Securing Luggage on TGV

When I took this route last year, there were racks over the seats to store a bag. It is a direct route and the trip is less than an hour. Even if the luggage rack were at the end of the car, there would be no opportunity to take it off the train before Reims. Theft on trains is really not very common.

Its a little common. I've had personal experience of seeing the aftermath of two thefts in various trips to Europe by train, one in Belgium on the International, and and in France out of Dijon, so it must happen some. Not apparently frequently but it does happen. On TGVs its not usually very hard to keep an eye on the luggage.

Thanks Laura and Nigel. A friend and her French husband had a piece of luggage stolen on a train this past July (they were traveling from Metz to Normandy, not sure what type of train). She admitted that they were not watching the luggage and had some cash and the husband's passport in the bag that they should have been carrying but it really messed up their trip. I'm usually careful but I'd feel better if I could keep my luggage close to me. Appreciate your help!

When we were in Italy last year I just got up at the stops and "watched' the luggage area. (there was no way I would risk my mother's oversize luggage going overhead... it might kill someone if it fell :) ) I also tried to board ASAP and that meant my luggage was usually "buried" (when the train left Venice there was so much luggage you could not walk back in the storage area, never seen anything like it, but the only way anyone could have stolen my luggage would have been to take the "side" off the train on the tracks and I think SOMEONE would have noticed that :) )

We have used the Europe trains for over 20 years and have never had a problem. We generally throw our carryon size bags in the bin storage near the door and secure them with a retracting cable lock. If a pole or something solid not available to loop around then we just lock the bags together and try to hide the lock body. Thought being that if someone would grab one bag, the other bag would come along as a surprise and extra weight. Hopefully that would be discouraging. Probably has never been tested. The day bag goes on the overhead rack and will hook a strip over one of the rods so that the bag cannot be quickly grabbed if I am sleeping or in the restroom. If going to a dining car, will take the bag with us. That approach has served us well for 20+ ways.

We have been a a few TGVs. Our luggage always went in overhead racks. Some TGVs are different. On some trains, the overhead racks were not all that large. On others, there was a luggage storage are in the middle of the carriage where seats should be. But, we never leave our luggage on the ends of the carriage. There always seems to be room near us in the carriage. We have 24" roller bags.

If luggage is to big to fit in the overhead space above your seat, there are racks at the front of each car. If the train stops watch your bags. Pretty hard to take a bag on a moving train.

We store our bags at the end of the car in the luggage rack with a cable lock. We also have a travel lock on all bag openings.