Frankfurt to Luxembourg, what's actually confirmed

Frankfurt comes up a lot when people plan a Luxembourg trip, and I can see why, because it’s a huge airport and sometimes the fares from the UK look tempting. But a word of warning. This is the connection in this section with the least official information published, so I’ll tell you what is confirmed and what isn’t, without filling the gaps with figures from blogs.

What I couldn’t confirm

I found no official journey time for a train between Frankfurt and Luxembourg. CFL’s international ticket pages don’t show the route as text, and visitluxembourg only publishes times for France. There’s also no road distance on the city of Luxembourg’s official list, which covers Trier, Saarbrücken and Cologne but not Frankfurt. I won’t hand you a number I can’t back up, so for the day’s times use CFL’s journey planner or Deutsche Bahn’s.

Trier, the gateway that is documented

What I am sure of is the last part of the trip. Trier is 48 km from Luxembourg City, according to the city, and bus 302 links Trier with Wasserbillig, Findel airport and Howald in the south of the capital. That’s what the airport publishes, using mobiliteit.lu data.

Inside Luxembourg that bus is free, like all public transport since 1 March 2020, but free travel stops at the border, so the German section is paid. From the airport or Howald you carry on by tram or bus at no cost. If you fancy seeing the German city itself, whose Roman monuments became a World Heritage Site in 1986, it’s in Trier day trip.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Luxemburgo for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Other ways in from Germany

Trier isn’t the only one. The city of Luxembourg gives 100 km by road to Saarbrücken and 197 to Cologne, both of which could work as stops if your German trip passes through them. There’s also a slower, prettier way in, by river. Luxembourg’s official portal mentions boat trips on the Moselle to Trier, Bernkastel and Saarburg in Germany and to Thionville in France, though that’s more of a day out than a way to arrive with luggage. The Luxembourg side of the valley is in Luxembourg Moselle valley.

What about Frankfurt-Hahn?

This is where people get caught out. Hahn isn’t in Frankfurt. Flibco, the coach operator, sells a shuttle between the city of Frankfurt and Hahn airport, from €19, which tells you there’s a journey in between. And in the direction you care about, Luxembourg airport’s website says Flibco isn’t currently running any connection from Findel.

In practice, flying into Hahn to reach Luxembourg leaves you to sort out the link yourself, with no confirmed direct coach. I wouldn’t book that flight before the onward leg is settled, and I’d check the last departure of whatever link you find against your landing time, since a late arrival with no onward coach is the worst way to start a short break. The coach options that are published are in coach to Luxembourg.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Luxemburgo for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Driving in from Germany

If you hire a car in Frankfurt, Trier is the logical way in. Once in Luxembourg, the motorway limit is 130 km/h, dropping to 110 in the rain, with 90 outside towns and 50 inside them. Enforcement is strict, and the UK government lists the papers to keep in the car, starting with your licence, the registration document and proof of insurance. If you’re taking your own car, add the road tax and MOT certificate to that pile, as the same advice lists them too.

There’s one more thing for the return journey. Luxembourg and Germany are both in Schengen, but the UK government mentions temporary border checks for entering Germany, so keep your passport to hand. Everything on driving there is in driving in Luxembourg, and the hire side in car hire in Luxembourg.

My advice if you’re coming from the UK

If the trip is about Luxembourg, fly to Luxembourg. Luxair has route pages from London City, Manchester and Edinburgh, and from Findel into town you ride the tram for free. Frankfurt only makes sense to me if you’re spending a few days in Germany anyway and Luxembourg is one more stop, in which case Trier makes a good stop before crossing the border. Every other route is weighed up in how to get to Luxembourg.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Luxemburgo on GetYourGuide.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Luxembourg: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

Before you fix your dates, compare tickets to Luxembourg: the same journey can cost very different amounts from one day to the next.