Luggage on Trains

There are overhead racks for carry-ons. For larger bags there are racks on at opposite ends of the carriage....near the doors.

"do you always check it outside of the train?" I don't think there are many railroads in Europe that check baggage any more and when they did, they had up to three days to get it to your destination. "I don't care on a plane where we check it." - thereby incurring a checked bag fee.

I guess I didn't literally mean checked bags. In the US some trains have luggage compartments outside of the train, that you put your luggage into. Or maybe I'm thinking about buses...

I think you are thinking about buses. I have never seen a train with outside luggage and that goes to back to when we actually had passenger service in the 50s. It is your luggage, you take care of it. And sometimes you need to be able to get the luggage on or off the train quickly.

In some stations the train stops for as little as two minutes. Any chance of rethinking the suitcase size? Even two carry-on sizes would be easier.

Your spouse will be miserable lugging a large wheeled bag around European cities in the heat and crowds, on and off trains, up/down stairs, over cobblestoned streets, possibly in hotels with tiny elevators and no porter, etc. Maybe you could suggest that she load it up ahead of your trip, take it outside and try walking around with it for a few blocks, up/down some steps, etc. and see how she feels about it. Chances are she will rethink her travel wardrobe fairly quickly.

The other thing to keep in mind with big luggage is transfer time. Transfers commonly require a trip downstairs, through a passageway, and then back upstairs. And some connections are quite short, so you'll be doing it as a sprint. That's pretty demanding, even with a small bag. There are tiny elevators at the end of most platforms, but they are slow and sometimes out of order, and there's often a line.

Maybe renting a car is better. We're not going to big cities. Going to Haarlem, Bruges, Bacharach, and Lauterbrunnen. So not to many direct trains. Hmmm....

Be aware that when you rent in one country and return in another you will have to pay a hefty charge for the privilege. It can run into hundreds of euros.

On Deutsche Bahn ICE trains, there's a large luggage rack in the middle of each carriage, in addition to the overhead racks. I've seen some pretty large bags fit on these racks. Don't worry about all the other comments (pack light, don't check your baggage!). Your wife does not need an exemption in international law to travel in a manner different from that recommended by Rick Steves...

Hello Joe. "Maybe renting a car is better". I do not recommend driving a car those distances (Netherlands to Belgium to Germany to the center of Switzerland) only for the purpose of avoiding the inconvenience of carrying a suitcase into a railroad train. But I think there is a good reason for not bringing a big suitcase into a railroad train. In my traveling in trains in Europe, there was a shelf for putting big bags on, in a train car. But that shelf could be filled with other peoples' bags. Thus, it would be necessary to put a bag on the shelf that is above the seats. That shelf is narrow. A suitcase is likely to fall off of the shelf, and it could injure a person seated below the shelf. And a large bag, filled with a person's things, is likely to be a heavy weight. Lifting a heavy bag up onto the shelf above seats in a train is not pleasant. And at all of the other places where a traveler lifts up a travel bag, it could be unpleasant if the bag is heavy. I remember being at the baggage claim place in an airport, and a woman I did not know asked me to pick up her bag from the baggage carousel because her bag was large and very heavy. She said she could not pick up her bag, from the carousel, by herself. Some experienced travelers learned to travel light. My travel bag (a carry - on size bag) has a weight of approximately ten pounds when it is totally filled. That bag does not have wheels. When the bag is empty it weighs one pound. If a person is traveling to all those locations : Harlem, Bruges, Bacharach, Lauterbrunnen, bringing a bag that is small and of light weight would be a wise decision. And as someone said, at some hotels in Europe, there is no porter, and no elevator for going to a higher floor. Rick Steves' admonition (advice) to bring a bag that is small and of light weight is not arbitrary nonsense from an idiosyncratic or demented or fanatical person.

The steps onto trains are steep. I travel with a bag that weighs around 20#. I can carry it onto the train ok, but don't have the height or strength to lift it into the overhead racks. I try to enter the train early so I can stow my bag at the end of the car. Sometimes there is room between seats, but I don't rely on that. There are always points where luggage has to be lifted (by someone) and carried. Wheels help a lot, but in the Metro or boarding trains the bag needs to be lifted or carried. So, travel with lightweight luggage if you want to move around easily and not ruin some part of your body.

We have managed to travel by train with large suitcases, but it is a hassle for the reasons discussed above. You have to get the suitcase on the train, find a storage area (the end of the rail car for bags of any size), and then at your stop retrieve your suitcase and exit the rail car during often brief stops. The brief duration of many stops is the biggest challenge. Going from London to Paris with heavy luggage is not a problem. But travelling inside Europe by rail or plane can be.

So, travel with lightweight luggage if you want to move around easily and not ruin some part of your body. Important point there. Is it really worth risking a torn rotator cuff or other shoulder or back/neck injury just to have some extra clothing or make-up or shoes available, or to avoid spending a few minutes to do a bit of hand laundry along the way? One of my colleagues has been suffering for over a year with a torn rotator cuff because of the strain of frequent lifting of a heavy suitcase into overhead bins. I wouldn't wish her business travel schedule on my worst enemy.

