How to Get to Luxembourg from Brussels

The distance between Brussels and Luxembourg is only 220 km. The good news is that you have many options for crossing this distance, so it's easy to add a visit to this interesting city to your list of things to see and do in the Belgian capital. Ways to get there include several daily trains and buses, but you can also go by rental car or even opt for a day trip to the Grand Duchy.

The flight option, although it exists, is not the most recommended given the short distance between these two cities. A detail that will be reflected in the price and not so much in the travel time. Let's analyze each of these options and see which one best suits your needs in terms of comfort, flexibility and budget.

If you are not very familiar with means of transportation and prefer an organized tour that can provide you with comfort and ease, then an organized tour to Luxembourg from Brussels may be an excellent choice.

These kinds of tours include pick-up and drop-off in the center of Brussels, as well as multilingual guides and safe transportation. You will also be able to get information from people who are very knowledgeable 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 enjoy a few hours to wander around on your own.

The total tour usually lasts 11 hours including round trip, enough time to see the most interesting sights of Luxembourg City and take home a few souvenirs.

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

What to visit in Luxembourg

In this short tour you will visit the Place d'Armes, "City Hall", a place full of life and founded by a Spaniard in 1671. The Place Guillaume II, the square takes its name from 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.

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

• Duration: From 8am to 8pm
• Price: From 62€.
• Recommended if: You want to get to know Luxembourg City from scratch and you have little time to spare.

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

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

Luxembourg 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 train station in Brussels.

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

Train tickets and schedules from Brussels to Luxembourg

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

To learn more about Luxembourg-Brussels train schedules 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 trip takes about 3 hours and most buses leave 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 EUR per person.

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

Return buses leave from different 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 goal is to spend as little as possible.

Bus tickets and schedules 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 earliest 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 tickets in advance, prices usually fluctuate between 12 € and 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 transportation I already mentioned, 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 in it 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 both are part of the Schengen area. Among the car rental options in Luxembourg are: Budget, Autorent, Hertz, Avis, ALD Automotive, Autolux or 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 in more depth and detail the rural areas of Luxembourg. 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 licenses, insurance policies, etc.) and you will need to 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 exclusively 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 is usually a 2h 35 min 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 the waiting time before your flight, going through immigration in case of an international flight and retrieving your checked luggage, all these procedures can add an additional 2 hours to your trip in certain cases.

Flights between these two cities are usually operated by these airlines: Brussels Airlines, Iberia, KLM, Ryanair and Vueling. Normally ticket prices can exceed 300€.

Personally, unless you have a peculiar interest in flying the skies of Belgium and Luxembourg, I do not recommend taking a flight, as it is not worth the 30 minutes you can save at most. Moreover, if we add to this the time wasted at the airport, it is almost faster to go by train or rent a car on your own.

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

In this section I answer some of the most frequently asked questions that are of most interest when planning your trip. Of course, I will always recommend you to visit the websites of the transportation or ticketing websites for the most updated and accurate information.

• What is the cheapest way to get from Brussels to Luxembourg? The most affordable 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 trip 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 trip 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.