Luggage space on Italian trains
 

Hello! I've never used the Italian rail system before so I'm wondering what class of ticket I should aim for if my husband and I have 1 shared piece of checked luggage and then we each have a small carry on or backpack? From what I can tell online some of the higher class tickets have more room for luggage but I'm not sure what that means.
I don't want to be the rude people who block aisles or feel like we have to sit on our luggage. :) Thank you!

Hello!

Have you ever used other(European) rail systems? Italian is pretty much the same.

I'm pretty sure the 1st class coaches have exactly as much space for luggage as the 2nd class coaches. The difference is that since 1st class has fewer seats the luggage space is shared between less people.

The amount of your luggage is pretty normal. I wouldn't go 1st class ONLY because of more space for luggage, but than if you can afford to travel 1st class, why not?

We always try to book seats where we can keep an eye on the luggage storage. I usually can fit my suitcase above the seat though. Only time I have sat on my luggage was the train to the airport from Rome. There were no seats. Regional trains are a bit different than the high speed trains.

The only ticket that I know limits luggage is the lowest class Italo seat. But even that should be big enough for you if your checked bag is reasonable.

Remember you'll need to haul those bags around town,around the station up and down steps and finally onto and off the train. You have a strong incentive to minimize bag size.

Which trains?

On the highspeed trains. Carry on above you in the overhead. Larger bag in the luggage area.

This is not specific to Italy, but if your "one piece of shared luggage" is big, maybe take two smaller ones instead? Two 19-21" rollers might be easier to manage than one huge suitcase imo.

The amount of luggage space varies by train, but the amount you plan to bring doesn't seem excessive, unless that checked bag is very large.

As someone said, the only difference between 1st and 2nd class, with respect to luggage, is that 1st class has, usually, 1/3 fewer seats. However, 2nd class isn't usually full, and a fair number of people are travelling with little or no luggage, so it's not usually a problem.

The high-speed Frecciarossa trains, and the Italo trains, have more than two classe. The Frecciarossa has Standard, Premium, Business, and Executive, for example. Standard and Premium are identical except for the upholstery; not many people are willing to pay extra for fake leather seats, so there are usually more empty seats there. Executive is great, with reclining seats, leg rests, and fewer seats even than Business, but very expensive.

I live in Italy, and travel frequently by train. I almost always travel 2nd class because I don't consider 1st class worth the extra money. Sometimes there's a bargain fare in 1st (or business) and then I might take it. You can get cheaper fare with advance purchases, but then you lose flexibility.

Italo baggage rules

For Italo that's not true. Smart has a size limit. It's generous enough that it should be big enough for most people but there is one. I admit most people ignore it.

75x53x30cm that's almost 120litres if I haven't messed up the calculation.

The Frecce's do have "more space" depending upon which "class" you use: Executive has the MOST space for luggage and only a few seats, all of which are window seats. If you get a ticket far enough ahead it can be relatively reasonable to purchase those seats. There is sometimes room in other sections between pairs of seats as well as at the end of the cars; there are sometimes additional floor-mounted luggage racks mid-carriage in First on some routes. As to "rudeness" the worst issue we have ever faced was when somebody else was occupying your reserved seat (yes, it DOES happen) and they start yelling at you in Italian hoping you'll back off. Enjoy your ride.

I've never seen a Frecciarossa train that didn't have a luggage rack for large bags, either near one of the exits or in the center of the car. That sounds more like a regional train.

My friends were on the train going from Liverpool to Edi and someone was sitting in their reserved seats and would not move so they had to stand till those people got off. No seats available. We were on the high speed train to Germany from Paris and those sitting up top could not get their huge bags up the stairs. Thankful for 20-inch bags. Rethink that big shared bag.

"Relatively reasonable" means almost four times the cost of Standard class. For example, on the Bologna to Milan route, the very cheapest tickets possible (Super Economy) are €81.90. The Super Economy tickets for Standard class are €22.90. The Super Economy tickets for Standard class tend to sell out quickly, so you would have a better chance of getting bargain fares in Executive class. That's because not many people are willing to pay those prices for a fairly short trip. Still, the most expensive Standard tickets (Base fare) are only 60% of the cost of the cheapest possible Executive tickets.

Are you really sure it was a Frecciarossa train?

A Frecciarossa train has a luggage rack, not a "space to leave your luggage". Here's an image:

https://images.app.goo.gl/mXAUVBR4sXL58ZCQ8

I thought it was. Firenze to Venezia Santa Lucia, with no changes, in 3 hours. There was a display which showed 177 km/h.

Frecciarossa trains go from Venice to Florence in 2 hours and 10 minutes and run at max 250 in the tunnels between Bologna and Florence. You probably used an old Frecciabianca.

A train can have only reserved seats, but when people get on the wrong car it's obvious they must walk along the aisles to reach their assigned car. First class travellers are notorious for thinking that their cars must be the first ones and for getting on without checking.
There is nothing wrong, if one gets off at the next stop and stumbles upon an empty seat, in staying there avoiding a long walk with luggage in tow.

