29'' piece of luggage: is it possible in Italy's trains?

There are luggage compartments at the ends of each coach. That's the only place you can put your suitcase. There's no way you can have it next to you, at least on the popular ES* or IC trains, unless you decide to stand next to your luggage for the whole trip.

You'd be better off with a smaller piece of luggage. Most Italian train stations have stairs to and from the tracks which are a hassle to manage with large bags. Also crowded summer trains can make it much harder to navigate with a large bag in tow.

It sems to me that the only way it could not be "very heavy" would be for it to be hlf empty. Why would you do this to yourself (and anyone traveling with you)?

You wll be so much happier with a 22 inch rollaboard (for 51-60% of your stuff) and the smallest nylon duffel which will hold the balance of your stuff (it should always go on the plane with you, and contain EVERYthing you could possibly need in the first 48 hours after you arrive in Europe).

In my opinion.

Best wishes,

Rex

You will be about 2 days into your trip when you think to yourself, "WHY did I bring this moose with me?" Pack light, pack light, pack light. I would opt for a 26" AT MOST, and probably go for a 22" or a 25". The luggage may not be heavy, but by the time you fill it up it will be. Remember the 50 lb weight limit also, the airlines really ding you if you're over.

ItalyLove:

I went to Italy with two friends in 1998. One of the ladies took a 26" suitcase and we are still kidding her about it in 2006. It took two of us to lift into the baggage space above us on the train. It took up so much space in our rental car that we had to put our own bags under our feet inside the car. She retired that bag as soon as she returned and will never make that mistake again. Do yourself a huge favor and do not even consider taking it on your trip.
AKNIC

Thanks everyone for your advice.
What about a big backpack? 100 liters?
I'm staying in Europe for 2 months since I go to school in Spain during the summer. I know I have to pack light for ITALY, but I need nicer clothes (more than shorts and t-shirts) to go to the university.
thanks again, and more of your input is more than welcome!

ItalyLove, I think we all presumed that you were going for a week or two. It is a little different that you are staying two months and going to school.

In that case, I would bring a bigger suitcase but leave it behind at your school or a friend's home when I go off on tours with either the 22 inch suitcase mentioned before or a backpack.

If your large suitcase has decent wheels and an extendable handle, you will have no problems with it.

We learned the difficult way on our first train trip: Take small luggage. We almost killed our backs with our two large luggages going up the tiny steps. This was especially difficult when you have a mob behind you waiting to board the train with their manageable luggage. And the whole thing was repeated when it was time to leave the train.

More clarification is still needed. You're going to univrsity in Spain? The train travel is from where to where? Just getting there? and returning? and the travel to Itly is for how long? and more than once?

And I know that gender should not be an issue - - but knowing daughters as I do, a summer "outfit" fits in a cigar box; in fact, five "outfits" fit in two cigar boxes. What do you mean that you need more than shorts and shirts for university? Really?

Hi IL,

You need no more clothing for 2 months than for 2 weeks.

You can wash out your undies in the sink and use a laundromat when necessary.

For trips away from home, take a tote bag.

"You need no more clothing for 2 months than for 2 weeks."

I would disagree with that statement particularly because often a 2 month trip requires a lot more variety than a two week one.

Spending two weeks in Italy in July? That's easy.

Spending a week in London attending the opera in September, then going to the Greek isles, and ending up in the upper reaches of the alps during November.

I think you'd need a lot more stuff for the latter than the former.

<< ...often a 2 month trip requires a lot more variety than a two week one... >>

Depends on who you are, but I would tend to side with ira on this.

Whether based at a stationaty location or traveling constantly on the go, I find the notion of accumulating (or carrying around) ten different days' worth of dirty clothes very unappealing. Does anyone do that at home? Fourteen different "outfits" is a LOT of clothing, and I see no reason it can't suffice for two months. Heck, how many of us routinely wear more than 14 truly different outfits in a given two month period even when we are at home (excluding periods of a lot of social events or rapidly changing weather, like the Christmas season, for example). Laundry is a fact of life after 7-10 days of normal daily activities - - and carrying more than a handful of "specialty" articles of clothing (i.e., something you wear only once in a 2 month period)... well, that just doesn't make good sense, to me.

And what is the point of this "example", Neo?

<< Spending a week in London attending the opera in September, then going to the Greek isles, and ending up in the upper reaches of the alps during November.>>

ItalyLove is going for two months... in the summer (as defined by a "university" calendar, presumably, not the astronomical definition of solstice to equinox) - - that does not include September NOR November, and there is no mention of any country in the plan(s) other than Spain or Italy.

But let me return to the bottom line... two bags of more nearly equal size are SO, so much more practical than one larger bag. Whether ItalyLove decides to take 35 pounds of "stuff" or 60-plus... taking it ONE suitcase is asking for misery that can be avoided with two pieces of "luggage". Together, ideally they will weigh less than 10 pounds combined when empty (translation, the lighter one ought to weigh well under ONE pound empty - - as a small-medium nylon duffel does).

The answer to your problem is very simple: buy your suitcase a ticket. Then you can keep it with you and have plenty or room for it without impinging on other people's space - or worrying about it being at the end of the car.

(And agree with one of the posters above -the only way it couldn;t be heavy is if it is filled with styrofoam.)

Try picking it up and running around the block and then up a couple flights of stairs - then you'll know how manageable it is.

Why not ship a box or two ahead to the university, rather than try to carry everything with you?

Rex - You are forgetting about the shoes that match the outfits - five outfits = five pairs of cool shoes.

Suze - My daughter is in Madrid and we were told by the school not to ship anything, even personal items, because they can charge the students large fees to retrieve the package.

Well, again, your experience may differ... fiveoutfits requires one pair of flip flops on the feet, and maybe another pair of flip flops in tow.

They're good enough for the White House, so...