Climate
Luxembourg has a sub-Atlantic climate and tends to be humid and cold. The average annual temperature is around 9°C. The climate varies between the oceanic climate in the Atlantic region (mild and wet winters) and the continental climate of the East European plains (harsh winters and wet summers). The oceanic influence brings rain in every season, while the continental influence delivers a biting dry cold in the winter. The average temperature ranges from 0°C in January to 17°C in July. The difference in temperature between the north and the south rarely exceeds 2°C. For more information, please consult Luxembourg's meteorological website.
Electric power supply
Voltage: 230 volts
Frequency: 50 Hz
Electrical plug type: Type F
Languages
The linguistic situation in Luxembourg is characterised by the recognition and use of 3 languages: Luxembourgish, French and German.
Lëtzebuergesch or Luxembourgish, a Moselle Franconian dialect which is the maternal language of most native Luxembourg people, is the national language. French is the language used for legislative matters. French, German and Luxembourgish all share the status of judiciary and administrative languages.
Luxembourg is characterised by a multilingualism shared by around 300,000 native Luxembourg people.
Local time
Luxembourg belongs to the Central European time zone (CET, Central European Time). The time difference with Greenwich Mean Time is two hours in summer (GMT + 2) and one hour in winter (GMT +1). During the night of 24-25 October 2015, the clocks will go back one hour.
Money
The official currency of Luxembourg is the euro. In general, banks offer currency exchange services and there are also independent bureaux de change in the city centre. Otherwise, cash machines accept most credit and debit cards. All major credit cards are widely accepted in Luxembourg.
Opening hours
- Shops
Shops are normally open Monday to Saturdays from 09:00 to 18:00. Large shops and supermarkets are usually open until 20:00.
- Banks
Opening hours vary from bank to bank, but are generally between 09:00 and 16:00 or 17:00 Monday to Friday.
- Restaurants and cafés
Restaurant opening hours can vary from place to place. Lunch is usually served from 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 19:00. For more information on gastronomy in Luxembourg, please consult this website.
- Post offices
Post offices are normally open Monday to Fridays between 08:00 and 12:00 and 13:30 and 17:00. Some post offices in Luxembourg do not close at lunchtime: the post office near the railway station is open from 06:00 to 19:00, the post office in the city centre (25, rue Aldringen) is open from 07:00 to 19:00 and the post office in Kirchberg (33A, Avenue J.-F. Kennedy) is open from 09:00 to 18:00.
Public Holidays
Public holidays during the Presidency:
- Assumption: 15 August 2015;
- All Saints Day: 1 November 2015;
- Christmas Day: 25 December 2015;
- Boxing Day: 26 December 2015.
Emergency numbers
For the Emergency Services, dial 112, or for the Grand Ducal Police, dial 113.
Telephone
Luxembourg international country code: + 352
Smoking in Luxembourg
Since 1 January 2014, smoking has not been permitted in public places: cafés; bars; restaurants; nightclubs; hotel premises; shopping centres and sports and leisure facilities.
Tips
In general, tips are left to the discretion of the customer. The practice is common in restaurants, where the tip is usually between 5 and 10% of the total amount.
For more information on visiting Luxembourg, please consult the website of the Luxembourg National Tourist Office.