be accessed from all four halls.
However, depending on which part of the station a TGV train will occupy, the departure screens may instruct you to specifically wait in Hall 2 OR Hall 3 for the departure details of a TGV to be confirmed.

Accessing the station:

Lille-Europe has multiple entrances that are conveniently arranged to give easy access into the station - whether you're arriving on foot, by taxi, metro, bus or tram.
So the best option is to use the first entrance you see - and then move through the halls in the station to access the trains.

Using the main street entrances:

The main street entrances are on Avenue Le Corbusier - on both sides of this road that crosses the station on a bridge named, 'Pont'D'Erfurt'.

When approaching the station on Avenue Le Corbusier from the city, the entrance on the LEFT leads down to Hall 3 - so has the easiest to access to Eurostar departures in Hall 4.
The entrance on the RIGHT leads down to Hall 2 - the primary waiting area for the TGV trains.

Using the entrance on Place Francois Mitterrand:

If you’ll be walking from Lille Flandres station, or arrive by tram - you will cross Place Francois Mitterrand, the square outside the station - and enter Lille Europe station between Hall 2 and Hall 3.
Escalators and elevators lead up to a bridge into the station building from street level.

If you use this entrance to the station and will be taking the Eurostar and - you will need to turn left when entering the station building and walk down to Hall 4 at the far end.
The Eurostar check-in is on the left hand side of Hall 4.

Arriving By Metro:

Take the Metro to Lille Europe and you will enter into Hall 2.

If you will be connecting to Eurostar from the Metro - turn right from the metro exit, the Eurostar check-in will be at the far end of the building, on the left-hand side of Hall 4.

Navigating the station:

The four departure halls aren't separated by doors, so they can blend into one, if you don't pay attention to the signs hanging down from the roof, which indicate what hall you are in.

The main ticket office is between Hall 2 and Hall 3 - opposite the entrance from Place Francois Mitterrand.
There are also ticket machines for SNCF trains scattered around the station.

The information desks are in Halls 2 and 3.
Hall 2 is the location of the main waiting room for the TGV trains and the main dining area.

The first class lounge is by Hall 3, the left luggage office is at the far end of Hall 1 and Hall 1 is also where the car rental desks are located.

If you will be taking a TGV train check the electronic departure screens for details of your train when you first arrive at the station - you may instructed to wait for a TGV train in a specific departure hall (usually Hall 2).

Taking the TGV trains:

This type of screen also which zone each coach of a train will occupy This type of screen also which zone each coach of a train will occupy
Use this type of screen to see which zone you should wait in Use this type of screen to see which zone you should wait in
The type of info screen which have the departure summaries The type of info screen which have the departure summaries

The voies (platforms/tracks) at Lille Europe are arranged in two pairs, 43-45 on one side of the halls and 44-46 on the other.
The number of the voie, that a train will be leaving from, doesn't usually appear on the departure screens until around 10 - 20 mins before departure.
Any announcements re: the departure details will only be made in French, so if need be keep watch on the departure screens.

When the voie number appears, it will prompt a stampede towards the train, but our advice is to take your time; your seat(s) on the TGV will be assigned, so you don't have to rush to claim it.
The nearest access point to the voies (platform/track) may not be the optimum route to take, so you don't have to follow the crowd.

Also if you want to use the elevators to access the trains, then wait in Hall 3 for the departure details of the train to be confirmed, as will be seen below, there is no elevator access to the voies, that the trains depart from in Halls 1 and 2.
If you take the elevator, you may then have to move along the length of the long voies (platforms/tracks) when you reach it, in order to access the coach/car on the train, in which your reserved seat(s) is located, but this can be a small price to pay if you don't want to use the escalators or stairs.

To voies (platforms/tracks) 43 and 45:

These can be accessed by sets of stairs and escalators in Halls 1, 2, and 3 - though some of the escalators can be switched, so they don't lead down to the trains
There is also elevator access in Hall 3

To voies (platforms/tracks) 44 and 46:

The access points to these voies are less obvious.
From Hall 1 they can be accessed by stairs and escalators, though the escalator can be switched so that it's not leading down to the trains.

