'Why you should skip Paris and head to this quaint French town instead.'

I know Paris is amazing. But, as the saying goes, we'll always have Paris (and if we don't, we'll always have Emily in Paris… right?).

But hear me out — if you're in Europe and want to check out somewhere that gives you that French charm without the crowds, I have found it.

It's also great if you're in London and want to get the Eurostar but don't have much time.

Let me introduce you to Lille, a town near the Belgian border just 80 minutes away that could give you a dose of French je ne sais quoi, in half the travel time. 

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Not convinced? Lille has cakes. Very, very good cakes. Méert, one of the oldest pastry shops in the world, originally opened here in 1761, and is famous for guafres, Lille's legendary Belgian waffles filled with a vanilla paste.

They themselves are a reason to come here (I ate far more of them than any human should). As are the Merveilleux — a traditional northern French delicacy made with meringue, cream and chocolate shavings.

Have I won you over yet? The shop and teahouse are just gorgeous too — tucked behind huge, welcoming windows full of cakes in a glorious-looking old building in the old town — known as the Vieux-Lille.  

The Merveilleux. Image: Supplied.

What to do in Lille.

That's another reason to come here — think higgeldy piggeldy laneways, beautifully restored buildings, some of which date back to the 17th century and gorgeous landmarks like the Old Stock Exchange building, the Opera House, and for history buffs, the birthplace of Charles de Gaulle. 

There are also some amazing shops here inside some of these old buildings, including one store dedicated to jams that I still think about today. La Chambre aux Confitures has the most amazing selection and I brought a few jars home — they made great presents.

Similarly Palais Des Thés  — a store with 250 different teas – is a good bet for gifting, and nothing says I've been to France and I want you to know it like a posh French cuppa.  

Except maybe French skincare from French pharmacies… which of course they have in Lille. In a HUGE case of IYKYK, French pharmacies are my closest thing to heaven. Brands like Nuxe, Biafine, Embryolisse and Bioderma are cheaper here, you can pop those French girl secret products like Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum or Biafine Emulsion into your suitcase and Bob, as they say, est ton oncle.

Image: Supplied.

Then there is the art. Lille has one of France's biggest art galleries, the Palais Des Beaux Arts, complete with works by Goya, Manet, Picasso and more, all housed in a museum built by Napoleon. How much more French can you get?

If that isn't enough for you – we loved the LaM (The Lille Métropole Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art) which is huge, its gardens filled with massive sculptures and rooms housing works by Picasso, Miro and Klee, while the Musée La Piscine is a beautiful art deco swimming pool transformed into a museum full of painting, ceramics, design and textiles. There are loads more if that takes your (French) fancy.

What to eat in Lille.

Then there is the food. If you have room after all the cakes, there's plenty here to eat and drink.

There's everything from cool rooftop bars and cute sidewalk cafes (for that true Emily in Paris vibe) to Michelin-starred restaurants and fine dining.

We tried to eat local and given its location, there's a Flemish influence, so we ate moules-frites (mussels with fries, of course) and Le Welsh, a local staple made by boiling beer then adding cheese and pouring the mixture over a slice of toasted bread with ham — a bit like a complicated cheese on toast.

And speaking of cheese, oh the cheese — the local Maroilles variety is delicious — and what's even better, if you're going back to London on the train, you can take it with you! Yep, we went to a Carrefours supermarket before we left and stocked up on French food — and took it back to London in a cold bag — we're talking much French cheese and chocolate and canned fois gras and…let's just say quite a few guafres (which sadly didn't travel well). 

Image: Supplied.

Where to stay in Lille.

We chose to stay in a budget hotel — the Hotel Lille Europe for around $150 per room. It was clean, close to the station for ease of carrying cases (and cheese) and was an easy walk to most parts of town.

I can't stress enough that I know Lille isn't Paris — there's no Eiffel Tower, for starters.

But it's a super-cool French town super-close to London and super-easy to get to.

And, without resorting to butchering even more French, it can give you a délicieux taste of La Belle France in almost less time than it takes to brew that posh French cuppa!

Feature Image: Supplied