Eurostar question
 

I'm taking the Eurostar from London to Paris and returning to London a week later. The guidelines I have read allow two pieces of luggage and a handbag each. No bag is to be longer than 33 inches. My duffel bag is 34 inches long. I'm just wondering if anyone knows just how closely they measure the luggage. Will I be able to get on with mine? I really don't want to have to send it by registered baggage and get it later but I really don't want to have to buy a new bag for this one reason! Thanks for your help.

I've never seen them check any bag and I've taken the Eurostar numerous times. I have seen hugmongous bags in the luggage area. One inch is not going to be noticed.

one inch won't be noticed -- but that really is a huge bag. Be prepared to wrestle it on and off the train and onto the the racks at the end of the car.

I've never seen them check the size of bags either, but you will have to carry them on/off the train yourself.

Agree that taking a body bag like that. Do you also have another bag and a purse. How will you haul all this stuff around? IMHO - if you just have the one giant bag you might be better off with 2 more manageable ones. (But I admit that's more than I take even when it;s a combo business trip/vacation and I need 2 different wardrobes.)

hi blossom,

if you are travelling alone, of course having one big bag and a handbag is easier than having two small ones and a handbag - we have only been blessed with two arms.

better still is one medium size bag and a handbag - do you REALLY need all that for a week in Paris?

they have shops, I believe!

"<i>if you are travelling alone, of course having one big bag and a handbag is easier than having two small ones and a handbag - we have only been blessed with two arms.</i>"

I could MUCH more easily handle a reasonably sized rolling bag plus a tote/daypack/small duffle and a handbag than a huge suitcase. Say a 24 incher (26 absolute max) and hand luggage is not as hard to maneuver as a a massive and HEAVY single bag.

Try to cut back to a 24 inch bag -- I'm sure you can borrow one from somebody w/o having to buy one. Everything will be easier - including finding space in your likely small Parisian hotel room.

(though I've only taken carry-ons for the last dozen+ years -- I do remember the day when I overpacked too)

Thanks guys! Thankfully, my husband is in charge of the heavy lifting, I won't be alone. He bench presses 375lbs so this bag is no problem for him :) Also, it is a rolling duffel which makes it much easier to drag along.

We will be in London for a week also so that's part of the reason for needing the big bag. I have health-related items that must travel with me, it's not clothing.

I was just concerned about how closely they follow the size limit. Sounds like I will be okay. Thanks again!!!

"so this bag is no problem for him"

And what about everyone else? There isn't much space on trains and aisles & dorways are narrow.

I'm not going to hector you about the size of your luggage. If you need the big duffle to carry your medical equipment, then you need it. I've taken Eurostar about 100 times and people have come on with bulkier stuff than that, especially during ski season.

However, I hope you're traveling standard premier (leisure first class). With fewer people traveling in those cars, there's less competition for luggage space. Also, if you haven't bought your tickets yet, try to avoid the peak hour trains - trains are less crowded in the early afternoon on weekdays (a 12:28 pm train, for example). If you can, avoid early morning trains, especially on Saturdays (day trippers. week-enders) and Mondays (cross-Channel commuters) or late afternoon Fridays (week-enders and cross-Channel commuters).

Just as FoFoBT and alanRow state, even though you have someone to handle your luggage, trying to find space for it will be the problem. The spaces fill up very fast and there isn't all that much to begin with.

"The spaces fill up very fast and there isn't all that much to begin with."

That's not quite what I meant in my post. If the OP picks an off-peak train (late morning/early afternoon) and goes in standard premier, finding space shouldn't be a big deal. But if the OP has second class tickets during a peak travel time, then yes, finding storage will be much more difficult. Esp in summer when there are groups travelling - groups tend to go second class.

Just to clarify, Eurostar has luggage racks at the end of each carriage for large luggage, and overhead racks above every seat for smaller stuff.

Carry-on baggage (weekend bags, handbags, coats etc) will fit in the overhead racks and can thus be kept with you. The larger end-carriage racks are first-come-first-served, and on a busy train it can sometimes be hard to get space in them (or certainly to get one of the lower racks which you can easily access). Also, anything in the end-racks has to be fully labelled, which stuff going in the overhead racks doesn't have to be (excuse grammar!). There is no porter service on Eurostar, so make sure you, or one of your party, can lift your own bags up to head height.

With medical equipment it sounds like the OP has little choice about what size luggage to bring, but to anyone else looking in on this thread, I would recommend carry-on sized bags only if you can possible manage it.