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The 14 Best Train Cases of 2024

These vintage-style travel cases are chic and practical.

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Travel + Leisure / David Hattan

Train cases have been a traveler's essential for centuries. In fact, in 14th century France, they were known as a nécessaire de voyage (or "travel necessity"), and were used to transport everything from grooming products to small household and decor items. Centuries later, as rails stretched across countries and continents, train cases became the go-to pieces of small luggage for long, multi-day journeys as they provided travelers with easy access to their toiletries and other essentials. 

Nowadays, train cases make for solid carry-ons (and can double as underseat personal items on planes), especially when you want to avoid belongings getting crushed in checked luggage. They come in different materials, sizes, and interior configurations, rendering them useful for storing beauty products, liquids, snacks, and documents. There is also something inherently chic about their vintage-inspired design, which reminds us of the golden age of travel.

Below, we rounded up the best and sturdiest train cases to take on your next trip.

Best Overall

Leatherology train case.

Leatherology

It is exceptionally well-made and comes in three sizes.

Only the extra-large size has loops for a shoulder strap (which is sold separately).

The perfect train case combines thoughtful design, quality materials, elegant looks, and ample storage. After reviewing multiple makeup cases, Leatherology's version passed our tests with flying colors. Whether traveling by plane, car, or train, this vanity case has you covered thanks to its many features and three size variations to suit your needs. Opt for the medium or extra-large if you'd like to carry it as a bag, or the small one, if you prefer to pack it in a suitcase or a purse, or display it on your bathroom vanity.

The exterior is simple, streamlined, and timeless, and comes in several colors of full-grain leather that will develop a patina and look even chicer over time (because, trust us, you will be enjoying this beauty for years). As you unzip the top, you'll discover a mesh pocket, one of six, on the inside. The smaller case is a perfect fit for travel-sized beauty items though the extra-large version comes with a divider to help you organize more belongings, including arranging bottles upright. Even if an accidental spill occurs, the water-resistant lining will contain the leak. 

Finally, if you're a fan of monograms, there are three ways to personalize this case with up to three characters.

The Details: Leather or canvas | 7.5 x 5 x 5.2 inches (small) | 12 signature colors, 2 premium

Best Softside

Relavel travel makeup case.

It has a customizable storage system.

At less than four inches high, it is fairly narrow and does not accommodate taller bottles. 

Do you struggle to pack all your makeup containers and brushes when traveling? Then, consider this fantastic train case, designed specifically with beauty and cosmetic accessories in mind. While makeup brushes can go in the pockets on the cover panel, this case’s best feature is the roomy interior with an adjustable divider, so you can regulate the size of the compartments and the internal layout. This divider is made from sponge-like, shock-proof material, ensuring the contents of your glass bottles won't end up all over the case either. Alternatively, you can remove the entire divider from the case to end up with one large compartment that can be used to pack bulkier beauty essentials, or to store camera lenses or other tech gadgets instead. 

The other features that won us over are the comfortable handle, a wide band for slipping it over a suitcase handle, and the double zippers. Choose between four available sizes depending on your travel and storage needs.

The Details: Nylon | 10.3 x 9 x 3.6 inches (small) | 18 colors

Best Splurge

Smythson vanity case.

The two compartments can be accessed separately. 

The case has loops but does not come with a shoulder strap.

Smythson's luggage and travel accessories are a splurge and a worthy investment. The company uses high-quality leather to create beautiful, functional pieces like this case. Available in three shades (black, taupe, and blue), the case's two main compartments keep your belongings neatly organized and easily accessible.

The bottom section has two ruched pockets and is good for storing larger items, while the top section is much narrower and fits makeup brushes, pencils, or other similarly shaped products. And, last but not least, since we mentioned Smythson's quality materials, this travel case is crafted from the company's signature cross-grain leather (but keep in mind that it is not waterproof). You can accessorize your case with a crossbody strap as well since it is designed with built-in loops on the top handle.

The Details: Cross grain leather | 10 x 7 x 6.5 inches | 3 colors

Best With a Mirror

Momira train case.

The mirror is illuminated and has three lighting modes.

It is on the heavier side (at 2.6 pounds).

Putting on makeup on the go is challenging, especially if you lack a mirror. That's why this train case is such a winner. Its most remarkable feature is a good-sized integrated mirror, designed with an illuminated frame. You can adjust the lighting to match your environment, and the battery will hold for about a week if you use it for half an hour each day.

The mirror is covered by a removable panel with elasticized pockets for brushes and pencils (and we also love the see-through cover that keeps the dust and dirt away). Storage-wise, this case has plenty to offer, too. The main compartment has six padded and adjustable partitions that can be customized to the case's contents to protect them better. Also useful: both the lining and the case's exterior are water-repellent.

The Details: Nylon | 10.04 x 9.25 x 3.94 inches | 19 colors

Best Multi-layer

Frenessa makeup train case.

It has a whopping six stain-resistant trays.

This large case works best for someone who carries a lot of products.

You don't have to have a makeup-artist-level interest in beauty to want — or need — a multi-tray train case. In fact, you don't even have to use it to store cosmetics. You can carry painting supplies or other arts and crafts materials in this multi-functional case that opens up to reveal six sturdy trays made from stain-resistant plastic and held together by a high-quality aluminum frame. 

While the trays are relatively narrow, the bottom compartment can easily fit larger items. The case has a lock to secure your belongings, as well as a soft top handle (but there’s no shoulder strap). Lastly, this train case's storage capacity is so impressive that we'd also use it as additional storage at home but note that it’s on the bulkier side to carry at nearly five pounds.

The Details: Aluminum and plastic | 12.6 x 9.84 x 7.48 inches | 6 colors

Best Convertible

Calpak trnk vanity case.

This hard-shell case provides excellent protection.

There are better options to pack inside a suitcase since it can’t be compressed.

If you were looking for proof that these cases make for chic and functional carry-ons, then this is it. Calpak's vanity case can easily double as a personal item that fits under a plane or train seat (with room to spare). Its best asset is its durable and lightweight hard shell that can endure a long trip while keeping your belongings secure. And, speaking of items you can store in there, the generous-sized main compartment allows you to pack everything from taller bottles to bulkier items such as cameras. Four elasticized pockets and a fifth mesh one on top help you organize your travel essentials. 

When you're packed and ready to head out, attach the shoulder strap and carry the case as a shoulder bag. Or, if you also have a separate wheeled suitcase, slide it on top of a trolley handle instead.

The Details: Polycarbonate with polyester lining | 9.3 x 12 x 8 inches | 2 colors

Delsey Paris Chatelet Air 2.0 Beauty Case

It has a stylish, hardside exterior and comes with a removable pouch inside.

It has no lock.

In the old days, travel cases were fashion statements, made from precious materials of impeccable quality and beautiful design. If this idea speaks to you, this sleek Delsey train case will be the perfect addition to your luggage arsenal. Sleek, curvy lines and textured polycarbonate highlight its exterior shell. There are also two side metal loops to attach a shoulder strap, plus a branded top handle. An elastic band that slides over a trolley rounds out its exterior features.

We were really impressed with the flexible storage space inside, though. The spacious compartment is divided by a removable panel with two pockets (we'd store our travel documents in there). Travel-sized liquids can go in the removable, water-resistant, beauty pouch attached to one interior side with two snap buttons.

The Details: Polycarbonate | 9 x 12 x 8 inches | 4 colors

Best Compact

Paravel mini see-all vanity case.

 It's super lightweight and allows you to see its contents.

It has no interior divider.

Those who travel light will appreciate this mini train case's compact size and weight. It is a lot chicer than a plastic bag, and can hold your liquids and small beauty items plus easily fit into a purse or a carry-on suitcase. 

The water-repellent canvas exterior features see-through panels, allowing you (and a TSA agent) to see what's inside without opening it. We also appreciate the faux leather handle that makes carrying it a breeze. And, finally, just like most Paravel items, you can also monogram this travel case with up to three characters for an additional charge.

The Details: Canvas and recycled plastic | 5.5 x 4.75 x 2.5 inches | 2 colors

Best Personalized

Mark & graham terminal 1 cosmetic case.

Mark & Graham

The company offers over 25 fonts and many color options for personalization.

It doesn't have shoulder strap loops or a trolley band.

We love Mark & Graham's travel products for their beautiful design and the company's wide range of personalization services; almost every single one of their products can be monogrammed or customized in some way. And how about this beautiful train case?! For an additional fee, you can put your designer hat on and personalize the front with up to ten decal characters depending on the selected font and design. And there's plenty to choose from — 28 designs in total and 20 colors.

And don't get us wrong, the case itself is absolutely worth it, too. It has a vintage-inspired hardshell exterior with leather motifs and a top handle. A combination of pockets and elastic straps keeps your belongings safely in place.

The Details: Polycarbonate and leather with polyester lining | 8.5 x 8 x 1.5 inches | 5 colors

Best Storage

Etoile collective duo vanity case.

 A removable storage divider fits bottles upright.

It has a very limited selection of colors.

We get it. It's not easy to keep track and organize all the tiny bottles, lip glosses, and eyeshadow palettes when you have layovers and hotel transfers on your mind. That's exactly why we selected this Etoile train case as the top pick in the storage category. The creators of this case did a superb job in designing the interior in a brilliant way that allows you to easily pack and access your belongings.

The case has vegan leather construction and is divided into two main compartments, each accessed via a duo of zippers. The larger compartment has an insert that keeps bottles upright, but also has several compartments to keep anything you store there sorted. Prefer to use the interior space for one bulky item? Simply remove the divider. Need a mirror to apply some lipstick? A fold-out mirror is hidden in a pocket in the top compartment, where you can also stash your makeup brushes.

The Details: Faux leather and nylon | 9.5 x 7 x 5.5 inches | 2 colors

Ocheal Makeup Bag

It has an interior divider that makes it easy to organize your cosmetics.

This train case will expose your beauty products to direct sunlight.

Going through a cosmetics bag full of stuff at the airport to check if you have packed everything you need will be a thing of the past if you swap out your hardshell or fabric beauty bag with this see-through train case. 

It comes with a handy interior divider that separates the main compartment into two smaller sections, making it even easier to organize your essentials. Elastic slots and mesh pockets for brushes and small items such as nail polish bottles or travel-sized fragrances are also available. And, since messes happen, this train case is water- and stain-resistant, and can be wiped clean.

The Details: PVC | 9.45 x 6.3 x 4.72 inches | 21 colors

Best Sustainable

Stephanie johnson tropea jenny train cosmetics case.

It has a waterproof lining and is mostly made of recycled materials.

This Stephanie Johnson train case will help you live more sustainably and keep you organized on the road. The canvas exterior is made from 40 percent recycled cotton, while the water-repellent interior comprises 60 percent recycled polyester. The roomy case features two compartments, including a removable cosmetics bag that can be used separately as your everyday, go-to beauty-product holder. The top compartment is roomier and can fit bulkier items and bottles, while the bottom is narrower and ideal for makeup tools.

The Details: Recycled cotton and polyester | Beige

Ktmouw 3-piece Waterproof Cosmetic Bag Set

The braided faux leather pattern is super chic.

