New Baggage “Limits” for French TGV and Intercites Trains (Shouldn’t be Problematic for most)

90 cm x 70 cm x 50 cm =~ 35 x 27 x 19
40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm = ~ 15 x 12 x 6

Can you pay an extra fee ( like an airline) to take extra or oversized bags or is it just a matter paying a fine when caught?

We just got off train yesterday and they didn't check at all. I saw someone get off the train with a double-sized suitcase in second class and looked like she wasn't hassled. They have limited space though for overhead which is nothing new. We booked 1st class, and they have more room to store suitcases.

Gee, if the limit for skis is 130 cm, that eliminates just about every skis except those for a small child. I guess it’s €50 extra for anyone bringing their own skis next winter.

That's a good point, Cyn.

In fact, on the specific page where they detail the sizes, when they give the 130cm-long dimension, they specifically list skis . . .

But then just after that in a little “+” section that you can click on to have more information about skis, it says, much more logically, that each passenger can of course bring skis no matter what size they are.

https://www.sncf-voyageurs.com/fr/voyagez-avec-nous/en-france/tgv-inoui/vos-bagages-et-consignes/

Joe - I looked and didn't see any means by which one could prepay an additional piece of baggage. Maybe they will figure out they need to offer that.

Again, this is in “period of adaptation” from now through September 15..

Most railways have these rules. But in most cases they are not enforced. They are mostly there so that the train conductors have a something they can refer to when someone tries to for example move a fridge by train...

I once had a man get on one of my trains with a writing desk and two (!!) donkeys. And a friend to help. Good as gold they were.

It was a long time ago on a rural line towards Worcester.

@Joe32f. - thanks for doing the math conversion!

Nigel, I would have loved to be on that train!

Nigel, I don't think I would have stopped laughing until I got off of the train at my destination! hahahahaha

I have transported the following on trains:
- A freezer.
- A half hight 19 inch computer rack (with servers)
- A matress.
- Ikea Flat Packs...

But then I live in Wengwald, and the train is the only way to get stuff up there. Officially I am not supposed to do this, and pay for freight transport, but if I do this outside busy times the staff allows it.

Nigel -- oh my, that must have been something!!!!

If you purchase a First Class ticket are you allowed additional luggage?

no but you are allowed an extra donkey

Thanks for the laughs, y’all! I will be taking a train from the Paris CDG airport to Reims in early September and wanted to make sure my luggage would be in compliance.
No donkeys in my bags! Hahaha!

I have taken the TGV several times in the last year and never noticed any issues around checking on baggage -- I suppose if one had crazy amounts that might occur but it would be hard to carry more than the listed limits. It is a real pain to have to deal with large heavy baggage on a train where there is never enough space to stow it. If we are doing short side trips e.g. 3 or 4 days we just use backpacks -- if we are moving cities we have the backpack and a suitcase and that is always awkward to deal with but we manage. No official has ever focused on how much luggage people have and we do see people with giant suitcases on occasion.

And note that a 35 inch bag is enormous -- much too large to be using for train travel unless one is moving households or something like that. I would not travel by train with a bag bigger than 26 inches and that is already a very large bag -- much better to use a 22 or 24 inch bag if possible.