I spent 3 days in Luxembourg, the wealthiest country in the world where train travel is free. Here were the 5 best parts about the trip, and 3 things that were disappointing.

In March, I visited Luxembourg, a small landlocked European nation that shares borders with Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg is the wealthiest country in the world, according to an August 2022 report by Global Finance, which analyzed the gross domestic product (GDP), meaning the value of all goods and services produced by the nation.

I was eager to spend three nights in some of Luxembourg's luxury hotels, and also to see the beautiful countryside and fairytale castles using free public transport. In February 2022, Luxembourg became the first country in the world to make public transport free for all residents and visitors.

Here were the best and worst parts of the trip.

Since Luxembourg is known for its wealth, I was eager to stay at one of the country's five-star hotels in order to get a glimpse of the luxury lifestyle. I spent one night at Hotel Le Royal, a five-star hotel in Luxembourg City that mostly caters to people who are traveling for business, the hotel manager told me during my visit.

I stayed in a traditional queen room, which cost $275.70 for one night and had a queen-sized double bed, a TV, a dressing table, and a bathroom with a bath and shower. There was also a complimentary fruit bowl and a box of chocolates in my room upon my arrival.

The hotel has a restaurant, a lounge, and a piano bar where a professional pianist plays every Friday and Saturday evening.

During my stay at Hotel Le Royal, I was given a tour of the Royal Suite, the hotel's most expensive suite which costs €2,900 per night, or around $3,150.

The suite has a bedroom with an ensuite, a bathroom with a private hammam, a kitchenette, a private office for business meetings, and a lounge.

It's usually booked out for any duration between a few days and a few months, the hotel's manager told me during the tour.

Unlike Hotel Le Royal, which caters to business clients in the city, Chateau d'Urspelt is a spa hotel tucked away in the Luxembourg countryside which mostly caters to couples on vacation, the hotel manager told me during my visit.

I stayed in a superior room with a queen-sized bed that was decorated with rose petals and swan towels when I arrived. The open-plan room also had a TV, and a bathroom with a bath and a shower. The room costs around €376, or around $410 for two nights, the hotel manager told me during my visit.

The hotel is located in Clervaux, a town in the countryside that's known for its magnificent scenery and fairytale castles. Chateau d'Urspelt is the only castle hotel in the area, the manager told me during my visit.

It was built in the 13th century and transformed into a hotel in 2008. It has a restaurant, a spa and indoor pool, and a courtyard with a pond which looked particularly dreamy and romantic when it started snowing during my stay.

All public transportation in Luxembourg is free of charge to both residents and visitors as part of the government's plan to support people living on lower incomes, a spokesperson for the government's mobility department told Insider during my visit.

Every step of my journey involved free public transport, from the airport shuttle bus to using the tram to get around the city and the train and bus for my journey to Clervaux. I found all of them extremely easy to use, as every vehicle had digital boards which provided information about the journey. I found the trains and buses to be particularly clean and comfortable.

There are more than 70 castles in Luxembourg that date back 1,000 years, according to Visit Luxembourg's website. One of the most recognized is Vianden Castle in north Luxembourg, which was built between the 11th and 14th centuries and currently operates as a tourist attraction. I got to see both Vianden Castle and Clervaux Castle during my visit to Chateau d'Urspelt.

As someone who lives in Scotland, castles aren't unusual to me. But even though I'm used to castles, I was still in awe in the ones I witnessed in Luxembourg. Their large size in addition to the surrounding scenery of rolling hills and forests made it feel like I was looking at something plucked out of a fairytale or a movie set.

While the snowy weather made Chateau d'Urspelt look beautiful, it wasn't practical for a trip that involved outdoor attractions and public transport. Luckily, none of the public transportation I'd booked was affected by the weather, but I found myself wishing that I had packed some warmer clothes.

Not to mention, Chateau d'Urspelt had an outdoor pool which was closed for the winter. If I ever visit the hotel again in the future, I'll be sure to visit during the summer time to make use of it.

Luxembourg has 645,000 residents, and many people commute to the city from Belgium, France, and Germany for work, a spokesperson for Visit Luxembourg told me during my visit. When visiting Luxembourg City, I was surprised by how quiet some of the city's most famous landmarks were.

The above photo was taken at the Grand Ducal Palace on a Monday afternoon. And even though it was a weekday, I was still surprised to be the only tourist taking photos. While the city was beautiful, the streets were very quiet when I visited. When traveling solo, I usually prefer cities with a larger population, as they usually have a more lively and welcoming atmosphere, which makes it easier to meet new people and to feel less alone.

While I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Luxembourg, I was there for just three days before I took a train to Brussels, Belgium. During that time, I stayed at two hotels and explored Luxembourg City and the countryside. I ended up feeling pretty exhausted by the end of the trip, which likely could have been avoided if I had chosen to stay at just one hotel and if I wasn't squeezing everything into three days.

If I ever visit Luxembourg in the future, I'll make sure to stay for longer so I'm not rushing my way through the trip. It's a beautiful country, and it deserves to be seen and explored with a more generous amount of time.