When you are travelling on a tour with Great Rail Journeys, you're going to take a suitcase or bag of some kind. Your bag is the tourist that never speaks or complains but travels as much as you do.
On the journey, it will be bumped and kicked; you will take it for granted, curse it occasionally and otherwise ignore it.
There are things you can do as an experienced traveller that will make life easier, both for you and your non-speaking companion. Let's take a moment to look at some of the main things to consider…
Don't overpack!
Firstly, it's important to remember that, when travelling across countries or on multiple trains, you will be required to haul your luggage on and off trains. European stations rarely have porters to help you.
Yes, there can be porters in hotels but there are still many occasions where you have to manage your own bags, including on cobbled streets and stairs to the upper deck of a train. Don't forget, you're on holiday to enjoy yourselves!
Let's be honest here: How many times have we all packed stuff that we never used and, on looking back, wished that we'd never brought with us?
Apart from that, an overloaded suitcase is much more likely to get broken. Sometimes, customers have turned up with enormous suitcases that weigh 50lbs or more, and sometimes with more than one each.
So, before leaving home, lay out on the bed everything that you're planning to pack. Now remove 25% of it. You won't need it. No, really… you won't. Trust me on this.
Items rarely required which have turned up on tours I have led include: stiletto heels, tiaras, ballgowns, tuxedos, crockery and cutlery, and a thick waxed jacket for India in the summer.
What kind of suitcase is best?
Don't be tempted to buy cheap luggage. It will work just fine, until it doesn't.
At some point in the journey, it will lose a zipper, wheel or handle and now you're in the middle of a foreign country pulling a three-wheeled heavy suitcase along a bumpy street and you may even have to buy a new bag at short notice.
Your suitcase is an investment. Buy a hard-sided suitcase from a respected brand with four wheels as it's easier to pull. It will last longer and be more reliable. Make sure it has a TSA (US Customs) approved lock. If customs or border security in any country wish to check inside your bag without you being present, they have the right to do so, and will break the lock if they can't open it with an approved lock key.
Wash your packing worries away
The overwhelming majority of hotels that we use will have a laundry service, usually done overnight and sometimes (at a small premium) on the same day.
If you're in a city hotel for several days, there will often be a laundrette nearby. Hotels in the USA and Canada will usually have a laundry room with washer/dryers and soap powder dispensers which is fantastic. My American customers sometimes expect this to be the case in other parts of the world, but sadly, it isn't so.
However, one way or another, you can always get laundry done, meaning that you don't want or need to be carrying 14 days' worth of clothing with you. I never pack more than 7 days' worth. Put all of this together and it will help solve the over-packing problems mentioned above.
I mentioned packing cubes in this previous blog post. They're something I consider to be essential.
The essentials for efficient travelling
Buy a hanging toiletry bag! Many hotel bathrooms look lovely but lack a practical amount of shelf space to lay out toiletries (I'm looking at you, Italy!). You can hang the toiletry bag from the towel hook and access everything easily and then just fold and close for a quick departure.
I'd also recommend investing in modern travel clothing. Modern materials are astonishingly efficient and easy to care for. The majority of my tour wardrobe can be hand-washed in the sink/basin or bathtub, will drip-dry in four-five hours and does not require ironing. In a pinch, hotel shampoo bottles will work as laundry detergent.
One of the most useful things that I own is a travel clothes line with a clever braided design that means clothes pegs are not required. If your clothes aren't as dry as you'd like after washing, a quick 10-minute session with the hairdryer or half an hour on the heated towel rack will usually solve the problem.
By the way, speaking of hotel hairdryers… If there are two of you sharing a room and the bathroom mirror is all fogged up after the first shower, try the hairdryer for 10 seconds on the mirror. Happy days!
Enhance your journey with our optional luggage upgrade
On our escorted rail journeys to Europe, you can choose to upgrade to our return door-to-door luggage transfer service (excluding tours to Morocco). Paying for this hassle-free option means one 20kg case which will be collected from your home between seven and 10 days before you depart and will be waiting at your destination hotel, then returned to your home within seven days of your return.
If your tour involves an overnight stay enroute, you'll need to travel with an overnight bag as your luggage will be delivered to your first destination hotel. If flying to and from your destination, you will take your own luggage with you on the flight.
On our cruise holidays, a complimentary luggage service is included. This permits one 23kg bag per cabin. We collect your main suitcase from your home and take it to your cabin before your tour begins and, then return it from your cabin back to your home at the end of your holiday. If you are combining a cruise with one of our tours, we suggest you bring a small piece of luggage which can be carried for short periods.
To upgrade, simply look for the option under "additional options and services on request." If you've already booked or prefer to speak to someone, just give our friendly team in York a call on 01904 734152 and we'll be happy to help.
