 Luxembourg station, a 15 minute walk to the old town, see Luxembourg station guide. |
This page explains how to travel by train from Luxembourg to other key European cities, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Information current for 2024.
Before you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". How far ahead can you buy train tickets?
European train travel FAQ
Train travel within Luxembourg
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See the CFL (Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois, Luxembourg Railways) website www.cfl.lu.
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All public transport within Luxembourg became free (yes, really) on 1 March 2020. This includes train journeys wholly within Luxembourg, unless you want to travel 1st class. No ticket is needed.
Luxembourg to London from €81
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See the London to Luxembourg page for train times, fares and how to buy tickets by combining a Luxembourg to Arlon ticket with an Any Belgian Station to London ticket.
Luxembourg to Dublin & Ireland
Option 1, Luxembourg to Dublin via London
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to London by Intercity train & Eurostar, as shown on the London-Luxembourg page.
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Stay overnight in London, see suggested hotels near St Pancras. It's a 10 minute walk from London St Pancras to London Euston.
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Day 2, travel from London Euston to Dublin on the morning train & ferry service, arriving Dublin Ferryport 17:25, see the London-Dublin page for times, fares & how to buy tickets. Rail & Sail is an inexpensive, fun and interesting way to go, see an illustrated account of the journey.
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Alternatively, you can travel overnight. Travel from Luxembourg to London on an early departure. Allow at least 90 minutes in London between trains to ensure a robust connection, even though it's only a 10 minute walk between St Pancras & Euston stations. Then take the overnight London to Dublin train & ferry service arriving in Dublin next morning, see the timetable here. It's basically a red-eye service, but you can pay for a cabin when you board the ferry, so can at least get 3 hours sleep!
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How much does it cost?
For fares from Luxembourg to London, see the London-Luxembourg page.
The fare from London to Dublin is either £44.50 or £50, one or other fare always applies, even on the day of travel.
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How to buy tickets
Book from Luxembourg to London as shown on the London-Luxembourg page.
Book from London to Dublin Ferryport at tfw.wales, as shown on the train & ferry to Dublin page.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Dublin using the direct ferry from France to Ireland - avoiding the UK, several departures a week
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by high-speed TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 06:40 Mondays-Fridays arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 08:51.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You need to allow at least 1 hour between trains in Paris, ideally a bit more. There's no train early enough at weekends, so travel to Paris the previous evening and stay overnight.
Transfer from Paris Est to Paris St Lazare by metro or taxi.
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Day 1, take a late morning train from Paris St Lazare to Cherbourg and an overnight ferry to Dublin.
Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.com) sail from Cherbourg to Dublin several times each week, usually leaving Cherbourg in late afternoon and arriving Dublin late morning next day (Day 2).
For details of this Paris to Dublin journey & how to buy tickets see here.
Luxembourg to Paris from €25
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TGV Duplex high-speed trains link Luxembourg with Paris Gare de l'Est several times a day in 2h10.
The trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upstairs seat for the best views, any seat number over 60 is upper deck.
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Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book these at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee), or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Look for a direct TGV train.
Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Luxembourg to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Montpellier, Cannes, Nice from €35
Option 1, by high-speed TGV avoiding Paris - the easiest option for Dijon, Lyon, and the South of France
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A direct TGV Duplex leaves Luxembourg at 07:24 most days for Dijon, Lyon Part Dieu, Avignon, Aix en Provence & Marseille St Charles. This saves you having to cross Paris, making it the ideal option if the time suits you.
Change at Lyon Part Dieu for Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan. Change at Marseille for Toulon, Cannes, Antibes, Nice.
On certain dates you'll find a later TGV Duplex to Dijon, Lyon and beyond leaving Luxembourg around 11:24.
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Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, via Paris - works for all French destinations, involves changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris Gare de l'Est by TGV in 2h10. There are a number of departures every day.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Change trains & stations in Paris by taxi or metro, Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, although the transfer physically takes 30-35 minutes.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to anywhere in France.
TGVs run from Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes or Nice from €25 upwards. It's a great ride, especially the scenic section along the coast to Cannes or Nice, see the Paris to Nice by TGV page.
TGVs run from Paris Montparnasse to Tours, Le Mans, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Biarritz, Lourdes, Nantes, Rennes & Brittany.
Intercités run from Paris Bercy to Vichy, Clermont Ferrand.
Intercités run from Paris Austerlitz to Limoges, Cahors, Brive, Toulouse.
Intercités run from Paris St Lazare to Caen, Cherbourg, Rouen, Le Havre.
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Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can usually select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Tip: Use www.raileurope.com to book from Luxembourg to anywhere in France as one easy transaction, but first click More options, enter Paris (any station) as a via point with a stopover duration of at least 1 hour. If you don't do this, by default the French Railways system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider to tight for comfort.
Option 3, Luxembourg to Toulon, Cannes, Antibes & Nice, using the Paris-Nice overnight train
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Luxembourg at 16:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 18:21.
The 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary, check online.
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Cross Paris from the Gare de 'Est to the Gare d'Austerlitz by taxi or metro. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains when catching a sleeper, although the actual transfer only takes 30 minutes.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to the Côte d'Azur by Intercité de Nuit overnight train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 20:08 every day, arriving Toulon 07:39, St Raphael (for St Tropez) 08:33, Cannes 08:57, Antibes 09:08 & Nice Ville 09:25.
The Intercité de Nuit overnight train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats. You can book a private 1st class 4-berth or 2nd class 6-berth compartment for sole occupancy by 1-6 people if you like. More about Intercités de Nuit.
Tip: Have dinner at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz in good time for your sleeper south. There are earlier TGVs if you'd like more time.
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How much does it cost?
Luxembourg to Paris starts at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Paris to the South of France starts at €19 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 2nd class couchette or €59 in a 1st class couchette.
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How to buy tickets
Book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: To make sure you have at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris, I'd book Luxembourg to Paris, add to basket, then Paris to Nice, add to basket & check out. Otherwise by default the system allows as little as 40 minutes between trains in Paris which I consider too tight, especially when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss.
Tip: To book a whole couchette compartment for 1-6 people, see the instructions here.
You can also book at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Luxembourg to Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Colmar
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Every 2-3 hours a train links Luxembourg with Strasbourg, Colmar & Mulhouse, a few direct, some with a change or two.
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You can check train times and buy tickets at www.sncf-connect.com and either print your own ticket (TGV high-speed trains only) or (if a TER regional train is involved) collect tickets from one of the SNCF self-service machines installed at Luxembourg station.
You can also book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.
