Commuting to Luxembourg from France, Belgium or Germany: trains, buses and passes

Close to half of everyone who works in Luxembourg lives across the border — in Lorraine, Wallonia, the Saarland or Rhineland-Palatinate. Here is how commuters get in: the train lines, the cross-border buses and park-and-rides, the monthly passes, and where to check the rules that come with working across a border.

Updated · 4 min read

Luxembourg City: the Kirchberg plateau seen from the old fortifications
Photo: Cayambe, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized.

Who commutes

According to STATEC, Luxembourg’s statistics office, around 230,000 non-residents worked in Luxembourg in 2025 — more than half of them from France, and roughly 50,000 each from Germany and Belgium. They are called frontaliers, and Luxembourg’s roads and trains are built around them.

Wéinst engem Stau op der Autobunn hat ech gëschter schonn nees Verspéidung

Literally: Because of a traffic jam on the motorway I was late again yesterday.

Meaning: The commuter’s sentence. Stau — traffic jam; Verspéidung — delay.

Op dëser Achs gëtt et dacks Stauen

Literally: There are often jams on this route.

By train

Ech huelen den Zuch fir op d’Aarbecht

Literally: I take the train to work.

By cross-border bus and P+R

Dozens of RGTR and TEC lines cross the border: to Thionville, Yutz, Cattenom, Hayange, Ottange, Villerupt, Longwy and Briey in France; to Arlon, Messancy, Bastogne, Virton and Florenville in Belgium; to Trier, Saarburg, Merzig, Saarlouis, Perl and Bitburg in Germany — many with park-and-ride sites (for example Metzange and Roussy-le-Village on the French side). Inside Luxembourg they are free; the part across the border uses the RegioZone fare.

RegioZone ticketPrice
2 hours€3
1 day€5
Monthly pass€40
Annual pass€360
Student pass€130

The Saarbrücken Express bus has its own fares (€85 a month, €750 a year). Tickets and passes are now digital — in the CFL go app; the mKaart and paper tickets on buses are no longer sold for them. Details: Free public transport in Luxembourg.

By car and bike

Most commuters still drive, and the motorways from Thionville (A31), Arlon (A6) and Trier (A1) are busy at peak times. Rules, tolls next door and winter tyres are in Driving in and to Luxembourg. Some commuters cycle the last kilometres from a P+R.

Wann d’Wieder et erlaabt, fueren ech mam Vëlo op d’Aarbecht

Literally: When the weather allows, I cycle to work.

Tax, social security and working from home

Cross-border workers are taxed and insured under special rules agreed between Luxembourg and each neighbour, and there are limits on how many days you can work from home before those rules change. The limits differ by country and have been renegotiated several times — check the current figures on Guichet.lu and with your employer rather than relying on numbers from an old article.

Language at work

Many workplaces run in French, others in German, English or Luxembourgish — and Luxembourgish opens doors in healthcare, childcare, retail, the public sector and with customers. See which language to learn in Luxembourg, working for the Luxembourg government and money and work in Luxembourgish sayings. Work vocabulary with audio: work and office, office and administration.

Luxembourgish for the trip

A few sentences from the official dictionary, each with its native recording — the kind you will use on the platform and on the bus. More in Luxembourgish on the bus and the train.

Ech kommen aus der Belsch

Literally: I come from Belgium.

Ass dës Plaz nach fräi?

Literally: Is this seat still free?

Ech hu mer e Billjee kaaft, fir mam Zuch op Léck ze fueren

Literally: I bought a ticket to go to Liège by train.

Meaning: Billjee (ticket) comes from French billet. The verb is kafen — kaaft is its past participle.

Also useful on the road, each with native audio: good morning, good evening, yes and no, nice to meet you — and the words for food, times and dates, the weather and money.

The verbs you need on any journey: fueren (to go by vehicle), huelen (to take), ukommen (to arrive), waarden (to wait), bezuelen (to pay) and reesen (to travel).

Learning on a commute is realistic: five minutes on the train is enough for a set of 16 words. French-speaking commuters can start in French — ressources gratuites en luxembourgeois and apprendre le luxembourgeois quand on parle français.

Moving to Luxembourg, or crossing its borders every week? The country runs on Luxembourgish, French and German, and a little of each goes a long way. On Edluxio you can book 1-to-1 online lessons with independent teachers — native speakers for languages, and professionals from many fields — and practise the conversations you will actually have. Book a trial lesson; if your first lesson isn’t right for you, you get a full refund.

The sentences you need when you travel

16Word’s Travel track has 100 real situations — the train, the taxi, the hotel, the pharmacy — with 16 sentences each, in Luxembourgish, French, German, Portuguese and many more. The first situation is free.

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Frequently asked questions

How many cross-border workers are there in Luxembourg?

Around 230,000 non-residents worked in Luxembourg in 2025 according to STATEC — more than half from France and roughly 50,000 each from Germany and Belgium.

Is public transport free for cross-border commuters?

Only the part inside Luxembourg. Across the border you need a ticket — on many buses the RegioZone fare: €3 for two hours, €40 a month, €360 a year.

Which border stations can I reach for free?

Athus (Belgium), Audun-le-Tiche and Volmerange-les-Mines (France), in 2nd class.

Where do I buy a cross-border monthly pass?

In the CFL go app; paper tickets and the mKaart are no longer sold for cross-border fares.

How many days can a cross-border worker work from home?

It depends on your country of residence and changes with new agreements; check Guichet.lu and your employer for the current rules.

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