The train case has no pockets except a mesh compartment on the top cover.

A three-piece set that fits all of your cosmetics for under $15? Sign us up. And it's more than just the wallet-friendly price that initially caught our eye. The elegant braided pattern and the gold-hued zippers are reminiscent of big-name designer sets.

All three pieces — a train case and two beauty cases — are lined with waterproof material for easy cleaning, while the leather-like fabric on the outside is also scratch-resistant and dirt-proof. The cases don't have any internal pockets but fit plenty of items so, if an elaborate organizational system is not on your wishlist, you will love this set just as much as we do. And last but not least, we are huge fans of the color choices for this set – everything from pastel blue and pink to classic black or beige.

The Details: Polyurethane | 8.3 x 5.9 x 3.5 inches for the train case | 10 colors

Best for Checked Luggage

Amoigee large makeup bag.

It is larger than standard train cases and easily accommodates full-sized beauty items.

It has a soft side exterior, so don't place any items that might get crushed inside.

So, what are the features of a train case perfect for checked luggage? First off, a larger size to accommodate more full-sized beauty products and hair tools, then a compressible softside shell and a water-resistant construction (in case of accidental spills). This one by Amogee checks all the boxes.

This train case has extra-large capacity that measures 12 inches in length. This leaves enough room to store a travel-sized hair straightener, hairdryer, small roller set, or electric skincare tool. Plus, thanks to the adjustable dividers that attach to the walls via velcro straps, you can easily customize the interior, so your tech tools are separate from things like makeup sponges and brushes. And, while the case is padded and sits fairly upright, if you don't fill it up, the soft sides will slightly collapse to compensate for the empty space. 

Also useful: the top compartment has see-through walls and several smaller pockets perfect for jewelry, too.

The Details: 12 x 7 x 6 inches | 7 colors and patterns

Tips for Buying Train Cases

Determine the size you need.

The average train case is a cuboid shape measuring 8-12 inches in width and height, and about 3-5 inches in depth with a wraparound zipper and a top handle. However, there is no uniform size; companies produce them in different dimensions and materials. To decide on the best size for your needs, consider what you will use it for: do you need it as "the personal item" that counts toward your carry-on allowance on planes? If that's the case, then go for a large or extra-large size that still fits under the seat. If you'd like to have the option to carry it with you inside a larger carry-on suitcase or checked luggage, then go for the next size down. And finally, if you like the design but simply want to use your train case as a cosmetics bag (and you don't travel with a lot of makeup and beauty products), a small should be enough. 

Consider compartments and other organizational features

Like any other piece of luggage you invest in, capacity and organizational features are key to functionality. Luckily, most train cases are designed with a couple of pockets along their walls as well as elasticized bands or pockets on the top. Many of them have removable dividers that can be useful if you carry many smaller items.

Finally, opt for a multi-layer train case if you need a lot of storage space. These are multi-tier cases that have at least four trays in addition to a spacious main compartment.

You'll notice that train cases are often described as beauty cases, too. And they are indeed very practical for storing and carrying cosmetics and beauty tools such as makeup brushes, masks, and rollers — even a travel razor .

However, as we mentioned at the beginning, train cases have been used for decades to transport all sorts of household items, so depending on the design and construction, you can also carry filming equipment such as a camera and lenses (make sure the train case has padded walls), cables and chargers, snacks, jewelry, and accessories.

When it comes to the best design and construction of a train case, it will largely depend on its purpose. For example, if you would like to carry yours as a piece of hand luggage, opt for a hardside train case to best protect your belongings. If you prefer to pack it in your purse, carry-on, or checked luggage, go with one made from nylon, polyester, leather, or canvas since they are more flexible. In all cases, though, investing in a train case with water- and stain-proof lining is a good idea.

Most train cases can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, but you should read the care instructions as soon as you receive it (or even before you order it). Hardshell train cases could also be wiped with antibacterial wipes, but that will again depend on their material. If you opt for a leather train case, remember that you must protect it from scratches and humidity/wet places but it’s likely possible to spot-treat stains on other softer materials. Most cases have a polyester or nylon lining that's waterproof and can easily be cleaned with a little soap and water, too.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Dobrina Zhekova is a lifestyle journalist with over a decade of editorial experience in print and digital media in the US and Europe. For this story, she worked with travel editors to determine the picks for best train cases based on a series of real-world tests and her own experience with brands like Mark & Graham, Paravel, and Smythson.

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Best Luggage For European Train Travel: 10 Great Options

Traveling by train is very different than air travel, at least in terms of what kind of luggage you want to bring. It’s no longer necessary to find the perfect lightweight carry-on luggage, and instead, you need to focus on getting a bag that you can easily store on the train, and something that won’t make you sore when you have to pick it up and climb some stairs.

At A Glance: Best Luggage For Train Travel in Europe

• Best Backpack For European Train Travel Osprey Farpoint Jump To Review
• Best Duffel Bag For European Train Travel Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler XT Jump To Review
• Best Softside Suitcase For European Train Travel Briggs & Riley Baseline Jump To Review
• Best Hardside Suitcase For European Train Travel Samsonite Winfield 2 Jump To Review

Durability becomes less important than external pockets, and in-line skate wheels are suddenly a better option than spinner wheels. This detailed guide will walk you through the ten best luggage options for Europe train travel, including suitcases, duffel bags, backpacks, and more!

Top Product Overview

Top products, osprey farpoint.

It’s a lot easier to travel by train if you have a backpack instead of a suitcase and the Osprey Farpoint is one of the best travel backpacks money can buy. It’s available in several different sizes ranging from a small 40-liter bag to a massive 80-liter pack, and all of its sizes will be accepted on board trains in Europe.

The 55-liter bag seems like the most convenient option for me. It can comfortably fit enough clothes for trips of up to 10-15 days, it’s got a great compression system, a comfortable back system, and it’s compatible with Osprey Daylite. The detachable daypack is not included in the purchase, but you can get one at every Osprey store and online.

Also, the Farpoint 55 should fit into overhead spaces on most European trains, allowing for easy storage. You can keep an eye on it while you’re traveling, which can’t be said for all the luggage placed on the dedicated luggage racks on the trains.

This backpack is also water-resistant, features loads of pockets and compartments for easy organization, and it’s got stowable shoulder straps. It’s a pricey backpack, but it’s honestly worth every penny because of its excellent construction, quality, and the brand’s extensive warranty.

• Generous capacity
• Stowable shoulder straps
• Comfortable and padded back system
• Lots of pockets and compartments
• Heavy when fully packed

Product Information

• Dimensions: 24” x 13” x 4”
• Weight: 4.23 lbs
• Capacity: 55 liters

Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler XT

A wheeled duffel bag is another great option for train travel and the Cargo Hauler XT by Eagle Creek is one of the best duffel bags money can buy. It is a pricey option and I will include a cheaper alternative later, but if you want a premium duffel this is easily one of the best options.

This duffel bag has wheels, backpack straps, and multiple grab handles so you’ve got several ways of carrying it. That’s honestly a lifesaver for train travel because you will need to climb stairs with this bag, you’ll have to walk around the platforms, on board the train, and you’ll eventually need to store it somewhere.

Duffels can often fit in the overhead compartments on trains, so it will be easier to find storage space for the Cargo Hauler.

In terms of build quality and packing space, this duffel is like a space shuttle. It’s made from durable TPU fabric with excellent water resistance, and it’s got a massive packing compartment with loads of smaller pockets. There’s also a detachable mesh divider inside, which can make your life a bit easier when packing.

Also, it’s worth noting that the wheels on the duffel bag are oversized for easier rolling, and that will come in handy when you eventually step off the train onto a cobblestone street.

• Durable and water-resistant exterior
• Multiple ways of carrying the bag
• Oversized wheels
• Detachable mesh divider
• Several external pockets
• Only three size options
• Dimensions: 15 x 28.75 x 13.5
• Weight: 8.25 lbs
• Capacity: 96 liters

Briggs & Riley Baseline

If you prefer suitcases to backpacks and duffel bags, the Baseline by Briggs & Riley is the top option without a contest. It is an expensive suitcase and I will tell you about more affordable options, but if you’re looking for the best luggage for Europe, this is one of my top picks.

The main reason why this suitcase is so great is the CX compression system. It allows you to expand the bag with the buttons inside the main compartment, and it expands the capacity of the suitcase by 20-25%, depending on the size of the luggage. When you’ve fully packed the case you just need to press down on the front panel to close the bag.

What this means in practice is that you can pack a lot more items inside the bag while keeping it the same size. And if you get a smaller or medium-sized suitcase, you should be able to store it in the overhead luggage spaces on trains and you won’t have to worry about luggage racks at all.

This suitcase features spinner wheels, multiple internal and external pockets for easy organization, and a TSA-friendly padlock for safety. It also has an Outsider wheel handle that doesn’t protrude inside the main packing compartment, as well as an interior garment folder for any items you want to keep wrinkle-free in transit.

• Premium materials and quality
• CX compression system
• Spinner wheels
• Outsider wheel handle
• Internal and external pockets
• No built-in lock
• Dimensions: 12” x 26” x 18”
• Weight: 12.5 lbs
• Capacity: 80-97 liters

Osprey Nebula

Osprey Nebula is an awesome lightweight backpack and a great option for shorter trips. I have an older version of this backpack, but the size and main features are the same across both models. I’ve taken this backpack on many trips with me, and it’s one of my favorite bags for weekend getaways.

The Nebula pack has a capacity of 32 liters, which is enough for trips of up to five days. I’ve packed in just this backpack for short trips, and I’ve taken it in addition to larger bags for longer trips. It fits a lot of stuff inside the main compartment, plus it features a dedicated laptop compartment with a padded sleeve and an additional front compartment with an organizer panel.

On top of that, this backpack has a scratch-free zippered pocket at the top, which is great for stuff you want to keep easily accessible. There’s also a stretchy pocket on the front panel and two roomy stretchy pockets on the sides.

Also, the Nebula is a good size because it doesn’t get ridiculously heavy even when it’s packed to the brim. With the help of the hip belt and sternum strap, you won’t really feel the weight of the bag. The back panel and shoulder straps feature thick padding and mesh ventilation for breathability and maximum carrying comfort.

• Great for trips of 3-5 days
• Comfortable to wear even when fully packed
• Padded and ventilated back system
• Adjustable shoulder straps
• Dedicated laptop compartment
• Lots of pockets inside
• The hip belt is not padded
• Not big enough for long trips
• Dimensions: 19.3” x 12.2” x 11.4”
• Weight: 2.12 lbs
• Capacity: 32 liters

Samsonite Winfield 2

A hardside suitcase is a good option if you also have plans to fly with the luggage you’ll be taking on trains, especially if you need a big checked suitcase. The Winfield 2 is one of Samsonite’s all-time best-sellers, partly because of the excellent build quality and partly because of the affordable price point.

It’s got a polycarbonate shell, smooth double spinner wheels, a height-adjustable wheel handle, and a TSA-friendly lock. The Winfield 2 also boasts an expandable capacity of 1.5”, allowing you to fit a few extra items inside.

