Luggage on Overnight Trains?
Jun 25th, 2007, 08:31 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Luggage on Overnight Trains?
My husband and I will each have a 20" carryon suitcase for our upcoming trip, but I was wondering about the security of it in a couchette car on a train.
It will just be the two of us, so I assume that there will be other passengers in our car.
Can we bring our suitcases with us into the car? And if so, what, if anything do we need to do to secure it while we sleep on the train?
It will just be the two of us, so I assume that there will be other passengers in our car.
Can we bring our suitcases with us into the car? And if so, what, if anything do we need to do to secure it while we sleep on the train?
Jun 25th, 2007, 08:39 AM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,939
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You do take your bag in your compartment with you. If you have an upper bunk, you can place it on a rack right next to your head. If you have a lower you can put them under your bunk. I've never had a problem with security of my bags, but I always keep my money belt and purse in the bed under the sheet at my feet.
If worse comes to worse...like the suitcase won't fit under the couchette, you can always put them at the foot of your bunk. Be very sure that your door is locked. Once my sister thought she had locked the door, but early morning a man walks in. I jumped off my top bunk and screamed all kinds of things at him. He apologized and took off running with me right behind him-yelling. Never saw him again.
If worse comes to worse...like the suitcase won't fit under the couchette, you can always put them at the foot of your bunk. Be very sure that your door is locked. Once my sister thought she had locked the door, but early morning a man walks in. I jumped off my top bunk and screamed all kinds of things at him. He apologized and took off running with me right behind him-yelling. Never saw him again.
Jun 25th, 2007, 09:08 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You do not have a couchette - i.e. 4- to 6-person comparment but a double - thus you control the multiple locks on the door from the inside and have the key or code to lock from the outside. There should be no problem in this regard - lots of room for your luggage.
If you were in a couchette then they lock similarly but it's up to all the folks in the couchette to lock the door each time they return - IME this is not always done and thus a thief can open the door during the night. One reason i never leave my bags on the lower floor and prefer the uppermost bunk, which also have huge storage space shelving.
If you were in a couchette then they lock similarly but it's up to all the folks in the couchette to lock the door each time they return - IME this is not always done and thus a thief can open the door during the night. One reason i never leave my bags on the lower floor and prefer the uppermost bunk, which also have huge storage space shelving.
Jun 25th, 2007, 09:31 AM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i misread - she said: they're in a couchette will just be the two of us, so I assume that there will be other passengers in our car.
i thought she said she assumed there would not be other people.
but after riding a few hundred couchette trips i've never seen anyone have anything stolen from inside the couchette. It probably does happen though.
Ample room for luggage but again whether everyone keeps the door locked when the go out at night is important.
most likely you will indeed be with other folks - and them i've never worried about as mostly they're upstanding folk IME.
a simple lock could secure a bag to some post, etc.
but my best advice is to try for the uppermost berth where you luggage will be way out of reach of anyone below and there is even more luggage space up there.
i thought she said she assumed there would not be other people.
but after riding a few hundred couchette trips i've never seen anyone have anything stolen from inside the couchette. It probably does happen though.
Ample room for luggage but again whether everyone keeps the door locked when the go out at night is important.
most likely you will indeed be with other folks - and them i've never worried about as mostly they're upstanding folk IME.
a simple lock could secure a bag to some post, etc.
but my best advice is to try for the uppermost berth where you luggage will be way out of reach of anyone below and there is even more luggage space up there.
Jun 25th, 2007, 10:10 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A couchette car has compartments for four or six people. Each compartment has a door that can be locked from the inside. You keep your luggage in the compartment. There are pictures and descriptions of the various types of overnight accommodation on www.seat61.com.
Jun 25th, 2007, 10:58 AM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you all for the answers!
Yes, we are in a couchette for 4 people, so there will most likely be one or two other people in the car with us.
We wil try to get at least one of on the top so we can store our luggage up off the floor.
Thanks for the advice!
Yes, we are in a couchette for 4 people, so there will most likely be one or two other people in the car with us.
We wil try to get at least one of on the top so we can store our luggage up off the floor.
Thanks for the advice!
Jun 25th, 2007, 11:00 AM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When you make your booking ask for the upper berths - you often have that choice when booking, except thru Rail Europe in US but most others i think you may. In any case you will have one berth or another reserved and it's not just first-come first served.
4-person couchette much better - only 1 or 2 other folks to worry about locking the door.
4-person couchette much better - only 1 or 2 other folks to worry about locking the door.
Jun 25th, 2007, 11:10 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks 
We already booked through the German overnight rail site (traveling from Frankfurt to Milan) and I don't remember seeing an option for it.
We'll just get there and see what we have. Since there will only be 2 others with us at the most, I feel fairly safe about it.
I'll just go with the flow!
We already booked through the German overnight rail site (traveling from Frankfurt to Milan) and I don't remember seeing an option for it.
We'll just get there and see what we have. Since there will only be 2 others with us at the most, I feel fairly safe about it.
I'll just go with the flow!
Jun 25th, 2007, 11:28 AM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think I'm just a bit jaded from reading so many forums (and threads like the one on this board entitled "How were you robbed?"
.
They've got me feeling like every person I'll encounter is looking for a way to steal all my worldy belongings!
When I'm realistic about it, I figure it will be about like Dallas (where I'm from) where you shouldn't set your purse on the ground or the floor of the train, but people aren't out to get you every step of the way! We'll use common sense.
.They've got me feeling like every person I'll encounter is looking for a way to steal all my worldy belongings!
When I'm realistic about it, I figure it will be about like Dallas (where I'm from) where you shouldn't set your purse on the ground or the floor of the train, but people aren't out to get you every step of the way! We'll use common sense.
Jun 25th, 2007, 11:35 AM
#13
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On trains in general - day or night i've rarely heard any theft on the train itself.
It's more in stations like Rome where fake porters or even fake cops or diversionary tactics could happen.
And caution is all that is needed to abort these. Be wary of anyone coming up to you - but it's not like there a thief waiting under every pizza - just a few crowded tourist places basically and rarely on the train.
It's more in stations like Rome where fake porters or even fake cops or diversionary tactics could happen.
And caution is all that is needed to abort these. Be wary of anyone coming up to you - but it's not like there a thief waiting under every pizza - just a few crowded tourist places basically and rarely on the train.
Jun 25th, 2007, 11:41 AM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ahh. We had similar experiences with fake porters and taxi drivers in the Mexican airport. Just don't give anyone your suitcase!
(I apologize for my severe addiction to putting smiley faces at the end of every sentence. I will go to smiley-rehab ASAP!)
(I apologize for my severe addiction to putting smiley faces at the end of every sentence. I will go to smiley-rehab ASAP!)
Jun 25th, 2007, 02:31 PM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The main luggage space in couchette compartments is on racks near the ceiling. It doesn't matter whether you're in a lower bunk or the top bunk: you can still put suitcases on the luggage rack. Each carriage has an attendant who checks tickets and looks after the passengers - there are generally about a dozen compartments in each carriage. The attendant will be able to help with stowing luggage.
Jun 25th, 2007, 04:03 PM
#17
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,000
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The only option is to bring your bags into the rail car and into your compartment. 20" works well. Do not leave any valuables in your bag. In a couchette you are expected to sleep in your clothes so keep your valuables under your shirt if you have strangers in there with you. Make sure the door is locked, especially in stations. However, conductors control night trains very well throughout Europe. You can't get in a sleeper without a bunk reservation.
It seems that you haven't been on night trains before. There is a good intro at http://tinyurl.com/y57vft.
What is your route? What are your travel dates? Do you have your tickets and bunk reservations?
