Train with large luggage

The title of your post made me cringe. I have seen aisles on trains in Europe blocked by Americans with large pieces of luggage. Security? We went through a security check on the train platform. First class will allow more room.
Your title indicates a large suitcases.Just how large is your bag? 25”? 28”? If it is only somewhat larger than a carryon and you can lift into the overhead racks, you will be OK. There are usually racks at the entrance of the train car as well as above seats.

My suitcase is 26 inches including it’s 4 wheels, slightly bigger than a carry-on.

Sorry, but a 26 inch suitcase is considerably bigger than a carry-on. However, my DH had a 25 inch that he managed to cram in the overhead. Yours may or may not fit, and you'll have to do the lifting yourself. If it isn't too wide, it may fit in the space between the seats that are back to back. Otherwise it will have to go into the rack for large luggage, usually at either end if the car. I haven't heard of a big problem of luggage theft on German trains. If you're worried, keep your bag stowed within eyesight.

There's no bag check- in, on a train, and nobody that watches your bags for you. Most coaches have a rack at either end for big bags, sometimes already full when you get on, but up to you to keep an eye on them. If you can heft your bag into the rack above your seat, there's that as well.

Luggage on trains is pretty secure. There is no difference in security between 1st and 2nd class. The overhead rack in the car will handle a carry-on but not a 26" suitcase. There are bins at either end of the car. We have used them for years and never had a problem. There have been reports from time to time about luggage being taken but it is rare. Anything of great value I would carry in a day bag that I could keep by my seat or on the overhead rack. Just be sure you can handle the weight of your bag and can lift it quickly up the three steep steps into the train car.

Thanks for that info Frank.

Depending on the train station and platform, you may also have to carry your suitcase up or down a flight of stairs to the platform.

" slightly bigger than a carry-on. ??

Typical carry-on 21x14x7

Your bag likely 26x18x11

As for the trip I would look at direct trains and not a ticket that has 3-4 changes.

Please not that there's only one direct train between Berlin and Regensburg (10:05-14:24), any other connection has a transfer in Nürnberg (mostly, but not always, a same platform transfer). In Nürnberg, there are elevators on the western ends of the platforms and on some platforms there are escalators too (cf. the station layout here: https://www.stationsdatenbank.bayern-takt.de/StationsdatenbankBEG/Steckbrief.html?lang=de&efz=8000284 ). You can check your arrival and departure tracks in the DB app. There are elevators in the Regensburg station too. As to your luggage, dont worry. Depending on car type, there are racks either on both ends or in the middle of the car. If you cannot find any, just leave you suitcase in the aisle next to your seat and ask the conductor for help. If you are absolutely sure about your travel date and train, a (nonrefundable!) first class "Supersparpreis" ticket is usually cheaper than an 2nd class flex fare ticket.

The website seat61.com has lots of information about rail travel and is worth looking at the German travel section.

Your bag wouldn’t be considered as large by Europeans. Europeans going on holiday don’t want to waste time washing clothes or organising laundry, so take more stuff. My usual checked in travel bag is 31 x 14 x 13 plus a piece of hand luggage. I have no difficulty getting this on and off trains. Weight is a bigger issue than size for me.

It’s best if you can find a seat where you can see your luggage, but I wouldn’t be unduly concerned if you couldn’t.

We travel to Europe every other December for 3 weeks and we each have a 26in suitcase and a duffle type bag with us (we do the Christmas Markets so we bring a duffle type bag to bring home our purchases in). We usually do first class, only because we book trains 6 mo out and the price difference isn't much. We are able to keep everything with us most of the time. Once in a while, there isn't enough room and we put our bags at the exit with all the other larger bags. Never had an issue.

Just make sure to practice lifting the suitcase and make sure you can handle the weight easily- and quickly- up and down steps.
Safe travels!

Thanks for the good tips!

When we traveled a lot by train in Europe in the 80s and 90s, I would send the family into the train and open a window. Then I would slide the suitcases into the train via the window. The cases would then be placed on racks (not the aisle). Most European trains don't have compartments anymore and not sure that system is viable, but in more recent years, I have carried large suitcases onto the train and placed them on overhead racks.

In Germany, you might leave your cases out of sight, but I would not do that in Italy or Spain.

You can't open the windows of most trains in Europe any more.

We have spent a lot of time on Spanish and Italian trains with luggage in the bins and no problems. I think probability of having your luggage stolen off a train is about the same as losing it at the airport luggage. This subject is often over discussed in the same vain as pick pockets. It can happen but a little precaution goes a long ways.

If you notice, the locals throw their luggage in the bins easily. If theft was a big problem they would be more knowledgeable and would not do it.

When our bags are out of sight on a rack at the end of the car, we lash them together with a cable lock. It dissuades more than anything else.

hey hey CAjan
felt just like suki with the title of post. my first trip to europe, i packed my bag soooo heavy. was spending 23 days and packed an outfit for every day, learned my lesson real fast with my next trips, like rome didn't have laundromats LOL then a 17 day transatlantic cruise.
if you're buying your tickets online, look at pictures of the carriage/car you will be in before you make that payment. we took a train from paris to geneva, first class, (not a big difference) and ended up in a car for families. nothing against families but had young kids running up and down aisles, crying babies, kids crawling all over seats. it became annoying.
we put our luggage at end of car with others and had an eye on it, just be able to carry it up the steps from platform and once inside the train.
have a great trip and enjoy
aloha

I am not necessarily a big fan of multiple pieces of luggage on a trip - depending on how long a trip it is/what you need to bring, frequently it has been easier to have three pieces ( a backpack, a small case that fits over the handle of the carryon-size rolling bag and a carry-on size rolling bag - think about all off the aircrew members you see in airports). The largest gets checked, the medium is the carry-on and the backpack is the personal item. Never a problem rolling along or in baggage storage on trains. Having said that... I have also towed a large rolling duffel with ski kit (not skis themselves) on many trains, and the luggage spaces at the ends of the train cars have always been fine.

I see there is a direct ICE in November at 10:05 am taking 4 hr 19 min with 5 intermediate stops. I'd book that one.

I hate to brag, but I did Berlin Savignyplatz to Bayreuth with a large suitcase that had 8 train changes back in 2015. OK, I did get on a wrong train at one tiny station that added 2 extra changes, but I survived.

Actually, I love to brag.

I have never had a large issue with having larger luggage with me on the train. Generally my family and I chose to have what we call base cities and we do day trips from there. So we are following the hub and spoke system on our travels. But when we are moving between bases the best thing you can do is have your bags organized in such a way to make it easier. We are usually three people so one person steps onto the train, and the second person passes the bags up. The goal of the person inside the train is to get the bag out of the way of other boarding passengers as fast as possible. Once all the bags are in the vestibule and others have made there way to where they need to go then we start finding places to move the bags. I've never had trouble finding a spot.

Certain trains out of Berlin can tend to be very crowded especially at Rush hours due to the Bahn Card riders. Bahn Card passengers can board any train at any time and seats aren't reserved. For Berlin-Leipzig and Berlin-Hamburg you will often times find standing room only trains.

I work on trains in the USA so I am used to getting baggage onto the train as fast as one can. German platforms are generally higher than American or Canadian services so you aren't having to throw it nearly as high. On the ICE it is usually one, maybe two steps.