Trophywife007

Currently we’re in the Netherlands and, yes, we have too many bags, but are determined to go by train. We are mitigating that as much as we can by doing direct trips rather than having to make a lot of transfers and we have been taking a taxi to the station, again, to simplify things.

Here’s my question: the train we took from Apeldoorn to The Hague did not have racks at the end of the train car, no spaces between seats, only those little racks above our heads. It wasn’t very busy so we kept our large bags on the floor in front of us which blocked the two seats across from us, but no one complained. I saw others doing similar with smaller bags.

What’s the normal procedure? The overhead racks do not look big enough to hold our large bag (29x18x10) and I’m not sure Mr. 7 is strong enough to lift it over his head. The smaller check in bag, 26x18x10 might fit… what do people do if they have/need larger bags?

The airline wrecked one of our bags so we’re looking to replace our luggage after this trip. They say that if you’re going to check bags, you might as well make it worth it.

What do you think?

hetismij2

We used to sit in the "jump seats" by the doors with our bags when we had big bags. Not very comfortable it is true but certainly on double decker trains the easiest option with luggage.
Nowadays we use rucksacks or small carryons which are easier to deal with.
If the train isn't crowded just use all four seats, and even if it is there isn't much else you can do really. First class is always less crowded than 2nd, and I have travelled first on occasion when I know a train will be crowded - students getting home for the weekend for instance.
Dutch regional and Intercity trains aren't designed to carry a lot of luggage, they are more commuter get you from A to B trains.

Traveler_Nick

Are you asking just about the Netherlands or in general?

Usually overheads are for carry ons. No different than flying.

Stowing large bags IMHO is the least of your worries. I'd worry more about getting on/off the train. Some stations aren't exactly friendly when it comes to dealing with large bags. Stairs for example. Even dealing with turnstiles at some stations can be an issue.

The other problem with "too many" bags is how many hands do you have? At some point you'll need to check your phone, read a map, pull out a ticket or worse go to the bathroom. How are you handling all this?

If you're asking my personal choice. At most one mid sized bag and one bag that fits above it. The smaller bag is an underseat. Even better the first bag should be more or less carry on size that will fit the overheads. Put the heavier stuff in the small underseat bag.

cdnyul

Since you know you have too much luggage, buy two small carryons, throw out what you don't need and repack.

janisj

Maybe just a bit extreme especially if you have nice luggage. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20 and now you know why so many of us travel carry-on only. One seldom really needs all that extra 'stuff'. Small bags make EVERYTHING easier. But realistically -- traveling in 1st and praying the train isn't full are your main hopes.

abbydog

It's probably too late, but you will find more space on the train if you get seats in first class. In France, my group of four bought seats facing each other across a table at the end of the train and discovered we had our own personal luggage storage space directly across the aisle.

cdnyul

Another option is to rent a car.
Third option is to ask a stranger for help but ask them to ber careful because your Mac and IPad are inside the suitcase
Turn your back for a momemt and chances are the stranger will dissapear with the suitcase.

janisj

Trophywife007

Excellent advice from all, thank you very much for your input. Since we're looking at new bags, it's time to rethink our practice. Carry on only sounds pretty scary but perhaps we need to start practicing that with shorter trips. It's good to know we aren't breaking any rules by taking up more seats, and yes, we did buy first class tickets with the thought that there would be more space. We also have a system for loading and unloading bags so we don't take much time, and we've been traveling during "off" time. The train stations we've encountered in Netherlands have been luggage friendly with escalators and ramps. We have only one more train trip from Den Haag to Haarlem -- should be fairly straightforward hopefully, then we'll do a taxi or car service from Haarlem to Schiphol.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom; we have our homework in trying to carry it out!

hetismij2

If you go for smaller bags look at packing cubes as well, you will be amazed how much you can fit into packing cubes and then into a small bag.

Trophywife007

Thanks. What are some types you've used?

bilboburgler

We cycle tour for weeks on end and take all our clothes in a space smaller than a carry on. We get very dirty during the day and yet always have a change or multiple changes for the evening and the next day. No Lycra for us, all natural fibres.

How to do this?

Use washing machines on route
Don't take too many toys
Throw clothes away when you no longer need them (we actually take old underwear with us for this very reason) and buy afresh
If you don't believe us, when you next get home, look in your bag and ask, how much of what you took did you really need and use.

thursdaysd

Aside from extra pharmaceuticals I take the same amount of "stuff" for a multi-month trip as I would for a couple of weeks. I do my laundry in the bathroom sink, but if you are in Europe there should be laundromats. If you stay in hotels they will probably do your laundry but it's expensive and I don't usually stay in that kind of hotel. In my fifties I traveled with a convertible backpack, but these days I use a 22-inch two-wheeler - that's too big for European carry-on but I check it as it has a couple of things that don't pass TSA inspection, and I mostly use trains once I've crossed the Atlantic or Pacific. I also take a small day bag, which has all the electronics and pharmaceuticals and a change of socks and underwear for flights.

