Getting around Luxembourg on free public transport

Getting around Luxembourg is, for me, the easiest part of the trip. The whole country covers 2,586 km² (see how big is Luxembourg), public transport costs nothing and nearly everything a visitor wants to see sits within an hour of the capital by train or bus. The only real decision is when a car is worth it, and in the city it isn’t.

Free, with two exceptions

On 1 March 2020 Luxembourg made every form of public transport free, for residents, cross-border workers and tourists alike. You don’t buy or tap anything, you simply board. For comparison, before then a day ticket for the whole network cost €4.

Two things still carry a price. First class on the train, which CFL sells at €3 for two hours and €6 until 04:00 the following day, and any journey that crosses the border, because free travel stops at the last point inside the country. Coming from the UK, that’s the bit to get your head round, since your Eurostar and onward ticket only needs to reach the border. The small print is in Luxembourg free public transport.

Tram and buses in the capital

The spine of the city is tram T1. It runs 16 km with 24 stops from Findel airport to Stadion, calling at Kirchberg, the Étoile, Hamilius and the Gare Centrale. Luxtram runs a tram every 3.5 to 4 minutes on the central stretch and every eight at either end. Times and stops are in Luxembourg tram. Trams are step-free from the platform, which makes a real difference if you arrive at Findel with a big suitcase and head straight for your hotel.

Buses fill the gaps. In the capital they’re the city’s own AVL routes; around the country, the regional RGTR network and CFL’s buses. At weekends the City Night Bus adds eight lines that keep going until 03:30, on Friday and Saturday nights only. Which route to take where is in Luxembourg buses.

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

Lifts and a funicular for the hills

The city is split into levels, and the climbs matter more than the distances. Free vertical shortcuts take care of that. The panoramic lift links the old town with the Pfaffenthal, 60 m in 30 seconds, from 05:45 to 01:00. In 2026 it closes from 09:00 on 5 October, 2 November and 7 December. The Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg funicular, the only one in the country, climbs 40 m in 63 seconds from the railway halt to the Kirchberg tram. There’s also a lift between the plateau du Saint-Esprit and the Grund.

Train or bus beyond the city?

For the old mining south and for the north, the train. CFL lines run to Esch-sur-Alzette and Rodange, to Ettelbruck, Clervaux and Troisvierges, to Wasserbillig and to Kleinbettingen. For places without a station, such as Vianden, Echternach or Remich, the regional bus. My method is simple. I put the journey into mobiliteit.lu, which plans across train, tram and bus, and let it choose the connection. The rail network is covered in trains in Luxembourg.

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

Taxis, cars and bikes

Taxi fares in Luxembourg are unregulated, so there’s no set price to check in advance. The FCDO advises using official cabs from marked ranks, which display their prices, and checking the rate per kilometre first, since some charge well over the odds. By law the driver must take the shortest route. I’d save a taxi for the small hours or a pile of luggage.

A car only makes sense to me for chaining northern castles or the Mullerthal into a single day without watching connections. If you do drive, speed limits and other rules are covered in driving in Luxembourg. Cyclists get a national network of more than 600 km and free bike carriage on domestic trains.

How I’d get around on a first visit

I’d stay near a tram stop, so the airport, the station and Kirchberg are all one ride away. I’d walk the old town, the Grund and the Pfaffenthal, using the lift for the climb back up. On days out of the capital I’d take the train north or the bus to the Mullerthal, without spending a penny on fares. First class on a long run is the only transport cost I’d even consider, and in a country this small I doubt you’ll miss it.

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.