Luggage on Ave train-can it be checked in?

Not sure where you are getting your information but it is wrong. The is no checked luggage on train. You carry everything. If too big for the overhead racks, then it goes in the luggage bins near the entrance to the car. The entrance to car narrow and stairs are steep so being able to easily handle you luggage is extremely important.

Thank you for the information. I was just worried if there is a place for a larger piece of luggage.

Personally I would not take one large and therefore heavy bag. Too difficult to handle on a train. We did that once - big mistake. But we learned. If you need that much stuff then take two smaller rolling bags. And, of course, the best is one small rolling bag.

If it's slightly too big for air carry-on, it's probably no problem. Ultimately, you are responsible for getting yourself and your luggage on and off the train in a timely manner. AVE is easier than most, since it only stops at major stations and the stops last a little longer than local trains. We rode last April and I never saw a checked bag option - but you do go through TSA style security before boarding. Don't be like my mom, who carried a 26 inch, a carry-on, AND a cosmetics case - then needed shoulder surgery when she got home from lugging it all around.

Not sure I would compare the screening to TSA security. Not as intense. You are keep from the platform till just before the train arrives, your ticket is checked at head of the platform. You walk through the magnetic thing, I set it off. The guard had me hold my jacket open, he looked around, didn't touch me, and said OK.