Trains in Italy - question...
 

Do you check bags like you do on a flight? Or are the bags with you in the car? I have a large suitcase and I wasn't sure if we keep it with us or check it.. thanks.

No checking (it wouldn't work, it would take an impossily long time at each station). You need it, you carry it :-)

Bags are with you in the car. Sometimes there is a luggage rack at the end of each car. Sometimes they can fit behind or between the seats and there are usually overhead racks.

thanks... we are going to be in Italy two weeks, so my suitcase is quite large... will there be a place for it for sure?

Thanks again!
Lisa

"we are going to be in Italy for 2 weeks" so my suitcase will be quite large..."
MAJOR ERROR! You DON'T need a LARGE suitcase! Believe me, you will rue the day you EVER considered taking a large suitcase! Lugging it on the train, trying to get it down the aisle, trying to hoist it overhead, or just dragging it around, it's not needed.
Pack light, pack light, pack light. Did I say to pack light?
We go for 3 weeks every time we go to Italy and we take a 22-25" roller and a backpack/carryon. People take so many things they "might wear" and all it does is add up to weight and a hassle. We sometimes wash things out and hang them up to dry. Not a problem. A large suitcase is.
You simply would not believe the number of incredibly pained faces I have seen on people lugging around large or multiple bags in train stations, walking through various cities, or trying to get them on a bus, over bridges in Venice, or up or down stairs on the Amalfi Coast.
Others will back me up on this.
[email protected]

Every train we took had luggage racks at the ends of the cars as well as the overhead bins described by kbrennan.

However, if you can travel lighter with a smaller bag, you'll have an easier time in my opinion. Even for two weeks I woudn't take anything larger than a 22" rollaboard. I use an 18" bag regardless of the length of the trip, but it's an obsession for me. I won't check luggage and i need to be able to lift it easily.

Hi Lisa,

>we are going to be in Italy two weeks, so my suitcase is quite large....<

It shouldn't be. :)

((I))

ltilley, read 2italy's post -- at least 10 times! Seriously <s>good</s> <b>essential</b> advice!

2italy is RIGHT. You can begin to imagine all the advantages of having a small suitcase.
If you have to walk with it, even a few yards, many places are GOING UP HILL, surface of roads is rugged,
train stations sometimes have staris to climb etc.

Well here is a small dilemna- first I agree with the pack light rule, but there are some exceptions. We are going on a cruise that departs Venice in November. Thus, we have to take formal/dress up clothes along as well as normal stuff. We also will spend several days in Italy prior to the cruise. This of course means we will take more that normal (normally I would never take a Tux to Italy). So sadly we may be stuck with more luggage then we want but not more than we will need...

Well, I'll certainly see what I can do... I can't promise anything.

I've never really been able to pack light. I agree I don't want to be lugging a huge suitcase around... but two weeks. I don't mind wearing jeans and pants multiple times, but we're going in march so I'm afraid I'll need to bring warm and cold weather clothes... and sweaters take up a lot of space.... I really will TRY to pack light... oh, my!

&quot;Sweater<b>s</b>&quot;? Why do you need more than one sweater for 2 weeks? If you pack several silk long-sleeved t-shirt-type shirts, they're lightweight, and you can layer away. Honestly, even when it's cold, you just don't need to be lugging a big case of clothes. (Unless you want to, which, of course, is fine, too!)

Be aware that with ma y trains you need to lift your bags up 3 steep narrow steps to get into the train. Then you have to either put in in the compartment at the end of the car (perhaps hoisting in on top of others) to fir on an overhead rack.

If the suitcase is too large/heavy for you to lift it above your head you shouldn;t be taking it - or taking a train. (We use fairly large luggage - 25 or 26&quot; - but we almost always drive - so size isn;t an isssue. And if we do take a train - well the beau is 6'3&quot; and can lift way more than the weight of the luggage.)

Several trips ago we took a train from Frankfurt to Prague. There was a group of Americans (a tour or some sort of group) of primarily senior folks. Luckily the first class car was almost emopty - so they were able to leave their luggage in the aisle (some couldn't even drag their luggage as far as their cabin - never mind get it up on a rack).

Please listen to 2italy and everyone else! Pack light. A 22&quot; bag should be fine along with a backpack. Thin layers are key for winter traveling. Silkweight or capilene type long underwear underneath (I do top and bottom during winter, but husband and kids usually seem ok with just top half). Cashmere sweaters are thin, soft, and warm - they take up just a small amount of packing space. Just 2-3 should be fine. Costco sometimes even carries them at really good prices. Wear a hat, gloves, scarf and warm socks - those go a long way towards keeping you warm. Also, a couple a different scarves help with the fashion issue of light packing - a few give the same sweater a totally different look. Several thin layers are warmer than 1 or 2 bulky ones. Plus, you can mix and match with several and adjust when inside heated areas like museums. Wear your big coat on the plane then put it in the overhead bin. Also wear your largest shoes/boots on the plane.

Happy travels! :-)

Also, if you have to change trains at some of the smaller towns, you may end up dragging your luggage off the trains, down a flight of stairs, over to the station or another track, and then back up the stairs to the platform!!!! And you may have to do it in a hurry.
Please, pack smart and pack light. The misery a large and heavy bag(s) will give you will be looooooooong remembered, and will detract from a wonderful time in Italy.

Hi Itilley

I couldn’t agree more with everything that has been said about packing light. I traveled to Italy for 2 ½ weeks in late March and early April. I brought one 22 inch rolling bag and a tote. As mentioned by other posters, the key is layering. I layered silk and thermal long underwear under lightweight but warm cashmere and merino wool sweaters and knit blouses along with gloves and a scarf. I washed some of my clothes out in the sink but also made use of hotel dry cleaning services. I also got by with one pair of shoes.

Because last year I brought clothes I did not wear (like a lighter weight jacket), I will bring a 21” carryon with me when I return to Italy for 3 weeks in March. Remember that even if it gets warmer outside the heavy walled churches and museums will still be very cold. Have a wonderful trip.

You don't have to travel light. Celebrities, royalties, presidents, etc, don't travel light. They just don't take the train!

Alright alright, I am one to listen to suggestions...

I have purchased a rolling upright duffle. it's not quite carry on size, but much much smaller than my suitcase and easy to take around. It's only a little larger than carry on size. It also states that's it cobblestone friendly. it has a shoulder strap for all the stairs and rollers for the streets and terminals. Thanks for the suggestions...

Seems like you have saved me from headaches.... thanks for all the advice.

To Everyone who has posted here, THANKS...I will now take very little and I will be in Italy for the month of March. Your warning about trains is heard.

JB