Do you live in northern France (or even southern Belgium) and have been thinking of taking a break elsewhere? As a frequent traveller myself, let me guide you through the closest airports near Lille for you to consider some budget flights to exciting holiday destinations!
Charleroi South Brussels Airport (CRL)
As a resident of the Haut-de-France region for over 2 years, the Charleroi Airport South Brussels airport in Belgium has been my airport of choice for most of the flights I have made by far.
Despite being located at least 1 hour and 30 minutes away by a Flibco bus from Lille’s Lille Europe train station, the benefits of having more destination choices of cheap flights around Europe compared to Lille’s own Lesquin Airport makes the effort of going there worth it. Thanks to it being a hub for Ryanair, this airport connects to at least 82 destinations In Europe and Africa.
How to get to Charleroi Airport from Lille?
From Lille, the most convenient way to reach Charleroi Airport is to book a bus trip with a company called Flibco. As of this writing, they have a monopoly on this route and they charge 18 EUR per trip. The seats are convenient though, they are on time, and my past trips have been mostly trouble-free, except when there was heavy traffic on the Belgian highways.
Sometimes I find it ridiculous that the cost of my bus trip to Charleroi is more expensive than my Ryanair flight ticket. Alternatively, you can also take a train from Lille-Flandres train station to Charleroi, then switch to an airport bus once you are there.
Lille’s Lesquin Airport (LIL)
Whenever I wanted to explore some destinations for my next holidays, I always tried to search any destinations from Lille’s own Lesquin Airport. And why not, it is the closest airport to home.
Lille’s Lesquin Airport is a small airport and is not open 24 hours. It has some shops ideal to travel during the day. My only problem is that the number of destinations from this airport is limited (e.g. destinations in Germany or Austria), though still considerably many. If I find an ideal destination from Lesquin, it is often but not always more expensive than, say, a flight from Charleroi South Brussels Airport.
How to get to Lesquin Airport from Lille?
From Lille, the cheapest way to reach Lesquin Airport is to take the metro from Lille’s Lille-Flandres to 4 Cantons Stade, the terminus station on Lille’s M1 line. Once you arrive at 4 Cantons Stade, you can take public bus #68 to Lesquin Airport at one of the bus stops located just outside of the metro station. The trip takes about 45 minutes and costs 4-5 EUR.
Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Brussels (BRU)
Brussels’ principal airport, the Brussels Airport – Aeroport Zaventem is my second airport of choice for most of the flights I made — again, simply because of more destinations to choose from. Being an international airport, flights from Brussels Airport can take you to countries located as far as East and Southeast Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East.
I have often used this airport to fly to Munich, Germany, for work, and to Barcelona, Spain, for holidays. Compared to Charleroi South Brussels Airport, this airport is more scaled up.
How to get to Brussels Airport from Lille?
From Lille, the cheapest way to reach Brussels Airport is by taking a Flixbus from Lille’s Lille Europe train station. This bus takes you to Brussels’ Gare du Midi before it proceeds to the airport in Zaventem.
You could also take a train to Brussels Airport from Lille. I find this option the most comfortable but often more expensive.
Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (CDG)
Beauvais Airport near Paris (BVA)
Paris Orly Airport (ORY)
Luxembourg Airport (LUX)
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Have you flown from any of these airports? Let me know in the comments.
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