After many wonderful visits, June 2025 first ever tough experience in Italy. Both of our Travelpro carryons were stolen from a 1st class train luggage rack in the very car we were seated in. Luckily we hard passports on our person. 2 hours in the police office to fill out a report and two more travelers came in and said they too had their luggage stolen from the overhead luggage just above their heads. - on a different train than ours. The police said that this has become an everyday problem. We have had to cancel our trip and return to the US on Day 3 of the trip. Don’t use the floor luggage racks provided inside train cars unless you have direct eyes on and will remain alert. Use the overhead racks to put your bags just over your seat, and better yet lock bags to the rack like you might lock a bicycle outdoors. Very expensive lesson we have learned this time and would like the Rick Steves community to benefit by taking precautions. Happy travels!
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2922 posts
I’m sorry this happened to you, but I’m not sure why you had to cancel your trip and return home.
Heck I did a tour of Costa Rica one time with a woman whose luggage finally caught up with us on day six of a 10 day tour. She was just making do with a couple of T-shirts and pants that she bought on day one assuming her luggage would get there quickly.
Posted by
new york
558 posts
So sorry!! Did the train make stops? Why did you go home—loss of medicine???
Posted by
5926 posts
Your predicament is something I'd expect--I have definitely watched the rack at the end of the car like a hawk, but how did the poor folks lose bags over their head--while napping perhaps?
Posted by
Chicagoland
751 posts
I'm sorry for your experience. I hope your travel insurance covers your losses.
However, I don't understand why you would have had to cancel your trip and return home. Surely you could have purchased clothes and toiletries in Italy.
Posted by
Chicagoland
751 posts
KD, please do not lock your luggage to the rack. This causes problems for others.
Posted by
Los Angeles
5118 posts
This is why stations have started restricting platform access unless you have a ticket
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
17296 posts
jeanm, we have locked our checked-sized bags to the luggage rack (or to each other) but have unlocked them prior the train pulling into the station so we were ready to disembark without delaying others. Carryons sit on the floor near our feet. Luggage need not cause problems for other passengers with just some timely prep.