The last time retired banking consultant Ian Tyson took a plane was in 2006. “I was working in Milan. It was a constant challenge every Monday and Friday to get on the plane.” For the past 14 years has used car or rail, but mostly rail to get around.

“It’s less stress than flying. There’s no check-in. You can arrive 10 minutes before the departure and off you go,” he said, adding: “What surprised me is if you book early enough isn’t not very expensive. I’ve travelled to Valencia [from Luxembourg] for less than €100, travelling first class on a high-speed train.”

Tyson often travels alone, while his wife takes the plane, and they meet up at their destination. The couple had planned a summer holiday trip to Lisbon by rail, involving a sleeper car from the French border through Spain. They had to postpone it for a year because of covid-19 restrictions. Other trips he’s taken in a single day include Copenhagen to Brussels. In future, Tyson would like to plan a rail trip to South East Asia and then take a boat to Australia.

"I like the slowness"

The furthest British-Luxembourg national Anna Fox has travelled by train in a day is from Luxembourg to Gdansk, Poland. A self-confessed “train nerd”, she opts for the train over plane for environmental reasons, but also because of the downtime it offers, particularly when travelling solo. “Sometimes it’s not the cheapest option and you need the time. But it’s a personal choice,” she said, adding: “I like the slowness of it. You’re just enjoying the process of getting there.”

The central train station in Gdansk, Poland. The furthest Anna Fox has travelled by train in a single day was from Luxembourg to Gdansk. Photo: Shutterstock

Since her first European rail trip from the UK to Larochelle, France, aged 17, Fox has travelled by train to Amsterdam, Vienna, Budapest, London and the Nordic countries. Of these trips, she has taken sleeper trains to Vienna and Budapest, an experience she recommends. But, she warned, travellers should be prepared for the unexpected. Fox recalled the discomfort of a heatwave while on a Danish train with no air-conditioning and insufficient seating. Another time, while travelling in a sleeper carriage, an elderly Austrian man undressed in front of her. “If you’re in bed, turn over and avert your eyes,” she laughed, adding that snorers can sometimes be an issue.

If the rail network is already well established in Europe, people in Luxembourg have yet to fully exploit it. According to Statec, in the summer of 2019, only 5.4% of people surveyed took the train to get to their destination, compared with 51.3% by car and 40% by plane.

Luxembourg rail operator CFL, meanwhile, has reported a general decrease in rail ticket purchases since the pandemic. CFL offers long distance connections to Düsseldorf. In France customers can take the TGv directly to Marseille, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Lyon and Paris. In Belgium, there are connections to Liège and Brussels, and in Germany to Koblenz and Wittlich.

By changing trains, it is also possible to travel from Luxembourg City to Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes, Rennes, Vienna, Berlin and Zurich, among others.

Rail tips

• Both Fox and Tyson agree that German rail services are the best. “It’s not a lie about them being very organised,” said Fox.
• The two recommended visiting the website www.seat61.com, created by an avid rail traveller, for information on routes and tickets.
• Fox has bought Interrail passes for some of her journeys. She added that for some train journeys travellers are obliged to book seats on a specific train.
• Many long-distance trains will have a buffet car. Tyson tends to buy a sandwich and drink at the train station before boarding to avoid queuing in the buffet car.
• Tyson recommended booking tickets up to three months in advance to save money.