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Regional trains (shown as TER or RE) require no reservation and have fixed prices so you can just turn up, buy a ticket at the station and hop on - though buying online saves time at the station.
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TGV high-speed trains (usually running over classic lines in this case, so hardly any faster than the TERs) require reservation and have dynamic fares, cheaper in advance, more expensive on the day.
Luxembourg to Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp
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Hourly InterCity trains link Luxembourg with Brussels Midi in 3h18, most direct, some with a change at Arlon.
These trains also call at Brussels Luxembourg station (next to the EU Parliament), Brussels Nord and Brussels Central (3 minutes walk from Brussels' Grand Place) before reaching Brussels Midi. It might suit you better to get off at one of those stations.
Change at Brussels Midi for half-hourly InterCity trains to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and so on. It only takes a few minutes to change. As tickets are good for any train that day, feel free to stop off in Brussels for a few hours if you like.
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The fare is €23.80 in 2nd class or €39.50 in 1st class. Fixed price, unlimited availability.
If you're under 26 or over 65 there's a youth/senior fare for €9.60, only available in 2nd class.
Tickets are valid on any train leaving on the date you specify, not just for the specific train you choose when booking. The price is fixed and tickets have unlimited availability, it's the same price even on the day of travel. No reservation is necessary or possible, so it's just as easy to buy a ticket at the same price at the station on the day, hop on the next train and sit where you like.
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Buy tickets from Luxembourg to anywhere in Belgium at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: If you're over 65, you can only buy the senior fare at www.b-europe.com.
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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.
Tip: There are only two power sockets per car, one at each end of the passenger saloon above a window seat. Savvy laptop users usually nab these seats!
Luxembourg to Amsterdam from €35.90
Option 1, Luxembourg-Brussels by Intercity train, Brussels-Amsterdam by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) - fastest & most comfortable, but expensive at short notice.
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The fastest & most comfortable way is to take the hourly InterCity (IC) train from Luxembourg to Brussels Midi then a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Brussels Midi to Amsterdam Centraal. Typical journey time 5h32.
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Check times and buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl from Luxembourg to Amsterdam or any Dutch station.
In the search results, look for journeys with 1 change marked IC, Eurostar. You print your own ticket.
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On the IC train between Luxembourg & Brussels there's no catering so bring your own food and drink, but it's a nice run with some very pretty scenery. Brussels-Amsterdam Eurostar trains run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line. They have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
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However, with Eurostar you must commit to a specific departure, and unless you book ahead this option is more expensive.
Eurostar has airline-style dynamic pricing, cheaper if you book in advance, much more expensive closer to departure date. Eurostar tickets are only good for the specific train you book and a reserved seat is automatically included. However, for the Luxembourg-Brussels part of the journey your ticket is good for any IC train that day, not just the one you selected, and you sit where you like, there are no seat reservations.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Amsterdam by Intercity trains all the way - the cheap & flexible option, but slower
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The most flexible and usually cheapest option is to use regular InterCity (IC) trains rather than Eurostar.
IC trains are comfortable enough, but they only run at up to 160 km/h (100 mph) and there's no catering so bring your own food & drink. There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like.
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There are two good routes using IC or local trains with hourly departures through the day. The route via Maastricht is cheaper than via Brussels but involves an extra change:
1. Luxembourg to Brussels Midi by IC train then Brussels Midi to Amsterdam Centraal by IC train. 6h27 with 1 change.
2. Luxembourg to Liège by local train, IC train to Maastricht, another IC train to Amsterdam Centraal. 6h39 with 2 changes.
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Check times & prices & buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.
Look carefully at the search results for various different options marked IC without any mention of Eurostar. You print your own ticket. You can also book at www.thetrainline.com.
Tip: To find trains via the cheaper Maastricht route you must enter Maastricht as a via station.
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Regular full-flex fare €70.80 via Brussels or €39 via Liège & Maastricht, any date, any day, any train.
It's a fixed price which doesn't change, tickets are good for any train that day, tickets can be bought at the station on the day for that price, no prior reservation is necessary or possible, tickets cannot sell out. Just turn up, buy and go. Easy, and flexible.
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Advance-purchase fares: Early bird fares start at €33 in 2nd class or €51.50 in 1st class.
From 11 June 2023, advance-purchase Early Bird fares will only be good for the specific departure you choose.
Luxembourg to Rotterdam, Utrecht & other cities in the Netherlands
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There are regular InterCity trains from Luxembourg to the Netherlands with either one change of train at Brussels or two, at Liège and Maastricht. If you use these IC trains, no reservation is necessary, you can buy on the day (although worth checking in an Early Bird fare is available by booking in advance).
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However, it's faster to take the hourly InterCity to Brussels then a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train to Rotterdam & Amsterdam. Reservation is required for Eurostars and there are cheaper fares if you pre-book, much more expensive fares on the day.
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You can check times and prices & buy tickets online at www.nsinternational.nl or www.thetrainline.com.
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You can buy tickets to any Dutch station this way: Rotterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem, Groningen, Den Haag...
Luxembourg to Basel, Zurich & Switzerland from €37.90
Option 1, Luxembourg to Switzerland via Metz, Strasbourg & Basel - the fastest & most direct route
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There are a couple of departures per day that take only 3h16, leaving Luxembourg at 07:24 or 11:24.
You travel from Luxembourg to Mulhouse by TGV, then Mulhouse to Basel SBB by 200 km/h TER regional train. This is the fastest way to go.
There are other departures through the day with changes at Metz & Strasbourg taking around 4 hours and using a mixture of TER regional trains and the occasional TGV. This is the second-fastest way to go.
The Man in Seat 61 says: Fastest isn't always best, check out option 3 before deciding!
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Buy tickets to Basel at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. The 1-change TGV+TER journeys are e-ticketed. The 2-change TER+TER+TER journeys may require ticket collection from the SNCF ticket machines at Luxembourg station.
You can also book at www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee), but it doesn't offer all the options and www.thetrainline.com doesn't want to sell this route at all. For this particular route I'd stick with www.sncf-connect.com.
Luxembourg to Basel SBB by TGV+TER regional train takes around 4 hours with a change at Mulhouse, or a bit longer with changes at Metz & Strasbourg. Just see what www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com give you. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead.
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Buy onward tickets from Basel to anywhere in Switzerland at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
If you buy a full-price ticket (or Saver Day Pass) it's good for any onward train to your destination, so even a 10 minute connection is fine, if you miss it you can take the next one. However, if you buy a cheap advance-purchase Supersaver fare it's only good for the specific train you book, so in this case I'd allow maybe 40 minutes between trains in Basel in case of delay.
