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Over
the years that we have operated this web site, we have received (and answered)
thousands of questions about our small Grand Duchy. We have analysed the
search terms you have typed into our "search"
box, (oh, rest assured everyone remains completely anonymous)
and have tried to provide an answer here to the most common questions,
listed in no particular order.
If you have asked one of these questions by email, we hope you will forgive
us if we have briefly pointed you to this page ... it becomes such a bind
to keep typing the same answers ;-)
You may find it easier to use your browser's "Find" function (e.g. Ctrl
[or Alt] + F) to find your keywords on this page.
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- What
currency do you use in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg uses the Euro since 1st of January 2002.
Until 28th of February 2002 you could use both the Luxembourg and the
Belgian Francs in Luxembourg (they were both legal tender, and 1 Belgian
Franc was always 1 Luxembourg Franc). For historical interest £1.- was
approx 65 Luxembourg Francs (LUF or FLUX).
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Are
credit cards / debit cards widely accepted?
- Yes the
use of plastic money is becoming ever more common, but many retailers
require a minimum sales amount (eg 10 / 25 Euro) before accepting credit/debit
cards. In other words, don't expect to pay a cup of coffee or a postcard
with a credit card.
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I
am looking for a Bed & Breakfast (B & B) in Luxembourg.
- You don't
find them quite as frequently as in the U.K. but you can recognise them
by: "Chambres pour Touristes" and "Zimmer frei"
signs.
Of course this presupposes that you are already in Luxembourg. If you
are planning your trip, small hotels
can be as affordable as "B & B". You may also find www.gites.lu
of interest.
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How
do I get to Luxembourg?
- See: Getting
to Luxembourg from the UK
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- What
Price for Petrol or Diesel in Luxembourg? / Gas and Gasoline prices
Is leaded petrol available in Luxembourg?
- Current
prices for petrol/gas in Luxembourg (provided by the Luxembourg
Automobile Club):
(last update 3 August 2010)
SuperPlus (98 octane): 1.179 Euro / litre
Euro Super (95 octane): 1.152 Euro / litre
Diesel: 0.976 Euro / litre
Please note that the price of petrol (/gasoline if you prefer) is the
same across the country, as it is fixed by government decree, and hence
there's no difference in cost whether you get your fuel at a tiny petrol
station in the middle of nowhere, or on the motorway. Oh, incidentally:
The world's largest petrol station [in terms of fuel sold], is located
in Luxembourg on the A3 motorway between Luxembourg-City and France
and is called "Aire
de Berchem".
You might also like to consider that petrol prices have consistenly
been lower in Luxembourg than in neighbouring countries for a number
of decades.
Leaded petrol is no longer available at Luxembourg pumps, but an additive
may be purchased.
LPG
Stations in Luxembourg
(see also:
Luxembourg Automobile Club listing) |
| Address |
Telephone
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Opening
Hours
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Closed
on
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ARAL
Station
Luxembourg-France Motorway |
(+352)
52 25 52
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24
hr
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---
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BP
Station
Motorway Arlon-Luxembourg
(Capellen) |
(+352)
39 95 01
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24
hr
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---
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TEXACO
Station
Motorway Arlon-Luxembourg
(Capellen)
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(+352)
39 90 02
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24
hr
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---
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SHELL
Station
Colmar-Pont
L-7738 Colmar-Berg
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(+352)
83 51 61
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07:00
- 22:30
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Sundays
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ENERGUS
Rangwee 40
L-2412 Luxembourg
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(+352)
40 83 80
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06:30
- 23:00
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Sundays
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What
is the official correct spelling of Luxembourg? It's spelt with an 'o'
in our dictionary, but a colleague claims that it is more correct to spell
it 'Luxemburg'. How do the people of the country spell it?!
The spelling
of the name of our country depends on which language you use: In French
(and in English) Luxembourg does take an "o", whereas
in German, the "o" is missing, making it Luxemburg.
