Luggage on trains

Just returned from Italy and always always had a rental car on previous trips. This trip was with my 2 sisters and my niece and son who just grad. high school so we used the trains. It was very easy to do after reading all the helpful posts here. My biggest recommendation is to pack light, light, light! We each had a 21 inch unexpanded suitcase but lifting those suitcases into the overhead luggage compartments is not easy. My son was a godsend and did all the hoisting for us. We did a Eurostar (2nd class) from Venice to Florence (final destination Rome) and the train originated in Venice. On a recommendation of a poster here we got to the train station in Venice early and were able to board and get our luggage stowed above us. We were also able to stow our luggage on the InterCity (1st class) we took from the C.T. to Milan. On this train we had a small compartment that had 6 seats, 3 facing 3 and lots of room for our luggage overhead. Both of these trains require reservations too. On the regional trains we also were also lucky to be able to stow our bags above our seats. I brought along a PacSaf cable to thread through the handles of all our bags if necessary but didn't need to use it. Be sure to validate your tickets! I validated all tkts even the ones with reservations. Saw people getting fined on numerous trains.

If the concern is that your bags are too heavy to lift up to the overhead, then that is your problem and you will need to put them in the luggage storage at the end/middle of the car. If it would be extremely unusual to find both the overhead and the luggage bins full. If that happens, you sit on your luggage.

We were in Italy in May of this year and did not have a car this trip so we took the train - Rome to CT, Ct to Siena and then Siena back to Rome. Always 2nd class and had ICplus on several legs where we were also in the 6 passenger compartment. The only time we didn't have room for our luggage was on the leg from Siena to Chiusi on our way to room. It's a short, full train and a lot of us had our suitcases in front of our feet. If we had gotten on right away (my husband was wandering around) we would have had a spot for our luggage. But it wasn't a big deal since it was a short trip. If you are concerned about lifting up heavy suitcases you should also keep in mind that at every train station you are more than likely going to have to go up and down stairs to get to the next track. So if you think they're going to be too heavy to lift into an overhead bin they're going to also be too heavy to lug up and down the stairs of the train station. Pack light.

We just returned from Italy. Every train was crowded with luggage all over the place. If you are late onto the train, you are going to have trouble finding a place for it. The trains make a lot of stops though, and people leave and come. Usually people found a spot for their luggage within a stop or 2. There is storage above the seats, sometimes between the seats that back up to each other. The area is sort of triangular. A 21 inch bag should fit. There is also usually a storage bin somewhere in the car. It varies. A few trains have the separate compartments with 6 or 8 seat per compartment. I like those the best.

Pack light enough so you can handle your own bags. Not everyone has their son along to do all the lifting. Come on people, be responsible for your own things!

Yes I'ver heard that some of the train have small areas/compartments with 4-6 seats. Do you know what trains these are - Alta Velocita, ES, IC, etc?

joseline,
Some IC trains have six-seat compartments.