Carry-on Luggage

[steveindixon]

Hi Everyone! It's now a little over a month till I take my first EVER train ride. I'm taking the CZ from Davis to Chicago. I have a question about my carry-on luggage. Is there a compartment for me to lock it in? Thanks! Steve

 

[Cascadia]

You didn't say you had a sleeper so I assume you'll be in coach. You can put a suitcase on the racks downstairs, just don't keep anything valuable in there, or anything you need handy on the trip. (oh, if you can check this bag, that would be better.)

Have a second smaller bag like a day pack or briefcase or small suitcase that you can keep what you need with you on the train.

But - for stuff like ipods, your wallet, camera, etc, I would keep that stuff with you all the time. I would not leave that unattended anywhere, regardless of where you are in this world. You should have a messenger bag or a book bag that you can take with you to the lounge, diner, bathroom, etc. and not leave it at your seat.

One rule of travel in general is "Never bring anything you would hate to lose."

That one has stood me well for many trips over the years as well as the overarching one:

"Take twice as much money and half as many clothes as you think you need."

For the stuff you do leave at your seat, in the overhead rack, you can wrap your bag in your coat, that would slow someone down if they went to dig around in there. Just don't make it easy for them.

 

[steveindixon]

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. Yes, I will be in Coach. And thank you for your response! Steve

 

[the_traveler]

Things are fairly safe on a train (as much or more than anywhere else), but I would not leave anything valuable (like a laptop, cell phone, etc...) out in the open and unattended. Especially if you're going somewhere for a long time (like the diner or lounge car) - and especially if there are stops before you would get back! (Most people do not get off a train between stops! )

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Have a second smaller bag like a day pack or briefcase or small suitcase that you can keep what you need with you on the train.
But - for stuff like ipods, your wallet, camera, etc, I would keep that stuff with you all the time. I would not leave that unattended anywhere, regardless of where you are in this world. You should have a messenger bag or a book bag that you can take with you to the lounge, diner, bathroom, etc. and not leave it at your seat.

One rule of travel in general is "Never bring anything you would hate to lose."

I would hate to lose my wallet or my camera. But leaving my entire wallet at home would probably make travel impossible, and not having a camera would diminish the experience for me.

I did indeed find on my last trip that bringing two bags, and intentionally packing one with only clothing and a few other items of very small value such as spare alkaline batteries, and packing the stuff I care more about in the other bag, made the trip more pleasant; bringing just my backpack with me as I wandered through the train worked out reasonably well (though it required ignoring comments from the dining car staff that I didn't need to bring my backpack with me; but it fit nicely between my feet in much the same way it tends to travel on the subway when the subway is crowded). At least in the handicapped bathrooms in coach on an Amfleet I, there's a hook on the wall and plenty of space.

"Take twice as much money and half as many clothes as you think you need."

I think I would have been pretty unhappy wearing dirty clothes if I'd brought smaller quantities of certain things on my last trip.

It did turn out that I brought a bit of clothing I didn't need because I estimated that the weather might be colder than it turned out to be, and I probably also failed to account for how little walking I was going to have to do in marginal weather, because all of my relatives rely on automobiles a lot more than I do.

ATMs are common enough in the US these days that I'm not convinced that there's a huge need to bring lots of cash these days. On the other hand, I also once had the experience of being in the middle of nowhere, needing to buy a bus ticket, and having the one credit card I had not go through. Fortunately, I did have enough cash. (I think that bus station also had an ATM.)

 

[jackal]

Have a second smaller bag like a day pack or briefcase or small suitcase that you can keep what you need with you on the train.
But - for stuff like ipods, your wallet, camera, etc, I would keep that stuff with you all the time. I would not leave that unattended anywhere, regardless of where you are in this world. You should have a messenger bag or a book bag that you can take with you to the lounge, diner, bathroom, etc. and not leave it at your seat.

One rule of travel in general is "Never bring anything you would hate to lose."

I would hate to lose my wallet or my camera. But leaving my entire wallet at home would probably make travel impossible, and not having a camera would diminish the experience for me.

