Moving to Luxembourg
Discussion
I'm potentially going to relocate to Luxembourg in March with the three loves of my life: my wife, my 18 month old boy and my VX220.
I know very little about the place having only been over there for work trips which means I only know a few hotels, the offices and the roads between them and the airport.
I'd love to know if there are any PHers out there and if anyone has experience of moving over there... some random questions:
Merci beaucoup,
Pommes de terre
I know very little about the place having only been over there for work trips which means I only know a few hotels, the offices and the roads between them and the airport.
I'd love to know if there are any PHers out there and if anyone has experience of moving over there... some random questions:
- How easy is it to meet other families?
- Any good areas to live with kids we should look out for (ideally French speaking)?
- What are the schools like?
- Do we buy, rent or build?
Merci beaucoup,
Pommes de terre
Me and my other half have spent the last 5 months with our time split between Lux and NL due to work.
Very international and so far seems very easy to socialize and meet people. Our place is in Cents which is lovely if you want to be in walking distance of the centre but Walferdange is also very nice and kid friendly.
For the renting vs buying we rent but to be honest not sure if it is the best choice.
And right now it is snowing heavily based on the note I just got.
Very international and so far seems very easy to socialize and meet people. Our place is in Cents which is lovely if you want to be in walking distance of the centre but Walferdange is also very nice and kid friendly.
For the renting vs buying we rent but to be honest not sure if it is the best choice.
And right now it is snowing heavily based on the note I just got.
5PotTurbo 
I was raised in Lux but haven't lived there for a while. No kids and never bought a house so can't help you there, 5potTurbo might.
In terms of areas though, the best residential areas are Belair and Merl, in Luxembourg City, about a 5-10 min car/bus ride to the city centre. Pretty multilingual so you will be fine with French. But probably the most expensive area as well.
Lots of new builds in the lower part of Merl (which is slightly less glam but still very good), which seem decent value.
I was raised in Lux but haven't lived there for a while. No kids and never bought a house so can't help you there, 5potTurbo might.
In terms of areas though, the best residential areas are Belair and Merl, in Luxembourg City, about a 5-10 min car/bus ride to the city centre. Pretty multilingual so you will be fine with French. But probably the most expensive area as well.
Lots of new builds in the lower part of Merl (which is slightly less glam but still very good), which seem decent value.
Edited by matrignano on Friday 30th January 16:28
Thanks guys, this was really useful. I loved 5potturbo's housebuild thread too 
My wife and I have done a ton of research and are keen to make the move... all depends on the job offer. I get the formal offer this week so if the money and relocation package fits the Pommes de Terre famille may be on our way to Luxembourg... as scary as that sounds!
My wife and I have done a ton of research and are keen to make the move... all depends on the job offer. I get the formal offer this week so if the money and relocation package fits the Pommes de Terre famille may be on our way to Luxembourg... as scary as that sounds!
Hello mate,
Thanks for the reply, loved your housebuild thread!
On our research done so far it looks like a great place for a young family but very interested in your experiences and I really appreciate your offer of support.
I'm going to put together a quick PM to you and send over if the job offer fits...
Thanks mate,
Potatoes
Thanks for the reply, loved your housebuild thread!
On our research done so far it looks like a great place for a young family but very interested in your experiences and I really appreciate your offer of support.
I'm going to put together a quick PM to you and send over if the job offer fits...
Thanks mate,
Potatoes
Hacksaw: Boff gives me a hangover after 4 pints! Dunno what it is about it, but it always does. 
Pleased somebody liked my thread!
I'll answer these first
- always easy to meet people and other families, crèche, get togethers, sporting events, via colleagues, other PHers , etc. it's a very international population here, I'm sure you've already noticed. We live in Junglinster now but have lived in the city (2 suburbs), surrounding small towns and in the north east. (I think I've had 7 addresses in 17 years?) Your wife can build up a good network too through the Toddlers Group run via the British Ladies Club. Www.blc.lu
- almost everyone here speaks French, certainly all the locals do, although it's not completely necessary, really... Children pick up foreign languages very easily. Our children were born here and started learning Luxembourgish at one of the crèches in the City. Where you want to live can often be driven by how much you have to/can afford to spend on rent. We used to rent in Dommeldange a 4 bed townhouse with 3 bathrooms for €1700/month. You can't do that now!
Look at www.athome.lu for an idea - you can select rent/houses/ then the area - all the suburbs of the city, etc., to get an idea. There's a new build on our development up for rent at €3k/month...and we're not in the City, maybe 9 miles east.
