Germany: number of bags on trains?

I second this question. joan

You can carry as many bags as you like, just you have to carry them all yourself. There are no helpers or porters. I see people get on the trains all the time with 2 giant suitcases, a box and a couple of carry-ons. May I ask where you read this, as I have never heard this before? It would be interesting to read it myself.

"I booked my train ticket". Where did you book your ticket? "saw some verbiage about only one bag". Again where did you see that". The only official information is from the Bahn, www.bahn.de. I've been traveling in Germany for over 10 years and I have never encounter that rule. You carry your luggage on your self. No one counts it.

Take as much as you can carry. Where you put it is another question. There are only limited areas at each end of each car for large luggage storage and when busy, those fill up. You can't block the aisles with large bags so hopefully everyone is packing light. Smaller carryon items will fit in racks above your seat or below your seat.

The only heads up I'd give them is to read Rick's travel tips on "traveling light" if you plan on traveling by train. Like he says, you'll be carrying your bags a lot more than you think, so the lighter your travel companions can pack, the better off they'll be...
I've done quite a bit of train travel and have never seen any restrictions on the amount of luggage. At no point will you 'check' any baggage, you're responsible for it at all times, and there won't be anyone around loading luggage or anything so be prepared for that.

I think I can guess where this confusion comes from: the Bahn only allows one piece of Traglast per passenger. Traglast is defined as a piece of luggage you can carry by yourself but doesn't fit onto the rack above your seat or under your seat. The part of your luggage which do fit on the rack and under the seat is collectively known as Handgepäck. It is limited by the available space on the rack and under the seat, but not by number.
(source: Beförderungsbedingungen der Deutschen Bahn AG, article 7.1) To summarize: you are allowed anything that will fit in the rack above your seat and under your seat, plus one additional piece (you can carry by yourself and will not "hamper, disturb, or endanger" other passengers) that will not.

Mark, You are right. That is what I read and apparently misinterpreted it. Thank you for clearing that up that confusion.

On a slight tangent, one suitcase or other large item is the UK limit too. In all the years I have been on and worked on British railways I have seen the extra charge for excess luggage imposed once. I have seen the charge for excess dogs imposed several times. Can't speak for DB.

Jill and Joan - just wait until you see what people will drag onto your train LOL! I do mean drag... Nigel, I'll just say that I 'know someone'...I'm sure that'll get me far ;-)