Rainy Day Guide to Lille ☔️ ✨
Rainy Day Guide to Lille ☔️ ✨
Caity Zagar
Available for hire
Let's face it, rainy and overcast weather is a part of the culture of Lille and living in the north of France. It’s something you cannot really avoid BUT you don’t have to let it stop you from having fun.
So many activities and locations around Lille offer indoor fun, which is the perfect way to spend a rainy day! Have a look below for some inspiration!
I plan to add more ideas to the list as I have one more year left in Lille and plan to make the most of it! Make sure to save this guide so you can have access to any future updates!
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These places are Team-based games:
PRISON ISLAND
@czphoneshome
I have been here several times now and have really enjoyed this experience!! Typically, they recommend teams of 3-4 people however if you’re visiting with a larger group of family or friends you can always break into smaller groups!
Once you are in teams, you essentially will work together to solve various challenges around the site. There are 26 different rooms with 26 different activities. Your objective is to achieve as many points as possible! You will be awarded points depending on how well you complete a challenge and you can always re-do a challenge to try and increase your points!
They advise that people as young as 8 years old are allowed to play and you decided if you’d like to play for 1 hour, 1.5 hours or 2 hours!
Note to future visitors: if you are not fluent in French, no worries because there are only a few activities that rely on or incorporate reading in French.
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SENSAS
@czphoneshome
Sensas, as the host explained to us when we arrived, is nothing like an escape game. This is another team or family experience of a minimum of 4 people (you have to be at least 7 years old to play!) that gets all of your senses activated (yup - all of them)!
It's a 2-hour-long experience and I must say, Sensas is one of the most unique activities I have done so far and totally recommend giving it a try!
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BattleKart Mouscron
@czphoneshome
I must admit, this place is technically in Belgium but its still super close to Lille and its SUPER fun!
This place was described to me as 'live mario kart'. You reserve your session in advance online and you can choose between 4 different games, one of which is a mario kart-style race with yellow bonus boxes projected on the floor and few other surprises!
It was honestly super fun! The one thing I will mention is that the sessions are pretty short. They are only 15 minutes. When we went we reserved 2 different sessions and in between we grabbed a drink inside the lounge area. But even still, we were so ready to keep going and keep playing!
It was a super fun place and I highly recommend checking it out! 🏎️
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These places offer food AND fun:
La Luck
@czphoneshome
If board games are more your style, then I would suggest visiting La Luck. It's a board game restaurant where board game experts visit your table and recommend specific games for you based on your interests. They then sit and play the first rounds of the game with you to ensure you understand how it works. It's a really unique experience! ♟️
Note: There is a 5 euro fee per person if you want to play the board games!
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Hall U Need
@czphoneshome
If you enjoy arcade games, then this is the place for you!
Hall U Need has a tonne of different ways to have fun before or after your meal. They have bowling, VR gaming, axe throwing, arcade games and a car racing station! I've been here several times and it's a really fun place to spend an afternoon! 🕹️
Note: this is also a family-friendly place! There is a trampoline and playground section inside and most games are child friendly as well!
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BARREL
@czphoneshome
I have tried to eat here on 2 separate occasions and both they times they were PACKED! Just goes to show you how popular this place is!
Its pretty straightforward really! Its essentially a restaurant (with really cool decor by the way!) and you can also reserve 1 hour time slots to play darts or shuffle board.
It doesn't sound super exciting but like I said, its always BOOKED! When I finally get to check it out, I will let you know what all the fuss is about! 🎯
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Place des Oliviers Bondues
@czphoneshome
This is another restaurant where you can also reserve 1 hour time slots to play games! But here, there is only one type of game you can play and its THE CLASSIC french summer sport - Pétanque!
Pétanque is very similar to bocce ball but every single summer you will see tonnes of people flocked to these pitches! Its super popular! It starts with tossing a small ball onto a flat, dirt pitch and the players (in teams) have to toss their balls (or boules) with their feet flat on the floor to reach as close as possible to the smaller ball. You receive a point if after the round your ball is closest to the small ball -it gets very competitive! The first team to achieve 13 points wins!
