A major advantage of travelling by train rather than air is how much cheaper and easier it is to deal with your luggage!
- You can take luggage with you on the train free of charge
- You do not need to make a reservation for your luggage
- You do not have to weigh your luggage before travelling
- You do not need to check in your luggage or wait for a baggage belt at your destination
You can transport briefcases, laptops, rucksacks, trolley bags and suitcases on board at no charge. Items of luggage must be not be so big or heavy that they cannot be carried by a single person. This is sometimes interpreted as a generous maximum size of 90 x 60 x 40 cm and a maximum weight of 50kg.
You may also take pushchairs, folding bikes or scooters and sports equipment (e.g. skis, surfboards) on board at no charge. Larger items such as bicycles or boats are subject to special conditions of cariage and may incur a charge.
Unlike with the airlines there is no concept of checked baggage. You carry everything on and off the train yourself, or in the case of bus connections, your baggage is stowed for the journey in a hold beneath the passenger seating area. Sometimes you may have to stow larger items of luggage further away from your seat, for example in the middle or at the end of the carriage. Problems are very rare, but you alone are responsible for the security of your luggage. Any lost property must be reported to rail staff immediately.
Your luggage should not inconvenience other passengers or cause damage to other passenger’s bags or the train. The rail operator may examine unsupervised luggage including its contents and remove it from the train and destroy it if the carrier or the authorities consider it necessary for the safety of operations or passengers. Restrictions apply to the carriage of weapons, ammunition and dangerous goods. See the CIT website for more details.