Lille or Saint-Malo?

Lille has no beach of its own. The nearest sand is Malo-les-Bains at Dunkirk, about an hour away by train. It is a wide, windy stretch of North Sea shore, better for a bracing walk than a swim.

Saint-Malo is a real seaside town. The Sillon beach starts right below the ramparts, the sand doubles in size at low tide, and the walled sea pool at Bon-Secours lets you swim even when the sea has gone out. The Channel is cold here too, so swims are short, but in summer the beach is part of everyday life rather than a day trip.

Both cities cook firmly regional food, but Lille gives you more to eat your way through. Its estaminets in Vieux-Lille serve Flemish stews cooked in beer, Maroilles cheese turns up in almost everything, beer culture runs deep and the Sunday market at Wazemmes draws on many cuisines.

Saint-Malo means galettes, cider and oysters from Cancale, and seafood lovers will eat well. The crêperies inside the walls vary a lot, though, and the better tables are out in Saint-Servan and towards Cancale. Neither city offers much beyond its own region.

Lille has the serious collections. The Palais des Beaux-Arts holds Flemish masters, La Piscine and the LaM are a metro or tram ride away, and the Flemish baroque old town centres on the Vieille Bourse and the UNESCO-listed belfry. Two or three days fill easily.

Saint-Malo's main sight is the walled town itself, best seen by walking the full circuit of the ramparts, plus walks at low tide out to the Grand Bé and Fort National. It is full of atmosphere and corsair history, but it makes one good day of sightseeing rather than a museum trip.

Lille's large student population fills the cheap bars of Rue Masséna and Rue Solférino. Vieux-Lille adds beer cafés and cocktail bars in old cellars, and Belgian clubs are within reach for a late night. In Saint-Malo the night usually ends with a drink in a pub or wine bar inside the walls. It livens up on summer weekends and goes quiet early for the rest of the year.

Saint-Malo sits on one of Europe's great tidal coasts. The GR34 path runs east to Pointe du Grouin and west to the cliffs of the Emerald Coast. You can kayak on the Rance, sail or kitesurf on the bay, and see seals off the islands.

Lille's outdoors is flat and gentle: the Citadel park, level towpaths for cycling and the low Monts de Flandre. Its best scenery, the chalk cliffs at Cap Blanc-Nez, is a long day out.

Both are good bases, but Lille's reach is exceptional. Brussels, Ghent, Bruges and Paris are all a fast train ride away, and Arras, Amiens and the First World War battlefields are close on the French side.

From Saint-Malo you can reach Mont-Saint-Michel, medieval Dinan, Dinard across the estuary and Rennes by train, with summer ferries to Jersey. The real difference is how you travel: from Lille the train covers almost everything, while most outings from Saint-Malo need a car.

Saint-Malo is the easier choice with children. They can build sandcastles below the walls, jump into the sea pool at Bon-Secours, walk out to the island forts at low tide and visit the Grand Aquarium on wet days. Parents need to watch the fast tides, and the water is cold for small swimmers.

Lille is pleasant with children but not built for them. It has a small zoo and playgrounds in the Citadel park and a hands-on science centre reachable by metro. Its bigger family outings, Pairi Daiza and the Nausicaá aquarium, mean leaving town.

Lille is the simpler place to be without a car. The centre is flat and walkable, the automated VAL metro and the tram cover the wider city, and both main stations are a short walk from the old town.

Saint-Malo is just as easy on foot inside the walls and along the promenade to Paramé, and buses and the Dinard boat fill the gaps. Buses to the coast and Mont-Saint-Michel are infrequent, though, so most visitors end up driving.

Lille is a proper shopping city for its region. It has the chains on Rue Neuve, the Euralille mall, independent fashion and delicatessens in Vieux-Lille, and the huge Braderie flea market every September.

Saint-Malo's shops lean towards Breton specialities: striped sailor tops, salted-butter caramels, cider, faience, and good butter and cheese. It is a pleasant place to browse, but for clothes or department stores you have to go to Rennes.

Neither city is cheap, but Lille's prices stay steadier through the year. Hotels are reasonable except during the Braderie and the big trade fairs, the metro is inexpensive and estaminet meals are fairly priced.

Saint-Malo is priced as a seaside resort, with rooms in July and August costing more and selling out early. Galettes and set lunches are good value, though, and spring and autumn bring prices down.

Lille has a full programme through the year: the Opéra de Lille, the Orchestre National, the Théâtre du Nord, and touring rock and pop acts at the Zénith and the Aéronef. Saint-Malo's town theatre has a modest season, and most of its cultural life comes in a few festivals such as La Route du Rock and Étonnants Voyageurs. Outside those dates, little is on most nights.

Saint-Malo is a classic French town for thalassotherapy, with a large seawater spa on the Sillon seafront. Add long walks on empty sand at low tide and it makes an easy slow weekend, best enjoyed away from the August crowds.

Lille has hotel spas and tea rooms in Vieux-Lille, and its nearest thermal bath is at Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, a short train ride away. The pace is easygoing, but you wouldn't go there to rest.