This luggage is available in three sizes, three-set options, and 14 different colors. It’s one of Samsonite’s most affordable polycarbonate luggage collections, and the perfect option for travelers who want a durable, high-quality suitcase but don’t want to spend a fortune on it.

On the inside, this suitcase has a zippered divider with two pockets in one compartment and tie-down straps in the other. Overall, it’s one of the best options if you want affordable hardside luggage, but keep in mind that it’s not the perfect solution if you’re only traveling by train.

The hardside construction is very durable, but unlike the softsides, it doesn’t have great organizational features and it’s heavier.

• Very durable construction
• Double spinner wheels
• Height-adjustable wheel handle
• Large capacity is great for long trips
• Suitable for air travel
• Organizational features aren’t great
• Dimensions: 31” x 20” x 12.75”
• Weight: 11.5 lbs
• Capacity: Not specified

Samsonite Andante 2

Samsonite Andante 2 is a really good solution if you’re considering a duffel bag for travel to Europe. It’s got wheels and a telescopic handle so it will be easier to get around train stations with it, but it also has multiple carry handles to help you conquer steps, train boarding, and more.

The duffel bag is available in three different sizes and color options, although frankly, the color variety is barely existent. But that shouldn’t matter too much considering that this is some of the most affordable wheeled luggage from Samsonite and an excellent option for travelers who want high-quality luggage but are on a tighter budget.

The Andante features a spacious packing compartment that can fit a lot of items, as well as lots of pockets and compartments throughout the bag. You get separate pockets at either end of the bag, which works great for wet items, dirty clothes, shoes, or even just as a sleeping bag compartment.

A downside of this duffel bag is that it doesn’t have any backpack straps or even a long shoulder strap. You can either wheel it around the train station or you can carry it in one hand, which could be problematic when the bag is filled to capacity.

• Very affordable
• Wheeled duffel bag
• Multiple pockets and compartments
• Multiple carry handles
• No backpack straps or shoulder strap
• Dimensions: 28” x 14” x 14”
• Weight: 7.27 lbs

Travelpro Maxlite 5

Travelpro Maxlite 5 is a very popular softshell suitcase and an excellent option for your upcoming Europe trip. The carry-on size doubles as great cabin luggage, making this bag a really good option if you’re going to travel both by train and plane.

The Maxlite 5 suitcase is constructed from durable materials, exceptionally lightweight, and feature-packed. It’s got a height-adjustable wheel handle, smooth spinner wheels, an expandable capacity, and grab handles at the top, side, and bottom.

This luggage features a single packing compartment with internal tie-down straps. The mesh pocket on the top cover can also fit quite a few things, plus you get an additional external compartment for items you want to keep more easily accessible.

Another thing to note about this Travelpro bag is that it’s got a tapered shape, which is supposed to prevent the travel bag from tipping over when it’s expanded. This can be a lifesaver for train travel, especially if you can’t find space for your bag in luggage storage and you need to keep it next to you during the trip.

• Top, side, and bottom grab handles
• Expandable capacity
• Very lightweight
• No locks on luggage
• Just one external pocket
• Dimensions: 21” x 14” x 9”
• Weight: 5.4 lbs
• Capacity: 46 liters

DELSEY Paris Chatelet Hard+

Delsey Paris Chatelet Hard+ suitcase is possibly the best option for travelers who need versatile luggage. If your European trip includes both train and air travel, you won’t regret getting this suitcase. The polycarbonate exterior is exceptionally durable, plus the suitcase is packed with useful features.

This luggage features a height-adjustable wheel handle, a TSA-friendly lock, and double-spinner wheels with built-in brakes. The brake system is awesome for train travel; if there’s no space in luggage storage or the overhead bins and you need to keep the suitcase close to you, you can just leave it upright and lock the wheels so that it can’t roll away from you.

The wheels lock with a push of a button, for maximum convenience. This luggage also features grab handles on the top and side, as well as a patented Securitech zipper for luggage closure.

The interior of this case is another awesome feature worth mentioning. It’s fully lined with two compartments, each of which has both a zippered divider and tie-down straps. The suitcase also comes with removable shoe and laundry bags for easy organization, as well as a travel hanger.

It’s a pricey piece of luggage, but if you want a premium bag and you’re okay with the cost, it’s by far one of the best hardside suitcases you can buy.

• Spinner wheels with built-in brakes
• TSA-friendly lock
• Height adjustable wheel handle
• Removable laundry and shoe bags
• The capacity is not expandable
• Quite heavy
• Dimensions: 20.25” x 9.5” x 14.25”
• Weight: 9.3 lbs

Kelty Coyote Backpack

The Coyote backpack from Kelty is a great solution if you want to travel with just one piece of luggage. This massive backpack has a capacity of a minimum of 60 liters, which should be enough for trips of two weeks. It’s a great option for backpacking through Europe, and great for train travel because of the elaborate back system.

The backpack features thick padding and breathable mesh in the back panel and shoulder straps, for maximum carrying comfort. There’s also a sternum strap and a padded hip belt, which will help make you more comfortable when wearing a fully packed backpack. Also, everything about the back system is adjustable so you can easily make it fit you perfectly.

The Coyote offers plenty of storage space for your travel essentials, as well as multiple different pockets and compartments so you can keep everything neatly organized. It’s even got compression straps and external attachment points for bulkier items that might not fit inside the main compartment.

Best of all, the backpack is very affordable, at least for a bag this size. What makes it great for train travel is that you can easily get around the train station and take on stairs with this bag, but you might not be able to get this to fit into overhead bins on all trains. In any case, it’s easier to travel with than a large checked suitcase, plus it offers a similar capacity.

• Comfortable and adjustable back system
• Padded hip belt
• Multiple pockets for easy organization
• Large capacity
• No dedicated laptop compartment
• Dimensions: 30” x 18” x 12”
• Weight: 4.4 lbs
• Capacity: 60 liters

DELSEY Paris Helium Aero

The Helium Aero is another great option for travelers who prefer hardside luggage. This is a really good option if you want a versatile suitcase, especially if you normally prefer bags with good organizational features.

The main thing that makes the Helium Aero luggage special is the external front compartment. That feature is rarely seen on hardside luggage, and it makes traveling with just one hardshell suitcase significantly more convenient. This compartment has a padded laptop pocket and it can fit any other small items you would like to have handy in transit.

It’s worth noting that there’s only one model of the Helium Aero with an external compartment. The larger suitcases don’t have this feature, and it’s possible to purchase a carry-on without this pocket as well.

This luggage is made from durable polycarbonate, it’s got smooth double spinner wheels, a telescopic wheel handle, an expandable capacity, and a TSA-friendly lock. The interior is fully lined but lacks pockets. Overall, it’s a really good and versatile suitcase that can work for all sorts of trips, train travel in Europe included.

• External compartment
• Smooth spinner wheels
• Only the main compartment can be locked
• No internal pockets
• Dimensions: 21.25” x 14” x 9”
• Weight: 8.2 lbs
• Capacity: 41 liters

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of luggage is best for european train travel.

Passengers are allowed to take luggage up to 85 cm (33”) on trains in Europe, so any piece of luggage up to that size can work. Ideally, you would get a large backpack because it’s much easier to travel with than a regular suitcase. You can bring up to two pieces of luggage, and two carry-on-sized bags are ideal.

How do you carry luggage on a train in Europe?

Most trains in Europe have dedicated compartments where you can store luggage for transit. These are usually situated between two train compartments, and they’re used on a first-come first-served basis. Traveling with carry-on luggage is best if you want to be guaranteed a spot to put your luggage. Also, you have to handle all your luggage yourself; porters on trains are nonexistent anymore.

Can you check luggage on a train in Europe?

No, you can’t check luggage on a train in Europe. Most trains have a luggage rack in between every two compartments where you can store a suitcase, but you’re not guaranteed a spot on your luggage. It is possible to check luggage when traveling by bus in Europe.

RELATED POST:

BEST LUGGAGE FOR EUROPEAN TRAVEL

BEST CARRY-ON LUGGAGE

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Travel Reviews , Travel Tips · November 25, 2022

7 Best Luggage For Train Travel

Train travel is getting increasingly popular, especially in places where you can see scenic views of mountains. One of the most famous train rides is the one in Switzerland called The Glacier Express where you’ll see incredible views of the Swiss mountains and rivers. When traveling in trains, it’s difficult to carry around big luggage because of the limited space the train has. That’s why these 7 pieces of luggage are the best luggage for train travel.

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For train travel, it’s important to bring a sturdy carry on luggage. Some trains have a compartment behind the seat that fits a carry on luggage perfectly. Some might also have overhead bins that can fit your carry-on. If you need more space, bring a compact backpack or a duffel bag. If possible, try to stray way from bringing a large luggage. There is usually very limited space for storage and if there is storage area, it’s far away from your seat, leaving it hard to keep an eye on your luggage at all times.

Here are the best recommendations for the best luggage for train travel in Europe or in anywhere in the world.

Table of Contents

Best Luggage For Train Travel

1. best overall luggage for train travel: samsonite winfield 2 hardside.

The Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside is selected as best overall from 3 different factors – durability, size, and ease of use.

In terms of durability, this luggage is constructed with polycarbonate, meaning it is resistant to large temperature changes and physical pressure which prevents cracks. It also has a brushed metal finish which will hide away scratches which we all know is quite inevitable when bringing your luggage in tight spaces like the train.

Secondly, the size of this makes it one of the best luggage for train travel because at 20 inches long, it’ll fit perfectly behind the train seat or in the overhead bin.

Lastly, this luggage is easy to use because it has 360 degree maneuverability, making it easy to carry around between train rides or even on the train.

There’s also a TSA lock which comes in handy.

Learn more about the Samonsite Winfield 2 Hardside luggage.

2. Best Inexpensive Luggage: Amazon Essentials Carry On

The Amazon Essentials carry-on is great for budget travelers because it’s at a very affordable pricepoint and has everything you need in a carry-on luggage. It has a scratch resistant surface and 21-inches long makes it a great size to bring on a train.

The luggage is also expandable up 15% more packing space. The wheels also roll very smoothly which is conveient for bringing around in the train.

The only con about this luggage is that it doesn’t come with a TSA lock but that can be easily fixed by purchasing your own TSA locks like these ones . The material is also not as high-quality as the Samonsite one but that’s clearly reflected in the price.

They have over 28,000 5-star reviews on Amazon .

Learn more about the Amazon Essentials Carry On luggage here.

3. Best Hardside Luggage: Away Carry-On

The Away Carry On is one of the best luggage for train travel because it’s lightweight, stratch-resistant, contains a water-resistant laundry bag, has interior compression, built-in TSA lock, and 360 degree wheels.

The luggage is made out of polycarbonate which is a hard material that can withstands lots of weight and is flexible.

The laundry bag and compression pad comes in very handy because these two things can really help you save space. Especially if you’re only carrying a carry on luggage on your train trip, it’s important to get a luggage that can fit as much as possible.

Learn more about the Away Carry-On.

