Store Your Luggage Around Valenciennes With Bounce

Valenciennes in northern France is closer to the country's border with Belgium than it is to the capital, Paris. That's a fact that has influenced its history, culture and cuisine. While Valenciennes may have a history that's traceable right back to the early seventh century, it's the later years that have left their mark on the city in the form of enormous and very grandiose buildings.

Industry has always played a major role in the economy of Valenciennes and although not so much in modern times, even the housewives in bygone times worked industriously and produced vast quantities of lace. These days there's no so much hustle and bustle in Valenciennes and it's a place to sightsee at a relaxed pace, to explore the museums, find hidden treasures in the shops, and take a leisurely meal in a French bistro where they serve snails in garlic cooked the traditional way.

You can't enjoy a spell of relaxed sightseeing or a meal in a fine dining restaurant if you're stuck with your suitcases. Leave your bags at a Bounce luggage storage facility in Valenciennes and you'll be able to saunter around bag free and as sauve as any Frenchman, or woman, while you're taking a selfie in front of the town hall or wrestling your escargot out of their shells.

Luggage Storage In Valenciennes

The mission of Bounce as a company is to provide a safe and economically-priced place for travelers to leave their luggage. Bounce has accomplished that goal by partnering with reputable local businesses. You'll now find Bounce luggage lockers in Valenciennes, in major towns and cities throughout France, and around the globe.

Bounce Luggage Storage in Valenciennes

You'll find the Bounce luggage lockers in Valenciennes in the Gare de Valenciennes. The Gare de Valenciennes is the town's main transport hub located on the Place de la Gare. The train station is housed in an ornate, church-like building from where services depart to Paris and Lille.  

Valenciennes City Guide

Top Things to Do In

The three top things to do in Valenciennes are visit the art museum, go shopping and enjoy the excellent food on offer in the city's restaurants. When you're visiting Valenciennes the best thing to do is take everything at a snail's pace or you'll have done it all in one afternoon.

Museums In Valenciennes

Art in many forms abounds in Valenciennes and the city is rightfully proud of some of the great artists that were born there. But apart from the fine art museum there are no other formal museums in Valenciennes. If you want to go to more than one you'll need to jump on a train at the Gare de Valenciennes and take the hour's ride to Lille.

• Museum of Fine Art – The Museum of Fine Art or the Musee des Beaux Arts to give it its full title in French is located on Boulevard Watteau. The elaborately decorated building that houses the museum was purpose built at the beginning of the 20th century. The museum’s main collections consist of works by mostly Flemish and French artists that date as far back as the Middle Ages.

Museums in Lille 

If visiting museums is your thing and you're feeling dissatisfied with the lack of them in Valenciennes, you'll find more than enough to browse around in Lille and it also makes for a pleasant day trip out. In Lille you'll be able to take a look around the Natural Science Museum, the birthplace of Charles de Gaulle, and a museum dedicated to the history of cannons.

Shopping In Valenciennes

While Valenciennes may be a little lacking in museums, it's certainly not lacking in shops. The majority of stores in this French commune are concentrated in the streets around the Place d'Armes. As well as small stores there are a couple of good shopping malls that will help fill up your free time.

• Centre Coeur de Ville – The Centre Coeur de Ville is a moderately sized indoor mall on the corner of the Place d'Armas. In the two- story mall you'll find big brand names like Zara and Bershka as well as lesser well-known French retailers. The mall is open six days of the week from nine in the morning until seven-thirty in the evening. It's closed on Sundays all day.
• Place d'Armes – The Place d'Armes is one of the central plazas in Valenciennes and one of its main retail areas. On the side streets leading off from the square you'll find all manner of small shops selling unique fashion wear, footwear, exclusive watches and jewelry, all intermingled with restaurants and cafeterias.
• Centre Place d'Armes – The Centre Place d'Armes is another indoor shopping mall on the Rue de la Halle. Almost exactly the same as the Centre Coeur de Ville, only slightly larger, this three story mall has almost forty retail outlets occupied by internationally known chain brands and French retailers.

Dining In Valenciennes

If just the thought of getting to grips with a plate of snails makes you squirm, don't panic. There's a lot more on the menus of the restaurants in Valenciennes than escargot. The food in Valenciennes does have a Flemish influence though so you're guaranteed to get some great meat and fish dishes without having to search too hard.

• Chez Justine – Chez Justine is a bistro on the Rue de Abbe Victor Senaz that specializes in French and vegetarian dishes made with a little extra flair. The female owner of Chez Justine follows the farm to table ethic and uses only the best fresh local produce in her creations. It's not the cheapest of places to eat out by any means, but what you get on the plate is quality cooked well.  
• La Galerie – If you're going on a no-expenses-spared date night while you're in Valenciennes then consider La Galerie. This is posh French nosh at its best and situated in a location that matches. La Galerie is the in-house restaurant of the Royal Hainaut Spa Resort and Hotel on the Place de la Hopital and eating here is like dining in the hall of a medieval castle so don't go in jeans and a t-shirt.
• La Cantine de Josephine – Without a doubt Napoleon Bonaparte himself would have approved of this no-frills restaurant on the Avenue du Senateur Girard. It's bright, colorful and serves simple dishes like steak and chips, chicken casserole and fish in sauce, all for very reasonable prices.