Tip: You can book from Luxembourg through to some Swiss destinations at www.sncf-connect.com, by all means see what it offers you, but it can be cheaper to buy the onward ticket separately because SNCF cannot access SBB's Saver Day Pass or Supersaver fares.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Switzerland via Germany - slower but cheaper, easier to book and with through tickets
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This is a longer way round, but it's much easier to book & usually cheaper than option 1 as DB (German Railways) offers cheap advance-purchase through fares between Luxembourg and almost any station in Switzerland.
There are almost hourly departures from Luxembourg with changes at Trier & Mannheim, journey time Luxembourg to Basel 6h14.
There are 2 departures per day with 1 change at Koblenz, these are the best way to go if the timings suit you, I'll explain those in option 3!
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Luxembourg to Basel, Zurich or almost any station in Switzerland.
Tip: Before running the enquiry, click Stopovers and enter Trier Hbf. Leave length of stay zero, unless you want a longer interchange time. This forces the journey planner to find journeys via this route.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Option 3, Luxembourg to Switzerland via the Rhine Valley - the scenic route and best way to go!
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This the same as option 2 in ticketing terms, with cheap fares and through tickets, but there are two specific departures per day with only 1 change via Koblenz. Because of the 1-change convenience, cheapness, through ticketing, scenery and superb trains with restaurant car, I consider these the best way from Luxembourg to Switzerland, if you're not in a mad rush.
Leave Luxembourg at 06:33, change at Koblenz onto EuroCity EC7, arriving Basel SBB 13:33, continuing direct to Bern & Interlaken.
Leave Luxembourg at 08:33, change at Koblenz onto EuroCity EC9, arriving Basel SBB 15:36 & Zurich HB at 17:00.
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
You travel along the scenic Moselle valley from Luxembourg to Koblenz on a swish double-deck CFL (Luxembourg Railways) regional train. Sit upstairs for the best views. You've time for a coffee between trains at Koblenz, then you board the Swiss EuroCity train from Koblenz to Basel & Switzerland, along the Rhine Valley, past castles, vineyards and the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page.
Both EC7 & EC9 have a Swiss restaurant car. EC9 also has a superb Swiss 1st class panorama car which anyone with a 1st class ticket can use. After enjoying the Rhine from the panorama car, head for the elegant restaurant car for lunch & a half bottle of wine. The perfect journey!
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Luxembourg to almost any station in Switzerland. Before running the enquiry, click Stopovers and enter Trier Hbf leaving length of stay zero.
To make seat reservations in the Swiss panorama car on train EC9, see the instructions here.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Option 3, Luxembourg to Geneva via Lyon - longer, but the simplest option for Geneva, Lausanne & Montreux
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Lyon by direct TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 07:24 arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:04.
This train should run daily, trackwork means it might not run every day.
Fares from €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets for this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:38 arriving Geneva 16:35.
The fare is a fixed-price €29.
Buy tickets for this train at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, book onward trains to Lausanne, Montreux at either www.thetrainline.com or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch. You print your own ticket.
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On most dates you'll also find the following departure:
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Lyon by direct TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 11:24 arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 17:04.
Times may vary, check online.
Fares from €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets for this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). You print your own ticket or can usually select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 18:38 arriving Geneva 20:35.
The fare is a fixed-price €29.
Buy tickets for this train at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, book onward trains to Lausanne, Montreux at either www.thetrainline.com or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch. Booking for Swiss trains opens 60 days ahead, You print your own ticket.
Luxembourg to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples & Italy
Option 1, Luxembourg to Italy in a single day
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:20.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Italy by Frecciarossa, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon 15:12, arriving Turin Porta Susa 21:18 & Milan Centrale 22:07.
Update: The direct Paris-Milan line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and remains blocked in 2024. Until further notice, all direct Paris-Milan trains are cancelled. Please use alternative options. More information.
Trenitalia's high-speed Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a scenic journey through the Alps, see the Paris-Milan page showing train & scenery.
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Stay overnight in Turin or Milan.
Both cities make a great stopover, but Turin is lovely. In Turin I suggest the Hotel Torino Porta Susa or Hotel Diplomatic or small Al Porta Susa B&B, all right next to Turin Porta Susa station where the Frecciarossa arrives and where your onward train leaves next morning, with good or great reviews. Alternatively, the excellent Turin Palace Hotel is in the centre right next to Porta Nuova station. It's a 7 minute taxi ride, 3-stop €1.50 metro ride or 20 minute walk from Porta Susa, but next morning you can board your train to Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples at Porta Nuova station where these trains start their journey.
In Milan, affordable hotels & guesthouses with good or great reviews just outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora.
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Step 3, take an onward train from Turin or Milan to Venice, Florence, Rome or Napes, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Milan to Venice only takes 2h35, Milan to Florence 1h40, Milan to Rome 2h55.
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How much does it cost?
Luxembourg to Paris start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.
Paris to Turin or Milan start at €29 in 2nd class (standard), €36 in 1st class (business) or €165 in executive class with food included.
Turin or Milan to Venice or Florence starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.
Turin or Milan to Rome or Naples starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com as you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or £, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Booking for each of these trains normally opens 4 months ahead.
First book from Luxembourg to Paris & add to basket. Then book Paris to Turin or Milan & add to basket. Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more. Then book from Turin or Milan to your Italian destination for the following day, add to basket and check out.
You can also book Luxembourg to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, a bit more fiddly but no booking fee, then the onward Italian Frecciarossa from Paris to Turin or Milan at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their €3.50 booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian language place names, a bit more fiddly see this advice on using it).
Option 2, Luxembourg to Italy via Basel
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Day 1, leave Luxembourg at 08:33, change at Koblenz, arriving Basel SBB 15:36 or Zurich HB 17:00.
You travel along the scenic Moselle and Rhine valleys, see the Luxembourg-Switzerland section for more about this journey. There's a Swiss restaurant car and a 1st class panorama car on the Koblenz-Basel-Zurich EuroCity train.
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Day 1, travel from Basel or Zurich to Milan by EuroCity train.
You can leave Basel SBB at 17:28 arriving Milan Centrale 21:40.
Or leave Zurich HB at 18:33, arriving Milan Centrale 22:50.
It's faster via Basel, but if trackwork affects the Basel-Milan train you'll need to travel via Zurich instead.
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Stay overnight in Milan: Affordable hotels with good or great reviews just outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora. Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.
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Day 2, take an Italian train from Milan to Venice. Florence, Rome or Naples.
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How much does it cost?
