The sea, the sand, the sea air ... Located less than 100 km from Lille, the Channel and the North Sea can be reached in just an hour by car.
In the North, Pas-de-Calais and even in Belgium, we have classified the seaside resorts according to the minimum distance by road, with each time the alternative route by train.
The mileage and the duration of the car journeys are those given by Google Maps for departures from Lille on weekends (Friday evening or Saturday morning) under normal traffic conditions. Traffic jams, inevitable at certain times of the year, are obviously likely to lengthen the trip. In periods of large departures, it is advisable to consult the traffic forecasts of Bison Futé.
For the train, we indicate the best travel time as indicated on the oui.sncf site.
Good to know: the main towns of the Opal Coast are served by TERGVs, regional trains operated by TGVs twice as fast as traditional TERs.
In addition, each summer, as part of the ÉTER operation, the Hauts-de-France region offers € 1 train tickets to go to the coast in particular.
Read also: Twelve “most beautiful villages in France” accessible without a car
Bray-Dunes (North, Hauts-de-France)
Bray-Dunes is one of the ends of the “Vélomaritime”, a cycle route which links it to Roscoff in Brittany.
Emmanuel Berthier
The northernmost beach in France, Bray-Dunes is also the closest to Lille by road.
The seaside resort, located on the Belgian border, is an ideal destination for families, with activities and restaurants accessible to all budgets.
Its dune landscapes make it a popular place for hikers.
Bray-Dunes is the point of departure and arrival of the “Vélomaritime”, a cycle route which links it to Roscoff in Brittany over 1500 km.
The section between Bray-Dunes and Dunkirk (12 km) is built on an old railway line.
By car:
in 55 minutes via the A25 motorway and the D917 (76 km).
And by train?
In 30 minutes by TERGV or 1h10 by TER to Dunkirk, then free DK'Bus urban bus (lines C1 then 20, 50 minutes).
Read also: On a motorcycle from Dunkirk to Cape Town: the tour of Africa in 1000 days
De Panne (Belgium)
The seaside resort of La Panne, on the Franco-Belgian border.
Jens Deppner
Like its neighbor Bray-Dunes, on the other side of the border, De Panne is marked by a landscape of dunes united in the Westhoek nature reserve.
Also ideal for families, the seaside resort hosts one of the most important amusement parks in Belgium, Plopsaland.
By car:
in one hour via the A25 and the D947 (80 km).
And by train?
In 30 minutes by TERGV or 1h10 by TER to Dunkirk, then free DK'Bus city bus (lines C1 then 20, 1 hour).
Read also: Five good reasons to visit Dunkirk
Malo-les-Bains (North, Hauts-de-France)
Belle Époque villas and beach cabins line the Malo-les-Bains dike. Massimo Santi Photographer - stock.adobe.com
With a casino, bowling alley and an ice rink, Malo-les-Bains is Dunkirk's main beach. Belle Époque villas, beach cabins, but also breweries and ice cream parlors line the dike which extends to the town of Leffrinckoucke. There is no shortage of places of culture around the beach. The Frac Grand Large, fitted out in 2013 on the site of a former shipyard, showcases contemporary art, as does the neighboring LAAC. The Dunkirk 1940 museum, housed in old casemates, looks back on a landmark episode of the Second World War, Operation Dynamo. The Grand Hôtel de Malo-les-Bains, a four-star with 110 rooms with a balneotherapy area, should open at the end of 2021 on the seafront.
By car:
between 50 minutes and 1h20 by the A25 motorway (84 km).
And by train?
In 30 minutes by TERGV or 1h10 by TER to Dunkirk, then free DK'Bus (lines C3 or C4, 15 minutes).
Read also: In Dunkirk, on the trail of Operation Dynamo wrecks
Gravelines / Petit-Fort-Philippe (North, Hauts-de-France)
Aerial view of the citadel of Gravelines and the beach of Petit-Fort-Philippe.
City of Gravelines
The only town in France with ramparts entirely surrounded by water, Gravelines is marked by the presence of Vauban fortifications.
An old military building that can be visited on foot or by bike, but also by rowing boat or pedal or electric boat.
The seaside resort of Gravelines, Petit-Fort-Philippe, located 3 km from the ramparts, is accessible on foot via the dike of the channel.