4. Best Softside Luggage: TravelPro Plantinum Elite Carry-On

The TravelPro Carry-On is the best softside luggage for train travel because of it’s buttery smooth roll, built-in powerbank pocket, removable quart size pocket for toiletries, and suiter packs that packs clothes wrinkle-free. Not to mention, there are a huge amount of pockets on the outside which is perfect for storing smaller items.

The TravelPro brand is known to have the best wheels and produces the smoothest glide. This specific TravelPro luggage is highly-rated because it has an incredible number of pockets which are so useful to compartmentalize all your belongings.

Learn more about the TravelPro Plantinum Elite Carry-On.

5. Best Overall Backpack: Monos Metro Backpack

The Monos Metro Backpack has the perfect combination of functionality and amazing design, making it one of the best luggage for train travel.

This backpack is actually a 2-in-1 piece. The front small piece can be detached and used as a smaller bag to carry other things if needed.

At first look, this backpack doesn’t seem like it’ll hold a lot of things but if we take a deeper look at the interior, you’ll quickly know that’s not true. There’s a laptop compartment, a shoe compartment, a small back hidden pocket to store things like your phone or passport, a water privacy compartment to store dirty or wet items, zippered pouch, and a few extra pockets inside.

There’s also a trolley sleeve which lets you place the backpack securely over your suitcase handle. This will help lift weight off your shoulders especially when you’re getting to your train.

Learn more about the Monos Metro Backpack.

6. Best Inexpensive Backpack: Coowoz Carry On Backpack

This is a great cheaper alternative to the Monos Metro Backpack . It has a shoe compartment, a water-resistant wet bag, a laptop compartment, and 3 main pockets. The shoe compartment opens up from the bottom so it’s separate from the rest of the pockets. There’s also a built-in USB charging port and a back anti-theft zipper pocket.

The back also has a trolley sleeve which allows the backpack to be conveiently placed on top of the luggage. There are additional zippers on the outside for more storage.

The back of the backpack is padded so it’s more comfortable to carry. The size is also great to fit underneath seats or in the overhead bin. The backpack is made of durable waterproof polyester.

They have over 400+ 5-star reviews on Amazon .

Learn more about Coowoz Carry On Backpack.

7. Best Overall Duffel Bag: Amazon Travel Duffel Bag

This duffle bag may look very simple from the outsdie but it can fit a ton. It contains 4 internal pockets and has 2 external pockets. Inside, there’s a wet pocket, a zipped pocket, a mesh pocket, and a main pocket.

It’s water resistant, has double zippers, and has adjustable shoulder straps.

They have over 18,000 5-star reviews on Amazon . With that many highly-rated reviews, it’s easy to tell why this is one of the best luggage for train travel.

Learn more about this Travel Duffle Bag.

Read more: Now you know which luggages are best for you train travel, check out some little-known airline hacks in case your trip also involves plane travel!

FAQ: Best Luggage For Train Travel

What is the best luggage for europe train travel.

The Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside is the best overall because of its smooth gliding wheels, durability, size, and ability to hold a ton of items inside. The best softside luggage for train travel in Europe is the TravelPro Plantinum Elite Carry-On because of its durability, extremely smooth wheels, and has many pockets to store all your belongings.

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Train travel in Europe

Luggage on trains.

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Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in europe..., train travel in asia..., train travel in africa..., train travel in america..., train travel in australasia, luggage on trains is simple.

Taking luggage on trains is simple, don't over-think it.  You take your bags into the train and put them on the rack above your seat or between the seat backs or on floor-standing racks at the car ends or in the seating area.  On local & regional trains you usually just leave bags on the floor.  There's no baggage car on most European trains.

For practical purposes there are usually no luggage limits as long as you can carry it yourself.  You don't check your bags in, nobody weighs or measures them or argues about size or weight unless you're trying to move house!  You have access to your bags during the journey and they don't end up at an airport 1,000 miles away.

Luggage limits on trains

Unlike airlines, for most practical purposes there are usually no size or weight limits or if there are, they're in the small print and pretty generous and in practice nobody weighs or measures bags unless they cause a problem.

Just remember that you have to handle your bags yourself.  Porters are a thing of the past and luggage fairies don't exist, so most people now use wheeled luggage.

Eurostar limits luggage to two large items per passenger with a maximum 85cm in any one dimension, plus a small item of hand luggage, but fortunately they're not too fussy about it in practice and won't measure your bags if they're a bit over, nor worry about an extra carrier bag or rolled-up poster or whatever.  Indeed why they ever came up with that 85cm is a mystery.  See Eurostar website baggage information page .

SNCF (French Railways) now have a formal luggage limit on their TGV InOui trains including Paris-Turin-Milan TGVs, see details here .  For Paris-Barcelona TGVs, see details here .

A handful of lo-cost trains have tight luggage limits & fees, these are the 'lo-cost' trains pretending to be budget airlines such as Ouigo in France and Ouigo & Avlo trains in Spain.  But they're the exception, not the rule.

Labelling your bags

You must label your bags when travelling on Eurostar or on any French train with at least your first name & surname - although no-one has ever noticed when I've forgotten.  On Eurostar, if you need paper luggage labels ask at the information desk in the departure lounge, but it's better to buy tags and keep them on your bags.

Is your luggage safe?

Overseas visitors often worry about the security of their bags.  Those of us who use trains all the time know that luggage theft on trains is as rare as airline baggage theft, padlocking your bags to the racks is a bit extreme.

That said, I always keep my bags where I can see them, my 15 Kg backpack-size bag fits on the overhead rack above my seat or I use a floor-standing rack close to my seat.

It should be obvious, but laptops, passports, iPhones, cameras, wallets and tickets should kept in your daypack with you, not left in your large bag on a luggage rack.  You can take your day-pack with you to the toilet or bar car, unless you're travelling with someone who can keep an eye on it for you.

Prohibited items on Eurostar

As you'd expect, firearms & explosives are prohibited on Eurostar (there are special arrangements for sending licensed sporting guns by registered luggage), but several 'normal' street-legal items are prohibited which can catch people out.  These include gas canisters (a potential fire hazard in the Channel Tunnel) and knives with a blade longer than 3" which catches out people who buy a set of Sabbatier kitchen knives in Paris.  Knives with a blade shorter than 3" are fine, for example small penknives.  E-scooters & hoverboards are not carried.

You're allowed to take your own wine or beer on board, but Eurostar may confiscate any 'excessive' alcohol, for example if you look as if you're going to cause trouble.  Transporting an unopened bottle or two of vintage wine or single-malt in your luggage should not be a problem.

Mountaineering ice axes have theoretically not been permitted on Eurostar, but in practice have not been a problem, see the traveller's report here , and I'm glad to say that a policy change in late 2013 now means that ice axes properly packed away in your luggage are now officially (as well as in practice) fine on Eurostar.

Registered baggage on Eurostar

Luggage storage at stations:  more info.

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What luggage do I recommend?

Luggage on trains, in pictures.

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What is the Best Luggage for Europe Train Travel in 2023

Looking for the best luggage for Europe train trave l? Europe has a fantastic rail system, but choosing the right luggage for Europe train travel can make or break your trip.

Whether it’s a carry-on that fits snugly in the overhead bin, a lightweight backpack for those on-the-go moments, or a durable hard case for longer trips, finding the right luggage for train travel in Europe can make all the difference.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link. Please see the  full disclosure   for further information.

Best Luggage for Europe Train Travel Comparison

What luggage should you bring to europe.

What luggage to bring to Europe? Choosing the right luggage for Europe is pivotal for a smooth and enjoyable journey. Given the versatility of transport options, diverse weather, and often-cobbled streets, your luggage should be resilient, manageable, and practical.

Here’s how to decide which luggage type is right for you:

• Duration and Purpose of Trip: For short trips or business travels, a compact carry-on might suffice. However, for extended vacations or multi-seasonal travels, you might need a larger suitcase.
• Train Travel: If traveling by train frequently, opt for luggage that’s easy to carry, maneuver, and store. Backpacks and light spinners are especially popular.
• Weather-Ready: Europe can surprise you with sudden rain showers. Consider waterproof luggage or packing a rain cover.
• Security: Theft can be a concern in certain areas. Prioritize luggage with anti-theft features, such as lockable zippers and slash-proof materials.
• Maneuverability: European cities are known for their charming cobbled streets and alleyways. Go for luggage with sturdy wheels (4-wheelers are preferable) or consider backpacks.
• Size Restrictions: Airlines and train networks in Europe have stringent size restrictions for carry-ons. Ensure your luggage meets these, especially if you plan to fly with budget airlines.
• Versatility: Consider luggage that offers versatility, like convertible backpacks which can be used both as a backpack and a duffel.
• Organization: Multiple compartments can be a boon when you’re trying to find that one item in a hurry.
• Durability: Given the wear and tear your luggage might experience, invest in durable and well-constructed luggage.
• Weight: With many airlines having strict weight limits, lightweight luggage can be a savior. Also, lighter bags are easier to carry up staircases or through crowded train stations.

Remember, while aesthetics and brand names can be enticing, functionality should always be the priority. Your luggage is essentially your travel companion, so choose wisely!

Samsonite C-Lite

My trusty Samsonite C-Lite set of a 75cm suitcase and a 55cm carry-on bag is an unbeatable combo of lightweight travel luggage.

They’ve been by my side for four years of constant travel, including a three-month train journey all around Europe this past winter.

The C-Lite range was the lightest hard-case suitcase range in the world until recently, with the 75cm suitcase weighing only 2.8kgs/6.2lbs and the 55cm carry-on only weighing 1.9kg/4.2lbs, both significantly lighter than most other hard-shell cases.

This means more space for packing gear that you actually need, and not having to lug extra kgs up and down train stairs due to unnecessarily heavy suitcases.

Samsonite has just released a new range which is even lighter, the Lite Shock, 75cm suitcase, is 2.5kg/5.5lbs and the 55cm carry-on is only 1.7g/3.75lbs, if you want to save even more weight.

Both bags have locks for the zips and I use a small luggage cable to connect through the handles and the luggage rack to ensure my suitcases don’t get moved or stolen.

The interior of both bags is half-and-half, with the top half separated by a zipped luggage divider and the bottom half with elastic cross straps to keep your stuff stable and secure.

There’s also a small zipped pocket for keeping important stuff from floating around in your bag, the perfect spot for an AirTag or Tile if you want to track your suitcases.

More Info Here >>>

Recommended by Alexx, Finding Alexx

Samsonite B-lite spinner

If you’re traveling in Europe for more than a few days, you’re probably going to use a train at one point or another. Finding the best luggage for Europe is an essential part of the planning stage.

Well, having a good piece of luggage will make your life easier while on the go, and this is why I recommend the Samsonite B-Lite Icon Spinner.

With options ranging from the 55 cm one (the “big” cabin bag accepted even on RyanAir flights) to the 83 cm one that can fit everything you own and then some, you will find the Samsonite bag that fits your needs the best.

Why is it great for train travel in Europe though? Because it rolls like it’s flowing, this is how easy it feels. You can push it with a finger, even when full.

This is amazing when you have to run after trains in crowded train stations or try to find your assigned train car on an old-style platform.

Don’t let me even start on cobblestones you can find everywhere in some countries, for example in Portugal.