Luxembourg to Basel starts at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Basel to Milan starts at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Step 1, book from Luxembourg to Basel at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Click Stopovers and enter Trier Hbf leaving length of stay zero.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Step 2, book from Basel to Milan at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, $ or £, they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee to seat61 users if you email them after booking at seat61@italiarail.com).
Luxembourg to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain
Option 1, Luxembourg to Barcelona & Madrid in a day - breakfast in Luxembourg, lunch in Lyon, dinner in Spain, no need to cross Paris!
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Lyon by French TGV Duplex, leaving Luxembourg at 07:24 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:00.
The double-deck TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upstairs seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck. It travels direct to Lyon via Metz & Dijon. Have lunch at Lyon Part Dieu.
Tip: This train should run every day, but trackwork may affect it so check your date. If not running, use option 2.
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Step 2, travel from Lyon to Barcelona by AVE train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:35, arriving Barcelona Sants 19:33.
This AVE S100 is a comfortable Spanish high-speed train with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for Béziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about AVE S100 & this journey.
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Step 3, leave Barcelona Sants at 21:25 by AVE-S103 high-speed train, arriving Madrid Atocha at 23:55.
Earlier departures may be available with other operators, but I recommend allowing at least an hour between trains in Barcelona and it's better to stick with the same operator when making connections, in this case Renfe.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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Next day, travel from Barcelona to anywhere in Spain by high-speed train.
For Madrid: AVE S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30.
For Granada: Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE S112 high-speed train arriving Granada at 13:10.
For Malaga: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:51.
For Cordoba & Seville: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Cordoba 13:42 & Seville Santa Justa 14:32.
For Valencia & Alicante: Euromed trains link Barcelona Sants with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 07:15 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.
For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
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How much does it cost?
Luxembourg to Lyon starts at €29 in 2nd class or €39 in 1st class.
Lyon to Barcelona starts at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.
Barcelona to Madrid starts at around €35. Barcelona to Seville or Malaga starts at around €45.
All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
The easiest way to buy tickets is to use either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer) as you can buy all the tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. About Raileurope. About Thetrainline.
Step 1, book the early morning train from Luxembourg to Lyon Part Dieu and add this to your basket.
Step 2, book the afternoon train from Lyon Part Dieu to Barcelona Sants and add that to your basket.
Step 3 if going beyond Barcelona, book a train from Barcelona Sants to your Spanish destination, add to basket & check out.
For the TGV you can print your ticket or select a mobile ticket to show on your phone. For AVE and other Spanish trains you print your own ticket.
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How to buy tickets, advanced
You can of course book each train separately with the relevant operator, with no booking fee. This means more work and it won't necessarily make it any cheaper.
Step 1, buy tickets from Luxembourg to Lyon at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Step 2, if using the direct train from Lyon to Barcelona run by Renfe, book at the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.com (in €, fiddly, see advice on using it). If using the alternative trains run by SNCF, book these at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.
Step 3, book onward trains in Spain at www.renfe.com (in €, fiddly, see advice on using it).
Option 2, Luxembourg to Barcelona by train in a single day - later departure, but means crossing Paris
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:21.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
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Change trains & stations in Paris by taxi or metro, Always allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more, although the transfer physically takes 30-35 minutes. By all means break up the journey with an overnight stop in Paris if you like, see suggested hotels near the station.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.
The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, it's a scenic and comfortable journey. More about the Paris-Barcelona journey.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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Step 3, travel from Barcelona Sants to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Alicante or anywhere in Spain.
Trains leave more or less every hour for Madrid taking 2h40, there are at least two daily direct trains from Barcelona to Cordoba & Seville leaving at 08:35 & 15:15, a train to Granada at 08:35, and regular departures for Valencia & Alicante.
Check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much, much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it first). Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies.
Option 3, Luxembourg to Barcelona using a French sleeper train between Paris & the Spanish border
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 16:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:21.
The TGV travels at up to 320 km/h (199 mph) on the TGV-Est high-speed line, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start from €29 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper.
Why not have dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz?
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Step 2, travel overnight from Paris to Latour de Carol in the heart of the Pyrenees or to Cerbère on the Spanish border by French sleeper train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz around 21:00. Then take a local train from Latour or Cerbère to Barcelona Sants arriving around 13:46.
See the Paris to Barcelona by sleeper train page for full details, prices, tips & how to buy tickets.
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Step 3, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations in the afternoon.
For Madrid: AVE S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35.
For Cordoba, Seville, Malaga: Take the direct AVE S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba, Seville Santa Justa & Malaga Maria Zambrano in the evening. Fares start at around €45.
For Valencia & Alicante: A Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34. Fares start from €23.
Check Spanish train times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in €, see my advice before using it). I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Barcelona. Spanish trains open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies.
Luxembourg to San Sebastian from €63
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris Gare de l'Est by TGV in 2h10.
TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare Montparnasse. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris.
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Step 2, travel from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Hendaye on the Spanish border by high-speed double-deck TGV Duplex Océane in around 4h40. The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Times vary, but for example:
Leave Luxembourg 06:40 Mondays to Fridays, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Hendaye 14:47.
Leave Luxembourg 07:59 Saturday & Sunday, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Hendaye 16:47.
Leave Luxembourg 10:10 every day, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Hendaye 20:47.
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Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, this little narrow gauge electric train runs every 30 minutes from early morning till around 22:30, journey time 37 minutes, fare around €2.75. Amara station is walking distance from most hotels. Check Euskotren times at www.euskotren.eus.
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Buy tickets from Luxembourg to Hendaye at www.raileurope.com, looking for journeys with just 1 change.
Tip: To ensure a robust connection in Paris, I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station) and a stopover duration of at least 1 hour, if you'd like lunch between trains or a wander in Paris, make it 2 or 3 hours.
Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone. There's a small booking fee.
Alternatively, book the Luxembourg-Paris & Paris-Hendaye TGVs at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com with no booking fee.
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Buy the Hendaye-San Sebastian ticket at the Euskotren station in Hendaye either from the ticket machines or staffed counter, with cash or card.
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See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more details, including tips for the Paris-Hendaye-San Sebastian journey, with photos showing the location of the Euskotren station at Hendaye.
Luxembourg to Lisbon & Portugal
Option 1, Luxembourg to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 18:47 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 21:13.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times vary, so check times for your date online.
By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Paris.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Paris. The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de l'Est & Gare de Lyon.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 16:31.
From 15 December 2024 the timetable changes, leave Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.
