Luxembourg to Germany by train: Koblenz, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin

The gateway to Germany is the Moselle valley: hourly double-deck trains from Luxembourg to Koblenz, then Germany’s fast IC and ICE network. Frankfurt is about four hours away, Munich under seven, Berlin under nine — and there is one direct train a day to Cologne.

Updated · 4 min read

The Grund quarter of Luxembourg City along the Alzette
Photo: Marcin Szala (Pudelek), CC BY-SA 3.0, resized.
DestinationTypical timeHow
Trier50 minuteshourly regional train — see the Trier guide
Koblenz2h23hourly regional express along the Moselle
Cologne / Düsseldorfdirect once a day (06:10)otherwise change at Koblenz
Frankfurtfrom about 3h55change at Koblenz (or Trier)
Munichabout 6h40changes at Koblenz or Trier and Mannheim
Berlinabout 8h45e.g. via Cologne or Düsseldorf and ICE

The Moselle line to Koblenz

Luxembourg Railways (CFL) runs comfortable double-deck regional trains every hour from Luxembourg to Koblenz, following the Moselle past vineyards and river boats — sit on the right going east, upstairs, for the best view. At Koblenz you connect with German InterCity and ICE trains to the whole country. The walk-up fare to Koblenz is fixed (€34.50 in 2nd, €58.20 in 1st); after 09:00 on weekdays and all weekend, the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket + Luxemburg (2nd class, €26) can be cheaper.

Fares and booking

  • Book with Deutsche Bahn (int.bahn.de): through fares from Luxembourg to almost any German station, with saver fares from about €18.99 in 2nd and €27.99 in 1st. Booking opens up to six months ahead.
  • Avoid replacement buses in search results: a tip from the rail guide Seat 61 — add Igel as a stopover; the trains call there, the buses do not.
  • Allow time to change: if the planner offers tight connections, set a longer transfer time.
  • Inside Luxembourg the trip to the border is free, but your German ticket covers it anyway.

Cologne, Düsseldorf and the north

Once a day, early in the morning (06:10), a CFL double-decker runs direct to Cologne and Düsseldorf — from Düsseldorf one ICE gets you to Berlin by mid-afternoon. Hamburg and Copenhagen are reachable in a day too — see Luxembourg to Copenhagen and Scandinavia.

Saarbrücken by bus

For Saarbrücken, the CFL Saarbrücken Express bus is often the simplest option: €5 for two hours or €9 for a day in the cross-border fare system. Other cross-border buses go to Saarlouis, Merzig, Perl and Bitburg — see Free public transport in Luxembourg.

Further afield

Munich, Vienna, Prague, Warsaw and Kraków are all one-day journeys from Luxembourg through Germany, and a sleeper train to Munich and Vienna leaves from Koblenz on some nights — see Luxembourg to Vienna and Austria, Luxembourg to Prague, Warsaw and Kraków and Night trains within reach of Luxembourg. For Switzerland via Germany, see Luxembourg to Switzerland.

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 fueren d’nächst Woch an Däitschland

Literally: I’m going to Germany next week.

Fiert dëse Bus op Tréier?

Literally: Does this bus go to Trier?

Meaning: Ask the driver before you get on. The verb is fueren — hie fiert, it goes.

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).

German is one of Luxembourg’s three administrative languages and the language of many newspapers — and Luxembourgish is close to it. How close? See is Luxembourgish a language or a German dialect? and the languages of Luxembourg.

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

Is there a direct train from Luxembourg to Germany?

Yes — hourly trains to Trier and Koblenz, and one direct train a day to Cologne and Düsseldorf. For Frankfurt, Munich or Berlin you change, usually at Koblenz or Trier.

How long is the train from Luxembourg to Frankfurt?

From about 3 hours 55 minutes, with a change.

Where do I buy tickets from Luxembourg to Germany?

On Deutsche Bahn’s international site, int.bahn.de, which sells through tickets from Luxembourg with saver fares.

How much is Luxembourg to Koblenz?

€34.50 in 2nd class (fixed fare). After 09:00 on weekdays and at weekends, the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket + Luxemburg (€26, 2nd class) can be cheaper.

Is there a bus from Luxembourg to Saarbrücken?

Yes — the Saarbrücken Express bus, €5 for two hours in the cross-border fare system.

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