One-stop online shop for bmi travellers to Lille

Travellers taking to the skies on bmi regional’s new service from Leeds Bradford airport to the French city of Lille can now see what their destination has to offer at the touch of a button.

A new one-stop online shop (Lille.aeroport.fr/flyingtolille_gb/) provides everything the visitor needs, from information on hotel accommodation to events, festivals, local attractions and even where to find the best shopping!

Starting 23 April, with a journey time of just one and a quarter hours and return fares starting at £88 (including taxes), the UK’s most punctual airline will fly six times a week, providing the twin cities of Leeds and Lille with their first ever direct air links.

In the shadows of the French capital city, Lille, the third largest city in France has always been bereft of a direct, scheduled flight from the UK with travellers by air forced to utilise Paris’ large and crowded terminals and travel onward by ground connections, yet the city has so much to offer visitors and is an excellent and efficient gateway to other French destinations.

Lille airport is situated only five miles from the city and enjoys quick and easy links to the city centre and TGV train station by shuttle bus. bmi regional passengers will also benefit from free shuttle bus transfer tickets, giving a free return connection to the city or TGV terminal.

The city of Lille also has a lot to offer the discerning traveller as a gateway or destination and is growing in popularity. The former European City of Culture (2004) is a thriving, cosmopolitan city, steeped in history and is the birthplace of Charles de Gaulle. The city offers excellent shopping, markets and cafes, historic sights, monuments and museums and is easily negotiable on foot, bus or the city’s efficient metro system.

The Rugby World Cup is also coming in 2007, with nearby Lens hosting games.

Further afield, the city provides an excellent starting point for tours of wartime graves and French countryside whilst the excellent TGV train station provides connections into Paris and the Disneyland theme parks in just over an hour as well as services to all major French cities and internationally to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Using modern Embraer jet aircraft on the new route, passengers can look forward to attractive business and economy fares and the renowned bmi regional service, which continues to offer complimentary in-flight refreshments to all passengers.