An just to add to the general confusion, the people of Luxembourg have
their own language, in which the name is spelt
"Lëtzebuerg".
If you badly need to get around using neither Luxembourg
nor Luxemburg, you could always talk about "The Grand Duchy",
as Luxembourg is the only Grand Duchy on the world.
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Is
Luxembourg a Tax-Free country?
- No. All
Luxembourg residents do pay tax, and there is VAT (and excise duty,
where applicable) on all items sold in Luxembourg.
Indirect taxes, however, (eg taxes on goods sold in shops) have in the
past tended to be lower than in neighbouring countries, which may have
led to our country acquiring the "tax-free" reputation.
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What
language do you speak in Luxembourg?
- 'Lėtzebuergesch'
is the everyday spoken language of the people. This former Mosel-Frankish
dialect is recognised since 1984 as the national language, while both
French and German remain the official languages. Many people speak English.
More info sub: Languages in Luxembourg
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How
big is Luxembourg?
- The country
covers a territory of 2586 square kilometres (999 square miles) approximately
52 miles (84 km) North-South and 32 miles (56 km) East-West. The capital
city (also called Luxembourg) has some 100,000 inhabitants, and is thus
one of the smallest capitals in the world.
See also: Luxembourg
(country) tourist map and/or: Luxembourg
(capital) Citymap
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Is
Luxembourg just a city?
- No. The
country is called "Grand Duchy of Luxembourg" (often abbreviated to
just "Luxembourg") and the capital city is also called Luxembourg (sometimes
referred to as Luxembourg-Ville, or Luxembourg City to make the distinction).
See also the above answer re: How big is Luxembourg
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Is
Luxembourg a "safe" destination?
- This is
of course a difficult question to answer, because, unless you take basic
precautions, no destination can reasonably be called "safe".
We do, however, believe that Luxembourg is rather better placed than
some in matters concerning your personal safety.
But don't just take our word for it: According to a world-wide "quality
of life" survey by Mercer
Human Resource Consulting , "Luxembourg ranks as the world's
top city for personal safety and security" , and that every year
from 2005 to 2009.
Other recent
research under the name: "Smart
Cities" ranks Luxembourg as the top
small/medium-sized City in Europe.
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- Are
there any motorway tolls or other road tolls in Luxembourg?
- No, all
public roads are toll free.
You might also like to look up www.cita.lu
for up-to-the-minute motorway information showing dozens of cameras
on Luxembourg's roads.
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What
does the Luxembourg national flag look like?
- The Luxembourg
flag is 3 horizontal bands of (top-down) Red, White, and light blue
(as opposed to the dark blue of the Dutch flag).
People may
well confuse the Luxembourg flag with the Luxembourg ensign. The latter
is also known as "Roúde Léiw" which translates
as "Red Lion", and is often seen at e.g. sports events to
support the national team.
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Tell
me something about the Grand-Duke of Luxembourg, and Luxembourg's Royal
Family.
- His Royal
Highness, Grand-Duke Henri, is Luxembourg's
Head of State. As a constitutional monarch, He and a Cabinet of 12 ministers
hold executive power. On March 3, 1998, Grand-Duke
Jean, appointed His son Henri as His "Lieutenant-Représentant",
that is as His official deputy, and abdicated in His favour on September
28th, 2000.
See also: Luxembourg
Constitution, Luxembourg in a Nutshell
(re: political power);
and/or Luxembourg
Sovereigns since 963
Since June 2007, Luxembourg's Royal family presents itself at www.monarchie.lu,
(alas, this site is only available in French for now)
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Is
Kosher food available in Luxembourg ?
- There
is a kosher shop in Luxembourg City at 3-5 Rue de Reims in Luxembourg-City.
Contact: Mr Philippe Calon, Tel: (+352) 48 38 86 / Fax: (+352) 29 53
89.
Auchan Kirchberg: 5, rue Alphonse Weicker, L-2721 Luxembourg. Tel.:
(+352) 43 77 43-1
Kosher products can be found in the frozen section, fish section and
various dry foods in the international section.
Delhaize Bertrange: 15-17, Route de Longwy, L-8080 Bertrange Luxembourg.
Tel: (+352) 26 38 94 99
Kosher products in this store consist of wine, sabra salads, and chips.
The Hotel "Le Royal" will prepare
kosher food on request (advance notification necessary)
If you're asking this question, you might also be interested in finding
the Synagogue in Luxembourg, which is on square A2
of the citymap on
our site. See
also
See also: www.lubavitch.lu
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What
about typical products from Luxembourg ?
- Luxembourg
Moselle wine, chocolates,
Villeroy & Boch porcelain
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Where
can I get Luxembourg wines in the
UK ?
- Luxembourg
wines and sparkling wines may not be the best known tipple, but
they are quickly acquiring an enviable reputation abroad, now that they
are being sold outside of Luxembourg's borders as well. Thus the "Cuvée
du Domaine Kholl-Reuland" was recognised as "best sparkling
wine" by the "Concours mondial" held in Brussels in 2006
[following in the footsteps of last year's winner: Bernard-Massard's
"Cuvée de l'Écusson"], while the "16ième
Concours des Crémants de France et du Luxembourg" held yearly
in the french Jura, gave no less than 20 Gold medals and 9 Silver medals
to Luxembourg sparkling wines, and the 52nd International
Wine and Spirit Competition, held in June 2006 in Ljubljana, gave 4
silver medals for Luxembourg still and sparkling wines.
If you'd like to try some of these wines for yourself, here's a listing
of current UK suppliers of Luxembourg wines:
- The British Agent for "Vinsmoselle"
- the largest wine producer in Luxembourg - is:
Vine Associates (Wine
Distributor)
Chairman: Mr John G M James
36 St Thomas Street
Lymington
Hampshire SO41 9NE
Tel: 01590 642 173 / Mobile: 0776 0358 126
E-mail: john@vineassociatesuk.org.uk
- "Bernard-Massard" is
the largest private wine producer in Luxembourg.
United Kingdom Distributors: WaverleyTBS
Tel: 0844 556 2549
Waverley TBS import sparkling wines from Bernard-Massard
- - The
British Agent for "Caves Gales" wine producers in Luxembourg
is:
Kendrick Champagnes and
Fine Wines
The Spinneys 37
Bromley
Kent BR1 2NT
Tel : 020 8467 7524
- - Mathis
Bastian's wines are sold by:
"Les Caves de Pyrene"
Pew Corner, Old Portsmouth Road,
Artington, Guildford,
GU3 1LP
Tel: 01483 538820
- Domaine Alice Hartmann
wines are sold by:
Maison Liedberg
38, Nightingale Road
Rickmansworth Hertfordshire
WD3 7DF
Tel & Fax: +44 (0) 1923 710479
Mobile: +44 (0) 77 80 69 88 12
e-mail: maisonliedberg@aol.com
- - The
"Wine
Society" offers a Luxembourg Riesling "Grevenmacher
Fels, Clos des Rochers, 2007".
The Luxembourg
Embassy in Denmark has an interesting listing of wine
books on Luxembourg
Check out
Vins & Crémants for a complete
list of Luxembourg wine growers
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What
about famous people from Luxembourg ?
- Check
our "Did you know?" page.
See also: http://www.gouvernement.lu/tout_savoir/population_langues/personnes.html
(in French)
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What
do you call someone from Luxembourg ?
This one should be easy to answer, but -alas- the subject
is brimming with problems, as opinions on what to call someone from
Luxembourg appear to differ. Lacking the "authority of the native
speaker", all we can do here is present the options open to you.
The "people of Luxembourg" [that's
one way of calling us], call themselves Lëtzebuerger in
Lëtzebuergesch, Luxembourg's own language.
Since that's a bit tricky to pronounce for all but the erudite,
some folks
call us "Luxembourgeois". That being an "Englishized
French term", and French being one of our official languages, we
suppose these people believe it a sweet term to use, but -alas- French
is a foreign language for us and its use does not bring you closer to
our hearts than if you were to use any other foreign language. Also
the term seems to imply that we're "bourgeois", which may
not always be a compliment.
Why not simply call us "Luxembourgers"?
Although, to some, the latter might be a bit close for comfort to a
certain fast food item, but since we're not on the menu and since Wikipedia
has accepted this word, it strikes us as probably the best term to use
(see also: Being
a Luxembourger).
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What
is the Flower of Luxembourg?
- The Rose
is Luxembourg's national flower.
Here's a picture (Photo © Jean NEIERTZ) of the rose "L'Indépendance
du Luxembourg", created in 1990 by Pépiničres Louis Lens of
Redinnestraat 11, 8460 Oudenburg, Belgium to celebrate Luxembourg's
150-year independence in 1989.
This rose was created on the initiative of the association "Letzeburger
Rousefrėnn" [Luxembourg Friends of the Rose].
Member of the World Federation of Rose Societies. President: Madame
la Baronne A. de Schorlemer
Secretariat: 1a, Titzebierg L-8525 CALMUS ( Tel: +352 23 63 93 80 e-mail:
claude.vion@sdscom.lu)
Incidentally, Mr Vion's garden is home to several roses created in Luxembourg
and he is most interested in re-introducing Luxembourg rose
heritage in the country. His "Gaard
um Titzebierg" may be visited on request.
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Can
you provide an airport map?
- Oh, you
won't need one. The airport is "on a human scale", as some would say.
Chances are that you'll have left the departure lounge within 10 minutes
of touchdown. There's also an airport page
on this web site, or visit the official
Luxembourg airport home page.
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How
do I get from the Airport to the City
- Read our
page: Airport to City connections page.
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Are
there any vegetarian restaurants in Luxembourg ?
- You'll
find a specialised vegetarian restaurant at "Mesa Verde" at 11, Rue
du St Esprit (cf city map extract),
just south of Place Clairefontaine.
Most any restaurant will be happy to provide vegetarian dishes when
requested.
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What
are the shop opening hours in Luxembourg ?
- Pretty
much all shops are open in Luxembourg from Tuesday to Saturday 8 a.m.
to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., plus in the afternoon on Mondays.
Many shops (especially in larger conurbations) are also open throughout
lunch time.
It is rare for shops to open on Sundays, although exceptions confirm
this rule (6 "Shopping Sundays" are allowed each year with special
permission from the City Council)
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What
are bank opening hours in Luxembourg ?
- Alas -unlike
in the UK- there is no steadfast rule as to when banks are open. Generally
they tend to be open from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 12 noon
and between 2 pm and 4 pm. Same as for shop opening hours, there are
a number of banks that are open over lunch, and some do not close until
6 pm. If you want/need to deal with a particular bank, we would suggest
you contact said bank independently.
A directory / listing of Luxembourg banks is on the web at: www.abbl.lu,
the site of the "Association des Banques et Banquiers" (Association
of Banks and Bankers of Luxembourg), or check out www.bank.lu
Note that there are also some "hole-in-the-wall" currency exchange machines
(eg near the Grand Ducal palace) that are open 24 hours.
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I
would appreciate some guidance on the cost of living so that I can put
the salary package into context against the cost of living in the UK.
- Unfortunately
the answer has to be: "How long is a piece of string ?" Overall, we
would estimate the cost of living in Luxembourg to be less than in the
UK, certainly as far as food, public transport, going out, etc is concerned.
Then again, you might be used to having caviar for breakfast, which
is bound to be as expensive (if not even more so) in Luxembourg than
in the UK.
