I spent 3 days in Luxembourg, the richest country in the world, train travel is free. Here were the 5 best parts and 3 sad things about the trip.

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clervaux castle luxembourg

Mikhaila Friel is photographed outside Clorvaux Castle in Luxembourg.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

  • I visited Luxembourg where public transport is free.

  • My accommodation included a five-star hotel and a luxury palace hotel.

  • Next time I visit Luxembourg I will stay longer and add a little more to my itinerary.

I recently visited Luxembourg where public transport is free.

Michaela Luxembourg Tram

Mikhaila was photographed before taking a tram in Luxembourg.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

In March I visited Luxembourg, a small landlocked European country that shares borders with Belgium, France and Germany. According to an August 2022 report by Global Finance, Luxembourg analyzed Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the value of all goods and services produced in the country.

I was looking forward to spending three nights in some of Luxembourg’s luxury hotels, and also using free public transport to see the beautiful countryside and fairytale houses. In the year

Here were the best and worst parts of the trip.

The highlight of the trip was staying at a five-star luxury hotel.

Mikhaila and royal

Mikhaila Friel stayed at Le Royal, a five-star hotel in Luxembourg City.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

Luxembourg was known for its wealth, so I was eager to stay in one of the country’s five-star hotels to experience the luxury lifestyle. I spent one night in a five-star hotel in Luxembourg City; The hotel manager told me during my visit that it mostly caters to business travelers.

It cost $275.70 a night and I had a queen size double bed, TV, dressing table and a bathroom with a shower. When I arrived there was a fresh fruit bowl and a box of chocolates in my room.

The hotel has a restaurant, lounge and piano bar where a professional pianist plays every Friday and Saturday night.

He gave me a tour of the hotel’s luxury suite, which came with its own salon.

Lounge Royal Collection Hotel le Royal

The lounge in Hotel Le Royal’s Royal Suite.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

During my stay at Hotel Le Royal, I was given a tour of the Royal Suite, the hotel’s most expensive suite, which costs €2,900 per night, or about $3,150.

The suite has one bedroom suite, bathroom with private hammam, kitchen, private office for business meetings and lounge.

Most of the time it is booked between a few days and a few months, the hotel manager told me during the visit.

The next day I checked into the Chateau d’Urspelt, a castle hotel in the countryside.

Chateau d'Urspelt

My collection at Chateau d’Urspelt.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

Unlike the Hotel Le Royal, which caters to business clients in the city, the Chateau d’Urspelt is a spa hotel tucked away in the Luxembourg countryside that caters mostly to couples on vacation, the hotel manager told me during my visit.

When I arrived, I slept in a superior room with a queen-sized bed decorated with roses and woolen towels. The open room had a TV, and a bathroom with a bath and shower. The room costs about 376 euros, or about $410 for two nights, the hotel manager told me during my visit.

It started snowing during my stay, which gave the hotel a romantic feel.

Chateau d'Urspelt

The view from my room at Château d’Urspelt.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

The hotel is located in Clairvaux, a rural town known for its stunning scenery and fairytale palaces. The only castle hotel in the area is the Château d’Urspelt, the manager told me during my visit.

It was built in the 13th century and converted into a hotel in 2008. It has a restaurant, spa and indoor pool, and a courtyard with a pond that was especially dreamy and romantic when it started snowing during my stay.

The free public transportation was the highlight of the trip.

Mikhaila Snow Train

Mikhaila Friel travels by train from Luxembourg to Belgium on a snowy day.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

All public transportation in Luxembourg is free for residents and visitors, as part of the government’s plan to support people living on low incomes, a spokesperson for the government’s mobility department told Insider during my visit.

Every step of my trip included free public transportation, from the airport shuttle bus to using the tram to get around the city and the train and bus to Clervaux. I found all of them very easy to use as each vehicle has digital boards that provide information about the trip. I find the trains and buses especially clean and comfortable.

The castles in Luxembourg made me feel like I had stepped into a fairy tale.

Vianden Castle in Luxembourg

Vianden Castle in Luxembourg.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

There are over 70 palaces in Luxembourg dating back 1,000 years, visit the Luxembourg website. One of the most famous is Vianden Castle in northern Luxembourg, built between the 11th and 14th centuries and currently operating as a tourist attraction. I visited both Vianden Castle and Clervaux Castle to the Château d’Urspelt.

As someone who lives in Scotland, castles are not unusual for me. But even after seeing the palace, I was still in awe of the people I saw in Luxembourg. In addition to the sheer scale of the surrounding rolling hills and forests, I’m looking at something straight out of a fairy tale or movie set.

However, there were some disappointing aspects of the trip, including the weather.

mikhaila Chateau d'Urspelt snow

The snowy weather outside the Chateau d’Urspelt.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

While the snowy weather made Chateau d’Urspelt look beautiful, it wasn’t conducive to a trip that included outdoor attractions and public transportation. Luckily, none of the public transportation I booked was affected by the weather, but I wished I had packed some warm clothes.

Not to mention, Chateau d’Urspelt had an outdoor pool which was closed for the winter. If I visit the hotel in the future, I will be sure to visit during the summer to use it.

The city was very quiet in my opinion.

Mikhail Grand Ducal Palace

Michael outside the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

Luxembourg has a population of 645,000 and many people travel to the city from Belgium, France and Germany for work, a Luxembourg spokesman told me during my visit. When I visited Luxembourg City, I was struck by how quiet some of the city’s most famous landmarks were.

The photo above was taken Monday afternoon at the Grand Ducal Palace. And even though it was a weekday, I was still surprised that only a tourist was taking pictures. While the city is beautiful, the streets were very quiet when I visited. When I travel alone, I tend to choose cities with more people, as they usually have a more lively and welcoming atmosphere, which makes meeting new people less lonely.

Next time I visit Luxembourg, I’ll be sure to make some adjustments to my itinerary.

Mikhaila Luxemburg

Mikhaila Friel photographed in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.Mikhaila Friel / Insider

While I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Luxembourg, I was only there for three days before taking a train to Brussels, Belgium. During that time, I stayed in two hotels and explored Luxembourg City and the countryside. I felt pretty exhausted by the end of the trip, which probably could have been avoided if I had chosen to stay in just one hotel and not crammed everything into three days.

If I go to Luxembourg in the future, I will make sure to stay longer so that I don’t rush through the trip. It is a very beautiful country, and deserves to be seen and explored at a generous time.

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