Is Luxembourg Worth Visiting?
Is Luxembourg worth visiting? Read on for my opinion (and what you need to know!)
Luxembourg is among the smallest countries in Europe with an area just under 1,000 square miles. It’s actually the seventh-smallest country, so it’s not as tiny as some of the micro-nations, but to put things in perspective for American travelers, it’s slightly smaller than the US state of Rhode Island.
Bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany, Luxembourg is often overlooked by tourists because of its more popular neighbors. Yet its central location means that it’s also pretty easy to visit.
And its compact size means that you don’t need a ton of time there either. But is Luxembourg actually worth a visit? Here’s my experience in Luxembourg, and whether or not I think it’s worth it!
Background on Luxembourg
Before I get into my visit to Luxembourg and whether or not it was worth it, I wanted to provide a little background on Luxembourg in case you don’t know much about this small country already.
As I mentioned before, Luxembourg is bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It’s a landlocked country and it has a population of 668,000 people. The capital of Luxembourg is Luxembourg City.
There are three official languages in Luxembourg: French, German, and Luxembourgish, which is very similar to German. English is also very widely spoken in Luxembourg (by about 80% of the population!)
Luxembourg is known for being a center of business and finance in Europe. It also happens to be the wealthiest country in Europe — and the world. Needless to say, Luxembourg is also quite expensive.
Interestingly, Luxembourg is also a constitutional monarchy and still has a royal family. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the head of state and has been since the country’s founding in 1815.
My Experience Visiting Luxembourg
I visited Luxembourg (specifically Luxembourg City) on a day trip from Paris earlier this year.
Luxembourg would not actually be one of my top recommendations for a day trip from Paris, but since I’ve spent so much time in France and wanted to see a new country, I decided to try it.
There’s a high-speed train from Paris to Luxembourg City that takes two hours and 20 minutes.
I arrived in Luxembourg City in the morning and had a full day to explore the city before my train departed back to Paris in the evening. The capital is pretty small and walkable — I did hop on a bus from the train station to get to the historic city center faster, but other than that, I walked everywhere.
Here’s what I did on my day trip to Luxembourg:
- Took this free walking tour for an overview of the city
- Saw the Palais Grand-Ducal (only open for tours in the summer)
- Took the Pfaffenthal Lift, a scenic free elevator
- Visited Notre Dame Cathedral, a pretty church
- Walked along the free part of the Casemates du Bock (old city walls)
- Took in the view from Place de la Constitution
- Explored the free galleries of Neumünster Abbey (random find, but cool)
I was easily able to fit all of this in during my day trip, because as I mentioned earlier, Luxembourg City is pretty compact. You definitely do not need more than one day to explore the capital city.
Is It Worth It?
Visiting Luxembourg on a day trip was worth it to me, but I’ll be honest, I found the city pretty uninspiring. It doesn’t help that I was spending the month in Paris, one of the best cities in the world.
In comparison, Luxembourg City seemed bland, drab, and not very charming. Of course, lots of cities might seem that way next to Paris. But overall, I really don’t think Luxembourg City is all that great.
It feels unfair to write off the whole country because of my less-than-exciting experience in the capital city, though. I would have loved to see more of Luxembourg, but with limited time, it wasn’t possible. For example, the fairytale-like Vianden Castle in the northern part of the country looks amazing.
Some of my lackluster experience was also probably due to visiting on a wet, gray day when it rained most of the afternoon. The bad weather made Luxembourg City even less appealing to me.
However, I actually anticipate that I’ll have the chance to revisit Luxembourg within the next year, so I’d like to give the country another try and visit Vianden Castle and some other destinations.
All that being said, I do think Luxembourg is worth visiting if you’re a country counter like me or you just want to see somewhere new in Europe. I don’t think it’s worth it if you have limited time or you haven’t traveled much of Europe. For example, if you’re visiting Paris for the first time, I would not recommend spending a day in Luxembourg. There are way better day trips around Paris to do instead.
How Long to Spend in Luxembourg
As I shared from my experience, I visited Luxembourg City on a day trip from Paris.
This was more than enough time to explore the city thoroughly. So if you’re content seeing just Luxembourg City, one day is fine. But if you want to visit other places, you’ll need more time.
One more full day in Luxembourg should be sufficient if you want to visit Vianden Castle and maybe check out another small town or castle. You really don’t need more time than that.
Almost every guide I’ve read says that two days is enough for the country, or three days if you really want to take your time. But you definitely don’t need any longer than that for Luxembourg!
Getting to Luxembourg
How can you get to Luxembourg?
Luxembourg City has its own airport which is very well-connected with flights from all around Europe and a handful of other places, although there are no direct flights from North America.
You can also get to Luxembourg by train.
The high-speed train from Paris takes just two hours and 20 minutes to get to Luxembourg City. There are trains from cities in Belgium and Germany too, but they take longer. So personally I would say Paris is the only viable city for a day trip — if you’re coming from somewhere else, it would be a long journey.
For example, the train from Brussels, Belgium to Luxembourg City takes just over three hours. And the train from Cologne, Germany to Luxembourg City takes 3.5 hours. Both a bit long for just a day trip!
If you have a car, driving is actually quicker from these cities, around 2.5 hours by car.
One exciting thing to note about Luxembourg is that all public transportation within the country is totally free. This includes trains, buses, and trams. So you don’t need a car to get around the country, and taking free public transportation can help you save some money in this very pricy destination.
Where to Stay in Luxembourg
If you decide to visit Luxembourg for an overnight trip or weekend trip, I’ve rounded up some of the best places to stay in the capital city below. Since Luxembourg is one of the most expensive destinations in the world, there aren’t many options for budget-friendly hotels or hostels in the country.
Here’s an overview of the best places to stay in Luxembourg City:
- Best luxury hotel: Sofitel Luxembourg Le Grand Ducal
- Best boutique hotel: Hotel Le Place d’Armes
- Best mid-range hotel: Novotel Luxembourg Centre
- Best budget hotel: Hotel Parc Plaza
- Best hostel: Youth Hostel Luxembourg City
While staying in Luxembourg City is a good idea if you’re looking for a convenient and central base, there are also plenty of other hotels (including some charming B&Bs) around the countryside.
Is Luxembourg Worth Visiting?
So is Luxembourg worth visiting?
Hopefully this guide helped you decide if you should go to Luxembourg!
In my opinion, Luxembourg is worth visiting for some people. In fact, I’ve never been to any country that I would recommend skipping entirely. But not everyone needs to go to Luxembourg.
If you have limited time or you haven’t traveled extensively around Europe yet, then I would not necessarily recommend adding Luxembourg to your itinerary. But if you want to take a unique day trip from Paris or you want to check another country off your list, then yes, Luxembourg is worth a visit.
Whatever you decide, enjoy your trip!
Related Guides:
