Luxembourg itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Luxembourg is small and its trains and buses are free, so the itinerary question is really about how many nights to give the country and what to bolt on. The table below is the short version; the sections after it explain each route.

Seven days: land at Luxembourg Findel, take bus or train into the city and stay 3 nights. Day 1 old town, Chemin de la Corniche, Grund and the Bock casemates. Day 2 tram to Kirchberg for MUDAM and the EU quarter, or a half-day to Esch-sur-Alzette for the Belval blast furnaces. Day 3 day trip north to Vianden castle, then Diekirch's military museum on the way back. Day 4 move to Echternach, 2 nights, for the abbey and the Müllerthal sandstone trails. Day 6 cross to Trier, Germany, 2 nights; the Echternach area to Trier is roughly 45 minutes by train or bus (approximate — check current timetables). Day 7 return to Luxembourg City or fly out of Luxembourg.

Ten days: start in Brussels, 3 nights, with a day trip to Bruges. Two nights in Ghent, then two in Namur with a day trip to Dinant. Finish with 3 nights in Luxembourg City and day trips to Vianden and the Moselle. The whole route is by train.

Fourteen days: Amsterdam 4 nights, Brussels 4, Luxembourg City 4, then 2 nights in Remich on the Moselle for wine cellars and river boats. Fly into Amsterdam and out of Luxembourg if you can; it avoids backtracking.

Book Luxembourg City hotels early for summer and December; the old town is small and fills up. Trains and buses within the country are free, which keeps day trips cheap; check the current timetable for each route before you commit, and note that cross-border legs to Trier, Brussels or Amsterdam are ticketed and are best booked ahead on the operator's site.

The country runs on the euro, cards are accepted almost everywhere, and tipping is a small round-up rather than a rule. US, UK, Canadian, Australian, Irish and New Zealand passports can enter Schengen for short stays without a visa, but check your own passport's validity rules before booking.

The main one is giving Luxembourg a full week on its own. Two to three nights in the capital plus day trips covers the highlights, and the free transport makes those day trips easy. The second is treating the country as a stopover and skipping the north: Vianden, Clervaux and the Müllerthal are the reason to come. The third is renting a car by default; trains and buses cover the main towns, and parking in Luxembourg City is expensive.

Finally, do not assume everything is open year-round. Rural castles, chairlifts and some museums run seasonal or reduced hours outside summer, so check the day before you travel.