LILLE - In Sept for Flea Market - any recommendations for hotel or restaurants ....taking 9mo!?!

[Leoness]

Not sure if trapsing around the biggest market in Europe is a good idea with baby but what the hell ! - be harder next year, I'm sure.

I want to book hotel soon any suggestions??

...and for somewhere to eat that is baby/ pushchair friendly, obviously with great food!!!

TIA

Hi, we stayed at the Golden Tulip alliance hotel in Lille with DD when she was quite small and would recommend it. It is a converted convent and had large comfortable rooms (plenty of room for cot) and a nice, reasonably priced restaurant. It is also in a nice location, close to the canal and park. Here are the latest trip advisor reviews for it:Golden Tulip Lille .
I think I booked it via Expedia at reasonable rates! Hope this helps...

Thank you Tyakit x

Thank you Tyakit, - looks really great but already fully booked that busy weekend!!

bump for the evenings pickings...

Aux moules in the main street (is it Rue de Bethune...?) for fab moules frites in ace 1920s decor.

We have stayed in a fairly soulless out-of-town hotel (Hotel Clarine) because it makes parking easier, and have tended to go by car. It's on the metro line though, so still quite easy to get into the centre.

This sounds like HELL

Have a good sling or something

Thank you Ellbell

mp - I was thinking pushchair rather than sling... not so back breaking...do you think it will probably be too busy to push one around even?

Lille the weekend of the Braderie is probably going to be fully booked...

L'Hermitage Gantois is reckoned to be amongst the nicest boutique hotels in Lille.

Le Why Not and L'Huitriere are lovely restaurants, but we didn't do them with children I'm afraid

I don't know Leoness I've never been

I just think baby will be bored rigid after 20 minutes

Maybe even less

wow! that market sounds cool - just googled it - I wanna go to!!!! How old is you LO?

L'Huitriere restaurant has been recommended before to me .. I hope we get in there... thanks Marina

SIFTW - he'll be 9 months..

mp-

He may well get bored he's my 1st so I have no idea how long he's prepared to be buggy bound...bu in another year when he's walking around it's bound to be even harder? getting lost etc.

I'm taking my mum as well hopefully she can plot up and entertain him every now and then...
..I'm sure we'll have plenty of food and wine stops aong the way

You never can tell with babies

I have seen some in town who look docile and chilled out and clearly spend hours in prams without causing a fuss

But I have had two who pull at the straps screaming to get out/up/playwithme so my shopping is limited to one shop at a time GRRRRR

So you may be lucky

Alternatively let your mum take the baby for the day while you SHOP! That would work

L'Hermitage Gantois looks lovely btw Marina

Oh, and you absolutely have to go and have tea in the Patisserie Meert, leoness
I love Lille!

Oh Marina, Meert looks divine...thanks for the tip

I'm putting a file together now....how exciting!

One last idea - we lunched in a fabulous, non-swanky, smart restaurant called L'Assiette du Marche. It's very spacious so they might be OK with pushchairs. The service was impeccable and it's owned by the son of the family who run L'Huitriere and L'Ecume des Jours.
Even if you find the Braderie too much in the end there is so much to enjoy in Lille

Having some trouble finding accomodation anyone got any ideas?

I did wonder.
Are you absolutely set on the Braderie weekend?
If so, have you thought of staying out of town and commuting in? The train services between Valenciennes and Lille (for example) are very good. I've only been through Valenciennes but it has a fine heritage of art and lace-making and is bound to have a few decent hotels. IIRC it is about 25 mins on the train from the centre of Lille.
We have stayed in a super gite in the Nord in the past but it is an hour by train from Lille, and you would need a car to get from the gite to the railway station.