Another reason why Samsonite is your best bet for visiting Europe by train is the very high quality of the item.

The company even offers a 2-10 years warranty because they trust their products this much. This will make your luggage more resistant to the lack of gentle movements while traveling by train.

And let’s be honest here, no one is treating your checked bag nicely when flying either.

Is this the best luggage for train travel in Europe? If you want to check out more information and find out if this rolling suitcase is right for you, check out this detailed   Samsonite B-Lite Icon Spinner review   before you decide.

View Prices and Availability >>>

Recommended by Christina, Honest Travel Stories

Pacsafe Venturesafe Backpack

The Pacsafe Venturesafe Backpack is the perfect companion for travelers who are looking for extra peace of mind when traveling by train or on a road trip .

This sturdy, lightweight backpack features an anti-theft design that includes slash-proof fabric and a lockable, tamper-proof zipper system. 

A combination of interior and exterior pockets also allow you to keep your items organized, while the adjustable sternum and waist straps provide extra comfort and support.

The bag’s anti-theft features are sure to put your mind at ease when traveling on a train, especially as pickpocketing can be an issue in some areas.

The slash-proof fabric provides extra protection against theft attempts, while the lockable zipper system ensures your contents stay secure and safe. 

The bag also comes with an RFID-blocking pocket, preventing any unauthorised scans of your personal data. The backpack’s volume is 45 litre which is also allowed for use as a carry-on.

Overall, the Pacsafe Venturesafe Backpack is a great choice for train travel, as it provides extra protection against potential theft attempts.

Its lightweight construction, adjustable straps, and ample storage capacity make it an ideal choice for those who want to keep their belongings secure while travelling. 

With its anti-theft features and RFID-blocking pocket, the bag offers extra peace of mind that your items will stay safe during your journey.

Recommended by Stephanie, Bey Of Travel

Patagonia Stormsurge Waterproof Roll Top Pack 45L

The Patagonia Stormsurge Waterproof Roll Top Pack 45L is an excellent choice for Europe train travel for several reasons. Its 45-liter capacity is perfect for carrying all your essential items without feeling too bulky. 

One of the key features that make this backpack ideal for train travel is its waterproof material. This pack is made of 100% nylon with a TPU film laminate and DWR (durable water repellent) finish making it 100% waterproof.

This means that even if you get caught in a rainstorm or spill something on it, your belongings will stay dry and protected.

Another great feature of this backpack is its roll-top closure system. This allows you to adjust the size of the pack depending on how much you need to carry at final dimensions 58.4x33x30.5cm. 

In addition it is lightweight at 1,171g. The roll-top also provides an extra layer of protection against water and dust.

Finally, the backpack’s padded shoulder straps and removable waistbelt make it easy to carry around, even for long periods. And its size is perfect for train travel, as it fits easily into overhead compartments.

This backpack is a great option especially when you want to combine train travel and hiking, for example   when visiting Cinque Terre .

In summary, the Patagonia Stormsurge is an excellent choice for Europe train travel because of its versatility, waterproof material, roll-top closure system, and comfortable shoulder straps and waist belt. It provides everything you need for a hassle-free and enjoyable trip.

More Info Here >>

Recommended by Jo, World Wild Schooling

The Travel Hack Backpack

There are several reasons why  the Travel Hack Backpack  is ideal for train travel in Europe.

Firstly, it’s small and lightweight, so you can keep it with you at all times (even when the luggage compartments are full on busy trains).

Its small size (it’s 20L, measuring 40x20x25cm) also means that this bag fits within Ryanair’s latest cabin bag restrictions. So if you’re also going on a plane during your trip, then you won’t need to check your luggage or pay extra for your ticket.

And finally, this bag has multiple compartments to help you keep your essentials organised.

The padded main compartment has two mesh pockets inside it where you can keep small items separate from the rest of your clothes and toiletries.

This backpack also features a deep pocket on the top of it making it easy to reach for small items like keys and sunglasses.

There’s also a padded laptop compartment, a zipped front pocket, a water bottle holder and an expandable side pocket. Safe to say, you can fit quite a lot inside this little backpack.

The Travel Hack Backpack also features a stylish design, so it doubles up as a fabulous backpack for day trips and sightseeing once you’ve arrived at your destination. So there’s no need to carry extra luggage with you on the train.

More Info Here >>>>

Recommended by Justine, Wanderers of The World

Away Luggage Carry On

The Carry-On from Away Luggage is the perfect companion for train travel in Europe. Whether you are traveling from London to Paris, or are on an epic  Italy and Croatia trip , this suitcase has been designed with several features that make it a must-have for anyone looking to travel lightly and efficiently.

The Carry-On from Away is 55.1 cm x 34.8 cm x 22.9 cm, making it suitable for storing in overhead compartments or under seats. 

This suitcase is hard-sided and lightweight, meaning that it is built to withstand the wear and tear of travel while still being easy to carry around.

The hard shell also protects your belongings from any potential damage during your trip, while the built-in lock gives you additional peace of mind that your items are safe and secure throughout your journey.

This suitcase is equipped with 360° spinner wheels which allow for effortless rolling in any direction.

This feature especially comes in handy when navigating tight spaces on a train, or when you need to make a quick turn in a busy train station in Europe.

Away also provides a built-in external battery, which is essential for anyone looking to stay connected during their travels.

Not all trains will provide outlets or have any that are easily accessible, so the external battery ensures you can keep your devices fully charged at all times.

Offering a capacity of 39.8 liters, the interior of the bag is well organized, making it easy to find everything you need.

There are straps to help compress your belongings as well as a built-in removable laundry bag (so you never have to worry about where you’re going to put your dirty clothes).

In summary, the Carry-On from Away Luggage is the perfect companion for train travel in Europe.

More Info here >>>

Recommended by Olivia, Inspired by Croatia

CabinZero BackPack

Whether you like to go on long weekends in Europe or even stay somewhere for a week or two, you can pack smartly into the CabinZero backpack and won’t drag around too much stuff.

The  CabinZero travel backpack  comes in many styles and sizes, here, however, I’m talking about my favorite 44L Military version. I’ve never had a problem fitting it on a rack above my train seat and it has happily accompanied me on many trips.

The compact size of CabinZero also fits most airline requirements for cabin luggage – it measures 52 x 36 x 19 cm and its size can be slightly modified using outside compression straps.

There’s a laptop pocket and two basic pockets. The emphasis here is on the lightness so expect no frills. To organize your things inside the main compartment, it’s smart to use packing cubes.

The bag is comfortable to carry. In fact, I even went hiking with it (the Military version has a basic waist strap) – and no, it’s not made for that but still works well.

The looks are another great benefit, as the urban design is perfect for a city trip and won’t ruin a cute overall look. I’ve worn mine even with dresses and skirts. 

Recommended by Veronika, Travel Geekery

Cabin Max Metz 30 Litre Carry On Backpack

Our family loves train travel and have completed many epic train journeys with our children including a month Interrailing around Europe.

We use   Cabin Max backpacks   whenever we travel as they are more affordable than many other bags on the market and have proved durable over time. This could definitely be the best cabbin baggage for Europe.

My personal bag is a hybrid Metz 30 litre backpack with wheels.

I can carry it on my back up and down carriage aisles and rail station stairs and keep my hands free for helping the kids.

However, when I am hot and tired, I can pull the bag behind me on wheels which also enables me to carry my kids backpack if needed. 

The bag weighs just 1.6kg and extensive padding makes it comfortable to wear as a backpack. It measures 45x36x20cm so it also fits many budget airlines’ carry-on rules, especially when using the compression straps. 

Like most Cabin Max bags, the Metz opens like a suitcase so it is quick and easy to find things and pack/unpack when needed.

Plus, as it is a soft sided bag, it is easy to squeeze onto train luggage racks. I find the versatile front pockets extremely handy for keeping documents, rail tickets and games for the kids.  

I was very reluctant to switch from my beloved backpackers backpack to suitcase opening hybrid bags, but once I tried them, I was an immediate convert!

Recommended by Sinead, Map Made Memories

Osprey Xenith 75

The Osprey Xenith 75 is a top-tier backpacking pack, perfectly suited for Europe train travel. It boasts a 75-liter capacity, and is the ideal size for long trips, ensuring plenty of room for all your essentials without being bulky or uncomfortable.

Its dimensions, 88 cm in height, 36 cm in width, and 35 cm in depth, fit comfortably in overhead compartments and under seats on trains.

One significant feature that sets the Xenith 75 apart is its highly adjustable BioForm CM hip belt and harness system. Adjustability around the waist is key for traveling with heavy packs as this distributes the weight and eases back discomfort.

The bag’s top lid can also be detached and used as a daypack for shorter excursions.

The pack has a rugged nylon material, which is quite resilient, ensuring it can withstand being tossed around onto a floor or the train platforms.

The bag also offers dual access side pockets, a sleeping bag compartment, and a plethora of attachment points.

But what truly makes the Xenith 75 perfect for train travel is its design. Despite its large capacity, the pack still has a relatively slim profile. 

So there is less worry about bumping into people when getting on and off transportation or when traveling in crowded spaces.

There is also a raincover which is a must for backpackers or those exposed to the elements during travel.

The Osprey Xenith 75 pack really is a comfortable and durable backpack and perfect for European train travel. It is spacious and flexible and has numerous compartments and adjustability features which provides easy access on trains.

Recommended by Diana, Travels in Poland

Level8 Textured Carry-On Suitcase

The Level8 Textured Carry-On Suitcase is a great option for travelers who require a reliable, stylish suitcase. This hard-sided suitcase features four spinner wheels and an aluminum push-button handle, making it easy to maneuver through train stations and airports. 

The exterior of the suitcase is constructed from durable material and the interior has organization pockets. It is a spacious, 20-inch carry-on that offers plenty of room for all your essentials.

The bag’s modern design is also sure to impress, thanks to its subtle textured finish. It has a micro-diamond textured design that minimizes unwanted marks during checking. Plus the size is perfect to store it near your train seats. 

It comes in a variety of colors including black, navy blue, grey, and green– perfect for those who want to add a pop of color to their travel ensemble. The case also features TSA-approved locks and an integrated luggage tracker, giving you peace of mind while away from home.

Overall, if you’re looking for the best suitcase for European train travel. the Level 8 Textured Carry-On Suitcase an ideal choice for travelers seeking a reliable, stylish piece of baggage that can handle the rigors of travel.

Its durable construction and ample storage capacity make it a great option for those looking to make the most of their time away from home. 

Recommended by Mayuri, To Some Place New

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Sylvie Simpson

Sylvie Simpson is the founder of European Cities with Kids. For the past 6 years, she has been travelling all over Europe whenever she has the chance, both solo, for work and with her daughter. Sylvie is on a mission to help people make the most of city breaks in Europe with kids and helps over 50,000 readers per month plan and make the most of their trips in Europe with kids.

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Traveling by train? Experts suggest packing these essentials for the ride

All aboard! Travel is officially back in full swing and many wanderlusters are electing to catch the nearest passenger train for a traffic-free (and cost-effective ) vacation. But whether you’re eager to head on the “Rock N Roll Train” or the “Midnight Train to Georgia,” it is imperative to arrive at the station with all the necessary travel accessories to warrant a smoother ride along the tracks.

