Bags, Trains and Rickety Stairs
I like to think of my young self as an ‘original’ backpacker. You know the one – young, broke, hauling too big a backpack along with a 6 month Eurail pass in my back pocket. (Back when there were no mobile phones, letters home were sent via post and you had to go into a bank to withdraw money!)
On our way to Brugges, Belgium from Gare Du Nord, Paris, France.
The Eurail pass allowed me to go where any train would take me in Europe. That was pretty cool. I have had a soft spot for train travel ever since. (Not sure if thats because trains still exist in this world!) I was really looking forward to trying out the Eurostar, and my trip to Belgium provided a perfect opportunity to head to the UK for a long weekend to celebrate my nephew Jack’s 11th Birthday.
In anticipation of journeying by train, I gave serious thought to what bag I should take. No joke. My back took a year to recover from that first adventure!
1. Wheels are good. 4 is better than 2, 2 is better than none!
2. Back Pack straps are handy when you are climbing on board trains and up rickety narrow stairs in small ‘character’ filled B&B’s.
3. Only buy a bag that enables you to pack to your maximum weight allowance and your ability to lift the bag up stairs by yourself! (Bear in mind your plane weight restrictions – to avoid extra $$$)
Not much room for bags on the Thalys intercity trains in Europe.
4. Remember big coats can be worn or carried on planes and computer bags are allowed in addition to carry on luggage.
5. If you are catching many trains, moving around a lot or will be doing a lot of walking, make your carry on bag a small backpack. Its amazing how much better you feel dragging one bag instead of two!
6. Keep weight down by taking a kindle or equivalent. No need to pack travel books or your favourite author to read any longer!
Eventually I decided on the High Sierra, as a bag/backpack combination. High Sierra AT7
I used the backpack harness when getting onto the train, negotiating train station stairs but as a normal bag otherwise. It doesn’t look too bad either. I thought it was good value for money. It has two compartments which allowed me to organise my shoes and clothing very well. There is an internal mesh zippered clothing separator and a deep outside pocket for needed essentials. Perfect!
I really enjoyed my Eurostar trip. The Economy seats were comfortable with plenty of room and the overall experience was very relaxed. No cramped economy cattle class plane seats here! Arriving into London St Pancreas and transferring to the St Albans line was also a breeze. I won’t hesitate to do this again! In this age of plane travel, the train made a very pleasant journey.
Booking your travel by Train in Europe has never been easier.
You can book all of your tickets before you leave and take advantage of any sales.
It is important to book the Eurostar up to 3 months in advance!
Its very popular!
The websites I used were –
The Bag enjoying its Europe Adventure, Chantilly Châteaux, Chantilly, France.