Valenciennes is about 50 km from Lille, on the E19 motorway between Paris (200km) and Brussels (100km). It is about 35min by train from Lille and 50min from Arras. Trains to Belgium (e.g. Mons or Tournai) all require a change at Lille. Valenciennes is a sub-prefecture of the Nord department, is the capital of the province of French Hainault, is the third economic region in France. Two hours from the main capitals of Northern Europe, Valenciennes is particularly favored by its geographical location. At the heart of Europe, the city is close to five European countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and the UK. The urban transport network is of high quality with motorways, TGV direct to Paris and close to international airports.