italo train "smart" environment

Nobody checks your luggage before you board. The luggage limits only exist so the train conductor has something to fall back on if someone tries to travel with an unreasonable amount of luggage.
If you can handle your suitcase yourself you are fine.

Have no idea what the smart environment is. It is a train. But are you serious considering using a bag bigger than 30,21,12. That is crazy. Forget the train, once parked you will be hit with surcharges by the airlines. Makes no sense. Anything that large would have to go in the bins by the doors on the train and not on the overhead racks or anywhere near your seats. Nobody in Italy is checking luggage. It is your responsibility to get it on and off. Two 25lb bags are a lot easier to handle than one 50lb bag.

Hi Luisa -
Oh gosh, if there's any way to downsize from that (I'm guessing) 30" bag, I'd make an effort to do so. I see from a previous post that this is your first trip to Italy? And I'm guessing you may not have traveled by rail much at all in the past? I love Italian trains but even if bag sizes aren't checked, schlepping luggage on/off carriages and navigating stations can be a pain with large, heavy luggage. Consider that not all stations may have elevators for accessing platforms or they may not be working, as I see from some reviews of the Bolzano station from last year.

As well, accommodations can be in old buildings with no lifts, and walking between stations and hotels, if that's in the plan, could be a struggle with a large, weighty bag on narrow, uneven surfaces. Yes, if you can handle it yourself with no issues then sure, bring it on. It's just unclear from your previous posts just how much moving around your family will be doing. However much that is, best to make it easy on yourselves by being able to manage it as nimbly as possible! :O)

Have no idea what the smart environment is. It is a train.

That intrigued me too so I looked it up. It seems that Italo have 3 classes on their trains- kind of like economy, premium economy or maybe business and first class on an airline, with the baggage restrictions only applying in smart class.

So Prima (the middle of the 3 classes) could also be useful, carrying other "perks" apart from the luggage (including fast track boarding, more luggage stowage room, 2+1 seating and a basic inclusive food and beverage offer). It may depend on what the price difference is between the classes.

Thank you all for the replies and add'l info. The husband has a backpacking type bag (easy to carry) that is just over 30" in length but sounds like the train might not enforce. Thanks!

Has your husband used that backpack before? If not, he might want to fully load it with the paraphernalia he's likely to pack for the trip, and then take it for a long walk, including up and down several flights of stairs. And you might want to check the size restrictions for the airlines you'll be using. You may be looking at a surcharge for oversize luggage.

I recently traveled on Italo in the “Smart” class of service. This class would be comparable to Economy on a plane (although more comfortable!) There are 2 seats on each side of an aisle that is wide enough to wheel a typical carry-on sized piece of luggage. I’m not sure how easy it would be to wheel a wider suitcase through the aisle.

Most people put their luggage above their head - even some pretty large pieces, but probably not 30-inches. I have trouble lifting my luggage (carry-on size, about 25 pounds) over my head, so I left it at the end of the carriage where there is some storage. People with larger pieces obviously had to leave their luggage there as well. It’s a fairly limited amount of space, so I was sure to get on the train quickly so that I could grab some space. Just so you know, it’s not possible to see your luggage there from your seat. Since I was on high speed trains with minimal stops, I wasn’t too worried about someone grabbing my luggage. When the train came close to my stop, I went back to where the luggage was and retrieved it. You must be ready to get off the train quickly, especially if the train will be traveling on to another stop.

I was amazed at how large some people’s luggage pieces were! But, as long as you can get the luggage on and off the train quickly, it seems that the train employees don’t pay much attention.

Italo has other classes of service that offer more space - for instance, only one seat on one side and two seats on the other. It might be more comfortable to bring larger pieces onto those carriages.

Sounds like "Smart" is just another word for economy or 2nd class. Unless something has recently changed, there is no check-in for Italian trains. Just get on and find your seat. No one is checking the size of your luggage.

It sounds like a duffel/ backpack. While the length may be 30”, the other dimensions are likely to be 14 x 16, we have one like that,; we use it for camping, including for an overnight hike down to Bright Angel campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon . (One can send a duffel 30 x 16 x 14 down by mule to avoid carrying a heavy backpack).

If so, it would likely fit in the overhead rack on the train, based on the smallest dimension. But in any case, they do not actually check luggage sizes. If he can carry it himself without impeding or blocking the boarding process ( which I do not doubt he can) there should not be any problem.