Experience in Lille, France by Martin

What is it like to live in Lille? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

A French city with its own culture. A lot of students because of its numerous universities and schools, for sure one of the best city to live in for students.

What is the student lifestyle like in Lille?

As there is a lot of schools and universities and a lot of students coming from exchange programs, there are a many things to do. Bars and night clubs are fulled of students, Belgium beer pints cost only 5 euros. Many school associations organize special parties and you often get in invited to other students homes in order to party. People are usually very welcoming (the region is known for it) and many activities are proposed by school. You will not loose your time in Lille for sure.

How much does it cost to live in Lille?

As a student, you will pay around 350/450 euros to rent a flat or be in a shared flat with other room-mates. As for the cost of living, it depends, it can go up to 400 euros per month.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Lille? Is there any advice you can give?

It's not very complicated to find an accommodation, if you're looking for an accommodation by yourself, it can be more difficult as not everyone speaks English. You can find interesting offer on leboncoin.fr or pass by an Real Estate agency.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Food is great in Lille and it's somehow related to Belgium. You will find mussels with fries, beer, La Carbonade flamande, Le Potjevleesch, Le Welsh, le steak tartare and many other dishes.

What places would you recommend visiting in Lille?

You can visit many places in Lille and around Lille, the region as many other places of France has it's own History and has been marked by all periods of History. You can start by walking around in the city, visit the "piscine de Roubaix" and then pass by "une agence de tourisme" (a tourism agency) in order to ask them what is worth doing in the region. Don't be afraid to ask the French students you're with even know many of them will not be from the region and only came to Lille for their studies.

Don't forget to take part in the "Grande Braderie de Lille" event.

Is the nightlife good in Lille? Where is good to go?

Nightlife in Lille is great, you will find opportunities to party everywhere, especially on "rue Massena", in "le Vieux Lille" district or in "rue Solferino".

What advice would you give future students heading to Lille?

Do not hesitate, the advantage is that Lille is a nice place to stay and that you can easily move to many other places, 1 hour by train from Brussels, 1 hour by train from Paris, 2 and 1/2 hour away by train from Amsterdam and London.

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