This 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a comfortable & scenic journey. More about the Paris-Barcelona journey.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Both are easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. They connect to both SNCF & Renfe systems so you can buy all your tickets in one place. Booking for the TGV opens up to 4 months ahead.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE high-speed train with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Until 14 December 2024, leave Barcelona Sants at 18:25, arriving Madrid Atocha 20:55.
From 15 December 2024, leave Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55. Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.
Fares start at €38 in Standard class or €45 in Comfort class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. These connect to both SNCF & Renfe systems so you can buy all your tickets in one place.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
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Stay overnight in Madrid. The classic Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.
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Day 3, travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Lisbon via San Sebastian, Vigo & Porto - slightly slower, can be cheaper
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:21.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times vary, so check times for your date online.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, the longer the better.
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Day 1, travel from Paris to Hendaye on the Spanish frontier by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse daily except Saturdays at 16:11 arriving Hendaye on the Spanish border at 20:47. On Saturdays, leave Paris Gare Montparnasse at 14:06 arriving Hendaye 18:47.
The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck. Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.
Fares start at €25 each way in 2nd class, €40 each way in 1st class. The price varies, book ahead for the cheaper prices.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Both are easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. They connect to both SNCF & Renfe systems so you can buy all your tickets together in one place. Booking for the TGV opens up to 4 months ahead.
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Day 1, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare €2.75.
Simply walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is just 50m away. Buy a ticket at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren from San Sebastian Amara. Check Euskotren times at www.euskotren.eus. More about the journey from Paris to San Sebastian.
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Stay overnight in San Sebastian. The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station. If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda. If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.
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Day 2, travel across Spain from San Sebastian to Vigo on one of these two possible departures:
Morning departure, every day: Travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia train, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station at 09:02 and arriving Madrid Chamartin at 13:56. Then travel from Madrid to Vigo by Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:00 and arriving Vigo Urzaiz at 20:12. The comfortable high-speed Alvia trains have a cafe-bar, standard & comfort class. Vigo Urzaiz is an easy 10 minute 500m walk from Vigo Guixar, see how to walk between stations using the halo lift.
Afternoon departure, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays only: Spend the morning in San Sebastian. An Intercity train leaves San Sebastian Renfe station at 11:58 arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz at 13:43. This is a guaranteed connection into the Barcelona-Galicia Alvia train which leaves Vitoria/Gasteiz at 14:03 on Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays arriving Vigo Guixar 23:35.
San Sebastian to Vigo starts at €23 each way. The price varies, book ahead for the cheaper prices.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
Tip: If changing in Madrid, you might need book the San Sebastian-Madrid & Madrid-Vigo trains separately.
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Stay overnight in Vigo. The lovely NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station.
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Day 3, travel from Vigo to Porto by Celta regional express, leaving Vigo Guixar at 08:58, arriving Porto Campanhã 10:20.
The fare is €15.90, fixed price.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens 60 days ahead, but this can vary.
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Day 3, travel from Porto to Lisbon by Alfa Pendular, leaving Porto Campanhã at 11:40, arriving Lisbon Santa Apolonia 14:30.
Or book a later train and spend some time exploring wonderful Porto.
Fares start at €15. Book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in €) or at Omio.com (in €, £ or $).
Luxembourg to Andorra
Option 1, Luxembourg to Andorra in a day
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:20.
TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Always allow at least 70 minutes between trains in Paris, but the more the better.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by high-speed TGV, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 15:11 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 19:29.
Fares start from €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Have dinner in Toulouse.
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Step 2, travel from Toulouse Matabiau station to Andorra la Vella by bus, taking 4 hours, fare €33. There are several services every day run by Andbus, check times at Andbus.net or Omio.com. I'd allow at least an hour between train & bus in Toulouse in case of delay. There's normally a bus leaving Toulouse Matabiau station (bus stand 15) at 21:45 arriving Andorra 01:45.
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How to buy tickets
Check train times & buy a ticket from Luxembourg to Toulouse Matabiau at www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). If necessary, book Luxembourg-Paris & Paris-Toulouse separately to get sufficient time between trains in Paris. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Buy the Toulouse-Andorra bus ticket at Andbus.net or Omio.com.
Option 2, using the Paris-Toulouse-l'Hospitalet overnight train
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 16:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:21.
TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss.
Tip: Have dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the River Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to either Toulouse or Andorre-l'Hospitalet by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:40 arriving Toulouse Matabiau at 06:30 or Andorre-l'Hospitalet at 09:42. Exact times may vary.
The train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. More about Intercités de Nuit.
Fares start at €29 in a 2nd class couchette or €59 in a 1st class couchette. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking should open up to 4 months ahead, but for this night train, often less than that. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.
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Step 3 if you go via Toulouse (slower, longer road journey, but cheaper): Travel from Toulouse to Andorra by bus.
A bus run by Andbus typically leaves Toulouse at 09:45, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at 14:00. Check current times at Andbus.net or Omio.com, I'd allow at least an hour between train & bus in Toulouse in case of delay.
The bus leaves from bus stand 15 inside the Gare Routière (bus station) immediately outside Toulouse Matabiau station. Simply walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework upper section, see the photos below.
Book the bus at Andbus.net or Omio.com. The fare is €36 one-way.
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Step 3 if you go via l'Hospitalet (fastest, more rail & less road, but with expense of a taxi): Enjoy the scenic train ride into the Pyrenees to l'Hospitalet, then travel from l'Hospitalet to Andorra la Vella by road, see the London to Andorra page for taxi details.
Luxembourg to Trier & Koblenz
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Regional trains link Luxembourg with Trier & Koblenz every hour taking 51 minutes to Trier & 2h23 to Koblenz.
It's a scenic run, much of it along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best river views, sit on the right hand side when going east from Luxembourg.
No reservation is necessary or possible, you can buy a ticket on the day and sit where you like. Find an upstairs seat for the best views.
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Luxembourg to Trier costs €5.40 in 2nd class, €11.60 in 1st class, fixed price good for any train that day.
Luxembourg to Koblenz costs €31.50 in 2nd class or €53.40 in 1st class, fixed price, good for any train that day.
If you are travelling after 09:00 weekdays, any time at weekends, Luxembourg to Koblenz costs just €26 with a Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket + Luxemburg ticket, only available in 2nd class.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Luxembourg to Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin & Germany
Option 1, Luxembourg to anywhere in Germany by daytime trains
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Hourly regional express trains link Luxembourg with Koblenz in 2h23, connecting with trains to places all over Germany.
Luxembourg to Koblenz is a scenic run along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best views, sit on the right hand side when going east from Luxembourg.
