Lille

Lille is in Northern France on the border with Belgium.

Hitchhiking out
Getting out of Lille is quite difficult, but not impossible.

A22/E17 North towards Antwerp, Brussels, Gent, Netherlands


You can avoid getting stuck in Lille by getting out at the last petrol station on the A1. "Aire de repos de Carvin" (the name might also "Aire de Phalempin") is quite a big station, good for hitching, and it's 15 km due south from the centre. However, in direction of Brussels it might be a bit difficult there. Most people go towards Ghent and Antwerp there.

Otherwise, take the tram-line T to Chateau Rouge. As you get out, you can see the motorway. The spot is the motorway slip road. There's not a lot of traffic, but there is space for drivers to safely pull over and pick you up.

Or else, get to the gas staion on the N356 about 800m north of metro station Mons Sarts. (Need to jump a small fence and get through some bushes to get into here). From here you can find lifts going into Belgium and have the chance to talk to drivers.

The border is also quite a good spot. To get there you'll have to take the Line 2 of the metro until "C. H. Dron" (last stop, and actually already in Turcoing, not in Lille). It takes more than 30 minutes from the center of Lille though. From there to the A1 is about 25-30 minute walk (just follow the signs indicating the motorway from the roundabout next to the exit of the station). The A1 on ramp there is not a very good place to be, you can try for a few minutes though if you're already tired walking. Otherwise the border is some 1 kilometer down the highway. There is space to walk behind the safety barrier. Once there, you'll see the abandoned border terminal. Get past it, and there will be plenty of room to hitch. Speed is limited to 70 km/h there. You can try to catch a ride into the Netherlands or just get a ride to the gas station 5 km into Belgium at Kortrijk where loads of Netherlands folk stop for a refill.


 * Last verified: August 2012. The best place to go anywhere is the hard shoulder near Porte d'Arras Metro station - just follow the signs to Highway. Within 20 minutes many cars heading towards every directions stopped. To Brussels use sign B and you get there very easy. (this spot is also indicated in the section describing direction south (A1/A26).

A1 South towards Paris, A26 Reims, Dijon, Lyon
Going south ? Have a "Paris" sign. In case you want to go to the south of France, Italy or Spain, have a sign like "Reims / Lyon". Going into Paris takes a lot of time. You can play it safe and have an "Aire de Phalempin" sign which is the first petrol station on the A1 going to Paris. If you can reach this petrol station "Aire de Phalempin" it seems a good way to going south. (On Google Maps it seems you could walk to this petrol station, from the village of Seclin, south of Lille. Seclin has a train station. In french is described how you can get their by feet on: ) There are several options to hitch hike direction A1/A26. Following the A26 is a better option if you want to go rather quickly to south of France. Hitchhiking through the metropole of Paris is time consuming. To go via the A26 southwards direction Reims its quite senseless to ask people at the "Aire de Phalempin". Rather let someone take you to the Peage right before the junction between A1/A26. Stand at the Peage with a Sign "A26/Reims" makes more sense.

At the end of Boulevard des Cités Unies (at the side of the railways). 300 meters eastwards from metro « Lille Grand Palais », you find an entrance to the A1 direction Paris.
 * First option

Go to metrostation « Valenciennes ». Walking to the north, after about 100 meters you can go eastwards  and follow the "Boulevard de Verdun". The A1 crosses this "Boulevard de Verdun". And there is an entrance to the A1. In 2014 there are big building activities of new flats. And the boulevard itself will be changed enormously. So best advice seems to be, just follow the signs "Paris".
 * Second option

Go to metrostation « Porte d'Arras ». From there walk in the direction of the motorway, cross the bridge on the left you will see an accelerating lane going onto the ring (it is the A25, which joins the A1 to Paris after avout 1 km. The best is to stand next to the traffic lights just before the ramp with a sign. People have time to stop on the ramp if they want to take you. Garthelgard has hitchhiked from this spot more than twenty times and has never waited more than 30 minutes.
 * Third option

Go to metrostation « Porte de Postes ». Here is a big roundabout. It's possible to get a ride in almost any direction. It's safe for cars to pull over and one can ask also at the traffic lights.
 * Fourth option

Go to metrostation « Porte de Douai ». Walk or hitch 4 km south (direction Ronchin). Or take the bus "Liane 1". After 4 km you will see a Novotel on your lefthand. There is a roundabout where there is a sign direction A1 Paris. However there is no direct access to the A1, the traffic direction Paris soon joins the A1 near the village Seclin.
 * Fifth option

--Roelguldemond (talk) 12:19, 11 December 2013 (CET)

A22/E17 South towards Paris
Take the tram-line line T to Chateau Rouge. As you get out, you'll see the motorway directly in front of you. The spot is the motorway slip road - you'll see it signposted 'Paris'. It is not ideal - especially if there is more than one of you and you have baggage - because the slip road is curved. This presents a safety issue that puts many drivers off and there are no lorries, rather it is is largely traffic domestic to Lille.

When I was there there wasn't a lot of traffic, but there is an additional lane which allows drivers to safely pull in and pick you up. The problem is that not all the cars taking this route are going to be heading south - make a sign and be patient. International Bob stopped a number of cars here, and got onto the A1 within an hour.

If you can find somewhere to hitch a lift to a nearbye service station (on the Paris bound motorway) this is much better. Pete the Temp and a friend failed on the above spot and got a lift to a service staion the next day and found a lift quite easily.

Dunkerque, Calais, England, A25
Take the subway to Saint-Philibert (red line). Then take the bus 61 (to this place, there is only one direction possible) to CENTRE COMMERCIAL (ENGLOS). Here, go back to the roundabout (20 meters). There is a direction to DUNKERQUE. There is not so much place to stop but the traffic isn't very high and cars are slow. If people don't reach Dunkerque directly, doesn't matter, that's in the good direction anyway. Go with them and take the entrance... Even with slow traffic, bad weather, you will find a lift very quickly. There are two area services between Englos and Dunkerque, and no one between Dunkerque and Calais. Most of the truckers you will see in service areas will go in England and going with them permit to through the sea for free!! Event if it's long to waiting for them, it could be nice!

About the subway
There are check-tickets, often. And that's not so easy to know where they are and when... If you are french, they are not nice = if you don't pay the bill, they will take money on your bank account directly (for me, it was one year after but VERY expensive... so even if you don't live in Lille but in France, an advice: pay sooner as possible...) I don't know what happened for strangers... Maybe, they won't worry you too much. you can buy an 3 inter-stations ticket. It's for 0.70€, three stops (without the departure station) but they can't really check where did you start your trip :) and it's half less expensive.

Sleep
Lille is expensive and is not very comfortable for the outdoor person. You probably won't have much of a problem with the police, but the drunks take being lunatics very seriously and they don't ever seem to pass out and leave you alone. As a result, you'll be met with all sorts of unwanted babbling conversation and one even tried to strangle Zac talk with a belt. Gare Lille Flandres is especially inhospitable.

isin: Nord-Pas de Calais

Lille Lille