From top-rated makeup bags to comfortable footwear , we’ve found several essentials to pack for your next train trip to guarantee a successful excursion. We also spoke to true experts to get the lowdown on how to master train travel, whether you’re a novice or a repeat rider.

Why train travel? | Expert tips for packing | Train travel must-haves | What to consider for overnight trips | Overnight must-haves | How we chose | Meet the experts

Why should you consider train travel for your next trip?

“[For starters,] the ability to travel with small pets within the U.S., a café car, large spacious seats with ample leg room, no middle seat and some of the best views of the country you can’t see anywhere else,” says Amtrak senior public relations manager Jason Abrams. “In addition, traveling on the train is a lot more sustainable than car and plane for those who are conscious of the carbon footprint ."

“Traveling by train is often a less stressful experience than flying and takes less of a physical toll on the body, as well,” suggests Gingerlily founder Deborah Fiddy. “Being based in London, this is especially true when traveling within the UK and Europe. Also, you simply can’t beat the view of the landscape from a train window — it can be very therapeutic!”

Expert tips for packing for a train trip

Stay connected.

If you’re traveling on a passenger train, you will certainly want constant access to your electronic devices. “With an outlet available at every seat, bring your chargers so you can stay connected and power your devices,” suggests Abrams. “This also makes headphones essential for listening to music or a podcast or watching your favorite movie.”

Don’t leave home without…

Whether your goal is to pack weeks ahead or last-minute, you’ll want to be sure to bring these items recommended by Abrams:

Books, a deck of cards, a journal, binoculars and a camera to capture the passing landscapes.

Comfortable shoes are a good idea so you can walk around and move around the train.

Travel documents and IDs are needed for travel, as well.

Abrams also suggests consulting the Amtrak website before leaving home, as it specifically identifies items that are prohibited onboard.

“When traveling by train, it's important to pack items that will help combat the less desirable side effects of travel, such as dry skin, dull hair and fatigue,” recommends Fiddy.

“It’s also a good idea to pack a pair of earplugs and a good book to block out any unwanted noise and help pass the time. With these essentials, you’ll be well-prepared for a comfortable and relaxing journey,” Fiddy adds.

Advice for first-time train travelers

If you’re a rookie when it comes to train travel, Abrams suggests remembering a few other tips to ensure a smoother trip:

Arrive early so you have time to locate your platform and ready any bags you want to have checked.

Only pack what you can carry unless you're checking it.

If you're in search of a place to unwind during your train ride, Quiet Cars are available onboard many corridors and short-distance trains. In a Quiet Car, phone calls are not allowed, conversations are limited and low overheard lighting is used.

Products to shop for train travel

Sea-band acupressure wristband.

Acupressure Wristband for Motion & Morning Sickness

Washable? Yes | Reusable? Yes

Do you suffer from motion sickness? Fear no more! These acupressure wristbands are clinically proven to relieve nausea while traveling, according to the brand. Each package comes in a set of two as one should be worn on each wrist to work effectively.

Classic Embossed Travel Journal Diary

Colorways: 7 | Pages: 160 | Special features: Refillable

Document your travels by writing down or illustrating all the landmarks you witness en route to your final destination with this embossed notebook. Featuring a compass on the cover, this travel diary is made of high quality pu leather and is super durable to hold long-lasting memories.

“I love the quality, and the vintage look and feel of the leather cover and the archaic, rustic coarse pages. I almost don't want to write in it,” said one verified buyer.

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2024

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2024

What's better than a good book to keep you busy during a long train ride? If you're a b ook lover who has been bitten by the travel bug, you will love this bestseller from Lonely Planet. Experts selected five ranked lists of the top 10 destinations to visit in 2024. Whether your next vacation destination is Paris or Philadelphia, you'll surely appreciate learning more about these memorable places.

Travel Makeup Train Case

Cosmetic Case Organizer

Colorways: 16 | Sizes: 4 (S-XL) | Lining: Nylon

Safely store all your toiletries while traveling with this bestselling cosmetic case. Made of high-quality Oxford fabric, this makeup bag includes enough storage space for including your favorite lipstick, foundation, mascara and more.

“Its durability and good quality has made it easy to travel with, and it withstands any bumpy rides. It is also easy to clean any stains that may arise - a huge plus!,” adds one five-star reviewer.

Anker Portable Charger

Portable Charger

Battery capacity: 10,000mAh | Compatible with: Most phone providers

Have you ever been streaming your favorite sitcom when your phone suddenly runs out of power? Always keep your devices fully charged with this Anker power bank that is Amazon’s Choice for portable chargers.

“This large capacity and slim profile battery pack is great to have on hand for emergencies, whenever there is a prolonged power outage, or when traveling and you don't have easy access to a power outlet,” one satisfied customer said. “I charge my phone daily and rarely need an external battery pack, but this has come in handy whenever there is a power outage and during travel.”

Darn Tough Vermont Blossom Crew Lightweight Lifestyle Sock

Blossom Crew Lightweight Sock

Colorways: 2 | Sizes: S-L | Materials: Merino wool, nylon, lycra spandex

Keep your feet warm and cozy with these crew socks that are made of odor-repellent materials and designed for long-lasting comfort. These lightweight socks are the ideal option for traveling as they are performance fit, which means no slipping or bunching.

National Parks Playing Cards

Dimensions: 4 3/8" L x 3 1/4" W x 1 1/2" H

It’s game time! Stay entertained on a long train ride with these National Parks Service playing cards. Each card includes a vintage-style photograph of one of our many acclaimed parks. We have no doubt you’ll ace this round!

Hydro Flask Wide Mouth with Flex Straw Cap

32 oz Wide Mouth with Flex Straw Cap

Colorways: 12 | Dishwasher-safe? Yes

Stay hydrated from morning to night with this 32-ounce wide mouth water bottle from Hydro Flask. This BPA-free bottle features a leakproof flex straw cap and keeps drinks cold for 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours. Now available in pastel shades like dew and grapefruit, personalization is also available on the brand’s site so you’ll never lose your water bottle again!

Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set

Eagle Creek Pack-It Cube Set of 3

Colorways: 4 | Material: Recycled 300D Poly fabric, recycled double diamond poly mesh | Water-resistant? Yes

Keep all your clothes wrinkle- and stain-free with this set of "deceptively roomy" compression cubes, a recent Shop TODAY Travel Gear Awards winner . Pack all your essentials into these cubes that can be zipped up to flatten. They also feature handles on the exterior to make them easily accessible if you're digging around your luggage.

Quince SuperSoft Wide Leg Pants

SuperSoft Fleece Wide Leg Pants

Colorways: 4 | Sizes: XS-XL | Material: Tencel™/modal, recycled polyester, rayon, spandex

Feel like you’re wearing pajamas with these laidback drawstring slacks. Another recent Shop TODAY Travel Gear Awards winner for best budget travel pants , these super soft, eco-conscious bottoms are designed to offer plenty of stretch to fit all shapes and sizes.

Dr. Scholl's Jetset Slip-Ons

Women's Jetset Slip-On Wedge Loafer

Colorways: 12 | Sizes: 6-11 | Heel height: 3/4"

These lightweight slip-ons from Dr. Scholl's earned raves from Shop TODAY Travel Gear Award testers for comfortable features like their built-in arch support, molded heel cup and anti-microbial foam footbed, landing a spot on the winners list for Best Budget Walking Shoes .

Modern Picnic The Pouch

Material: Vegan leather | Dimensions : 11” L x 4.5” D x 10” H

It’s no doubt you’ll start to get extra hungry on a long trip without packing a few yummy snacks . The pouch from Modern Picnic is the adult lunchbox you never knew you needed until now. This vegan leather exterior and insulated interior pouch is the perfect contraption for storing all your favorite fruits, veggies, nuts and more.

Dagne Dover Vida Cotton Tote Bag

Vida Cotton Tote Bag

Material: Organic cotton canvas | Dimensions: 18.5” L x 6.25” W x 14” H

Keep all your carry-on essentials close with this cotton “weekender” bag from Dagne Dover. This 100% vegan tote contains no pesticides, GMOs or pollutants, according to the brand, and features a wipeable interior lining. If you’re looking for a space to safely store your computer, this chic tote will also fit most 16” laptops in its interior slip pocket.

What to know about overnight train travel

If you’re traveling overnight on the train, it's important to bring items to keep you extra comfortable and help you get some decent shut-eye . Abrams suggests keeping the following in mind to make your evening on the train more relaxing:

Stretch before sleeping. "Before settling in for the night, take a few minutes to get up and stretch your muscles...This will help you relax and reduce the risk of cramping and stiffness. If you wish to be more discreet about your stretching, there are plenty of effective stretches that can be done while seated , especially for your neck and shoulders."

Bring a neck pillow. "A neck pillow can make a huge difference in your comfort level when sleeping in Coach. It will help you keep your head and neck relaxed, reducing the risk of stiffness or pain. You can make more comfortable use of sleeping in a forward position while resting on your arms atop the folding table in the seat back in front of you when you come equipped with a neck pillow."

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. "Loose-fitting clothes that are made of breathable fabrics (think: athleisure) will be your best bet for feeling cool and unrestricted as you sleep. Likewise, your shoes should feel equally comfortable so it’s important to wear ones you can sleep in."

Block out distractions. "If you are a light sleeper, earplugs and an eye mask can help you block out noise and light, creating a more comfortable sleeping environment — this is especially helpful if a Quiet Car isn’t available to you. If you’re the type of sleeper who needs white noise like a box fan to help mute your brain, you’ll probably find that the general ambient train sounds will suffice."

Pack a blanket. " Whether or not you’re traveling in the winter months, the added comfort of a soft blanket goes a long way toward a restful night on the train."

Skip the towels and sheets. " If you have a sleeper car reservation, there are linens provided for you. Just like a hotel!"

Save room for special toiletries. " We [also] provide shampoo, soap and bottled water in all of our rooms. If your beauty regimen requires something special , please be sure to bring it. That includes, toothpaste, mouthwash, body lotion, hair conditioner, hair spray/gel, hairdryers and shower caps. The best part about traveling by train? No liquids restrictions!"

Products to shop for overnight train travel

Alaska bear silk sleep mask.

Silk Sleep Mask

Material: Organic mulberry silk | Hypoallergenic? Yes

This sleep mask and eye relaxer with 28,000+ verified five-star ratings is designed to reduce friction and prevent marks that could cause wrinkles, according to the brand. You’ll wake up refreshed and rejuvenated while ready to take on whatever the day has in store for you.

Bedsure Fleece Throw Blanket

Fleece Throw Blanket

Colorways: 28 | Size: 50” x 60”

Snuggle up in your seat while bingeing on your new favorite streaming show with this comfortable, lightweight fleece blanket. This soft, warm flannel maintains the perfect balance between weight and warmth, so you won’t be left shivering.

“Seams are even so the blanket folds well. It's super soft so everyone wants this blanket. Still soft and no fading after a few washes. I recommend this blanket!” said one verified reviewer.