The only access down to voies (platforms/tracks) 44 and 46 from Hall 2 is by stairs* - and the only access from Hall 3 is by elevator.
At the end of Hall 4, on the other side to Eurostar check-in, there are stairs, an elevator AND an escalator - but the escalator can be switched so that it's not leading down to the trains.

*Note that you don't have to use these stairs to access voies (platforms/tracks) 44 and 46, there are alternatives.

On the voies (platforms/tracks).

Once you're on the voie (platform/track) you can use the info screens to work out which zone (repére) the coach/car, in which your assigned seat(s) is located, will occupy.

The train may already be waiting when you descend down to the voie, so keep when it will be departing front of mind - you probably won't have to rush, but people tend to.

Something worth knowing is that two TGV trains are often joined together on departures that are heading south.
One part of the train will be commencing its journey in Lille, so will be likely already be waiting in the station, but the second part of the train will be arriving from the north.
So you may be directed to wait in a zone (repére) where there is no train, despite the fact that a train to your destination is already waiting further along the voie (platform/track).

Arriving by train:

Five things worth knowing when arriving at Lille Europe by train:

(1) The voies (platforms/tracks) at Lille Europe are at street level, but in order to exit the station, you need to head up to the concourse, which is above the trains.

(2) If your train arrives at voies (platforms/tracks) 43 or 45 there are three sets of stairs and escalators along the length of the voie, which lead up to the concourse
So if you're happy to take the escalators or stairs, use which ever of these is nearest when you step off the train.

However, on these voies (platforms/tracks) 43 and 45 there is only one elevator up to the concourse, you'll find it by the front end of trains which have arrived from the south and east, and by the rear of trains, which have arrived from the north.

(3) If your train arrives at voies (platforms/tracks) 44 or 46 then by the front end of trains which have arrived from the south and east, and by the rear of trains, which have arrived from the north there is an escalator, stairs AND an elevator.

At the opposite end of voies (platforms/tracks) 44/46 stairs and an escalator lead up to the concourse, but in the middle of these voies (platforms/tracks), the stairs are the only means of heading upwards from the trains.

(4) If you will be exiting the station, when you reach the concourse take your time and avoid following the crowds.
That's because there are specific optimum routes to follow through the station, if you want to take a taxi, connect to the metro, access Lille Flandres station or walk to the city centre.

The pedestrian route to Lille Flandres station is well signposted - but this is ALSO the route to follow if you want to walk to the city centre.
You will leave Lille Europe station by exiting through the side of the station on to the Place Francois Mitterrand; this exit is roughly half-way along the station building, opposite the ticket hall.
The city centre is within a 15 min walk, first head for Lille Flandres station and then when this station is on your left, turn right on to Rue Faidherbe; this street leads to the main square.

This exit marked ‘Lille Flandres’ which leads on the Place Francois Mitterrand is also the exit to take if you want to connect to the tramway.
The tram station is underground - it’s easy to miss entrance is over to the right side of the Place Francois Mitterrand; the square that is located beside the station (with
an elevated roadway above it).

Head towards Hall 3 if you want to take a taxi - you will need to go up to street level when you're in Hall 3, but there are escalators and lifts.

Hall 2 houses the entrance to the Lille Metro.

(5) The left luggage office is in Hall 1.

Connecting Into Onward Trains from a Eurostar:

If you will be taking a Eurostar train to Lille Europe in order to connect into a TGV InOui train on to another destination in France, this additional will tell you all you need to know about making the transfer

These summary tables, show the journey opportunities which will typically be available - there's litle point in exploring the details of making the transfer, if there won't be a connection available at a time or day of the week, which suits you.

Though should be treated very much as a guide as precise departure times can vary on specific dates, the intention is to give an idea of what's possible.

All trains listed below call at Aeroport CDG station and at Marne La Vallée - the station for Disneyland Paris.

Trains to Marseille also call at Lyon-Part Dieu and Avignon TGV.
Trains to Montpellier also call at Valence TGV and Nimes.
Trains to Bourdeaux also call at Poitiers
Trains to Nantes also call at Le Mans and Angers
Trains to Rennes also call at Le Mans.

*= a low-cost, more basic Ouigo service departing from Lille Flandres station
**= departs from Lille Flandres
***= this train arrives at Montpellier Sud-de-France station and calls at Nimes Pont-Du-Gard station.

