The early heralds of Christmas are upon us. We’re going to have to ignore Halloween and Firework’s night draws up too many Balotelli allusions so we’re looking ahead to Lille’s Christmas Markets. They start on the 19th of November and are open every day except 25th December right up until New Year’s Eve.

83 Wooden chalets are set up for independent market stalls and all the shops of Lille compete to have unique and exciting window displays. You’ll be able to find all manner of Christmas presents in Lille, whether you’re after something special or on the hunt for a bargain. The Christmas market is set up in the Place Rihour,if you have trouble finding it, it’s the one with the 18 meter high Ferris wheel and ‘Marche De Noel’ written everywhere.

The market is small in comparison to some of the German Christmas markets you may have been to, but the city of Lille has lots to offer. The city has a rich history with signs of original settlement dating well before the Middle Ages. The cities involvement in major French and European events are well recorded here, so it’s certainly worth droping by a museum or exhibition before travelling home.

There are a number of hotels available if you intend to stay the night or wish to make a long weekend of it. P&O Ferries offer a £35 each way fair, which allows you to stay as long as you need – the price includes transport for your car and up to 9 passengers. Alternatively you could make a daytrip of your shopping, the £25 daytrip fair is definitely one of the best deals for getting yourself, your car and your kids on to the continent.

P&O’s channel crossing from Dover to Calais is an hour and half journey, so you might want o book an early one for your trip to Lille’s Christmas markets.

Image credit: Stéfan

Tags: France, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries // Add Comment »