overnight train travel safety
 

Hi,

I am new to this forum, just wanted some pointers re: what locks are good for locking luggage to overnight train to prevent theft.

Thanks.

Winnie

If you have a private sleeping compartment you can use the lock on the door.

If you mean locking your luggage to the luggage rack, I have on occasion used a lock with a cable, like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Lewis-N-Clark...ge+cable+locks

<i>overnight train travel safety
Posted by: winstar227 on Sep 8, 16 at 9:14pm
I am new to this forum, just wanted some pointers re: what locks are good for locking luggage to overnight train to prevent theft. </i>

A wire tie is good. The thief will go to an easier target and/or make so much noise that you will wake up. Never put any valuables in your suitcase, anywhere anyway. For an introduction to night trains in Europe see http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap17/rail3.htm.

Sleep on your valuables .. and even then .. if in an open seating arrangement have your money and passport in a moneybelt under your clothes.
Your stuff is not as important as your money, cards and passport.. everything else is replaceable.

My dd and her friends did an overnight from Italy to Germany just a few months ago.. miserable experience as they couldn't afford a nice private compartment( and one I warned them about) but they wanted to experience the night train thing.. I told them to fly.. lol
They did in fact fly from Amsterdam to Barcelona and were very happy they didn't take the train for that route..

You've already gotten some great advice! One other tip: Once you've completed your last overnight train, consider tossing your cable with lock or tie or whatever unless you have a reason to keep lugging it around. ;-)

Good luck!

justineparis and I were posting at the same time, and you've gotten some great input from her, too!

IMO, putting one's money and passport in an underclothing passport pouch is "normal" when abroad, from take off to landing in my own country, unless I KNOW that I will otherwise be unable to reach those key things when needed, and in that case, I still sleep in/on them, if in a different and more easily reached place.

That said, I love sleeping on trains, and was glad I took a few overnight trains while in Europe, even if I couldn't afford a private compartment. YMMV.

"...consider tossing your cable with lock..."

Sorry, I don't understand why you'd toss them. They weigh next to nothing and take up no space.

@ MmePerdu: I didn't look at the ones you recommended; I was remembering the VERY heavy ones I used many, many years ago.

Hi all,

I actually keep a cable lock locked onto the top handle of my suitcase. It's coiled up, but ready. Since I usually travel by train, it's there in case I want to lock my case to a fence or rail while I wander the station in search of coffee or snacks, etc. I don't often use it, but it's small and unobtrusive, so I just keep it there.

s