How to Get to Luxembourg from Brussels

The distance between Brussels and Luxembourg is only 220 km. How best to get there? There are several daily trains and buses, but you can also rent a car or opt for a day trip to the Grand Duchy. The flight option, although available, is not the best option given the short distance between the two cities.

Add Luxembourg to your list of things to see and do in the Belgian capital!

If you are not very familiar with means of transport and prefer an organised tour that can provide you with comfort and ease, then booking a tour to Luxembourg from Brussels might be an excellent choice.

This kind of tour includes pick-up and drop-off in the centre of Brussels, as well as multilingual guides and safe transport. You'll also be able to get information from knowledgeable locals about the area, the laws and where to go and where to avoid. You will also have the opportunity to explore the main attractions and have a few hours to wander around on your own.

The tour in total usually takes 11 hours including return trip, enough time to see the highlights of Luxembourg City and take home a few souvenirs.

Normally, departure from Brussels is at 08: 00 am from Brussels city centre, a journey that will take you through the Ardennes Forest to reach the famous city of Luxembourg.

What to see in Luxembourg

On this short tour you will visit the Place d'Armes, "City Hall", a lively place founded by a Spaniard in 1671. The Place Guillaume II, the square is named after William II, the Luxembourg Palace, the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Luxembourg, the Royal Palace, the Place Caire Fontaine located near the cathedral and the Church of St. Michael. It also makes a stop in Dinant.

And after an exciting day, the tour will end around 17:30, so you will be back in Brussels by 20:00.

• Duration: From 8:30am to 8pm
• Price: From approximately 70€.
• Recommended if: You want to get to know Luxembourg City from the ground up and have little time to spare.

The best way to travel from Brussels to Luxembourg is by train. There are many direct trains departing from Brussels and the journey to Luxembourg takes just under 3 hours. Travelling by train offers two important advantages. The first has to do with comfort, as there is plenty of room to stretch your legs even in 2nd class carriages.

The other advantage comes in terms of the location of the departure from Brussels. Trains to Luxembourg depart from Brussels' three main stations (South, Central and North), which is extremely convenient and will make getting to a station from your accommodation easier and quicker.

Luxembourg's train station (Gare de Luxembourg) is the hub of the country's rail network, serving international routes to Belgium, France and Germany. There are many direct trains from Luxembourg City to Brussels-Midi, the largest railway station in Brussels.

Luxembourg train station is also quite centrally located, so you shouldn't have to worry about the return journey either.

• Duration: < 3 hours
• Price: From €21,50
• Recommended if: You want to enjoy a trip with panoramic views of the greenery and a lot of comfort.

Brussels to Luxembourg train tickets and train times

You can buy tickets online or at any Belgian train station. If you like to book online and do things in advance, you can do it through Trainline or from the CFL website.

To find out more about the Luxembourg-Brussels train timetables I recommend you to visit the CFL and Belgian Train websites.

Another popular option for getting from Brussels to Luxembourg is by bus. While the bus is certainly less comfortable than the train, it is also a good option, as there are many buses that go directly from the Belgian capital to the Grand Duchy.

The direct bus journey takes approximately 3 hours and most buses depart from Brussels North (Gare du Nord) or Brussels South (Brussels-Midi). This is an economical way to travel between these cities, as the ticket price can be as cheap as €5 per person.

FlixBus is the main bus company operating this route. Other companies offering bus services from Luxembourg to Brussels include Eurolines, Ouibus and RegioJet, although they will require you to transfer in another city.

Return buses depart from various locations in Luxembourg such as Luxembourg Central Train Station, Avenue de la Faiencerie, P&R Bouillon. However, most buses terminate at Brussels North Station (Gare du Nord) or Brussels South Station (Brussels-Midi).

• Duration: > 3 hours
• Price: From €5
• Recommended if: Your main aim is to spend as little as possible.

Bus tickets and timetables from Brussels to Luxembourg

The best option to buy a bus ticket is online. You can compare different options on GoEuro or buy directly from FlixBus.

Between Brussels and Luxembourg city we found up to 8 bus departures, including 1 night bus. The first departure from Brussels is at 07:00 and arrives in Luxembourg City at 10:20. The last departure is at 23:15 and arrives at 02:25. Unless you buy your tickets in advance, prices usually range from €12 to €18.

If you are looking for the option that will give you the most freedom on your day trip to Luxembourg from Brussels, then I suggest renting a car. It will cost you more money compared to the means of transport I mentioned above, especially during the high season months; however, if you have a specific itinerary already planned, it will certainly be worth it.

If you have a car or can afford to rent one, getting around by car is also a good option as the distance between Luxembourg and Brussels is not very long and there is no border between the countries as they are both part of the Schengen area. Car rental options in Luxembourg include Budget, Autorent, Hertz, Avis, ALD Automotive, Autolux and Sixt.

This will give you the freedom to move around at your own pace, include as many side trips as you wish and allow you to explore the rural areas of Luxembourg in more depth and detail. Please note that some areas of Luxembourg are pedestrian-only, so you will still have to walk.

You should also take a look at Luxembourg' s driving requirements (i.e. international licences, insurance policies, etc.) and make sure you can drive your rental car across international borders, as some agencies do not allow this.

• Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Price: 120-150 €.
• Recommended if: You are looking for an option that depends solely on your planning.

Flying is the most expensive way to travel from Brussels to Luxembourg, but with a bit of luck you can get very good deals for 40-50€. It's usually a 2h 35-minute flight.

If you opt for a flight, you should calculate the time it will take to get to and from the airports, as well as waiting time before your flight, going through immigration in the case of an international flight, and retrieving your checked baggage. In certain cases, all these procedures can add a total of 2 hours to your journey.

Flights between these two cities are usually operated by these airlines: Brussels Airlines, Iberia, KLM, Ryanair and Vueling. Typically ticket prices can be in excess of €300.

Personally, unless you have a peculiar interest in flying the skies over Belgium and Luxembourg, I wouldn't recommend taking a flight, as it's not worth the 30 minutes you'll save at most. What's more, if you add to this the time wasted at the airport, it's almost quicker to go by train or hire a car on your own.

• Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes flight time (5 hours in total)
• Price: 50-300 €.
• Recommended if: For some reason, you have a particular interest in flying.

In this section I answer some of the most frequently asked questions that are of most interest when planning your trip. However, I will always recommend that you visit the websites of the transport or ticketing websites for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

• What is the cheapest way to get from Brussels to Luxembourg? The cheapest way to get from Brussels to Luxembourg is by bus, as a single journey costs between 7€ and 16€ and takes 3h 10min.

• What is the fastest way to get from Brussels to Luxembourg? By car, an option will cost you between €30 and €50 and the journey will take approximately 2h 10min.

• Is there a direct bus from Brussels to Luxembourg? Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Brussels Nord Train Station and arriving at Luxembourg, P+R Bouillon. This service departs once a day, every day. The journey takes approximately 3h 10min.

• How far is it from Brussels to Luxembourg? The distance between Brussels and Luxembourg is 187 km. The distance by road is 212.8 km.