Gateways to and from Europe: Lille

All of the Eurostar trains on the London ↔ Bruxelles route and most of its trains on the London ↔ Amsterdam route call in Lille Europe station.

Plus there are direct high-speed TGV InOui trains that link Lille with multiple locations in France including: Angouleme, Aix-en-Provence (2), Angers, Avignon (2), Beziers (1), Bordeaux, Champagne-Ardennes for Reims, Le Mans, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Narbonne (1), Nimes, Perpignan (1), Poitiers. Rennes, St Pierre-des-corps for Tours, Strasbourg and Valence (2).

(1) not daily
(2) the TGV stations which serve these locations
Some trains to and from Montpellier and Nimes also use stations on the high speed line which serve those cities

There are also direct high-speed Ouigo (TGV) trains - lower-cost, but more basic than the TGV InOui trains, which link Lille with Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Lyon, Marseille and Valence.

All of the TGV InOui and Ouigo trains from and to Lille also call at Marne La Vallée, which is the station by the main entrance to Disneyland Paris.

Plus from summer 2027 there will be direct trains linking Lille with Basel in Switzerland.

Hence making a connection in Lille can be a much easier alternative for London ↔ France journeys compared to making cross Paris transfers between two different stations.

Good to know

These factors are worth keeping in mind regardless of whether you will be travelling from OR to London:

• On any rail route between London and the destinations with trains from and to Lille, the alternative journey options via Paris are much more frequent.
• The journey options via Paris also tend to be (much) cheaper for ticket purchasers.
• Though connecting in Lille can be a particularly good option for Interrail pass users; It won't be any more expensive, the reservations can be more widely available on the Lille trains + Interrail users can now reserve on the Ouigo trains.
• As will be seen on the tables below, the connections between the Eurostars and the other high-speed trains in Lille, tend to be rather random.
• Lille Europe is a large station, its concourse, which is above the voies (platforms / tracks) virtually spans the full length of a Eurostar train.
• This concourse is split into 4 'Halls' which make the space easier to navigate.
• Despite it's size the passenger facilities in Lille Europe are comparatively sparse, it only has one rather basic cafe with tables and relative few retail units. Though the Westfield Euralille mall is within a 5 min walk.
• Lille Flandres station is around a 10 min walk from Lile Europe, but the stations are also linked by the Lille Metro.
• Destinations in France not served by trains from and to Lille include Annecy, Antibes, Biarritz, Cannes, Chambery, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Mulhouse, Nice and Toulouse.

From London to destinations in France

This table below should be treated as a guide, it's based on the usual timetable, but the intention is to show which journey options can give the opportunity to connect in Lille.

It can be useful, because when looking up a journey on Sam, or with a ticket agent, the journeys via Lille tend to be listed in with the journeys that have a cross-Paris transfer.
So honing in on the journey options with a Lille connection, can be a needle in a haystack scenario.

• Trains to Marseille also call at Lyon and Avignon TGV; and some call at Aix-en-Provence TGV
• Trains to Montpellier / Perpignan also call at Valence TGV and Nimes.
• Trains to Bourdeaux also call at Poitiers and Angouleme
• Trains to Nantes also call at Le Mans and Angers
• Trains to Rennes also call at Le Mans and Laval.

Monday to Thursday

• (1) = from Lille Flandres station
• (2) = Ouigo train
• (3) = two trains joined together on departure from Lille
• (4) = Thursday only

Friday

• (1) = from Lille Flandres station
• (2) = Ouigo trains
• (3) = two trains joined together on departure from Lille

Saturday

• (1) = from Lille Flandres station
• (2) = Ouigo trains
• (3) = two trains joined together on departure from Lille

Sunday

• (1) = from Lille Flandres station
• (2) = Ouigo trains
• (3) = two trains joined together on departure from Lille

Making the onward connection from a Eurostar arrival

These notes have been taken from ShowMeTheJourney, the parent of Conductor Sam:

• Passport control and security checks etc are carried out pre-boarding at St Pancras International station, so on arrival on Lille passengers can head directly up to the concourse.
• There are multiple access points up to the concourse, so take your time and work out what your options are; the ascenceur (elevator) is signposted.
• (1) By the front end of the train from London - there will be an escalator, stairs AND an elevator, which give access to the concourse above the trains.
• (2) Towards the rear of the train there will be stairs and an escalator which also lead up to the concourse.
• (3) However, in the middle of the voie (platform/track), the stairs are the only means of heading upwards from the trains.
• When you're up at the concourse level check the blue departure screens - which will look like these pictured below (this image was not captured in Lille).

• At Lille Europe they MAY also indicate that you should wait in a specific departure hall (usually Hall 2), for the details of the specific voie (platform/track) that you're onward train will be leaving from, to be confirmed.
• The concourse at Lille Europe is enormous, so if need be follow the signs to Hall 2 (the concourse is divided into FOUR separate halls) and wait there for your onward connection.
• Hall 2 is also where the main waiting room and cafe are located.
• However, if ou will want to use the elevators to head back down to the voie (platform/track) when your train departure is confirmed, the better option is to wait in Hall 3.

Using the Departure Info

• It can be a good idea to wait where you can keep an eye on the departure screens, because any announcements re: the departure of your onward train will only be made in French.  
• Look out for when the voie (platform/track) number appears on these screens in the right-hand column.
• 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.
• Two TGV InOui trains are often joined together for departures from Lille Europe, each train will be heading to a different final destination and will have separate train numbers - the train number will be on your ticket / reservation
• If you can't see your final destination on the departure screens, match the train number on your ticket / reservation to the train number on the screen

To the onward train

• The voies (platforms / tracks) at Lille Europe are arranged in two pairs, 43 and 45 on one side of the halls and 44 and 46 on the other - And the access to each of these two pairs of voies is very different:
• The Eurostar trains arrive at voie 46 and the TGV InOui trains on to the other destinations in France tend to depart from voies 44 or 45.
• Typically you won't have to use the stairs to descend to the onward train, there will be alternatives; Though some of the escalators can be switched so that they lead up from the trains.
• If you want to use the elevators to access the trains, then it's best to wait in Hall 3 for the departure details of the train to be confirmed.
• Voie (platform / track) 44 can be accessed by escalators and stairs in Hall 1, by stairs in Hall 2, by elevator from Hall 3 and by stairs, escalator and elevator in Hall 4 - on the other side of the station to Eurostar check-in.
• Voie (platform / track) 45 can be accessed by sets of stairs and escalators in Halls 1, 2, and 3 - there is also elevator access in Hall 3.
• The voie (platform/track) will be divided into zones / répéres. Look at the electronic screens (the example below was obviously not pictured in Lille) to find out where the specific coach you will be travelling in, will be located.

On your ticket the coach number is the 'VOITURE' number.

When you're on the voie / platform, you will see these other screens, which will look like the example below...

Some of the departures on from Lille will be formed of two TGV trains - one will be commencing its journey in Lille and the other will arrive from Bruxelles and be attached to the train commencing its journey at Lille.

So don't be surprised if you can see a train at the voie (platform/track) but the zone/répére info is telling you to wait where there is no train to be seen.

Making an onward connection into a Eurostar departure on to London

The Eurostar check-in area is located in Hall 4; Which when looking at the station as you approach it from the city centre, is on the left

Eurostar is suggesting that holders of Standard and Plus class tickets should be at the check-in desk 60 mins prior to departure and that Premier class ticket holders should be there 30 mins prior to departure.

The check-in desk will close 30 mins prior to departure for Standard and Plus ticket holder and 15 mins prior to departure for those travelling with Premier Class tickets.

• (1) = arrives at Lille Flandres station
• (2) = Ouigo service

Monday to Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday