Lille

From Hitchwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Lille is in Northern France on the border with Belgium.

Hitchhiking out

Going south? take A1 towards Paris, or directly to south of France join the A26 towards Reims, Dijon, Lyon (so also direction Spain & Italy)

Heading south? Going into Paris: have a "PARIS"-sign. A1 leads to Paris.

Rather directly to the south of France (and Italy, Spain)? Avoid Paris. As it takes quite some time cross Paris. Even more time to leave Paris. Better choose a "LYON"-sign. In this case try to get on the A26. Try someone take you to the "Peage" (=toll) right before the junction between A1/A26. Stand at this "Peage"-square with a "A26/LYON"-sign).

From Lille you can choose to go the first petrol station on the A1 direction Paris. Leaving Lille with a "AIRE PHALEMPIN"-sign. If you can reach this petrol station "Aire de Phalempin" it is a good way to go 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: [1]))

From Lille there are several options to hitch hike direction A1.

Option 1

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 about 1 km). You can stand next to the traffic lights just before the ramp with a sign. Or stand on the ramp itself, 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.

Option 2

Go to metrostation « Valenciennes ». Walking to the north, after about 100 meters you can go eastwards and follow the "Avenue Denis Cordonnier". The A1 crosses this "Avenue Denis Cordonnier". And there is an entrance to the A1. (The Hostel/Auberge de jeunesse "Stephane Hessel" is on crossing of "Avenue Denis Cordonnier" and "Boulevard Paul Painlevé". Address: 235, Boulevard Paul Painlevé)

Option 3

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.

Option 4

Go to metrostation « Porte de Postes ». Here is a big roundabout. It's possible to get a ride in several directions. Westwards : direction Calais (via A25). Eastwards : directions like Paris/Gand/Anvers/Amsterdam/Brussels. It's safe for cars to pull over and one can ask also at the traffic lights.

Option 5

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 (after several hundreds meter).

--Roelguldemond (talk) 12:19, 11 December 2013 (CET) Comment by Roel september 2017 : I edited this page intensively. I have been deleting quite some information which seemed to be outdated. Or redundant. This information Roel are presented in several different options. Sure there are more possibilities. But I have tried most of these possibilities myself.

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 Zactalk with a belt. Gare Lille Flandres is especially inhospitable.