Hop over to Luxembourg, by train...

Eurostar high-speed trains link London with Brussels throughout the day, taking just 2 hours.  InterCity trains run from Brussels to Luxembourg every hour, taking 3h18.  Here is a selection of journey times from London to Luxembourg.  You can double-check them for your own date of travel at www.b-europe.com.  If you prefer to take Eurostar to Paris then a 200mph TGV from Paris to Luxembourg, journey time similar but less frequent and less flexible, see here.

Train times, fares & tickets...

  London to Luxembourg by Eurostar via Brussels

  London to Luxembourg by Eurostar & TGV via Paris

  Trains from Luxembourg to other European cities

  Trains to Luxembourg from other European cities

  Useful country information tourist info, dial code etc

  Hotels & accommodation in Luxembourg

  General European train travel information

  Luggage   Taking bikes   Taking dogs

Useful country information

London to Luxembourg via Brussels

This is the recommended route, with one easy same-station change in Brussels.  There are regular Eurostar high-speed trains from London to Brussels throughout the day, taking 2 hours.  InterCity trains then run from Brussels to Luxembourg every hour, taking 3 hours 18 minutes.  You can check these times for your own date of travel at www.b-europe.com.  If you prefer to take Eurostar to Paris then a 200 mph TGV from Paris to Luxembourg, journey time similar but less frequent and less flexible, see the section below.

* On Mondays & Fridays from 26 March 2017 onwards, the 06:50 Eurostar will run EARLIER, leaving London 06:13, Ebbsfleet 06:30, Brussels 09:22.

Eurostar's timetable is getting more complicated, random trains not running on random days of the week for random periods, so check times at www.eurostar.com!

No service on 25 December.    Brussels Midi station info & advice on changing trains     How to buy tickets     Hotels in Luxembourg

Ashford (Kent): Only one or two Eurostars per day to/from Brussels call at Ashford in Kent, see www.eurostar.com to check times.

Fares...

Advance reservation for Eurostar is compulsory, and you need to book Eurostar in advance to get the cheapest prices.  But the hourly InterCity train from Brussels to Luxembourg is of the 'turn up, hop on' variety, with no seat reservation required or even possible.  You can buy a Eurostar ticket from London to Any Belgian Station, which is valid to any rail station in Belgium including Arlon, which is the last stop in Belgium before Luxembourg.  So to reach Luxembourg you only need a Eurostar ticket to Any Belgian Station plus a ticket from Arlon to Luxembourg.  You can buy the Arlon-Luxembourg ticket in advance either at the station in Brussels or online and travel from Brussels to Luxembourg on the direct train using this combination of tickets, there's no need to get off the train in Arlon.  Read on...

How to buy tickets, the clever way...

Before you rush out and buy a Eurostar ticket from London to Brussels and a separate ticket for Brussels-Luxembourg, here's a cheaper way of doing it:  Buy a Eurostar ticket to a destination called 'Any Belgian station', which covers you for both the Eurostar and for the Brussels-Arlon section of the Brussels-Luxembourg journey, Arlon being the last stop in Belgium.  Add a print-at-home ticket from Arlon to Luxembourg, and you're all set.  Here's how to do it:

• Step 1, go to www.eurostar.com and buy a Eurostar ticket to the destination listed under Belgium as Any Belgian Station.  This is valid to any station in Belgium using any suitable connecting train within 24 hours of your arrival in Brussels, and (on your return journey) in the 24 hours before your Eurostar departure from Brussels back to London.  So it's valid to the last station In Belgium before Luxembourg, which is Arlon.  Now all you need is a ticket for the Arlon-Luxembourg bit.

• Step 2, buy your Arlon-Luxembourg ticket online at the Belgian Railways website, www.b-europe.com, any time within 30 days of travel.  Using the online booking system, simply type 'Arlon' and 'Luxembourg', and enter your dates of travel. In the search results, pick any train departure, it doesn't matter which train as the ticket will be an open ticket valid on any train on that date, no reservation necessary or possible.  You pay by credit card and print out your own ticket in .PDF format, easy!  Once bought the ticket is non-refundable, only valid on the date chosen, and the date cannot be changed  There's no need to get off the train in Arlon, you can simply travel from Brussels to Luxembourg on the direct hourly InterCity train using the combination of your Eurostar ticket to Any Belgian Station and your Arlon-Luxembourg ticket.  Simples!