I did indeed find on my last trip that bringing two bags, and intentionally packing one with only clothing and a few other items of very small value such as spare alkaline batteries, and packing the stuff I care more about in the other bag, made the trip more pleasant; bringing just my backpack with me as I wandered through the train worked out reasonably well (though it required ignoring comments from the dining car staff that I didn't need to bring my backpack with me; but it fit nicely between my feet in much the same way it tends to travel on the subway when the subway is crowded). At least in the handicapped bathrooms in coach on an Amfleet I, there's a hook on the wall and plenty of space.

"Take twice as much money and half as many clothes as you think you need."

I think I would have been pretty unhappy wearing dirty clothes if I'd brought smaller quantities of certain things on my last trip.

It did turn out that I brought a bit of clothing I didn't need because I estimated that the weather might be colder than it turned out to be, and I probably also failed to account for how little walking I was going to have to do in marginal weather, because all of my relatives rely on automobiles a lot more than I do.

ATMs are common enough in the US these days that I'm not convinced that there's a huge need to bring lots of cash these days. On the other hand, I also once had the experience of being in the middle of nowhere, needing to buy a bus ticket, and having the one credit card I had not go through. Fortunately, I did have enough cash. (I think that bus station also had an ATM.)

I think you said just about everything I was going to say--especially the part about the dirty clothes! :lol:

As far as money, I bring all of my credit cards (too many, but why not) and usually pick up around $100 in cash for those just-in-case situations. Otherwise, I use cards for everything, both at home and overseas. IMHO, the days of using traveler's checks and carrying around wads of cash are long gone.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I intentionally don't keep one of my credit cards in my wallet, on the theory that if my wallet ever gets lost / stolen, the total time I'll spend creditcardless will go down that way.

 

[RRrich]

It does cost a few dollars to get money from an ATM, but when I was in NOL it was well worth the $5 to get $100 or $200 from my bank in STL

I have seen folks in STL complaining that it cost $5 to get $50 from their STL account - but since it costs me nothing, I just murmur "you can't fix stupid"

When I was a kid, my Dad walked around with a lot of cash in his wallet - but checks weren't easily accepted, credit cards didn't hardly exist - what was his choice? Not like that anymore!

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Whether it costs a few dollars in fees depends on the banks in question. There are a few banks out there that will refund any surcharges, and won't charge fees of their own, at least for the first N transactions per month.

 

[jackal]

I intentionally don't keep one of my credit cards in my wallet, on the theory that if my wallet ever gets lost / stolen, the total time I'll spend creditcardless will go down that way.

I don't necessarily keep all of my cards in my wallet (though, admittedly, I probably keep too many of them in there, given that I only use two of them regularly). However, they're always with me anywhere I go, and if they're not in my wallet, they're in a special pocket of my backpack I designate for important cards and documents.

Whether it costs a few dollars in fees depends on the banks in question. There are a few banks out there that will refund any surcharges, and won't charge fees of their own, at least for the first N transactions per month.

I have an account at a local credit union, but I also have an account with Citi, despite the fact that there are no Citi branches in Alaska! In fact, I'm always pleasantly surprised when I travel outside of Alaska, as I am then able to withdraw money with my Citi ATM card without a surcharge at a real Citibank ATM! (Even so, Citi will refund up to four surcharges per month, as I live outside of an area served by Citi.)

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I carry a few hundred bucks around with me when traveling, and a credit card. Not so much with Amtrak, since they accept Amex, but I only carry around one credit card. As for my wallet getting lost, its happened to me before (I was pickpocketed, at the West Wall in Jerusaelem, of all places!) but I try not to worry about it. I've made it a habbit to brush my arm casually against where I keep my wallet with some frequency, and I hold a bag in that hand against my side, too. Also, I make it a point to look like a relatively poor bum as much as possible.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

post deleted

 

[Cascadia]

It is so fun to talk about travel, think about travel, plan travel . . . I like to see everyone jump in with their favorite tips and tricks.

