kathy

Hi! I need some advice. I am going for a month-and-a-half trip to England,France, Germany, Italy, and Spain in the month of October. I will be travelling by train all the way through. Is it convenient to bring luggage on the train, or would I be better off with a huge camping-style back-pack? <BR>Thanks in advance for your advice.

kam

Hi again, Kathy. I wouldn't vote for a huge anything! Most of the European train stations are old and involve a lot of walking to catch your train. Once it gets there, you have minimum time to get on, stow your luggage and sit down. Overhead racks are generally comparable to those in our airplanes, except there are no doors to close. Given that, I would get a soft sided wheelie bag, maybe a 21 inch size onto which you can piggyback a smaller tote for cosmetics, camera and other personal things. Pack very wisely and plan to wash things at your hotels. Remember that the only person who will know what you wore yesterday is your travel companion who will be doing the same thing. Jumpers are great---lots of black! <BR>

Donna

Advice above is excellent. Take no more than you can comfortably tote by yourself for at least a mile. I would re-emphasize that there is just enough time to get yourself and your stuff onto the train and find a seat before it takes off. I, personally, would go for a sturdy bag with wheels and a telescoping handle, rather than something I had to hoist and carry on my back. Getting onto the train, down the aisle and turned around to remove the pack could be very challenging, not to mention that other travelers will get very annoyed if you're not aware of the pack at all times and smack them in the head with it accidentally. We try to steer clear of folks with backpacks.

Marcia

I, personally, go with the above two posts. As small as you can get, as few items as you can get - ALL washable and crushable. Tencel, lycra - it's all great. Wheelie w/a piggy-back tote, and a purse that goes over your shoulder. The save the back purse is a great one. Dig back through these items and you'll find a fairly recent discussion on purses. <BR>Backpacks: you don't say how young/old you are. My 17 year old son just used a convertible backpack, as did some mid-40's sturdy friends. His was medium largish. It could be used as a hand-held medium duffel. It had great compartments, with a minimum internal frame (I wouldn't have wanted to go real backpacking with it). All the straps detached or tucked in, so that nothing was flopping about to catch in the airline luggage handling. It worked very well for him. It even had a zip-off daypack, which gave him security concerns, so he had a small lock for it. We bought ours through Sierra Trader, which has a catalogue. But they are a closeout operation, so stuff comes and goes. He had a different itinerary than we did. I have to say, if he had just been doing what we were, it would have been too large. There is usually a space at the rear of each car for luggage. We found the overhead racks to be very small and difficult to fit much of anything in. Then of course, you do have to keep an eye on things. Smaller is always best! Buy a collapsible nylon tote you can load up with the stuff you always acquire and can carry home - or take it all to a post office and send it home. Stuff mailed from the United Kingdom came lickety split this summer. Another thing - others may disagree with me (and have) but on the airplane, we always check our main bags. It is such a hassle to have that real luggage on the planes, which are very crowded. Your several hundred traveling companions will appreciate your kindness. <BR> <BR>Happy travels.

Peter

You'll probably be travelling into some cool & wet weather. Ditto the advice re: small, crushable & washable clothes. I prefer a backback with an interal frame for a few reasons: you can move easily & run for departing trains; they're easily hauled into train compartments; you can lie down on them if the need arises (e.g. an unplanned layover on a floor), and there are many ways to carry them (including those cute little trolleys with wheels). I've found practical types of clothing to be that which serves an array of conditions (no kidding, right!?). For example, quick-drying pants that have legs that zip off offer 2 for the price of 1 convenience (&minimize packed stuff). Also, fleece keeps you warm even when damp - & is compact. A good waterproof jacket is indispensible. You can buy concentrated biodegradable all-purpose washing suds at places like Mountain Equipment Co-op (don't know if they're in Montreal) or other outdoor stores. If you've got a backpack wit a zip-off day-pack then you're even more versatile. Here's my rule of thumd for train travel: one pair of pants on my legs, one for the wash, and something to go out with at night (if that's a consideration). Bon voyage.

Caryn

All the above advice is good. Remember: There are two types of travelers: those who pack light and those who wish they did. While you do not mention your age, if you use a backpack, your hands will be free at all times to do other activities, carry a shopping bag, your picnic food, etc. If you go on a long train ride, overnight, etc, be sure to bring food and water along with you on the train or you might go hungry and thirsty! The make many small-medium sized backpacks which can fit a lot more than you think inside. Also, be sure to get one with a suspension system so the wait rests on your hips rather than your back and neck. McGill is a university, so if you are a 20ish university student, this is the ONLY way to go.