Luxembourg to Frankfurt takes as little as 3h55. Luxembourg to Munich 6h40. Luxembourg to Berlin 8h45. For example:
Leave Luxembourg at 06:18 by regional train, change at Koblenz onto an high-speed ICE, arrive Berlin Hbf at 15:03.
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Fares start at €18.90 in 2nd class or €27.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: To avoid seeing journeys that involve a bus, click Stopovers and enter Igel leaving length of stay zero. The trains call at Igel, the buses don't!
Tip: There's a direct train from Luxembourg to Cologne & Dusseldorf every day at 06:18, an excellent Luxembourg Railways double-deck train like the one shown below.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Munich or Berlin by Nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Koblenz by regional train, leaving Luxembourg 19:33, arriving Koblenz Hbf 21:56.
Or take the earlier 17:33 or 18:33 and have dinner in Koblenz, try the restaurant Koenigsbachertreff which is just 50m from the station, see koenigsbachertreff.cafelists.com.
The train ride from Luxembourg to Koblenz is very scenic, at least in summer when it's light, the line runs along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best river views, sit on the right hand side when going east from Luxembourg.
The fare is €26 in 2nd class or €53.40 in 1st class, fixed price, always available.
Buy a ticket at the station on the day or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Alternatively, you could take the 17:33 from Luxembourg to Cologne (changing at Koblenz) with advance-purchase fares from €27.90. Then you can board the sleeper earlier, at 22:01.
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Step 2, travel from Koblenz to Munich or Berlin by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Koblenz Hbf at 23:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays, one portion arrives Berlin Hbf at 08:26, another arrives Munich Ost (en route to Vienna) at 05:50.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Book at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.
Luxembourg to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Vienna & Austria
Option 1, Luxembourg to Austria by daytime trains
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Luxembourg to Salzburg or Vienna can be done on a day, most of the journey uses superb ICE trains. For example:
Leave Luxembourg at 07:33 by regional train, change at Koblenz onto an ICE, arrive Vienna Hbf at 18:47.
Leave Luxembourg at 08:33 by regional train, change at Koblenz onto an ICE, arrive Vienna Hbf at 20:47.
Leave Luxembourg at 11:33 by regional train, change at Koblenz onto an ICE, arrive Vienna Hbf at 23:05.
The Luxembourg to Koblenz part of the journey is a scenic run along the Moselle valley past river boats & vineyards. For the river views, sit on the right hand side when going east from Luxembourg.
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: To avoid seeing journeys involving a bus, click Stopovers and enter Igel as a stopover, leaving length of stay zero. The trains call at Igel, the buses don't!
Option 2, Luxembourg to Salzburg & Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Koblenz by regional train, leaving Luxembourg at 19:33, arriving Koblenz Hbf 21:56.
Or take the earlier 17:33 or 18:33 and have dinner in Koblenz, try the restaurant Koenigsbachertreff which is just 50m from the station, see koenigsbachertreff.cafelists.com.
The train ride from Luxembourg to Koblenz is very scenic at least in summer when it's light, along the Moselle valley past river boats & vineyards. For the river views, sit on the right hand side.
The fare is €26 in 2nd class or €53.40 in 1st class, fixed price, always available.
Buy a ticket at the station on the day or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Alternatively, you could take the 17:33 from Luxembourg to Cologne (changing at Koblenz) with advance-purchase fares from €27.90. Then you can board the sleeper earlier, at 22:01.
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Step 2, travel from Koblenz to Salzburg or Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Koblenz Hbf at 23:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays, arriving Salzburg Hbf 07:26 & Vienna Hbf 10:13.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.
Book at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.
Luxembourg to Copenhagen & Denmark from €37.90
Option 1, Luxembourg to Copenhagen in a day
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You can easily travel from Luxembourg to Copenhagen by train in a day:
Leave Luxembourg 06:18, change Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:34.
Leave Luxembourg 08:33, change Koblenz & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:34.
You travel along the scenic Moselle valley on a swish double-deck regional train (sit upstairs on the right hand side for the best river views), then Koblenz or Cologne to Hamburg by superb ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats. You then travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train with power sockets at all seats & refreshment trolley. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.
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Option 2, Luxembourg to Copenhagen with an overnight stop in Hamburg
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Hamburg with one easy change at Koblenz.
There are various departures, you can leave Luxembourg as late as 15:33 arriving Hamburg Hbf 23:15, but by all means leave earlier for a pleasant evening in Hamburg. Check times at int.bahn.de.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 and arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.
Or take a later train, see the Hamburg-Copenhagen timetable here. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Luxembourg to Stockholm & Sweden from €59.90
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German Railways sell through tickets from Luxembourg to Malmo from €49.90, Gothenburg or Stockholm from €59.90.
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Hamburg with one easy change at Koblenz.
There are various departures, you can leave Luxembourg as late as 15:33 arriving Hamburg Hbf 23:15, but by all means leave earlier for a pleasant evening in Hamburg. Check times at int.bahn.de.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 and arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.
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Step 3 for Malmö, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö Central on the next Öresund train, these leave every 20-30 minutes taking 39 minutes.
Step 3 for Gothenburg, travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg Central on the next hourly Öresund train, taking 3h50.
Step 3 for Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train leaving Copenhagen at 14:19 & arriving Stockholm Central 19:37.
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Book from Luxembourg to Malmo, Gothenburg or Stockholm at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers, enter Hamburg Hbf and a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.
Look for journeys with the fewest changes. Adjust the departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg, this can take a bit of trial & error to get sensibly-timed connections with the fewest possible changes on both days.
If all else fails, use int.bahn.de to book Luxembourg to Hamburg on day 1, then book Hamburg to Malmo, Gothenburg or Stockholm as a separate ticket on day 2. This may cost a little more than buying a through ticket, that's all.
For Gothenburg, enter Göteborg Central.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.
Luxembourg to Oslo & Norway
Option 1, Luxembourg to Oslo via Hamburg & Copenhagen - by train all the way
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Copenhagen in a single day as shown in the Luxembourg to Copenhagen section above.
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen. The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
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Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Oslo, leaving Copenhagen at 07:30, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.
Earlier & later departures are available, see the Copenhagen-Oslo timetable & how to buy tickets.
Alternatively, spend the day in Copenhagen and take the DFDS overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, sailing from Copenhagen at 16:30 (15:00 some days) arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 3, as shown here. This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill. Book the ferry at www.dfds.com.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Oslo using the Kiel to Oslo cruise ferry - the luxury option
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Kiel on any departure you like, for example leaving Luxembourg at 12:33, change at Koblenz & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Kiel Hbf at 22:34. It's not possible to reach Kiel in time to check in for that same day's sailing.
