Temporary housing for families in Luxembourg: schools, commute and space planning

Relocating to Luxembourg with children is not just about finding an apartment. It is about fitting school hours, commutes and sleep schedules into a city and a country you do not know yet.

The rental market is tight and prices are high, especially in and around Luxembourg City. At the same time, the school system works with catchment areas and enrolment calendars, and public transport is free across the country for buses, trains and the tram. This combination means that families who try to decide everything from abroad often feel lost or rushed.

The good news is that most successful relocations follow a simple sequence. First, secure temporary housing that is safe and practical for the family. Then, confirm schools and daily routes. Only after that do you commit to a long term home that you know will work for school and work life.

This guide explains how to plan that sequence and gives concrete checklists for temporary and long term housing with children.

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How families can use temporary housing strategically

For many families, temporary housing is not a luxury. It is how you buy time to make better long term decisions.

A good pattern looks like this:

• Land in a temporary apartment that is close enough to work and likely school areas.
• Use the first weeks to finalise enrolments, understand the school run and test commutes.
• Shortlist neighbourhoods that work for school, work and weekend life.
• Move once to a longer term home that fits those realities, instead of moving twice in the first year.

The aim is to avoid a “hotel limbo” month where you are cramped in a small room, paying too much, and making rushed decisions.

Before arrival: choose your family landing spot

1. Decide what has priority in the first month

Think in simple terms:

• Does one parent need to be at the office most days from week one.
• Do you already know which school or crèche your children will attend.
• Are you comfortable with a longer commute if it means more space and a quieter area.

If school is already fixed, prioritise temporary housing near the school or on a direct public transport line to it. If school is still being decided, it can be safer to stay closer to the main business areas so the working parent has a short commute during the first weeks.

2. Pick the right type of temporary housing

For families, not all short term options are equal. In practice, the most common options are:

• Serviced apartments or corporate housing with kitchen and separate sleeping area.
• Furnished apartments on mid term rental platforms.
• Larger apart hotels with family suites.

Hotel rooms without a kitchenette are usually only viable for very short stays. With children, you want at least a basic kitchen, some separation between sleeping and living space and a washing machine either in the unit or in the building.

3. Minimum checklist for family friendly temporary housing

As a starting point, try to secure:

• At least one separate bedroom, ideally two if you have older children.
• A door that separates adult and child sleeping areas so bedtimes can be managed.
• A safe layout for toddlers, with limited sharp corners and windows that lock properly.
• Blackout curtains or good blinds in bedrooms.
• A cot or extra bed if needed, or enough space to add one.
• A real table where children can eat and draw or do homework.
• Washing machine in the property or building and somewhere to dry clothes.
• Fast and stable internet so parents can handle work and admin.
• Easy access to a playground or park within a short walk.

This is the minimum that keeps the first weeks workable while you focus on schools and long term options.

After arrival: confirm schools and daily rhythm

4. Finalise school choices and understand the system

Schooling in Luxembourg is compulsory from age four to sixteen and primary education is organised in four cycles from roughly ages three to eleven. Public schools are linked to your commune of residence and there are also international and private schools with their own admissions rules.

In your first weeks:

• Confirm places with any international or private schools you have applied to.
• Visit local public schools if you are considering enrolling there.
• Clarify language of instruction and support for children who do not yet speak the school language.
• Note start and finish times, after school care options and holiday calendars.

Once you know where your children will go to school, you can plan your long term housing around that reality instead of guessing from abroad.

5. Test the school run and work commute in real life

Luxembourg’s public transport network is free and covers buses, trains and the tram. This makes it easier to live further from the centre as long as your routes are logical.

During the first two weeks:

• Make the school run at real times, including morning and afternoon peaks.
• Test both public transport and car routes if you plan to drive.
• Check how long it really takes door to door, including walking and waiting.
• Try a few backup routes in case of delays or disruptions.

The goal is to understand which neighbourhoods would keep the daily routine manageable for the children and adults.