LED Neck Reading Light

Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light

Charge length: Up to 80 hours | Brightness levels: 3 | Special features: Rechargeable

Dying to finish the last 50 pages of your juicy romance novel? You won’t have to wait until morning for the ending to be revealed with this neck reading light. Each head has an independent switch for three brightness levels and is rechargeable for up to 80 hours of reading time. The LED light features a special narrow beam angle (90 degree) design, so it is bright enough to easily read the words on the page while dim enough to not disturb your neighbor.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

Perk Up Dry Shampoo

Size: 5.3 ounces | Hair type: Oily

A Shop TODAY Beauty Awards winner for best overall dry shampoo, this talc-free product is designed to absorb excess oil to prevent greasy hair. This shampoo has 12,000+ verified five-star reviews on Amazon and is designed to add volume to your hair.

"I have used this product for years. I always have it in my travel kit and it’s great pick up even if you are going to wet shampoo later. Smells fabulous!" said one verified reviewer .

Cabeau Evolution Earth Neck Pillow

Evolution Earth Neck Pillow

Material: Memory foam | Washable? Yes; cover only

Get some much-needed shut-eye with this evolution Earth neck pillow from Cabeau. With its memory foam core and 360-degree support, this sustainable neck pillow features soft, eco-friendly RPET fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. This super comfortable pillow features raised side supports, chin strap technology and a slim flattened back.

Loop Earplugs Experience Plus

Experience Plus (Pro)

Colorways: 4 | Reusable? Yes | Ear tip sizes: S-XL

Lay back and drift off to the sweet sounds of silence with these reusable Loop earplugs. With up to 18 dB of filtered noise reduction, these earplugs are designed to keep your ears safe and come with four interchangeable ear tip sizes for an optimal fit.

“What I love most about Loop Quiet is how easy and comfortable they are to wear," one Shop TODAY writer said about her experience wearing these. "With foam earplugs, I have to roll them, insert them into the ear canal and then wait for them to expand. To wear these, you simply pop them into your ear canal, making sure the entire silicone tip is inserted, then twist the loop handle up to create the seal."

Beis The Carry-On Roller

Beis The Carry-On Roller in Beige

Colorways: 7 | Dimensions: 15.7" W x 22.8" H x 9.8" D

This carry-on suitcase by Beis is certainly pretty in pink... or any of the other six colors it is available in. Featuring 360-degree wheels and an expandable body, this darling roller will easily store all your train travel essentials.

"This carry-on looks chic, sophisticated and like you paid a lot more for it than you actually did. I’d been eyeing it since it was first announced that the color Maple would be coming out soon but it kept selling out before I could purchase it. I jumped at the chance when it came back on restock and I’m glad I did. You’ll be a standout walking through the airport," said one verified five-star reviewer.

How we chose

The items to pack were chosen based on expert insights, market research and verified customer reviews. We selected products that offered comfort for long trips on the train and also would aid in uninterrupted rest for passengers traveling overnight.

Meet the experts

• Jason Abrams is the senior public relations manager for Amtrak .
• Deborah Fiddy is an entrepreneur and founder of Gingerlily , which specializes in silk-based travel and bedding products.

Allie Wise is an associate editor for Shop TODAY.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then   View saved stories .

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Adrienne So Gear Team

The Best Travel Bags for Wherever You’re Headed

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more . Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

Best Carry-On for Most People Travelpro Maxlite 5 Read more

Best Hard-Shell Carry-On Away Carry-On Read more

Best Soft-Shell Carry-On Yeti Crossroads 35L Read more

Best Bag for a Lifetime Briggs & Riley Baseline CX Read more

Whew! You've made it all the way across the globe. But have your toothbrush, pajamas, and running shoes made it, too? If you're a frequent traveler, it's easy to obsess over the logistics of getting your stuff clean, organized, and in good working condition upon arrival. Paying for a decent travel bag and a few useful accessories means buying a little peace of mind, especially when a few yards of zippers and some nylon are the only barriers between your precious belongings and the belly of an airliner.

Whether you're slinging a duffel into a car trunk for a weekend trip or packing for a whirlwind jaunt across Asia, we've got you covered. Need a bag for your passport or groceries? Don't forget to check out our other guides, like the Best Laptop Backpacks and the Best Recycled Bags , for more picks.

Updated April 2024: We reorganized this guide and added new picks, such as the Yeti Crossroads, Tom Bihn Aeronaut and Trinity, the Frame Carry-On Max, the Lo & Sons O.G. 2, the Camelbak A.T.P. 20, the Calpak Luka Duffel, and the Rux 70. We also updated the information on sizing and checked links and prices.

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off) . This includes unlimited access to WIRED. com. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

Best Carry-On for Most People

Look around any airport—if you see flight attendants or pilots, they will probably be rolling around a Travelpro suitcase. We like Travelpros because you get a lot of bang for your buck. They're durable, light, and not too expensive.

For only a little over $100, the Maxlite 5 is one of the more affordable Travelpro suitcases, and at 5.4 pounds, it's very light! The exterior toiletry pocket is a nice touch for when you go through security and need to take out your liquids, and the zippers are also quite strong and don't tend to get stuck. The wheels also rolled nicely on both the spinner and roll-aboard versions. Reviewer Matt Jancer did note that the aluminum handle extensions did sometimes stick and the main grab handle on the bag is only single-stitched, which may cause durability issues farther down the line. However, he has seen no issues yet. This probably the best bag you can get in the $100 to $150 price range.

Best Hard-Shell Carry-On

Away's business practices may have raised some eyebrows , but there's no denying that this company changed the travel market entirely. It has increased in price since we first tested it, but multiple WIRED staffers still use the classic Away hard-shell carry-on ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) as their travel suitcase.

Hard-shell suitcases tend to be heavier. There's also not as much give in the case, so you may find it hard to squeeze in more items than in a soft-shell bag, bu they look a lot sleeker than their soft-shell counterparts and protect fragile items better. The Away weighs 7.5 pounds, which is pretty standard for a hard-shell carry-on. When I tested it, I liked that it had multiple height settings and that the polycarbonate shell wiped clean and stayed mostly scuff-free (it helped that my tester was in the darker navy color). Away's suitcases also come with a built-in TSA-approved combination lock, four spinner wheels capable of rotating 360 degrees, and an included laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate from the rest of your stuff. The handle did feel a bit wobbly, though.

★ Alternatives: So many companies now offer a direct-to-consumer, stylish, hard-shell carry-on similar to the Away's. We've tried ones by Monos ($255) and July ($295) . Besides price, the differences are mostly negligible. I like July's aluminum bumpers, but they do add weight. The Monos's handle rolls out more smoothly, but the July's pebbled surface doesn't show scuffs as badly. Both have survived multiple cross-country trips, being checked as baggage, and being ridden on by two small children with no damage.

Paravel also offers an Aviator carry-on ($395) that touts itself as the world's first carbon-neutral carry-on; it has an interior lining made of recycled plastic bottles, a telescoping handle made of recycled aluminum, and vegan leather trim to help it stand out from all the plain black bags at the airport. Product reviewer Jaina Grey fell in love with its roomy interior and durable, anti-scuff hard-shell exterior.

Best Soft-Shell Carry-On

Yeti's coolers and cups are famous for being bomb-proof. The company recently launched a luggage line that's similarly overbuilt. The Yeti Crossroads 35L is a 22-inch roller bag that's carry-on size for most major airlines. It weighs 7.7 pounds, on par with soft-sided competitors of the same size.

I recently spent a week dragging the Crossroads up and down grimy subway station escalators, thumping it across cobblestones, and scrunching it into overfull overhead bins during a trip to London, Paris, and Brussels. The blue 700D nylon on the front and sides looks just as fresh as it did out of the box while the molded polycarbonate shell on the back has a few well-earned battle scratches. The two extra-large fixed wheels are rolling as smoothly as ever and hopped up curbs so well that I grew to favor them over smaller spinner wheels. The Crossroads has a half-dozen well-placed pockets and sturdy zippers that didn't give me any anxiety even as I tugged them hard while smooshing down to fit souvenirs into a carry-on with 8 days of clothing. —Martin Cizmar

Best Bag for a Lifetime

Do you only want to buy one suitcase and never think about it, ever again? Briggs & Riley is one of the few companies with a lifetime unlimited warranty. I bought a Briggs & Riley carry-on as my first and only post-college purchase. Right now, it has lasted over 20 years. Periodically, I bring it into the one Briggs & Riley-approved dealership in my town to get a zipper pull put back on, and it's fixed for free in a few days. Its components are top-of-the-line. The face fabric is a heavy-duty ballistic nylon that’s water-repellent and abrasion-resistant. After having been dragged all over the globe, from the Philippines to Turkey to Iceland, the gleaming red is just as bright.

The low-profile wheels nor handles have never broken. The grab handles are also luxuriously smooth and padded, and there's an interior folding garment bag for my husband's suits. The only downside is that at 9.3 pounds, it’s pretty heavy.

★ Alternatives: If you need an absolutely bomber-tough rolling suitcase and don't mind its 9.6-pound weight, the Pro Front-Access Carry ($799) will stand up to more abuse than most rolling bags, with its aluminum frame and 70-percent-recycled polycarbonate body. WIRED reviewer Chris Haslam says it's his favorite rolling bag in years. Jancer also likes Travelpro's Platinum Elite carry-on ($315) , which he calls one of the most high-end polycarbonate bags on the market.

Medea Giordano

Louryn Strampe

Best Backpack

When I reviewed the Cotopaxi Allpa in 2018 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ), it had only recently launched. Now, a half-dozen years later, it is one of the most popular travel backpacks that I see online and in airports all over the world. It's a combination of a camping backpack, a suitcase, and a soft, frameless duffel. You can splay it open like a sandwich to pack it easily; access items through a side zip; put it on your backpack and secure its weight with a sternum strap; or squash or stomp it into any overhead compartment or corner of your car trunk. The use case for this bag is extremely specific—the same people who are bopping around Thailand for several weeks in one backpack are not the same people trying to look professional at a work conference. But it is sturdy and comfortable.

★ Alternative: I took the Ekster Packable Duffel ($250) on several weekend trips this spring, and found that it more than upheld its claims of being built for “smoother journeys, on and off the grid.” This travel bag converts from a backpack to a duffel, with two separate compartments that also splay open for easier packing. The 600-denier exterior and water-resistant zippers are so sturdy that when we ran out of space in the car, we lashed it to the roof rack with surf straps and drove for hours in the rain. It, and its contents, remained pristine.

Best Convertible Bag

Every serious traveler knows the name of Seattle-based Tom Bihn, manufacturer of bomber bags that will last you a lifetime. The Aeronaut 45 is the classic Tom Bihn convertible carry-on, which the size of the maximum allowable carryon bag on a plane.

You get everything from a Tom Bihn bag that you pay for. It’s made of incredibly sturdy 1050 denier ballistic nylon with bombproof YKK zippers and has both hidden backpack straps and an extremely comfortable cross-body strap. This is commerce director Martin Cizmar's bag, and he's tossed it around and lugged down rough streets and through crowds where roller bags are a liability. He owns two and the first lasted for more than a decade. This is the bag that both and I would only fly with if we didn't have to constantly test other bags.