The beach is suitable for sand yachting at low tide and kitesurfing at high tide.
By car:
between one hour and 1.5 hours on the A25 motorway (92 km).
And by train?
In 1:04 by TERGV with connection by TER in Dunkirk.
From the station, the beach is a 45-minute walk through the ramparts of Gravelines.
Read also: Opal Coast, the blues of the north
Ostend (Belgium)
With its casino, museums and dune landscapes, Ostend is the main seaside resort on the Belgian coast.
Visit Oostende
The main seaside resort in Belgium is located just 90 km from Lille by road.
If the modern constructions of the seafront take away a little charm from the queen of Belgian beaches, you just have to take the Kusstram towards the west of the city to find the dune landscapes.
This tram line covers the entire Belgian coast for 67 km, from De Panne on the French border to Knokke on the Dutch border.
To fill up on culture and learn more about Belgian maritime history, climb aboard the Mercator and the Amandine, two museum ships moored in the Ostend marina.
To discover the city in an original way, follow the digital walk dedicated to singer Marvin Gaye.
In 1981 after a great artistic slump, the soul legend found inspiration in Ostend to compose his last album
Midnight Love
, which featured his hit "Sexual Healing".
By car:
between 1 hour and 1 hour 20 minutes via the E403 motorway (93 km).
And by train?
In 1h53 by IC (SNCB) train from Lille-Flandres station with a connection in Kortrijk.
Read also: On the way to a breath of fresh air on the Belgian coast
The beach of Cap Blanc-Nez (Pas-de-Calais,
Hauts-de-France
)
A few minutes from Calais, Cap Blanc-Nez is classified among the Great Sites of France, like Cap Gris-Nez, located further south.
aquaphoto - stock.adobe.com
It is one of the most beautiful natural curiosities of Hauts-de-France.
A few kilometers west of Calais, Cap Blanc-Nez is part of the Grands Sites de France network, as is Cap Gris-Nez, located further south.
From the top of the chalk cliffs which culminate 134 meters above the English Channel, the English coasts, some thirty kilometers away, are visible to walkers on a clear day.
A hiking trail (GR120) connects the two capes, passing through several coastal villages such as Ambleteuse and Audresselles.
By car:
between 1h15 and 1h50 via the A25 and A16 motorways (122 km).
And by train?
In 1h15 by TER to Calais-Ville, then free Div'in bus (line 5, 30 minutes).
Read also: Cap Blanc-Nez, Mont-Saint-Michel, Puy de Dôme ... These major tourist sites accessible without a car
Wimereux (Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France)
In Wimereux, the seafront is bordered by some 300 19th century villas.
Erik_AJV - stock.adobe.com
Composed of both fine sand and pebbles, Wimereux beach, considered the oldest seaside resort in northern France, is located a few kilometers from Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The 1.5 km long sea wall is bordered by some 300 Belle Époque villas, built in full sea bathing fashion and shortly after the arrival of the railway.
Crossed by the D940 coastal road, Wimereux is an ideal starting point for exploring the Deux-Caps site by car or on foot.
By car:
between 1h20 and 1h50 via the A25 and A16 motorways (138 km).
And by train?
In one hour by TERGV with a TER connection at Calais-Frethun, then a five-minute walk from Wimille-Wimereux station.
Le Touquet Paris-Plage (Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France)
Le Touquet, sometimes nicknamed the “Nice of the north”, has nothing to envy its cousin to the south.
Le Touquet - Paris-Plage tourist office
Sport, nature, well-being ... The seaside resort of Le Touquet Paris-Plage, on the Opal Coast, has everything to offer.
As for sport, the seaside resort is a Mecca for golf, tennis, sand yachting and horse riding.
Its beach, an 11 km stretch of sand and dune space bordered by a pine forest, is ideal for family walks, on foot or by bike.
To relax, we will choose to stay at the iconic Westminster hotel, renovated last September and equipped with a Nuxe spa.
By car:
between 1h50 and 2h20 on the A25 and A16 motorways (177 km).
And by train?
In 1h20 by TERGV or in 2h30 by TER to Etaples-Le Touquet, then shuttle (20 minutes).
Read also: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, seaside resort in XXL version
