Early am arrival but afternoon check-in
 

Our transatlantic flight arrives early, but we cannot check into our small canal house before 2. They tell me we can leave our baggage in the hallway. I'm an uptight native New Yorker and that seems risky to me. On the other hand, I can't walk around dragging my luggage! Suggestions?

Hi hill,

If you are taking the train into town from the airport, you could leave your luggage at the train station.

You could get a bicycle cable lock and chain all of your luggage together and attach it to a pipe in the hallway.

Go to a cafe and sit with your luggage.

Go to a museum and check your luggage.

I have left my luggage at hotels in Paris at least twice. Both times it was just kind of in the hall, but the reception area could see it. The luggage was fine.

Just don't pack anything valuable.

Since you aren't staying at a hotel I understand your reluctance. But it should be fine leaving your bags in the hallway. Is this a canal house B&B or is it one you are renting as a holiday home?

If it is a B&B just leave it in the hall as they suggest - they may not have a place to store your stuff but they will be around and it will be perfectly safe. If it is a vacation rental - then you can usually get inside the sort of vestibule hallway and do as ira suggests - just get a cable lock and secure them.

Since most trans-Atlantic flights arrive in the AM, most places are used to requests to leave luggage until your room is ready. We have left ours many times without incident. I've had things taken at the airport and once I checked them onto the plane, but never in a hotel.

Early arrival in Europe from New York means that you took an afternoon flight, and probably didn't get any sleep on the plane. See if you can change to a late evening departure so you can grab a few hours of shut eye. It will help tremendously in overcoming jet lag.