Monday to Friday:

Depart
London

Arrive
Lille Europe

Depart
Lille Europe

Destination

07:04

09:26

11:03

Montpellier

 

 

11:30**

Marseille*

09:01

11:27

12:56**

Marseille*

11:04

13:26

14:02

Marseille

 

 

14:02

Strasbourg

13:01

15:27

17:03

Montpellier

 

 

17:16**

Bordeaux

 

 

17:39

Nantes

 

 

17:39

Rennes

15:04

17:26

18:22

Marseille (or Lyon)


Saturdays:

Depart
London

Arrive
Lille Europe

Depart
Lille Europe

Destination

07:04

09:26

11:03

Montpellier

 

 

11:30**

Marseille*

09:01

11:27

12:56**

Marseille*

11:04

13:26

14:02

Marseille

 

 

14:02

Strasbourg

13:01

15:27

17:03

Montpellier

 

 

17:03

Marseille

 

 

17:16**

Bordeaux

 

 

17:39

Nantes

 

 

17:39

Rennes


Sundays:

Depart
London

Arrive
Lille Europe

Depart
Lille Europe

Destination

09:01

11:27

12:56**

Marseille*

11:04

13:26

14:02

Marseille

 

 

14:02

Strasbourg

13:01

15:27

17:03

Montpellier

 

 

17:16**

Bordeaux

 

 

17:39

Nantes

 

 

17:39

Rennes

15:04

17:26

18:22**

Marseille (or Lyon)

Making The Transfer To Lille-Flandres Station

The easiest route to Lille Flandres station from Lille Europe is on foot, it is a 7-10 min walk.
Follow the signs that point the way to Lille Flandres station and you will exit from the side of the station on to the Place Francois Mitterand.

Immediately in front of you will see a series of arches that support a road that is heading toward the city.
You need to keep these arches on your right as you walk straight ahead of you from Lille Europe – head towards the large building that houses the Hotel Euralie and keep this building on your left.
You will then ascend a fairly gentle slope up to street level, which can make pulling a heavy suitcase a tad tricky - and as you walk up this slope, you will see Lille Flandres station ahead of you.

However, the walk between the two stations is all in the open air, so not ideal when it’s pouring with rain.
If the weather is inclement, the best option is to resort to the metro, it’s only a one-stop-hop to Lille Flandres, if you have luggage there are lifts at both stations to take you to/from the trains.

Conveniently Located Hotels

Despite being to the north of the historic city centre, Lille Europe station has inevitably attracted quality accommodation to the vicinity.
As always the recommendations below have guest excellence ratings of above 80%.

However, with its location on the edge of the historic heart of the city, the vicinity around Lille Flandres station can also be a good option, particularly as it’s within 10 mins walk of Lille Europe station.

Hotels within 10 mins walk of Lille Europe station:

Luxury:
Resort Barriere Lille

Novotel Suites Lille Europe

Crowne Plaze Lille - Euralille

Mid Range:
Hotel Brueghel

Citadines City Centre Lille

Best Western Hotel Up

Ibis Lille Centre Gares

Budget:
Flandres Appart Hotel

Hotel Moulin D’Or

Hotel Calm

Sweetome Apart Hotel

Money saving options with direct and easy public transport links to Lille Europe station:**

Hotel Campanile Lille Eurail (3 min walk of Romarin tram stop, one stop from Lille Europe on lines T and R)

Hotel La Lilloise (3 min walk from Cormontaigne metro station, line 2 – direction St Philbert)

Villa Gounoud (1 min walk from St Maurice metro station, line 2 – direction C.H. Dron)

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Journeys

# Jump to a direction
Journeys from Lille Europe
Jump to directions
Lille to Aix - en - Provence by train
Lille to Angers by train
Lille to Avignon by train
Lille to Béziers / Beziers by train
Lille to London by train
Lille to Lyon by train
Lille to Marseille by train
Lille to Montpellier by train
Lille to Nîmes / Nimes by train
Lille to Rennes by train
Lille to Rouen by train
Lille to Strasbourg by train
Journeys to Lille Europe
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Bruxelles / Brussels to Lille by train
London to Lille by train
Lyon to Lille by train
Marseille to Lille by train
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This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

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