Getting Around

By Foot

Walking is a great way to travel through this beautiful land. You can do this on 21 separate signposted walking trails around the Grand Duchy. Known as Sentiers Nationaux (National Trails), these range in length from 13km (8 miles) to 84km (52 miles). Plus there's the Eifel-Ardennes Trail that crosses the border into Germany. Bookstores carry maps of these and other walking routes, and local tourist offices have brochures of walking tours in their area. The free Luxembourg Railways Rail et Randonnée (Train and Tour) brochure, available from stations, outlines 40 walking routes connecting stations; you can take the train to one station, follow the walking route to another, and return or go on by train from there. The Luxembourg Youth Hostels Association, rue du Fort Olisy 2, 2261 Luxembourg-Ville (tel. 26-27-66-40; www.youthhostels.lu), issues detailed maps with walking paths marked in red. All youth hostels are on walking paths designated by white triangular signs. In total, these different kinds of trails and footpaths add up to some 5,000km (3,100 miles) of walks and hikes.

By Train & Bus

The Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (tel. 49-90-49-90; www.cfl.lu) operates frequent trains throughout the Grand Duchy, with connecting bus service to those points the rails don't reach. Travelers over 65 are eligible for a 50% reduction except when traveling to or from a frontier point. In addition, special half-fare weekend and holiday round-trip tickets are offered throughout the system, again except to frontier points. A 1-day billet résau (network ticket), good for unlimited travel by train and bus, costs 5€ ($6.25). For a carnet (book) of five 1-day tickets, the cost is 20€ ($25).

By Car

Roads in the Grand Duchy are kept in good repair and are well signposted. But beware that some roadways are narrow, with many curves, especially in the Ardennes.

To park in the "blue zones" of Luxembourg City and some other towns, you may need a parking disc. These are cardboard or plastic discs with a revolving hour scale. When you park, you set your arrival time by turning the disc to the appropriate hour, displayed in a slot in the card, so that the parking inspectors know when you have overstayed your welcome. The discs are available from stores and banks, often at no charge. In many other places, there are parking meters or parking-ticket dispensers.

Rentals -- If you plan to rent a car in the Grand Duchy, you need a driver's license valid in your own country. Car-rental rates begin at around 55€ ($69) a day and 65€ ($81) for a weekend. Leading car-rental firms in Luxembourg City are: Avis, place de la Gare 17 (tel. 48-95-95) and Luxembourg Airport (tel. 43-51-71); Budget, rue de Longwy 300 (tel. 44-19-38) and Luxembourg Airport (tel. 43-75-75); and Hertz, Luxembourg Airport (tel. 43-46-45).

Gasoline -- Fill up on gas (benzine) in Luxembourg! A low rate of tax on gas and diesel means you can save around 25% on gas prices in Luxembourg, compared to the prices in neighboring Germany, Belgium, and France.

Driving Rules -- Speed limits are 50kmph (31 mph) in built-up areas, 90kmph (56 mph) on rural roads, and 120kmph (74 mph) on expressways. The use of seat belts is compulsory, and horn blowing is permitted only in case of imminent danger.

Road Maps -- An excellent road map of the Grand Duchy -- which shows camping grounds, swimming pools, and tourist attractions in addition to main roads -- is available at no cost from the Luxembourg National Tourist Office in Luxembourg City. Other good road maps include the Ordnance Survey maps (two sheets) and Michelin map no. 214, available from local bookstores and newsstands.

Breakdowns/Assistance -- A 24-hour emergency road service is offered by the Automobile Club du Grand Duché de Luxembourg (tel. 45-00-45-1; www.acl.lu).

By Bicycle

The Luxembourg countryside lends itself to biking. You're free to ramble down any road that strikes your fancy, but you should know that there are also biking trails leading through the most scenic areas. Local tourist offices can provide suggestions for tours on these trails and on less-traveled roadways. In addition, tourist offices in Luxembourg City, Diekirch, Echternach, Vianden, and other towns can arrange bicycle rentals. Bikes can be transported by train for a small fee, regardless of distance traveled, but this is subject to space availability (which is usually not a problem).