Fares start at €24.90 in 2nd class or €56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Stay overnight in Kiel. The InterCity Hotel Kiel gets good reviews, is relatively inexpensive and is right next to the station and a few minutes walk from the ferry. The B&B Hotel Kiel City is also next to the station with good reviews, and is even cheaper. For something upmarket, the Atlantic Hotel Kiel gets great reviews and is in Bahnhofsplatz in front of the station.
In Kiel it's a 7 minute 450m walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, see walking map.
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Day 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of en suite cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and lounges. The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning (Day 3 from Luxembourg).
Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or at www.colorline.com.
Money-saving tip: It appears that it's considerably cheaper to book on Color Line's Norwegian website www.colorline.no in Norwegian Krone, for example a €274 fare becomes the equivalent of €164. You'll need to use Google Chrome translation to translate the Norwegian. You are still able to enter a UK or other European address and contact details. Feedback appreciated.
Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little luggage it's possible to walk. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
Sail from Kiel to Oslo with Color Line. It's just a 6 minute walk across from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line terminal. There's a lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you've booked one of Color Line's 5 star suites, check in at the desk rather than the machines to be directed to a VIP lounge with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll have priority boarding & free access to the on-board spa. Photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry except where shown.
Above left, cabin with TV, shower & toilet, luxury suites are also available. Above right, restaurant with a view.
Restaurant and lounge on the Kiel-Oslo ferry.
Wake up to lovely scenery sailing up Oslo Fjord.
The Color Line ferry, arrived at Oslo. Above right, there's a transfer bus to Oslo Sentral, photo courtesy of Andrew Leo.
Luxembourg to Helsinki & Finland
Option 1, Luxembourg to Helsinki using a Finnlines ferry from Germany - the easiest option
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Hamburg by Regional train & ICE train, leaving Luxembourg at 09:33 and arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:53.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Day 1, transfer from Hamburg Hbf to the Travemünde ferry terminal by local train+bus and sail from Travemünde to Helsinki with Finnlines.
Finnlines sail from Travemünde in northern Germany to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30, sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 3 from Frankfurt). See the Trains from Hamburg page for full details.
Check sailing dates, times & book the ferry at www.finnlines.com or using the Direct Ferries website.
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Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Helsinki by train to Stockholm, then ferry
Luxembourg to Prague from €37.90
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You can do this journey in a single day, or split it up with an overnight stop in Germany. For example:
Leave Luxembourg 07:33, change at Koblenz & Regensburg, arriving Prague Hlavni 20:22.
Leave Luxembourg 08:33, change at Koblenz & Regensburg, arriving Prague Hlavni 22:22.
You travel along the scenic Moselle valley on a swish double-deck regional train (sit upstairs on the right hand side for the best river views), then Koblenz or Cologne to Regensburg by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats. You then travel from Regensburg to Prague by express train with refreshment trolley, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €56.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: I recommend clicking Stopovers and changing Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes. This ensures robust connections.
Tip: To eliminate buses from the search results, click Stopovers and add Igel as stopover 1.
Tip: If you want an overnight stop, perhaps in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf as stopover 2 with a suitable length of stay, say 12 hours.
Luxembourg to Bratislava, Budapest, Bucharest, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sofia
Option 1, using the Koblenz-Vienna sleeper
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Koblenz by regional train, leaving Luxembourg at 19:33 & arriving Koblenz Hbf at 21:56.
Or take the earlier 17:33 or 18:33 and have dinner in Koblenz, try the restaurant Koenigsbachertreff which is just 50m from the station, see koenigsbachertreff.cafelists.com.
The train ride from Luxembourg to Koblenz is very scenic, at least in summer when it's light, the line runs along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best river views, sit on the right hand side when going east from Luxembourg.
The fare is €26 in 2nd class or €53.40 in 1st class, fixed price, always available.
Tip: Alternatively, you could take the 17:33 from Luxembourg to Cologne (changing at Koblenz) with advance-purchase fares from €27.90. Then you can board the sleeper earlier, at 22:16.
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Step 2, travel from Koblenz to Salzburg or Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Koblenz at 23:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays, arriving Salzburg Hbf at 07:26 or Vienna Hbf at 10:13.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 3, take an onward train:
For Bratislava, take the nightjet to Vienna, then take a regional express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna, these leave every hour taking 56 minutes, fare €11, you can buy this at the station on the day or at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.
For Budapest, take the nightjet to Vienna, then take the 11:40 EuroCity train from Vienna Hbf to Budapest Keleti arriving 14:19. Buy a Vienna-Budapest ticket from €19.90 2nd class or €29.90 1st class at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.
For Ljubljana or Zagreb, take the nightjet to Salzburg, then leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:12 by railjet, changing at Villach for Ljubljana & Zagreb. Buy a ticket from Salzburg to Ljubljana or Zagreb from €39.90 at int.bahn.de. Change at Zagreb for Split & Dubrovnik, see details here.
For Bucharest & Romania, first travel to Budapest as shown above, then take the sleeper train Ister to Brasov & Bucharest as shown here.
For Sofia, travel to Bucharest and stay overnight. Then take the daytime train to Sofia as shown here.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Budapest, Ljubljana, Zagreb by sleeper from Stuttgart
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Stuttgart, leaving Luxembourg around 13:33.
Check times and buy a ticket from €37.90 at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Make sure you have no tight connections and arrive in Stuttgart at least an hour before the sleeper leaves, ideally 2 hours. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Step 2, take the 20:29 sleeper train from Stuttgart arriving Budapest, or from Stuttgart to Ljubljana & Zagreb.
Both sleepers have a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and couchettes with 4 & 6 berth compartments. See the Stuttgart-Budapest page for more details of the sleeper to Budapest.
Book the sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Munich.
Check times and buy a ticket from €37.90 at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana or Zagreb as shown on the Trains from Munich page.
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Vienna
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Vienna in a day as shown in the Luxembourg-Vienna section.
Check times and buy a ticket from €37.90 at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana or Zagreb as shown on the Trains from Vienna page.
Luxembourg to Belgrade & Montenegro
Option 1, Luxembourg to Belgrade via Budapest - starts running from 24 November 2024
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Stuttgart, leaving Luxembourg around 13:33.