• If you want to stop off in Brussels for more than 24 hours even just in one direction, then you must buy a London-Brussels ticket at www.eurostar.com and a separate Brussels-Luxembourg ticket at www.b-europe.com for around €41 one-way (youth one-way around €27 if you're under 26, although no senior fares) or €48 for a one-month return.  You print your own ticket and it's valid for any train on the date it's booked for.

To buy tickets by phone, call Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines are open 08:00-21:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, no longer open on Sundays).  You may have to remind them that a Eurostar ticket to Any Belgian station plus an Arlon-Luxembourg ticket is the cheapest option as they may not suggest this without prompting!

On board the Brussels - Luxembourg InterCity train...

The Brussels-Luxembourg InterCity trains run hourly throughout the day.  Important tip:  There's no catering on these Brussels-Luxembourg trains, so bring your own food & drink for the journey, there are plenty of places to buy food and drink inside Brussels Midi, including a minimarket.

A modern air-conditioned InterCity train from Brussels to Luxembourg...		2nd class on the InterCity train from Brussels to Luxembourg...		1st class on the InterCity train from Brussels to Luxembourg...

On board Eurostar...

---

London to Luxembourg via Paris...

You can travel to Luxembourg via Paris if you prefer, using Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord in 2 hours 20 minutes, a 10 minute walk to the Gare de l'Est, then a high-speed TGV from Paris to Luxembourg taking just 2 hours 12 minutes.  This route is less frequent as there are only five daily TGVs from Paris to Luxembourg compared to hourly InterCity trains from Brussels to Luxembourg.  It's less flexible, as TGVs are reservation compulsory and your ticket will only be valid on one specific train, whereas the InterCity trains from Brussels are walk up, hop on with flexible fares valid on any train.  It's also usually more expensive than going via Brussels, but if you book in advance you can get cheap advance-purchase fares for the TGV that make the price similar to the Brussels route.  The key advantages are that you can arrange to stop off in Paris if you like.  All the Paris-Luxembourg TGVs are fully refurbished with interiors by designer Christian Lacroix.

To check train times & fares and book London-Luxembourg tickets via Paris, simply use www.loco2.com or call UK Voyages-sncf on 0844 848 5 848.

A TGV for Paris at Luxembourg.  Just 2 hours 6 minutes!

Luxembourg station.  It's a 15 minute walk to the old town...

European Rail Timetable & map

The European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team have set up a private venture and published the first edition of a reborn European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online with worldwide shipping at either www.stanfords.co.uk or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

A Traveller's Railway Map of Europe covers the whole of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  On the back are detailed maps of Switzerland, Benelux & Germany, plus city plans showing stations in major cities.  Scenic & high-speed routes highlighted.  Buy it online for £14.50 + postage worldwide (UK addresses £2.80) at www.stanfords.co.uk/Continents/Europe-A-Travellers-Railway-Map_9789077899090.htm or (in the Netherlands) for €13 + €5.50 postage from www.treinreiswinkel.nl.

Take a good guidebook.  For the independent traveller, I think this usually means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  I personally prefer the Lonely Planet, others prefer the Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks provide the same excellent level of practical information and historical background.  However, for Luxembourg the Bradt guide is also worth considering as it covers Luxembourg in depth, not just as an adjunct to Belgium.  Whichever you buy, you won't regret buying one!

Find hotels in Luxembourg

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

Backpacker hostels...

• www.hostelworld.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & health card

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without proper travel insurance from a reliable insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash & belongings (up to a limit), and trip cancellation.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year - I have an annual policy myself.  However, don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from ww.nhs.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Carry a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.

Back to 'Rail travel to Europe' general page

Back to home page