Some articles, like cars, petrol, cigarettes, alcohol, and even perfume,
etc are a great deal cheaper in Luxembourg than in the UK, while -admittedly-
some other articles (like clothes, shoes) are more expensive in Luxembourg.
But then again, you're getting higher quality on average [we would compare
Luxembourg shops more with Knightsbridge, than with the average British
High Street; the Luxembourg shopper is very "brand conscious"]
See
also Statec, the Luxembourg
Statistics Office, web site. (especially sub: Luxembourg
in figures)
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How
difficult would it be for my partner to gain a work permit. She is a French
national.
- Since
the "Free movement of Goods and Services with the EU" Act, nationals
from EU countries do not need work permits do work in another EU country.
However, after 3 months stay in Luxembourg, you will need to obtain
a "Carte de Séjour" -similar to an identity card / residence permit
- from the Ministry of Justice
in Luxembourg.
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Will
I need a visa to enter Luxembourg? /
What documents and immunization do I need to visit Luxembourg?
- You won't
need any special immunization or innoculation to enter Luxembourg. If
you are a national from an EU member country, you certainly will not
need a visa to enter Luxembourg, a full valid passport (or national
identity card) will be sufficient.
To help you further on this point, we have made two separate pages (Requirements
to enter Luxembourg / Schengen Visa),
but we must stress that these can only serve as a guideline, since the
rules may change without us being informed. We would therefore urge
any enquirers to check with their closest Luxembourg
Embassy for any changes in the list of required documents to enter
Luxembourg. Enquirers
from the UK might like to check out the Luxembourg
Embassy in London website
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I
am looking for the "Stade Josy Barthel", there's a football
match / an athletics event / a concert / ...
?
- The National
Sports Stadium (Stade Josy Barthel) is on route d'Arlon, the old roman
road which heads straight out west from the capital Luxembourg towards
the Belgian town of Arlon. Bad Luck has it that the arena is just outside
of our City Centre streetmap, but you
can find it on our Hotels in the Surrounds
of the City page, in square 1B (follow the arrow out of square 1A).
The "Park & Ride" car park opposite is -alas- very often
full, so don't rely on it being available, especially for larger events.
In the latter case (like an international football match), free buses
are often laid on to get people from the centre of town (or the railway
station) to the arena and back again. Please enquire at the City
Tourist Office on Place d'Armes, at the National
Tourist Office in the railway station, or in your hotel for any
special travel arrangements.
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What
are the rules and regulation for taking my pet ( dog / cat ) to Luxembourg?
- EU rules
state that a dog should have a microchip implanted, be vaccinated against
rabies (this is valid for 12 months!) and needs a certificate of good
health, in order to import it into the EU (though -from our discussion
with the Luxembourg Customs authorities, and because of the absence
of any frontier controls- it appears that there is no control on these
regulations).
It is worth pointing out that you will need to visit a vet in Luxembourg,
shortly before your departure, in order to be able to re-import your
dog into the UK. More information is available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/quarantine/index.htm
Alternatively, telephone (UK): 0870 241 1710. [open 08:30 to 17:00
Monday to Friday]
A list of vets in Luxembourg can be found on www.amvl.lu
(Association of Luxembourg Vets). To save you the search, here's the
listing of Luxembourg vets
which the association features on their site.
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What
religions are practised in Luxembourg ?
Luxembourg
is to 97% Roman Catholic, 1.5% Jewish, and 1.5% other religions
See also www.cathol.lu / Chabad
Lubavitch / Inter-religious
dialogue
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London
You may
have found these
pages or our email contact when looking
for information on "London" and "tourist office".
In this case, very sorry to disappoint you, but although our office
is located in London
we are the National
Tourist Office for the Grand-Duchy
of Luxembourg and have no London, or even UK tourist information
to give. You might like visit the likes of www.visitbritain.com
, www.visitlondon.com ,
...
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last
update: August 3, 2010
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