My email confirmation definitely says Freciarossa.

And I was mistaken about the time, it was 2 hours 5 minutes, from 11:30 to 13:35, though actually the train was about 10 minutes late.

Since you're asking, my advice is to take no more than you can handle going up and down stairs. If your husband can take the larger bag(s) up and down stairs, can you take the smaller bags up and down stairs by yourself?

I haven't encountered truly crowded (as in standing room only) trains but we've always found places for our bags although we usually went in 1st. just because I like to make certain of maximum comfort given the circumstances. Be careful to not block the connecting doors which is a mistake we made our first time. It was a sliding door with the luggage area right next to it. Boy, was that woman (another passenger) hot when she couldn't open the door and had to pound on it to get someone to open it!

Lol, we were still at the station and she could have gone around but preferred to make her point somewhat rudely instead.

Also, maybe the OP isn't coming back but the places where you're staying may not have elevators, so taking big suitcases and other heavy luggage on board trains would pale in comparison to having to take suitcases up a flight or two of stairs.

The only trains that could potentially be standing room only are the regional trains. All the others have only reserved seats.

I've occasionally taken first/business class when there was a bargain fare, and when discounted standard fares were sold out. The difference in comfort is minimal. The seat pitch is identical and the seats are only a fraction of an inch wider. The main difference is that the number of seats is less. Business travelers on expense accounts are more likely to get a higher class. Because of this I've often found myself face to face with someone talking loudly to his sales manager for half an hour. There are quiet cars on some trains, but not all.

Thank you for all the input! For some reason I didn't get notification that there were replies to this question. Our shared checked luggage is 27inches. Neither of us have used Italian or any European trains before so we aren't sure what to expect. Seems if we stick to express trains where possible we'll be fine.

>>Our shared checked luggage is 27inches. Neither of us have used Italian or any European trains before so we aren't sure what to expect. <<

That is an enormous suitcase and will weigh a ton. Makes MUCH more sense to not share a suitcase and to take either a 21 incher each or in a worst case -- two 24 inchers. You will have a devil of a time hoisting a filled 27 inch bag on and off any train or up and down stairs.

No need fo a 27 inch suitcase (almost ever really) and not a good idea to share one.

Re. 27 inch bag: you might check baggage allowances for your flights -- i.e. weight restrictions. The airline we mostly use (BA) has a 50 lb. limit (unless you are in business) and I'm pretty certain that if I had a 27 inch bag loaded to capacity (or near capacity) it would incur overweight baggage charges... just another practicality to consider.

Nah I have a 29-inch bag and it has 23 kg limit.

For a man it can still be lifted by the top handle. Sometimes you may want to grab it by the top and the side handles which most suitcases have.

What I'm not trying to do is lift it over my head and put it in the overhead racks above the seats, though it wouldn't be impossible to do so.

>>Nah I have a 29-inch bag and it has 23 kg limit.<<

Not sure what you mean by 'it has 23 kg limit', because one can get a heck of a lot more than 23kg into a 29 inch bag (or 27 for that matter). if you mean the airline has a 23 kg/50 lb limit -- that makes sense. But two people sharing a large suitcase - it would be even heavier than usual since it would have all the shoes.

Sure, one can wrestle a 27 inch bag on board -- but why? And that is plus the other carryons and/or backpacks you might be carrying.

Yes airlines.

But I agree, rather than share one big suitcase, two smaller suitcases for both would be better, as long as both of them could drag it the distances needed.

Express isn't what you should be looking for. For example Pisa to Florence there is an express regional train. No stops between the two cities. You save I think ten minutes. But it's the same regional train with the same luggage space.

I think you mean the high speed trains. But remember that case is going to be hauled up and down stairs at the station and onto/off the train. Are you comfortable with that? Especially if things are busy or you're running late?

You can lift it but it's highly unlikely it's fitting.

The other thing about sharing a "large" suitcase is you're both SOL if it goes missing. We take two small (usually very small) suitcases and divide our belongings between the two. Each of us carries a day bag (size and content vary depending on where we're going) with our own cell phones, laptops (or iPads or whatever), toiletries, and whatever individual small things each of us wants. I try not ever to have a suitcase that is a PITA for my DH to stow, whether it be at the end of a compartment or overhead, as I really don't want him to be my personal sherpa, but there have been a few times when I had a minor injury that limited my ability to lift a valise into an overhead compartment...and sometimes it's just hard because I'm short. I've also learned that in getting on and off European trains you need to be quick-thinking and not tick people off by plodding up and down the aisles.

Our shared checked luggage is 27 inches.

Noooo! :-) I would not want to move a suitcase that big around on the trains and thru the streets! It's really too big and too heavy. I highly recommend you get two smaller rolling suitcases instead. You don't have to spend a lot of money. I shop at TJ Maxx when I need a new bag, usually spend $50-65 max.

Doesn't matter about what exact trains you are on, express, high speed, local, whatever... You still have to move that big suitcase around, checking in and out of hotels, more than likely up and down stairs, possibly over cobblestones or bridges, etc. etc.