You guys didn't like my travel "rules" lol, I was thinking those are maybe for a different kind of travel, backpacking and hostelling in Europe, etc. Also you took them kind of literally. I always interpreted "never bring anything you would hate to lose" as meaning don't bring things of important sentimental value like family heirlooms, etc, irreplaceable things. And maybe that applies more to traveling in places you're unfamiliar with, or riskier places than an American Amtrak train. But, the rule just acknowledges that when traveling, you want to expect the unexpected, and that you might find yourself in situations that you don't have much control over. Also that when you are a tourist in a foreign country, you are a target for theives and con men, that's just a fact, people may try to take advantage of the fact that you are on unfamiliar territory, can't read the social signals, maybe can't speak the language and don't know where you're going, etc.

So yeah, I've relaxed that one quite a bit on my Amtrak jaunts to Canada

The other rule about bringing twice as much money and half as many clothes, true, maybe you don't actually carry it on you in cash or traveller's checks like we used to, but it's best if you have access to more than you think you need, especially if you're going to Europe! yikes. If you're travelling overseas or in a third world country, it's best to be prepared for delays, when I went to Peru, there was a chance of getting stuck there by transportation strikes, also by weather which prevents flights in and out of the mountains, a person might have to pay for several days of hotel stays on top of what they planned for.

I realize credit cards have changed a lot of these concerns, but budgeting for a trip is something you get better at with experience. The OP sounded like he hadn't travelled a lot, so I threw my old "rules" out there and I"m glad they became part of the discussion topic.

It's different packing for a long trip when you have to haul your stuff around without a car, the "half as many clothes" is a very good idea for most people who aren't experienced travellers. Besides, a lot of times it's fun to shop and buy a few new things as you go, it's good to have some room in the luggage for that.

This is all kind of off topic for "where to put your luggage on an Amtrak train"! but it's fun to talk about the old adventurous travel of years ago!

 

[the_traveler]

I pay for almost everything with credit cards, but I normally carry only 3 - 1 AX and 2 Visas. I use the AZ as much as I can, 1 VI I use for gas (for the rebate - 8¢ a gallon helps now a days!). The other VI is used if I can't use AX. (I know I'm bad because I don't have the AGR MC! I don't like Chase! :angry: )

If I'm lucky, I may have $20 cash in my wallet!

 

[p&sr]

You guys didn't like my travel "rules" lol, I was thinking those are maybe for a different kind of travel, backpacking and hostelling in Europe, etc. Also you took them kind of literally.

Dear Cascadia, I liked your travel rules just fine!

I use them just slightly modified...

Never bring anything that cannot be replaced in some reasonable fashion.

(eg your Passport you would hate to lose, but must bring it, and it can be replaced in an emergency.)

For both clothing and money, experience teaches what is practical. By all means, I always recommend Travelling Light. This means bringing nothing more than you can comfortably carry for several miles walking at a good pace. Anything more than that will surely cause regrets and inconvenience.

Works for Europe. Works fine for Amtrak too.

 

[ourlouisiana]

On our trip last June on the Crescent, we went by coach from NOL to PHL. Maybe we're naive and/or lucky. We left laptop in the overhead rack most of the way, only used it to bring diary up to date and download photos from camera. And at times, left our camera on the seat. (But we were a party of 3 adults and 5 kids)

Never had a problem, northbound or southbound.

Donna n Paul Scott, La. BNSF mp149.1 Lafayette Subdivision

Operation Lifesaver Louisiana

 

[Dan O]

re overhead in coach--

Would there be enough room for two duffel bags? I think the size is about 15 x 15 x20 or so.

My son will have a similar size duffel bag with a small backpack (the kind for dayhikes).

Do you think there would be enough room for all of the above over the two seats we will occupy in coach?

DanO

 

[p&sr]

Do you think there would be enough room for all of the above over the two seats we will occupy in coach?

Sounds like that should all fit OK.

 

[Dan O]

Do you think there would be enough room for all of the above over the two seats we will occupy in coach?

Sounds like that should all fit OK.

Thanks.

Dan

 

[RRrich]

In terms of safety, we were upset that we couldn't lock our bedroom - leaving a laptop, camera, GPS etc when we went to eat.