- schools are excellent for languages, as you'd expect, and can also be very good for academic attainment. Like. Anywhere, it's not necessarily the schools but the children's interest in learning. (I was a lazy git at school!). How you want your child schooled is up to you, if you will..... European School, if you don't work for the Courts, Commission or EIB, you'll have to pay for. Local schools are free and they're multilingual. You don't have to worry about that just yet!
- I'd suggest you rent first. Get used to being here, settle in, make friends. We didn't buy until 6 years after I'd moved here, and we're now in the new place which is our 2nd purchase. Purchasing fees add up, quickly!
Renting, you'll still end to pay the agent's commission (usually 2 months rent + VAT) and the landlord will want a deposit of 2 or 3 months rent, which is usually held in your bank saving account but blocked for the benefit of the landlord....that's called the Bank Guarantee. It's easy and doesn't cost much to do....but it's money you need to have and it's tied up.
You didn't mention your car beyond the opening sentence. Not very PH is it? My insurance agent's very helpful, a petrol head himself, when I get your PM I can pass you his details.
Of course you car will need to pass local Contrôle Technique, so I hope it's not modified. They're not too keen on that here.... *sobs* I learned the very expensive way!
Drop me a PM whenever you like. Happy to help. I've typed probably too much already!
Russell
Pleased somebody liked my thread!
I'll answer these first
Potatoes said:
- How easy is it to meet other families?
- Any good areas to live with kids we should look out for (ideally French speaking)?
- What are the schools like?
- Do we buy, rent or build?
, etc. it's a very international population here, I'm sure you've already noticed. We live in Junglinster now but have lived in the city (2 suburbs), surrounding small towns and in the north east. (I think I've had 7 addresses in 17 years?) Your wife can build up a good network too through the Toddlers Group run via the British Ladies Club. Www.blc.lu- almost everyone here speaks French, certainly all the locals do, although it's not completely necessary, really... Children pick up foreign languages very easily. Our children were born here and started learning Luxembourgish at one of the crèches in the City. Where you want to live can often be driven by how much you have to/can afford to spend on rent. We used to rent in Dommeldange a 4 bed townhouse with 3 bathrooms for €1700/month. You can't do that now!
Look at www.athome.lu for an idea - you can select rent/houses/ then the area - all the suburbs of the city, etc., to get an idea. There's a new build on our development up for rent at €3k/month...and we're not in the City, maybe 9 miles east.
- schools are excellent for languages, as you'd expect, and can also be very good for academic attainment. Like. Anywhere, it's not necessarily the schools but the children's interest in learning. (I was a lazy git at school!). How you want your child schooled is up to you, if you will..... European School, if you don't work for the Courts, Commission or EIB, you'll have to pay for. Local schools are free and they're multilingual. You don't have to worry about that just yet!
- I'd suggest you rent first. Get used to being here, settle in, make friends. We didn't buy until 6 years after I'd moved here, and we're now in the new place which is our 2nd purchase. Purchasing fees add up, quickly!
Renting, you'll still end to pay the agent's commission (usually 2 months rent + VAT) and the landlord will want a deposit of 2 or 3 months rent, which is usually held in your bank saving account but blocked for the benefit of the landlord....that's called the Bank Guarantee. It's easy and doesn't cost much to do....but it's money you need to have and it's tied up.
You didn't mention your car beyond the opening sentence. Not very PH is it?
My insurance agent's very helpful, a petrol head himself, when I get your PM I can pass you his details.Of course you car will need to pass local Contrôle Technique, so I hope it's not modified. They're not too keen on that here.... *sobs* I learned the very expensive way!
Drop me a PM whenever you like. Happy to help. I've typed probably too much already!
Russell
Edited by 5potTurbo on Tuesday 10th February 17:02
Another Lux resident here Moved here nearly 4 years ago and really like the place.
I don't have kids so can't comment on schools etc, but with regards somewhere to live I live in Strassen, which is to the west of the city. The only advice I would give when looking for somewhere is to try the route to your potential workplace during the morning rush hour. This can make a drastic difference to the commuting times. For example, it can take me 30-40min to get to the city centre some mornings, whereas at a weekend it is a 5min journey. Don't underestimate the number of people coming in on the main routes from outside Lux (the Belgian lot is what I get caught up with, but equally true of the German or French workers on other routes) which clog the roads up massively.
Prices really do drop off drastically the further out from the centre of town - eg I am in a one bed apartment which costs €1250pm, whereas my colleague lives out by the Belgian border, has a 4 bed house for €1600pm.
Happy to help if you need anything more specific, just pm me.
