Managing Luggage on Italian Trains

Not sure what you think is "decent space". We had no trouble managing our RS rolling carryons on /off the trains and the overhead racks were roomy enough for them. Does that help?

Yes, that gives me the info I needed. Overhead racks will be great.

When you have find out the train company (italo, trenitalia etc.) and the train type (high speed, local, intercity) you can watch some videos and pics online. There is an odd tribe of railways addicted uploading videos on YouTube.

Thanks Dario, I will check out You Tube! Sounds fun!

Never had a space problem with carry on luggage.

You do understand that it is you and only you moving your luggage around, carrying up and down stairs, putting and retrieving from the luggage rack in the carriage, or lifting up and down from the overhead rack. Do you know that?

There is nobody to help you - you brung it you tote it.

Our family of 4 had not problems. We had 6 pieces of luggage between us and took 2 trips (Ven-Flo, Flo-Rom). more than enough space. Nigel is dead on as to managing your own luggage.

There were some regional trains where the overhead storage rack wasn't big enough for a carry on. If I remember correctly they were in the Veneto. The two level ones.

Otherwise, plenty of space.

We experienced that on the Frecciarossa trains there is a large rack for luggage too big to go up in the overhead. It might not be close to your seat. I had read that it was a good idea to get a bike lock to secure your bag to the rack. We did this, but nobody else did. I don't think stealing large bags is an issue. On other trains we found spaces for small carry ons between the seat backs. The fast trains and the Intercity trains are well equipped to provide storage space. The regionals might not have such space. On the crazy Circumvesuviana we had to straddle our bags between our legs.

One time the train was very crowded, passengers standing in aisles, so it was difficult getting down aisle. There were Americans with huge bags blocking the aisles too., Florence to Venice. Bags go overhead or in racks at end of train car.

That is only going to occur on a Regional trains that does not have seat reservations. Any other train will have plenty of room for luggage.

Some of the trains have space between the seats for luggage.

Also, if you have to change trains, you may have to go down a set of stairs and back up again to get to a different platform; as the passages between platforms are under ground.
There are no escalators or elevators in nearly all train stations in Italy, so you will be carrying your bags yourself to do this.
Steps up onto trains are usually high ones in sets of two or three, so you have to humph your bag up and down these too.
If you store your cases in the racks by the doors of the train; get up at every stop to make sure your case doesn't leave the train with someone else.
A train employee in Amsterdam advised me to do that, but I have always done it anyway.
So the conclusion is: pack light!!

My mom and I managed with two 25” suitcases just fine. They were too big for overhead racks but the Frecciarosa trains we were on had luggage racks at the back of the car. You might wonder then if we were worried about theft and the answer is no. It would have been really hard to steal them/steal anything out of them and all truly important things were on our persons. With bigger suitcases, you just need to make sure you can manage them up like two steps into the train (Termini and S.M.N. dont have stairs to get onto the actual platforms). Some people can’t do this but we had no problem with it.

I have done lots of train travel throughout Italy with a suitcase much heavier than I needed and a carry-on. I wholeheartedly agree with the poster above who suggested keeping an eye on your luggage. I always do this when I have to put my luggage in between the train cars. Last summer I thwarted a robbery of two young men who jumped on the train at a stop and were poking around in the luggage in the middle of the train cars. I always choose an end seat where I can keep an eye the entire time, I don’t even trust taking my eyes off of my luggage while the train is in motion. The young men saw me looking at them and realized that I had their number. I started to walk up to them and they let go of the luggage, turned around and jumped off the train. I watched them through the windows and they got on a different car and probably tried to repeat the process. So I would never never in 1 million years take an eye off my luggage an Italian train. In fact, of all of the places I travel, I am on very high alert in Italy with my handbag and my luggage at all times. I’ve seen too much. Nothing has ever happened to me personally. However, I know that it can easily happen in the blink of an eye so enjoy yourself, but keep an eye on all of your personal belongings at all times. If you have luggage on the smaller side, you can use the bins above the seats or between the seats, and it is much easier to keep an eye on your things. One of these days I will learn to travel light enough so that I can do that! 😝Disclaimer, I adore Italy, I’m a dual Italian American citizen, I lived in Vicenza and Verona and I visit every year. It’s my happy place and I highly recommend visiting. I’m not trying to sound like an alarmist or make any judgments and I realize that every large city in most countries has their issues.I just want everyone to have a wonderful and safe experience and want to come back again and again! 😀

I traveled w a 28 inch suitcase that I had checked on the flight over. I managed it ok up and down stairs, but at 5'2" I had trouble getting it up on the overhead racks, but one of my taller companions helped me. Seems like we had the A frame sort of spaces between seats at some point, too, but my " larger" bag fit just fine in all of these spaces. There were some folks who did not get their bags in those spaces. And the train was moving fast enuf and swaying enuf that those bags would periodically flop over on their sides.

What Kristen said.
On trains, I always try and place my luggage where I can see it at all times.
I've traveled a lot too, and am also not an alarmist; just careful.

My wife and I were in Italy for a month earlier this year and took many train trips. We had no problem with luggage space unless you are taking the Circumvesuviana Train from Naples to Sorrento.