But all was well. I guess pax should not leave their bedroom when the train is in a station.

 

[AlanB]

In terms of safety, we were upset that we couldn't lock our bedroom - leaving a laptop, camera, GPS etc when we went to eat.
But all was well. I guess pax should not leave their bedroom when the train is in a station.

I just make sure to close the door and the curtain, as well as put any valuables out of sight when I leave the room.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I think the size is about 15 x 15 x20 or so.

The carryon size limit is technically 28" x 22" x 14" (except on the Surfliners, where that 14" shrinks to 11"). I'm pretty sure I've sometimes been on Regional trains with a backpack that was about 15" or 16" on its smallest dimension, and not had any problems with it riding at my feet, though, and the summary on page 123 of the timetable mentions the weight but not the length / width / height, which may imply that Amtrak is more concerned with weight than volume.

I did have a slightly difficult time getting my backpack into an overhead bin on a Crystal Transport bus when 448 (the Lake Shore Limited Boston stub) was bustituted, where my backpack seemed to be about an inch too thick. On the second try it fit, though.

 

[jackal]

re overhead in coach--Would there be enough room for two duffel bags? I think the size is about 15 x 15 x20 or so.

My son will have a similar size duffel bag with a small backpack (the kind for dayhikes).

Do you think there would be enough room for all of the above over the two seats we will occupy in coach?

DanO

It depends what train you're taking. The single-level Amfleet cars used on eastern trains have plenty of room for overhead shelf for luggage. The two-level Superliners, however, are pretty tight--my full-size backpack (don't know the dimensions, but it's a full-size Kelty hiking-type) fit just fine in the Amfleets but could not be wedged in the overhead rack of the Superliners (no matter how much I tried).

Fortunately, Amtrak coaches offer end-of-car racks (on Amfleets) and lower-level racks (on Superliners) that have plenty of room for extra luggage--just don't leave anything valuable in them, as you won't be able to keep an eye on them from your seat.

If you're doing the Pacific Surfliner (I see you live in CA), I don't remember the overhead storage situation on the Surfliner cars, but if you're going on the morning train that heads towards San Luis Obispo, it uses single-level Horizon equipment, which I seem to recall having a very generous overhead luggage rack (bigger than even the Amfleets).

 

[gswager]

If you're doing the Pacific Surfliner (I see you live in CA), I don't remember the overhead storage situation on the Surfliner cars, but if you're going on the morning train that heads towards San Luis Obispo, it uses single-level Horizon equipment, which I seem to recall having a very generous overhead luggage rack (bigger than even the Amfleets).

Yup, the overhead bins of California cars (bi-level) are much smaller than regular Superliners! They use airline-style bins. I had a most common used roll along suitcase that is accepted at airports as a carry-on luggage will not fit in California cars, so I had to put it in front of me. Superliners would be easily fit in than airlines.

 

[Tygercat]

I think the size is about 15 x 15 x20 or so.

The carryon size limit is technically 28" x 22" x 14" (except on the Surfliners, where that 14" shrinks to 11"). I'm pretty sure I've sometimes been on Regional trains with a backpack that was about 15" or 16" on its smallest dimension, and not had any problems with it riding at my feet, though, and the summary on page 123 of the timetable mentions the weight but not the length / width / height, which may imply that Amtrak is more concerned with weight than volume.

Maybe it is just the NEC, but I don't think Amtrak pays a great deal of attention to what people carry on board. On returning from a day trip to NYP, DH and I saw one young woman lugging what has got to be the biggest wheelie bag I have ever seen. Don't know how she got it on board at PHL, or down the escalator for that matter, but she literally had to squeeze it down the aisle. No idea where she stashed it on the train, it would have taken up pretty much the entire luggage area by itself. When we got off at BWI, she went through the same squeeze down the aisle process, got it over the gap with difficulty, then had to drag it up and down the stairs of the passenger crossover, as the elevators were out of commission for servicing! Some people did offer to help, but she refused it. Probably a college kid.