Car-free ways to explore Luxembourg's wine country

Ready to taste a little of what Luxembourg’s winemakers have to offer? Here are four car-free ways to sample the fruits of their labor while exploring Luxembourg’s Moselle wine region.

Rent a one-way bicycle

One of the most enjoyable ways to enjoy Luxembourg’s wine country is by bicycle, past rolling hills covered with row after row of grapevines.

The Rent a Bike Miselerland program makes it easy, with inexpensive bicycle rentals offered in 13 locations between the beginning of Luxembourg’s portion of the Moselle River in Wasserbillig and the end of it, in Schengen. Bicycles can be hired or returned at any one of the 13 Rent a Bike Miselerland locations, which are easy to spot by the large, logo-bearing flag in each rental spot.

The service is available year-round and was established in 2009; it has grown in popularity ever since. More than 3,000 bicycles have been rented since mid-March of this year alone, according to Siegmund Salm, with the Rent a Bike Miselerland program.

Bicycles are available in both child and adult sizes and cost 7€ each for a 24-hour rental. Helmets, locks and baskets are offered free of charge. Bicycles with attached child seats are available by advance reservation, as are bicycles with child trailers that detach and convert into strollers. Discounts are available for groups of six or more, for students, and for residents of communes that host a Rent a Bike Miselerland rental station.

Renters traveling to the Moselle by bus or train may want to call ahead the morning of departure to confirm availability of bicycles and ask if a reservation is possible. More information is available at www.rentabike-miselerland.lu

The public bus

A full-day public bus ticket in Luxembourg costs 4€ and can be purchased directly from any bus driver. Buses depart Luxembourg Ville regularly to several towns along the country’s Moselle River wine region, and up-to-the minute bus schedules are available through Luxembourg’s public transportation hub, Mobilitéits Zentral, online at www.mobiliteit.lu

After arriving in the Moselle region, it’s easy to travel from town to town on the same full-day public bus ticket on line 450, which runs north and south between Grevenmacher and Remich once each hour from Monday through Saturday.

With a private driver

Transportation company Emile Weber has partnered with Luxembourg wine promotion commission Vins & Crémants to offer special rates for booking their van and bus service.

The rental fee is 15€ per person, and this charge covers pick-up service from one location in Luxembourg to one winery, and a return trip back to the pick-up location when the tasting is finished.

Shuttles can be booked through an online form at www.emile.lu. Filling out the form will create an event that hosts can either keep private to their own group or open to the public. The host can also decide whether to pay the fee for all of their guests at once, or to set up the registration page to allow their guests to pay individually with their own credit cards online. A minimum of eight people are required in order to reserve a shuttle.

The 15€ fee does not include the wine tasting. The wine tasting must be booked separately with the individual winery, and tasting fees should be paid directly to the winery. A list of participating wineries can be found at www.winetasting.lu

Float on a boat

There may not be a better way to laze away the day than by relaxing in the sunshine with a cold glass of Luxembourg wine on the upper deck of the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, as Luxembourg’s lush vineyards pass you by.

The boat stops in seven towns on Luxembourg’s winemaking side of the Moselle, and a one-way ticket from Wasserbillig to Schengen costs 13€; a shorter ride will cost you less.

The only catch? The MS Princesse Marie-Astrid only runs between mid-May and the end of September; a shame when the warm weather extends into fall. Boat schedules, rates and additional details can be found online at www.marie-astrid.lu.