Pro Tip: When you arrive, your server will let you know the time slots available for the pétanque pitches. Most people tend to eat first and play after dinner. BUT - I personally recommend playing while having drinks and munching on appetizers! They have a little table beside each pitch so it was honestly the perfect set up for us! 🍹
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Popcup Café Céramique
@czphoneshome
NOTE: You need to reserve a spot to visit this cafe since they organize their day in different sessions! They are open Wednesdays and Saturdays!
If you're interested in a creative afternoon out - stop by Popcup!
It is a cute cafe where you can spend a few hours painting one of their selections of ceramics. After you’ve chosen your item, you can go ahead and paint! They have many tools to help you make cool details and decorations. They also have some books to help get your creative juices flowing!
As you’re working, the staff will come around and offer you a drink or a snack from their cafe. And feel free to ask the staff for advice or help with your technique or idea, they are very approachable and helpful! 🎨
IMPORTANT: The ceramics will take a week or more to be finished in the kiln (remember to keep this in mind if you’re just visiting!), so you will need to come back and pick up your piece!
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These are some Escape Rooms:
Escapers
@czphoneshome
Escape rooms are always a fun way to spend time inside! I’ve visited Escapers in the past and really enjoyed it! The clues were challenging while not so difficult to make us feel frustrated, there were plenty of components to keep us busy and engaged and I always love it when rooms have special surprises on the hunt!
Note to future visitors: Again, if French isn’t your main language you might have some difficulty solving your escape room. It all depends on the specific room you choose as some are more reliant on reading and writing than others! But don't let the language barrier stop you from having fun!
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Get Out - Escape Game et Expériences Immersives
@czphoneshome
This is probably going to my go-to for the next rainy day in Lille! They have 11 different games on site, some of which are escape games some are massive exterior games! There are also child friendly games!
Another great point about this experience, is that they also have games offered in ENGLISH! Its very clear on their website when you go to book which are in french and which are in english!
You can play with a group as small as 2 people and for the exterior games you can have as many as 60 people!
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Orbis Aventures
@czphoneshome
This space is super cool because there is quite a bit going on!
You have a few escape game options, you have a really cool space for dining and drinking, you have a board game cafe, plus something called mini games!
When I went I did the mini games! Essentially they cost 5 euros per person and they’re 15 minute interactive games! One we played was a floor is lava style game and the other was throwing balls at different totems!
We could have easily spent the whole evening there, playing an escape game, some mini games and hanging out playing board games!
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These are some Museums and Galleries:
Palais des Beaux Arts
@czphoneshome
Another great way to spend a rainy day is to check out the main art gallery in Lille, the Palais des Beaux-Arts - which is also one of the largest art museums in France. 🖼️
Around the museum, you will recognize some important names in art history including works by Rubens, Rodin, Delacroix, Millet, Goya and Monet. The museum also houses many antiques from the Middle Ages, Ancient Greece and Egypt.
Pro tip: if you're visiting on the first Sunday of the month - its free to visit! (Fun fact: this is true for almost every museum in France!)
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Maison natale Charles de Gaulle
@czphoneshome
You may or may not have know this but Charles de Gaulle is actually from Lille! And this museum is dedicated to him and his family!
This museum is located in the house he was born and its a really beautiful space! You can go through the rooms to learn more about his early life and his family. It was a really nice afternoon!
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La Piscine
@czphoneshome
One of Roubaix’s (which is just outside of Lille) pride and joys is the Piscine Museum.
If you know a little French, you’ll know that ‘piscine’ means swimming pool. So why on earth is it called the ‘swimming pool museum’!? Because the museum is in a refurbished public swimming pool from the 1930s!
The entire art deco building’s original architecture has remained intact as they have turned the pool into a stage for sculptures and the former change rooms and cubicles to display the museum’s art collection!