Oh and definitely avoid Bofferding Beer, the headaches mentioned by others are not local legend, but hideously true!! Drink Battin, that's much better
Moved here nearly 4 years ago and really like the place. I don't have kids so can't comment on schools etc, but with regards somewhere to live I live in Strassen, which is to the west of the city. The only advice I would give when looking for somewhere is to try the route to your potential workplace during the morning rush hour. This can make a drastic difference to the commuting times. For example, it can take me 30-40min to get to the city centre some mornings, whereas at a weekend it is a 5min journey. Don't underestimate the number of people coming in on the main routes from outside Lux (the Belgian lot is what I get caught up with, but equally true of the German or French workers on other routes) which clog the roads up massively.
Prices really do drop off drastically the further out from the centre of town - eg I am in a one bed apartment which costs €1250pm, whereas my colleague lives out by the Belgian border, has a 4 bed house for €1600pm.
Happy to help if you need anything more specific, just pm me.
Oh and definitely avoid Bofferding Beer, the headaches mentioned by others are not local legend, but hideously true!! Drink Battin, that's much better
Thanks Russell and Marky!
I got the offer today and it seems good, wife and I are pretty pleased so I've given us until Friday to go back with a decision. We're being given a consultant to help us with the move which will solve a lot of potential problems. Russell I'm going to drop you a PM tonight/tomorrow with some specific questions, mainly on the car situation as although my car (VX220) is lightly modded I want to make sure I can get it through the Controle Technique as am doing Spa in it in July! The only mods are adjustable suspension (with Lotus 340R geometry), aftermarket wheels (TD 1.2 16" front, 17" rear) with Federal RSR rubber, AP 4-pot front brakes, aftermarket backbox with pre-cat removed and an ECU remap... I suspect the exhaust/pre-cat may not be to their liking!
I learned the hard way with Bofferding on a work night out there a few years ago... the next day was one of the toughest days in the office I'd ever had... actually, thinking about it, I've never drank more that 3 pints on a school night again after that experience! Horrible!
We're currently looking at flats/townhouses in the Luxembourg City area under E2,000, there are some available but it's made all the more difficult in that we have a 18 month old to think about and a VX220 to store through the winter... in a garage where I can trickle charge the battery. I'd love to be within a few miles of where I work so I can cycle/run in and avoid the traffic but that may be difficult. For you guys out there, are areas like Merl and Belair relatively easy commutes to my workplace which is roughly here:
I got the offer today and it seems good, wife and I are pretty pleased so I've given us until Friday to go back with a decision. We're being given a consultant to help us with the move which will solve a lot of potential problems. Russell I'm going to drop you a PM tonight/tomorrow with some specific questions, mainly on the car situation as although my car (VX220) is lightly modded I want to make sure I can get it through the Controle Technique as am doing Spa in it in July! The only mods are adjustable suspension (with Lotus 340R geometry), aftermarket wheels (TD 1.2 16" front, 17" rear) with Federal RSR rubber, AP 4-pot front brakes, aftermarket backbox with pre-cat removed and an ECU remap... I suspect the exhaust/pre-cat may not be to their liking!
I learned the hard way with Bofferding on a work night out there a few years ago... the next day was one of the toughest days in the office I'd ever had... actually, thinking about it, I've never drank more that 3 pints on a school night again after that experience! Horrible!
We're currently looking at flats/townhouses in the Luxembourg City area under E2,000, there are some available but it's made all the more difficult in that we have a 18 month old to think about and a VX220 to store through the winter... in a garage where I can trickle charge the battery. I'd love to be within a few miles of where I work so I can cycle/run in and avoid the traffic but that may be difficult. For you guys out there, are areas like Merl and Belair relatively easy commutes to my workplace which is roughly here:
Edited by Potatoes on Tuesday 10th February 21:29
Our apartment is not far from you work in Cents, my GF works very close by there and takes the bus (10 mins) or walks (10-15 mins) depending on weather. I was pleasantly surprised at how good buses are in he centre. Judging by the fact I do not think she has fueled her car in 2 months it seems to work well.
Potatoes: happy to help on the car front, of course. I think you'll find SNCT won't like your exhaust. Other mods, if you've the original TuV certificates (maybe?), you'll be OK, at a price... otherwise SNCT will send you to TuV in Trier, Germany (~40 minutes away) to get their OK first. I've lost battles with modifications on cars at SNCT, even though they've an "homologation centre", but their idea of "homologation" is simply to check stuff that's already TuV certified. They're fookin' numpties otherwise.
(Alternative: keep the VX on UK plates/insurance and get it MOT'd each year in the UK?)
As Superstreek said, if an easy commute's a priority, have a look at Cents for living, rather than the cross town hassle of Merl or Belair. Public transport's good there, there's a free nightbus when you're drunk to get you home ... 2 pints of Boff, then , and there's a local Delhaize supermarket.
I've friends and colleagues that live in that area and they seem to like it.
Alternatively, look at the areas of Neudorf, Clausen or Pfaffenthal which would be easy to get to work.
(Alternative: keep the VX on UK plates/insurance and get it MOT'd each year in the UK?)
As Superstreek said, if an easy commute's a priority, have a look at Cents for living, rather than the cross town hassle of Merl or Belair. Public transport's good there, there's a free nightbus when you're drunk to get you home ... 2 pints of Boff, then
, and there's a local Delhaize supermarket.I've friends and colleagues that live in that area and they seem to like it.
Alternatively, look at the areas of Neudorf, Clausen or Pfaffenthal which would be easy to get to work.
Thanks mate,
that's another option actually, I will look at keeping it on UK plates as an alternative. I'm sending over a PM to you to get your insurance agents details so I can have a conversation with him in the coming few weeks and work out the most appropriate option for the VX.
I'll look at those areas too but agree, living on the other side of Lux will elongate the commute... which I am okay with as I currently have a 112 round trip commute. Would love to have a relatively easy commute so I can run/cycle in.
that's another option actually, I will look at keeping it on UK plates as an alternative. I'm sending over a PM to you to get your insurance agents details so I can have a conversation with him in the coming few weeks and work out the most appropriate option for the VX.
I'll look at those areas too but agree, living on the other side of Lux will elongate the commute... which I am okay with as I currently have a 112 round trip commute. Would love to have a relatively easy commute so I can run/cycle in.
Hello all,
Thanks again for the advice, it's been incredibly useful!
We've now been living in Luxembourg for just over 3 months, the first being on Val Fleuri in Belair before moving to our permanent place on Rue Valentin Simon in Eich; 2.7km from my work
So we've bought a family car, Seat Altea Freetrack and have the VX over on UK plates currently... I'm still trying to work out the best step forward. I've managed to befriend the chap who owns Crystal Cars in Mamer and he's given me some tips on getting the VX ready to convert to Lux plates but I'd ideally like to keep her on UK plates as it's so much cheaper!!
Me and my 2 yr old are off for a spin on the country roads in the VX tomorrow. The last time I drove it was the 6hr drive over from London... 1 hr in, the water pump failed and spewed coolant all over the road so I had to stop every 50 miles to top up the coolant! Having just fixed the minor coolant leak I'm really looking forward to getting her out tomorrow with the little man.
The little chap seems to be loving Luxembourg so far:
Although, he's not too sure about the new family car:
Absolutely loving the place currently but the heat is extraordinary, I'm sure we're still firmly in the honeymoon period.
I've been so busy in my new roles I've barely had a chance to actually meet people so I'm looking forward to meeting more expats out here.
Thanks again to all of you for your advice and I hope to meet some of you in the future
PS do Luxembourgers do car meets?! I've not been able to find anything
Thanks again for the advice, it's been incredibly useful!
We've now been living in Luxembourg for just over 3 months, the first being on Val Fleuri in Belair before moving to our permanent place on Rue Valentin Simon in Eich; 2.7km from my work
So we've bought a family car, Seat Altea Freetrack and have the VX over on UK plates currently... I'm still trying to work out the best step forward. I've managed to befriend the chap who owns Crystal Cars in Mamer and he's given me some tips on getting the VX ready to convert to Lux plates but I'd ideally like to keep her on UK plates as it's so much cheaper!!
Me and my 2 yr old are off for a spin on the country roads in the VX tomorrow. The last time I drove it was the 6hr drive over from London... 1 hr in, the water pump failed and spewed coolant all over the road so I had to stop every 50 miles to top up the coolant! Having just fixed the minor coolant leak I'm really looking forward to getting her out tomorrow with the little man.
The little chap seems to be loving Luxembourg so far:
Although, he's not too sure about the new family car:
Absolutely loving the place currently but the heat is extraordinary, I'm sure we're still firmly in the honeymoon period.
I've been so busy in my new roles I've barely had a chance to actually meet people so I'm looking forward to meeting more expats out here.
Thanks again to all of you for your advice and I hope to meet some of you in the future
PS do Luxembourgers do car meets?! I've not been able to find anything
Edited by Potatoes on Friday 17th July 21:04
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