train luggage

charles, You might find it helpful to have a look at the excellent www.seat61.com website. Everything you'll ever need to know about train travel is listed there, including luggage. You'll probably find that there's a rack at one end of your Coach, where you can place larger items. Keep smaller, carry-on size items with you and place them in the rack above your seat. I've never seen any "checked luggage" option on any of the trains I've used in Europe. I probably wouldn't use them anyway, as I prefer to be able to "watch" my luggage so that it doesn't disappear during the trip (I've seen that happen to others!). Happy travels!

This isn't a plane. If the railroad even does check luggage, they'll have several days to get it to your destination. If you want it there when you arrive, carry it yourself. Everyone does it. There will be luggage space on the train.

I am with Ken. In all my travels have never seen checked luggage. Elle's experience is very rare and, maybe, only on that line. One should be careful about taking one experience and applying it to every situation.

Charles, you schlep. If it's too large to carry onto an airplane, it will probably need to be put into a luggage rack at the end of the rail car (much like a rack you'd find in an airport shuttle bus, for instance). If I had (and I never will) luggage at the end of a car, I'd be there for every stop that train made - thieves take luggage off of trains immediately before the doors close and the train pulls away from the station. Buh-bye, luggage. Try to keep in on the luggage racks over your seat. Even then, periodically keep tabs on it. (This thievery isn't crazy rampant all over Europe, but it happens...often enough.) The differences between first class on a train and first class on an airplane are significant - wider seats, perhaps a welcome drink at your seat, but typically that's about it.