Last year when we were taking the train in France, we almost missed our connecting train because... there was a family with so much heavy luggage that they blocked the exit and thus prevented other passengers from getting off. Luckily, my husband and I are good runners and had very lightweight carry on bags and so were able to make our connecting train! Taking large, oversized suitcases on trains and metros is simply a bad idea and entirely unnecessary. With a little planning, a woman can look quite stylish while traveling with just a carry - on!!!

Maybe you could clarify what "pretty big" means to you. Exactly how big will her bag be? Are we talking 25", 30", a steamer trunk? Even if not for the inconvenience of an overly large bag with the trains, there is also the issue of many steep stairs and small elevators (if you're lucky enough to have one)!

You don't say what time of year you are going or for how long, but in some ways it really doesn't matter. Please see "Packing for a 2 week trip" posted by Nikki on this General Europe section of the Helpline. There is good advice there including some links that will be useful for your wife in her packing planning. Everything that has already been said here is absolutely true. I at 67 am no longer an advocate for even a 20 pound backpack. I travel with a 22" spinner. Like most Europeans with their rolling bags, I find it easier for getting through airports, train stations, on stairs, etc. I keep the total weight to about 20 pounds so that I can lift it by one of the handles when needed. Do not count on anyone else to lift, carry, roll or in any other way help you with your luggage. I pack the same way for a week as for the month we normally spend each year in Europe. I am a large person, so I am not able to take as much stuff as someone half my size. That's a good thing. I use everything I take and wash clothes when needed. The reason that I and so many others have drifted off into packing advice, is that the key to getting around Europe in general and in using trains and other forms of public transportation is to use luggage that you each can manage on your own without help.

Joe - When I travel in the UK for a golf holiday I'm able to put my clubs in the guards van. You may want to check with the train service that you will be using to see if they have baggage service for large bags.

I always understand wanting to take lots of stuff, I think if we were going on holiday and staying at one or two places with minimal moving, I would take a larger case (and when we take our car to the US, it's usually pretty full)...but we've managed to do 3 18-23 day trips (with lots of moving around by train) and let me tell you, when I see those people at the train stations/metros struggling with their large cases up and down the stairs under the tracks, and on and off the trains, I'm always glad I travel relatively light (carry on and 'personal size' bag permitted by the airlines). And sometimes the luggage racks can be pretty full if it's a popular train and people will pile up the smaller luggage on top of the larger bags, thereby making you have to dig to get your case out. Not to mention accom with no elevators...we do some couchsurfing and always seem to end up staying with people on the 4th-5th floor with no elevator...more giving thanks for small luggage. It's a good workout. But in the end schlepping on and off trains is only a small part of the trip and hopefully only a small annoyance easily forgotten.

While I'm on board with the "pack light" mantra, for some people and various reasons, that just doesn't work. It's fine to offer that advice, but frankly some of the posts here are making it sound like all sorts of awful things are going to happen if Joe's wife takes a large suitcase. The simple advice is to remind people that the luggage they take must be carried up and down stairs. It's good advice to pack your suitcase, then lug it up and down stairs at home to get an idea of how well you can manage it. For reasons I could not avoid, I've carried very heavy luggage all over Europe and never had anything bad happen to me. I'm not a particularly muscular guy. I've also helped people with their bags on trains and other stairs - not a big deal... To answer the direct question, there are luggage racks at the end of each car. You store large bags there. Though generally safe, many will tie it to the luggage rack with a cable lock. Sometimes space is available behind seats (that face opposite directions). Overhead racks are for carry-on sized luggage only. Always have your bags ready before the train approaches your stop.

I should clarify that "you" will be miserable carrying your wife's suitcase around because that's what I saw all the men doing when there was a large bag involved (often lugging both bags). My husband told me upfront he wouldn't do it and we needed to go carry-on (which I couldn't agree with more). I can't count how many times people with large bags were slowed down, not to mention how difficult it will be to go over the cobblestones and uneven streets. But if you're determined to do this, there are the overhead spaces (I was surprised by how big the bags could be to fit up there) and the racks near the door you won't be far from it, regardless, and you don't have to give it to someone else at any point in the process.

People are definitely over-estimating the difficulties of traveling with a bag that's larger than it needs to be. I've traveled with bags that would be too large to carry on an airplance on trains quite frequently for various reasons. Is it better to have a light small bag? Sure. But it's not the end of the world if you don't. If you and your wife disagree over the size of her bag, just remind her that she'll be responsible for it. I always pack heavier than my husband, but I also lug my own bag by myself. I've never been on a train that completely ran out of room on the "oversized" luggage racks. You'll be fine, don't consider driving as an alternative. The trains are great!