Hop over to Luxembourg, by train...

There are regular Eurostar high-speed trains from London to Brussels throughout the day, taking as little as 1 hour 51 minutes.  InterCity trains run from Brussels to Luxembourg every hour, taking 3 hours.  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 200 mph 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 (recommended)

London to Luxembourg by Eurostar & TGV via Paris

Useful country information currency, tourist info, dialling code etc.

Hotels & accommodation in Luxembourg

General European train travel information

Luggage   Taking bikes   Taking dogs

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Useful country information

London to Luxembourg (via Brussels)

There are regular Eurostar high-speed trains from London to Brussels throughout the day, taking as little as 1 hour 51 minutes.  InterCity trains run from Brussels to Luxembourg every hour, taking 3 hours.  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 200 mph TGV from Paris to Luxembourg, journey time similar but less frequent and less flexible, see here.

No service on 25 December.     Advice on changing trains at Brussels Midi    How to buy tickets     Find a hotel in Luxembourg

Ashford (Kent): Outbound, only the 06:50 Eurostar calls at Ashford (07:57 Saturdays), at 07:24 (08:24 Saturdays). Inbound, only the daily 16:56 Eurostar from Brussels calls at Ashford (17:33).  Check these times for dates after 9 December.

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...

You can buy a Eurostar ticket to a destination called 'Any Belgian station'.  This is cheaper than paying for a normal onward ticket for the Belgian section of the Brussels-Luxembourg journey.  So here's the best way to get your tickets to Luxembourg as cheaply as possible:

• Step 1, buy a Eurostar ticket to Any Belgian Station online at www.eurostar.com.  This is valid to any station in Belgium using any suitable connecting train within 24 hours of arrival in Brussels, and (on your return journey) within 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 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 for any train on that date.  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.

• If you want to stop off in Brussels for more than 24 hours even just in one direction, buy a London-Brussels ticket at www.eurostar.com then buy a separate Brussels-Luxembourg ticket at www.b-europe.com for around €37 one-way or €75 return.

• If you have any difficulties, you can also buy an Arlon-Luxembourg ticket at www.raileurope.co.uk, for around £10 each way, plus postage fee, or you can even buy it at the ticket office in Brussels as you pass through, which is easy, as no reservation is needed for the Brussels-Luxembourg train, you just buy a ticket and hop on.  The price doesn't change, even on the day of departure.

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 is valid all the way to Arlon, don't let them charge you twice for this section!

On board the Brussels - Luxembourg InterCity train...

The Brussels-Luxembourg InterCity trains run hourly throughout the day.  There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink for the journey.

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...

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London to Luxembourg via TGV from Paris...

You can travel to Luxembourg via Paris if you prefer, using Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord in 2 hours 15 minutes, a 10 minute walk to the Gare de l'Est, then a high-speed TGV from Paris to Luxembourg taking just 2 hours 6 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 special cheap deal on 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.raileurope.co.uk or call Rail Europe 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...

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2012/13 edition (Dec 2012 to June 2013) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

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.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

Backpacker hostels...

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

Travel insurance & health card

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, 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 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

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

   If you live in the USA or Canada, 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 www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign 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.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.