6. Map weekend life for the family

A long term home also has to work outside school and office hours. From your temporary base:

• Visit parks and playgrounds in the areas you are considering.
• Check where you would shop for groceries and essentials.
• Look at sports clubs, music schools or other activities that might matter later.

A neighbourhood that seems perfect on paper can feel very different on a Sunday afternoon with two children who need a place to run.

Planning your long term home once schools and commutes are clear

7. Choose your long term neighbourhood logic

Most families end up choosing one of three basic patterns:

• Near the school
  The children’s school run is as simple as possible, the working parent accepts a longer commute.
• Between school and work
  The home sits somewhere between school and the main office location to balance time for everyone.
• Near work with strong public transport
  The working parent has a short commute and the school run uses a fast tram or train line.

There is no universal answer. The right solution depends on the ages of your children, how flexible your job is and how confident you feel using public transport or driving in traffic.

8. Minimum apartment specs for families by stage

Use these as reference points when you filter listings.

With babies and toddlers

• Lift or ground floor access so you are not carrying a pram up several flights of stairs.
• Space to park a pram safely inside the flat or in a shared area.
• Separate sleeping space for parents and child, even if one bedroom plus a small office or alcove.
• Bathtub or space to install a baby bath.
• Easy to clean floors and limited sharp corners or open staircases.

With primary school children

• At least two bedrooms, three if you have more than one child or plan to stay several years.
• A clear workspace for homework in bedrooms or living area.
• Good sound insulation so early bedtimes are realistic.
• Storage for school bags, sports equipment and coats near the entrance.
• Access to outdoor space, whether a balcony, shared garden or nearby park.

With teenagers

• Enough privacy, which often means three or more bedrooms or a layout with separate zones.
• Strong and stable internet and enough power outlets in bedrooms.
• Reliable public transport links so they can travel independently to school and activities.
• Secure bike storage if cycling is part of the plan.

9. Space planning for temporary and long term phases

Treat your first accommodation as a “landing stage” and your long term home as “stage two”.

For the temporary phase:

• Bring or buy only what is essential.
• Use folding cots, travel high chairs and minimal toys.
• Keep storage solutions light and flexible, such as fabric boxes and small shelves.

For the long term home:

• Plan bedrooms by sleep schedule and noise, not just by square metres.
• Prioritise storage that children can use themselves.
• Make one zone where work laptops and paperwork can be put away at the end of the day so the living room does not feel like an office.

How StaysCo can help families avoid “hotel limbo”

Many families know that a staged approach is smarter but struggle to organise it with multiple platforms and landlords.

StaysCo’s role is simple:

• You send one brief with your dates, family size, budget and likely school or office areas.
• StaysCo curates a small set of temporary and mid term options that meet minimum family standards.
• During your first weeks, you can ask for new options that reflect what you have learned about schools and commutes.
• When you are ready to move to a longer term home, you have a partner who already understands your constraints and can source options accordingly.

The objective is to reduce the number of moves, avoid a stressful hotel month and give your family a smoother landing in Luxembourg.

10 point checklist for families planning temporary housing in Luxembourg

1. Decide what has priority in month one, school, work or both equally.
2. Choose temporary housing with a real kitchen, separate sleeping area and washing machine.
3. Make sure the temporary flat is safe and workable for your children’s age.
4. Land with at least 30 days confirmed and budget for up to 60 days if you want more breathing room.
5. Use the first weeks to finalise school choices and understand timetables and locations.
6. Test the school run and work commute at real times using free public transport.
7. Explore parks, shops and activities in potential neighbourhoods at weekends.
8. Decide your long term neighbourhood logic, near school, between school and work or near the office.
9. Apply minimum apartment specs for your children’s age group so everyday life works.
10. Work with a partner like StaysCo to receive filtered options instead of starting from zero each time.

If you follow this sequence, temporary housing stops being an expensive pause and becomes the tool that helps your family find the right long term home in Luxembourg.

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