Forum Libre

Welcome to France dear canadian cousin.

I had the chance to do a "Battlefield Tour" (and to see Vimy Ridge) long time ago but I hardly remember anything :(

Lille

I definitely second the idea to see the Citadelle of Lille and walk around it.

Never saw de Gaulle House in Lille but it must be interesting.

Don't remember if you can climb to the top of Lille Beffroi, don't hesitate to check

Paris

I second too to visit "Le Marais" neighborhood in Paris (Place des Vosges...).

If you are into battle and history stuff you can visit

• the invalides museum in Paris (except if there is an official ceremony that day)

• Le Bourget Air Museum (host to Paris Air Show 1 year out of 2, check if Paris Air show is this year in June, maybe, so some rooms might be closed :(

• musée Carnavalet if you are interested in the history of Paris (museum might have been renovated so my advice might be out of date, I have not visited the new one :(

Bruxelles / Brussels

is a nice city, don't know if you are into European politics but you can have a look at the European Parliament and the European Commission buildings, at least from the outside.

And have a look at the "salle du Conseil" (Consilium of the States) it is full of funny colours. At least on the internet if you can't enter.

Don't know if you can go up to Bruges by train.

if you like cartoons you can visit the museum of the BD (don't remember if there is only 1)

You must know

• Wikipedia

• Wikitravel

are full of good informations

Thanks for travelling by train, it emits far less CO2

but a car might be useful to visit the Normandy Beaches

you can go to Caen Memorial de la Paix, Bayeux Tapestry and Arromanches Artificial Port Museum

Sorry, everybody here is giving / advising you more stuff to visit than what you will able to do :(

about train, definitely install

• the official SNCF Connect app (iOS or Android, up to your phone)

• SNCF Gares, it will give you the way (?) dock (?) (I mean "quai" at train station) your train will depart or arrive

informations on these 2 apps might be more accurate than

• Trainline app

but it can be useful to have trainline too, just in case (even if this app was better in the past)

you can have some parts of France offline in Google Maps, you surely know it

you can install "citymapper" app (you must know it) and RATP (transport authority in Paris for metro and Paris local trains (RER Reseau Express Regions (?)).

Don't know if you will be able to pay metro / RER ticket with your iPhone but you might be able if you have a recent Android

for dictionaries, you know you can have Google translate offline (French, English and Flemish)

don't hesitate if you have questions and have a train nice trip