Buy a ticket from €37.90 at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Make sure you have no tight connections and arrive in Stuttgart at least an hour before the sleeper leaves, ideally 2 hours. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Day 1, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 and arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The train has a comfortable Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
Book the sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Transfer from Keleti to Nyugati station by metro, tram or taxi as shown here.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Belgrade, leaving Budapest Nyugati at 11:50, changing at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 18:38.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, a local train across the border to Subotica and a 200 km/h SOKO train to Belgrade. This service starts running from 24 November 2024, for full details see the Budapest to Belgrade page.
Fares start at around €23, see more about fares.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Belgrade via Zagreb - currently involves a bus
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Stuttgart, leaving Luxembourg around 13:33.
Buy a ticket from €37.90 at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Make sure you have no tight connections and arrive in Stuttgart at least an hour before the sleeper leaves, ideally 2 hours. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Day 1, travel from Stuttgart to Zagreb by sleeper leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 and arriving Zagreb at 10:39.
The train has a comfortable Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a Croatian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
Book the sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04 and arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended in 2024.
This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no 1st class. There's no dining-car, so bring a picnic and some beer or wine.
The fare is around €29 bought at the station in Zagreb or paid on board the train, tickets cannot be bought online.
While the train is suspended, take a bus from Zagreb to Belgrade
It's a 17-minute 1.3 km walk from Zagreb station to Zagreb bus station, see walking map.
A Flixbus leaves Zagreb bus station at 14:00, arriving Belgrade bus station at 19:30.
The fare is around €20, buy a ticket at www.flixbus.com.
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If you're going to Montenegro:
A daytime and overnight train link Belgrade Centar station with Podgorica and Bar over one of the most scenic lines in Europe, fare around €22 paid at the station on the day. For train times, fares & photos see the Belgrade to Montenegro page. Change at Podgorica for a bus to Budva or Kotor.
Luxembourg to Sofia
Option 1, Luxembourg to Sofia via Bucharest
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Budapest using the Koblenz-Vienna sleeper as shown above.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest on the sleeper train Muntenia, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:10 and arriving Bucharest Nord at 08:42.
The Muntenia has 4 & 6-berth couchettes and ordinary seats. A Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments is attached from Arad (depart 21:04) to Bucharest. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at €40 with a couchette in 6-berth or €47 with a couchette in 4-berth. These are limited-availability advance-purchase fares
Book this at the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
If you want the comfort & privacy of a proper sleeper from Arad to Bucharest, (1) book a 2nd class seat from Budapest to Arad from €17 using bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket. (2) Now book berths in a 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper from Arad to Bucharest Nord at the Romanian domestic website bilete.cfrcalatori.ro and print your own ticket.
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Day 3, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train as shown in the Bucharest>Sofia section of the Trains from Bucharest page.
You leave Bucharest Nord at 10:47 and arrive Sofia Central at 20:21 after a pleasant day meandering across the Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria. In summer it's direct, in winter you have to switch trains at Ruse. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
The fare is around €34.
Book this at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Sofia via Belgrade
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Not currently viable while Zagreb-Belgrade, Budapest-Belgrade and Belgrade-Sofia trains remain suspended.
Luxembourg to Warsaw & Krakow from €37.90
Option 1, Luxembourg to Warsaw or Krakow in a day
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Leave Luxembourg at 06:18, change at Bonn and Berlin Ostbahnhof, arriving Warsaw Centralna at 21:14.
Leave Luxembourg at 06:18, change at Bonn and Berlin Hbf, arriving Krakow Glowny at 23:54.
Luxembourg to Bonn is by Luxembourg Railways double-deck air-conditioned regional train. Bonn to Berlin is by superb high-speed ICE2 train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Berlin to Warsaw or Krakow is by air-conditioned EuroCity train with restaurant car.
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Fares start at €49.90 in 2nd class or €79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes to ensure robust connections.
Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Option 2, Luxembourg to Warsaw or Krakow with an overnight stop in Berlin - breaks up the journey
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Berlin Hbf by regional train then ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You can leave Luxembourg as late as 14:32, but I'd choose an earlier train for a pleasant evening in Berlin.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw or Krakow by comfortable EuroCity train with restaurant car.
A EuroCity train leaves Berlin Hbf at 05:51 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Warsaw Centralna 11:14, or at 09:52 every day arriving Warsaw Centralna 15:14.
The EuroCity train Wawel leaves Berlin Hbf at 10:52 every day, arriving Wroclaw 15:05, Katowice 17:15 & Krakow Glowny 18:07.
The timetable changes from 15 December 2024: Travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Galicija, leaving Berlin Hbf at 08:52, arriving Wroclaw 12:53, Katowice 15:06 & Krakow Glowny 16:07. Later trains are available, see timetable.
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Fares from Luxembourg to Warsaw or Krakow start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with a length of stay of, say, 13 hours. Adjust the departure time from Luxembourg and the length of stay in Berlin to get the trains you want either side of Berlin. A little trial & error may be needed!
Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Luxembourg to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn
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Day 1, travel from Luxembourg to Warsaw by daytime trains as shown in the Luxembourg to Warsaw section.
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Stay overnight in Warsaw. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius by train as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
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Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia, see here.
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Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn in Estonia, see here.
Luxembourg to Kyiv & Moscow
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Step 1, use the German Railways site int.bahn.de to book from Luxembourg to Berlin by regional train then fast ICE from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class, avoiding any journey shown with 'bus' in the search results.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by comfortable EuroCity train, there's a departure at 05:52 Mondays-Saturdays or at 09:51 every day.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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For Kyiv, take the daily Warsaw-Kyiv sleeper train Kyiv Express as explained here.
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For Moscow, take the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper train as explained here. Change in Moscow for St Petersburg. This takes you though Belarus, you may prefer to take the sleeper to Kyiv, then a sleeper from Kyiv to Moscow, avoiding Belarus and the need for a Belarus visa.
The Warsaw-Moscow train was suspended due to Covid-19 and it remains suspended due to sanctions & war in Ukraine.
Luxembourg to Athens & Greece
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Paris by TGV, leaving Luxembourg at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:20.
TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare de Lyon.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Athens as shown in detail on the Trains from Paris page.
You take the afternoon TGV from Paris to Milan & stay overnight. Next day you take a morning train to Bari for the overnight ferry to Patras in Greece. A bus+train combo will get you to Athens on Day 3 from Luxembourg.
Luxembourg to Istanbul & Turkey
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Step 1, travel from Luxembourg to Budapest as shown above.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest and on to Istanbul as shown here.
Hotels in Luxembourg
For somewhere near the station with good reviews, try the City Hotel, Hotel Perrin or Park Inn by Radisson.
In the old town, try the Hotel Simoncini or the good old-school Grand Hotel Cravat.
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 most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.