Attitude visits Lille, courtesy of the Travel Proud programme at Booking.com: ‘You can book with confidence’

After a summer that felt non-stop in the best way – think weekends at Mighty Hoopla, losing hours dancing at Body Movements, and making the most of every rare hour of British sunshine – it’s safe to say my social (dance) battery had been well and truly drained. But as the sun set on summer 2025, my friends and I were ready for something different. Less chaos and more comfort. Something wholesome. Cue: a trip to Lille.

A hop on the Eurostar later and we were there. My Northern English brain still can’t comprehend that I can reach France faster, and cheaper, than travelling from London back to my hometown in Yorkshire. But here we are, having successfully swapped London’s manic chaos for the cobbled streets of Lille in less than a couple of hours.

From the moment we step off the train, everything feels easy. No stress, no faff – just straight into what we are desperately in need of: eating, drinking and quality time spent with friends.

And when it comes to finding somewhere to stay, that ease doesn’t stop at the station. Thanks to its Travel Proud programme, Booking.com highlights LGBTQ+ friendly properties, cutting through the noise when it comes to choosing accommodation.

Booking.com’s Travel Proud programme offers LGBTQ+ travellers a safe place to stay

Travel Proud accredited properties reassure travellers that they will be genuinely welcomed, not just accommodated. Travelling as a group of queer friends, that sense of safety and acceptance isn’t a bonus – it’s essential. It means we can arrive, settle in, and be completely ourselves from the get-go.

We opt to stay at The People Lille, which strikes the perfect balance for a group trip. There’s enough room for all of us, and with it being a short 10-minute walk from the city centre and its iconic Christmas markets, we can dip in and out of Lille’s centre with ease, whether we are heading out to explore or wandering back after a long day.

This weekend wasn’t necessarily planned around sightseeing; it was intended for us to spend time with friends before we all scattered back to our respective families for the Christmas break. And, as it turns out, it’s the unplanned, in-between moments that really stay with you when all is said and done.

Which brings me to a question: “How well do your friends really know you?”

On one of our trips in town, passing Marché de Wazemmes, my friend Jack decides he is in the mood for oysters and begins testing the waters to see who might join him on our mid-afternoon venture. When he got to me, he didn’t even ask, dismissing me with a casual finger point: “You wouldn’t want any.”

Mildly confused, I gladly to correct him: “I love oysters!” Jack’s reaction is priceless – a mix of shock and delight, as if I had just revealed I’d been hiding a secret identity à la Hannah Montana.

Later that evening at Brasserie Campion for dinner, I order escargot to start. Jack looks genuinely baffled. “You really are surprising me with your food choices,” he says. Naturally, I ask the question I probably shouldn’t have: “What impression do I give you?” His answer is immediate, brutal: “Chicken tenders and chips.” I was horrified. After nine months of friendship, nights out, and what I thought were clear hints about who I am, apparently I’d been giving off strong children’s menu energy the entire time.

Imagine a Yorkshireman speaking in a French accent… you don’t

After finishing our fair share of wine and feasting like queens, we make our way back to The People Lille. Here, the laughter continues in the most ridiculous way: we essentially drop a small fortune on endless photo strips in the resident photo booth, while the only fluently French member of our group, Luka, has to endure our attempts at the language. Let me just say, no one should ever have to stomach my Yorkshire-accented attempt at French ever again.

Our weak attempts at linguistic mastery – and the ensuing hilarity – were then amplified by my friend, Gabriele’s revelation. Mid-laugh, he casually drops on me, “You are actually funny”.

It was in those slightly cutting, completely ridiculous moments that it clicked: I’d found my people. My shady little chosen family.

What were the takeaways from Attitude’s trip to Lille, France?

So here’s the takeaway: if you’re thinking about a queer group getaway, Booking.com’s Travel Proud programme makes it ridiculously easy to do it the right way. With over 125,000 LGBTQ+ friendly properties, you can book with confidence and focus on what really matters – enjoying yourself.

Because the truth is, trips like this aren’t just about where you go. They’re about what you discover along the way – about your friends, and occasionally their discovery of your unexpected love of oysters.

For more information about Booking.com’s Travel Proud programme, visit its website.