Glamping near Lille with wildlife watching

Arriving in the Capital of French Flanders, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d already crossed the Belgian border. Flamboyant 17th-century brick townhouses line the squares of the historic centre, Vieux Lille, restaurants serve Flemish cuisine, and the locals are more likely to order a beer than wine (are you sure we’re still in France?). Lille makes an ideal base for campers to explore the Flanders region and visit the many WWI battlefields and memorials, and there are plenty of options. Check into a cosy countryside chalet, a rural Hipcamp, or a family campsite with a swimming pool and an on-site kids’ club.

Northwest of Lille, the Channel port of Dunkirk is among the most memorable locations of WWI, and the stories of the notorious Allied evacuation are preserved at the Dunkirk 1940 Museum and Allied Memorial. Continue south along the coast to the port of Calais, from where the Opal Coast stretches south in an expanse of sandy beaches, cliff-fringed bays, and billowing dunes.

Lille doesn’t get half the crowds of Paris or Brussels, so it can make a strategic basecamp for your camping holiday during the peak summer months of July-August. Camping season in France runs from April through October, but you’ll still find a few caravan parks and Hipcamps that stay open year-round—perfect if you’re visiting the city’s renowned Christmas market. Northern weather can be temperamental, so pack some layers even in summer.