My packing list is rather dated but you will find plenty of advice here: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light

kybourbon

I often travel alone and I don't do carry on only. For my carry on, I use a backpack (not a large hiking type). The carry on contains essentials (meds, charger, t-shirt, underwear in case luggage goes astray). For my case, I use a 24", but I don't load it where it's really heavy. I looked for the lightest weight case I could find. Your smaller bag is bigger than my large bag. I find going down the stairs to get off a train, a bag wants to pull you forward so be careful with that and it's easier to manage if I have just the one bag and the backpack on. On some trains, the 24" bag will slide in behind your seat because of the way the seats are angled.

janisj

I use a 21 inch soft sided rollaboard for a trip of any length (well, for a weekend that is overkill so usually just take a tote). I have used cubes a few times and they are convenient for some. But I find that the actual material / mass of a cube is about the same as a cashmere sweater or light weight skirt so I prefer to not use cubes and use the space for actual garments.

Just got home from a 6 day trip to the UK and the rollaboard is light enough that I can easily lift it into the overhead of even a tall wide body plane. Didn't wear the same outfit twice and the bag weighed between 20 and 21 lbs. Coming home it weighed about 23 lbs after jettisoning most of the left over liquids/toiletries and adding a few purchases. If I was taking a longer trip I'd take pretty much the same stuff and plan on doing a little hand washing.

Christina

I'm not that light a packer and could not travel the way some say they do. I will not travel with only one pair of shoes, for example, which I've seen some people say they do. And I go out to events where I would not feel comfortable dressing real casually meaning not pants, etc. I'm not talking cocktail dresses and heels or anything, but dressier shoes than walking shoes or sneakers. But sturdy enough you can traverse a city partly wsalking, metro etc. I don't use cubes, don't see the point, they just add more stuff. I do roll stuff a lot and pack them in these plastic sleeves I get with my newspaper delivery, actually.

I do not believe in the kind of waste many people seem to do without thoguht, either. I don't believe in adding more to landfilles. For example, I would never just throw out toiletries because I only take a very small amt to begin with and put them in small travel tubes or whatever, and then I reuse them. I don't buy travel size toiletries (except for deodorant, no way around that, but one of those small travel size stick deodorants lasts several weeks. I would never just throw out underwear because I'm too lazy to wash it, either. That's rather disgusting to me in one way as you are leaving soiled underpants for the room cleaner to have to deal with? ugh But also if you pack lighter weight fabric/synthetics, a few underpants don't take up hardly any space anyway.
Aside from that I don't believe in throwing out underwear to go into landfills.

However, even though I am not a super light packer by some terms (I really don't care if I check a bag, doesn't bother me at all, at least not on long trips), I don't even own and never have a 28-29 inch suitcase. I do travel with a 24 incher, that's my biggest, and one smaller totebag which is my carryon and has just a few essentials and my entertainment, Kindle, etc. I don't understand how a smaller bag would be a checkin bag and not the larger one?

I can travel on trains with a 24 incher, I make sure the suitcase is one of those lighter weight ones. Of course men's clothes are bigger and thus heavier to begin with so my practices won't really be the same for men. I think ithose bags are just a bit too big, each person could deal with a 24 incher or so.

I don't think anyone should even contemplate traveling by train with something over 29 inches, gads. There would be no need to ever have such a large bag unless you were moving house or going somewhere long term or something, and then you'd ship it. With the exception of some sports trip perhaps but then you wouldn't be traveling by train probably (if you had skis, boots, a surfboard or whatever).

Now I'm talking longer trips, I do use a smaller bag which you can carry on n(maybe 20 inches) for trips of a few days to a week, perhaps, in one locale and you can predict the weather fairly well and you don't have alot of different type activities.

nyse

^^^”Aside from that I don't believe in throwing out underwear to go into landfills.”

Goodness, one wonders what you do with worn-out underthings.

bilboburgler

Well in my town they are incinerated and the CO2 goes into the atmosphere.

Trophywife007

I've saved older "knickers" in order to discreetly dispose of them on a trip... at some point they'll be tossed so it may as well be when it will benefit me in some way. It's not as if they can be recycled.

bilboburgler

well old knickers have been recycled throughout Europe since the 1750s and they continue to be so to this day. If throwing them away please put them in a recyling container which you will find in many large bins around most towns. If you put them in your hotel room they get burnt or landfilled (mainly burnt as landfill is full in most of western Europe)