If this hasn’t convinced you to visit or if art isn’t really your thing, I think you should visit just to see the building. It is stunning! The pool room has enormous stained glass windows and I found it really interesting to see how they used the historic space. 🏊🏻
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La Manufacture
@czphoneshome
Roubaix (which is just outside of Lille) was at one point the heart of the textile industry in France! If you want to learn more about it, head over to this museum!
It is located in a historic textile factory from 1914 and after visiting this museum, I have a newfound respect for these industrial workers. Inside they have several working looms from different eras, allowing you to witness the evolution of the industry.
And if you’re able to go on a guided tour, your guide will operate the looms for you showing the complexity, danger and muscle that goes into the various fabrics that have been made over the years.
Note to future visitors: when I visited, the guided tours weren’t offered in English only in French. Some of the information panels had helpful English translations but the demonstrations were in French! Without a guided tour you still have access to see all of the looms, machines, and the other various displays in the museum!
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Most of these locations are featured in a Lille City pass! You can book a pass for 24h to 72h and will have free access to 30 attractions in Lille and free use of Lille's transit!
This place is a cooking workshop:
L'atelier Des Chefs Lille
@czphoneshome
This place is a little different than the others because this time you get to make your own food! L’Atelier des Chefs is a workshop where you can take a 1-2 hour class and learn how to make a wide range of foods. They provide the expertise, materials and kitchen! 👩🏼🍳
This is probably one of my favourite experiences in Lille so far! You have to sign up for the cooking class in advance and they have a large range of choices for you to choose from, even some that are meant for parents and kids.
Then all you have to do is show up, pay and cook! We did a patisserie class and we got to take home a whole bunch of goodies! They also gave us the recipes in case we wanted to try them again in the future!
Note for future visitors: the class was conducted in French however I asked the chef after the class if they offer sessions in English. They don’t necessarily offer English-only sessions however they are very flexible and open to English students. They said they have no problems helping them with the translation and checking in with their understanding, so I think it should be no problem if your French language skills are not super fluent!
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I plan to keep adding more of my favourite indoor spots around Lille, so be sure to give this guide a save so you can get all of the updates!
If you're looking for some foodie options that will take you around Lille's city centre, be sure to check out my Sweet Tooth guide to Lille below (it is probably my favourite guide I've created!) 👇🏻
Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caity Zagar
Available for hire
I’m a seasoned traveler with experience in over 30 countries around the world, who’s been lucky enough to have lived in both France & the UK. Now I love helping travelers make the most of their trips and explore more underrated corners of France & the UK!
My goal is to not overwhelm you with options— in my guides & itineraries, I provide suggestions that are truly worth it, based on personal experience or in-depth research.
Whether you’re planning a dream trip to France, the UK, or beyond, I hope I can help you plan your next adventure! ✨
My expertise?
🇫🇷 On top of living in Lille, France for 2 years, my French fiancee has helped me develop a passion for this country beyond a typical tourist. Over the past 8 years, I’ve explored France from north to south: I’ve visited Paris 9 times, road-tripped through Normandy twice, & fell in love with Alsace. I’ve spent time castle-hopping in the Loire Valley, beach-hopping in Corsica, & explored Provence & the French Riviera multiple times. Bordeaux has become a second home, with over 10 visits to the region.
🇬🇧 I lived in London, UK for 2 years, mostly during the pandemic, when I really got to know the city in depth - since we couldn't go anywhere else! Beyond London, I’ve road-tripped through Scotland twice, explored gems like York and Liverpool, road-tripped through Cornwall & enjoyed countless day trips, from charming villages to coastal towns.
Why trust me?
🌍 Lived & traveled: I’ve called both France and the UK home, giving me insider knowledge and plenty of travel experience!
✈️ 20+ European countries: My travel experience spans the continent, so I know how to navigate Europe and want to help others do the same.
🧳 Organized, detailed & thoughtful: My itineraries focus on making the most of your time & budget, blending structure with room for spontaneity.
🥐 Foodie at heart: Food is also a huge part of my travels, & I make it a point to seek out the best local dishes & restaurants wherever I go.
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