Planning a trip to Luxembourg City
Getting There
By Plane -- Luxembourg Airport (tel. 24-56-50-50; www.aeroport.public.lu), with its two modern terminals (2004 and 2007), is at Findel, 6km (4 miles) northeast of Luxembourg City. Regular flights arrive from all major European capitals. A ticket on city bus lines 9 or 16 from in front of the terminal building to Luxembourg Gare, a 25-minute ride, costs 1.50€ ($2.40); one to four buses depart every hour. A taxi (tel. 43-43-43) to the center city costs around 20€ ($32); add 10% from 10pm to 6am, and 25% to 35% (depending on the time) on Sunday and holidays.
By Train -- Luxembourg City has rail connections from Belgium, France, and Germany. The main station, Luxembourg Gare, in the southern part of town, has a national tourist information office, currency-exchange office, and luggage-storage facilities inside, and stops for city bus lines just outside. For train information (and bus service outside Luxembourg City), contact Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (tel. 24-89-24-89; www.cfl.lu).
By Bus -- Eurolines buses arrive in Luxembourg City from London, Brussels, Paris, and other European cities. The main bus station is in front of the rail station.
By Car -- Expressways A1/E44, A4/E25, and A31/E25, and highways N4 and N6 converge on Luxembourg City from Germany, France, and Belgium.
Visitor Information
The Luxembourg City Tourist Office, place Guillaume II 30, 1648 Luxembourg-Ville (tel. 22-28-09; fax 46-70-70; www.lcto.lu), is in the center of town. The office is open April to September Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm, and Sunday and holidays from 10am to 6pm; October to March, hours are Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm, and Sunday and holidays from 10am to 6pm. It provides a free, detailed city map that lists the main attractions.
The Luxembourg National Tourist Office operates a Bureau d'Acceuil (Welcome Desk) at Luxembourg Gare (tel. 42-82-82-20; fax 42-82-82-38; www.visitluxembourg.lu), open June to September Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm, Sunday from 9am to 12:30pm and 1:45 to 6pm; October to May, it's open daily from 9:15am to 12:30pm and 1:45 to 6pm.
Both the English-language weekly magazine 352 Luxembourg News and its website www.352.lu have a "What's On" section. For information on cultural and tourist events and exhibits around the Grand Duchy, visit www.agendalux.lu.
City Layout
The heart of Luxembourg City revolves around two main squares in the Old Town. The small place d'Armes was once a parade ground, and this is where you find sidewalk cafes and band concerts during summer months. The larger place Guillaume II is the setting for the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), the city tourist office, and for statues of William II and Luxembourg poet Michel Rodange; it hosts morning markets on Wednesday and Saturday during the summer.
Main arteries bordering the Old Town are bd. Grande-Duchesse Charlotte to the north, and bd. Franklin D. Roosevelt to the south. The principal shopping street is Grand-Rue. A pleasant walkway, the promenade de la Corniche, connects the Bock Casemates to the Citadelle du St-Esprit fortifications. There are steps, in addition to an elevator, from place St-Esprit down to the Grund neighborhood in the valley below.
Getting Around
By Bus -- Because of the city's small size, you may have little need to use the bus network. Service is extensive and efficient but infrequent on some lines. The fare (valid for 1 hr.) is 1.50€ ($2.40); a 10-ticket pack costs 12€ ($19). A money-saving day ticket for 4€ ($6.40), and a 5-day pack for 16€ ($26), available from rail stations and the airport, can be used on buses and trains throughout the Grand Duchy. Luxembourg City bus information is available from ADL (tel. 47-96-29-75; www.autobus.lu).
By Taxi -- Taxis charge 2€ ($3.20) per kilometer (3.20€/$5.10 per mile), with a 10% surcharge from 10pm to 6am, and 25% on Sunday and holidays. Taxi service is available from Benelux Taxis (tel. 800/2-51-51, or 40-38-40; www.beneluxtaxi.lu).
By Car -- Driving in Luxembourg City isn't difficult, but most in-town attractions are within easy walking distance. My advice? Park your car and save it for day trips outside the city. Street parking can present a problem, but there are many parking garages. The city map supplied by the tourist office has parking areas clearly marked. The three most centrally located underground parking garages are off bd. Royal near the post office, off rue Notre-Dame, and at place du Théâtre.
On Foot -- Luxembourg City is made for walking -- that's really the only way to do it justice. Most major attractions are within .5km (1/3 mile) of the center of town. Beyond that, though, the hilly nature of the city and the distance to other points of interest may start to take a toll. The many green spaces and parks invite either a soul-refreshing sit-down or a leisurely stroll to slow your sightseeing pace.
Passport to Luxembourg
If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing and traveling on public transportation, both in Luxembourg City and around the Grand Duchy, a sound investment is the LuxembourgCard, available from tourist offices. It comes with a 32-page booklet listing more than 50 attractions offering cardholders free admission, and others offering discounted admission. In addition, the card lets you ride free on buses and trains. Valid for 1, 2, or 3 days, for one person it costs 10€ ($16), 17€ ($27), and 24€ ($38), respectively; a family card for two to five people costs 20€ ($32), 34€ ($54), and 48€ ($77).
Fast Facts
American Express -- To report lost or stolen cards, call tel. 26-20-19-21.
Area Code -- Luxembourg has no area codes.
ATMs -- You'll find automated teller machines (ATMs) at Luxembourg Airport, and Luxembourg Gare and other main rail stations, and throughout the city. Among the centrally located ATMs accessible by cards linked to the Cirrus and PLUS networks, and by the major credit cards and charge cards, is Kredietbank Luxembourg, place de la Gare 5-7 (tel. 47-97-60-01).
Currency Exchange -- Currency-exchange offices are open daily at the airport and at Luxembourg Gare.
Doctor & Dentist -- Call tel. 112 for referrals to English-speaking doctors and dentists.
Emergencies -- For police assistance, call tel. 113. For an ambulance or the fire department, call tel. 112.
Hospitals -- The most important city hospital is the modern Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, rue Emile Barblé 4 (tel. 44-11-11; www.chl.lu; bus no. 7), off route d'Arlon in the northwest of the city.
Mail -- The main post office, rue Aldringen 25 (tel. 47-65-1; www.ept.lu), is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm, and Saturday from 7am to 5pm.
Police -- In an emergency, call tel. 113. For routine matters, go to central police headquarters, rue Glesener 60 (tel. 40-94-04-400; www.police.public.lu).
Safety -- Luxembourg City is a safe, low-crime city. There are no dangerous or unsafe areas. That's not to say being a victim of crime is impossible, just that it's extremely unlikely.