Best Personal Item

Some airlines are not content with charging you extra for checking a bag and now charge you for overhead bin space . The Tom Bihn Trinity ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) addresses that problem by providing a space for you to pack everything you need while still fitting underneath the seat in front of you. As the name suggests, it has three main compartments and three ways to carry—either as a briefcase with padded grab handles, a backpack, or as a shoulder bag with two attachment points.

It has three main compartments which can be arranged to your liking; for example, on one of the side compartments, you can zip a water bottle holder into place or unzip it for more room. It wasn't quite as versatile as I expected; I found that I prefer a small duffel with one main compartment that I can organize as I like. However, it does fit under the seat in front of me, even with clothes, laptop, and four (four!) hardcover books that I somehow stuffed inside it.

Best Work Bag

I've been traveling a lot for work and for family reasons in the past few months, and the bag I prefer for my personal item is the Lo & Sons O.G. 2, which is the larger version of the brand's Nouvelle purse ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ). It comes in a medium and a large version; the medium is adequate as an everyday bag, but the large turns it into a versatile work/travel bag. It’s low-profile and has both smooth leather grab handles as well as a shoulder strap. I have kicked it under plane seats and around airports, and the nylon doesn't show any damage. There's a hidden separate compartment if you spill water on yourself, and it has sturdy feet so you can put it on an airplane bathroom counter and dig for your makeup without it falling over or getting the bottom of the bag too disgusting. The toothed zippers do tend to crinkle and snatch at your knuckles when the bag gets overstuffed, but I suppose you could always, uh, avoid overstuffing your bag.

★ Alternatives: We have plenty of recommendations in our guide to the Best Laptop Totes , but we love Lo & Sons. The Catalina Supreme Tote ($338) is also great for weekend trips. Again, there's also a bottom compartment for a pair of shoes, or anything else you need to keep separate.

The Best Hiking Daypack

The Camelbak A.T.P. is so useful that I’m always startled to realize it only has a 20-liter capacity. I have it in the 100 percent recycled white color, which saves water and only emits half the greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the dying process. It’s a panel loader, which means you can unzip the top and see exactly where everything goes, like a duffel. This is convenient when packing for trips—I was able to fit clothes, a Dopp kit, and electronics for an overnight trip. (I know these types of zippers fail more often than top loaders, but it does make it easier to arrange and sort items near the bottom of the pack.)

I particularly like how narrow it is. It fits my back and goes under airplane seats that even my children’s backpacks can’t. The bottle pocket has a zipper that makes it expandable so it can fit a little coffee thermos or my giant Yeti water bottle . Exterior compression straps also help squeeze my clothes even smaller. This is a great backpack if you want something that looks sleek enough for a work bag but is durable enough to take on a weekend trip to Yosemite.

★ Alternative: I also love the Patagonia Black Hole Backpack ($149) . This 25-liter bag is the perfect combination work/adventure bag. The suspended 15-inch laptop pocket clips shut, and the rest of the pockets are thoughtfully placed. It’s extremely light (a little over a pound) and is made from 100 percent recycled ripstop fabric.

Best Duffel Bag

The Big Haul ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is our favorite duffel because it hits the right balance of robust build materials and pockets without being too heavy to lug around all day. The standout feature of the Big Haul series, which comes in 28-liter to 120-liter options, is the ability to easily reposition the carrying straps, which feature plastic fishhook-style ends that slip into fabric loops. You can connect one strap end-to-end or double up on two straps in an H pattern for more stability with heavy loads. Adding and removing the straps isn't super fast, but it's not difficult, either, and six low-profile loops seems less intrusive than six rattling plastic buckles.

Two small interior pockets and an exterior pocket keep small things organized, and its water-resistant fabric is thick and tough without being stiff. All the sewing around the grab handles feels very robust too. Padded backpack straps hide away under a padded pocket on the top of the bag. This means that when you sling the Big Haul over your shoulders to give your arms a rest, your back is against the relatively clean top of the duffel, rather than a wet, dirty bottom side that's been set down on the ground. The current iteration of the Big Haul is also made with recycled nylon. What's not to love? —Matt Jancer

★ Alternative: For slightly more money, the classic duffel in this category is the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel ($159) , which also comes in a variety of colorways and sizes. You can either carry it by the grab handles or with the shoulder straps, and it's made from 100 percent recycled polyester with a TPU-film laminate. I (Adrienne) have had the 40-liter version for almost 15 years now and the laminate has yet to peel. It also fits as a carry-on on flights.

The Best Expedition Bag

If you like outdoor sports, you probably need a good expedition bag—that is, a huge, burly duffel that you can just throw all your pointy ice axes, trekking poles, or camp chairs into that you can take anywhere and everywhere. Reviewer Matt Jancer's expedition bag of choice is the Red Oxx PR5. He's used it for whitewater paddling trips and to lug mountain climbing equipment from coast to coast without a single frayed thread. Everything about Red Oxx is overbuilt. The zippers are huge, its thick pieces of nylon webbing are robustly sewn, and chunky metal rings hang the detachable carrying strap. All that said, it's not abominably heavy. At 3.4 pounds it's still lighter than many wheeled bags.

★ Alternative: If you've ever gone to a popular outdoor destination, like Yosemite or Everest, you've probably seen stacks of North Face Base Camp duffels . This is the quintessential expedition bag. My own personal bag is the OnSight Tarmac EPO , but the company no longer exists; I also have a Mountain Hardware duffel ($180) and after 20 years, the coating has finally started to peel.

Best for Camping

We love everything from Rux; I'm currently testing the waterproof adventure tote ($150) and I use it for everything from my climbing gear, to picnic gear, to bringing my kids' roller skates and soccer balls to the park. I have also leaked an entire water bottle in it and it stayed contained and out of the bottom of my car.

But for camping (or any outdoor pursuit, really), what you need is a Rux storage system , which, as the artist and filmmaker Van Neistat puts it, will help you kit your shit . It holds its frame shape, which means you can stack and organize inside of it just like a box, but it folds down like a bag for easy storage once you're at your destination. It's also light and waterproof and comes with a wide array of accessories . This is an upgrade for everyone who currently sorts their camping, climbing, or snowboarding gear in a series of $5 plastic totes and stacks them in their trunk.

The Best Aluminum Suitcase

Perhaps you've seen those Instagram-friendly, shiny aluminum suitcases and wonder whether it's worth the investment. Aluminum is extremely durable and can be machined with precision. That means it will protect your belongings better, and you can close them with latches instead of zippers. Your suitcase will last longer and be more secure— zippers are pretty easy to break into —and generally have fewer points of failure.

In my opinion, the cost-benefit analysis generally weighs against them. Aluminum suitcases are usually heavier and won't flex as much if you have overpacking tendencies, and I find them painfully conspicuous. Any suitcase with a decent warranty policy will painlessly cover any repairs. If you must have one, we like Arlo Skye's the Frame. Arlo Skye was founded by alumni from Louis Vuitton and Tumi, and reviewer Matt Jancer says that everything about the Frame screams robust quality, from the leather grab handles to the combination-lock latches. It also comes with a removable battery bank and has a few more liters of carrying capacity than the similarly-sized Away. The main disadvantage is that the interior organization is a bit lacking.

★ Alternative: Do you want the benefits of an aluminum suitcase without the drawbacks? You might want to consider Monos's Hybrid Carry-On ($325) . You won't fool anyone into thinking you've shelled out for a 100 percent aluminum suitcase, but Jancer notes that it's only a pound or so heavier than the competition and the aluminum frame offered better protection than any 100 percent polycarbonate suitcase that he tried.

A Good Emergency Go Bag

To be clear, any bag here could be considered a go-bag—even a grocery bag works when you have to leave the house imminently. But reviewer Nena Farrell used Calpak's duffel for an emergency surgery, and she is kicking herself for not getting it sooner. It was big enough for everything from makeup bags and extra outfits to a massive book and Nintendo Switch, and was comfortable to carry thanks to the large straps.

The shoe compartment was big enough for sandals and slides, but not big enough for shoes with an ankle. It was also a great place to stash haphazard Ziplocs of emergency toiletries and medications. There are some side pockets inside too, plus an exterior side pocket and a pass-through panel to place it on top of your luggage. It was a great hospital companion, but Farrell can't wait to take the Luka somewhere a little more fun.

Other Bags We Like

Not every good product can snag a best-in-category title, but there are several more bags we've tested that get our thumbs-up.

Osprey Ozone 40L for $280 : At 4.47 pounds, Osprey claims this bag is the lightest carry-on suitcase. It's also made from 400D recycled bluesign-approved nylon and is treated with DWR. This bag is light enough to easily hoist above my head and has also been checked multiple times.

Gregory Alpaca 40 Duffel for $140 : This duffel weighs a scant 2.7 pounds, but the water-resistant fabric and extraordinarily beefy (though plastic) buckles make it a solid bag for adventuring. There's an exterior pocket for storing shoes or dirty clothes. The backpack straps don't tuck away for storage—you have to unclip them—but might be the most well-padded, comfortable straps I've encountered on a duffel. Exterior daisy chains and an interior zippered pocket round out the impressive features list.

Land's End Waxed Canvas Duffel for $180 : Most duffel bags these days are made of nylon, and while it's tough to call a material that's been popular since the 1940s “modern,” nylon bags don't have the old-school charm that this waxed canvas bag does.

Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler 40L for $149 : This bag weighs 1 pound, 13 ounces, which is only slightly heavier than air. It also has backpack straps that stow away in a front pocket.

Skyway Epic Carry-On for $160 : At 7.1 pounds, the Epic is an average weight. The handle is a wee bit more finicky than our top pick, and the Travelpro's wheels glide a little more nicely. Still, the Epic is a solid choice.

Target Signature Weekender Bag for $81 : Looking like a cross between a duffel and a handbag, the Weekender has a structure that product reviewer Louryn Strampe says can become overfilled, so keep that in mind if you plan to bring it onto a plane as a carry-on. She appreciates its durability and the many internal pockets for organization, though, and its rather long five-year warranty.

Solgaard Carry-On Closet Plus for $345 : It's a tiny bit over what most airlines list as the maximum dimensions, but the difference is so small that it's accepted 95 percent of the time. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe praises its optional clip-in closet clothing organizer, which makes for efficient packing. The built-in TSA lock is easy to use, and there's an internal power-bank pocket. This suitcase is included in our Favorite Recycled Products guide.

Samsonite Outline Pro Carry-On for $200 : This is a hard-side, four-wheeled spinner carry-on made from an outer shell of durable polypropylene. Standout features include an interior fabric made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles and a “WetPak” storage pocket for keeping damp items separated from the rest of your luggage.

Adidas Defender Duffel for $40 : If you're looking for an inexpensive duffel that'll handle some light-duty traveling, this is a good way to save $100. The fabric is significantly thinner and less sturdy than that of other duffels in this guide, and it lacks backpack straps. But for taking on the train or tossing into a car trunk, it'll do the trick.

Bags We Don’t Like

Some bags just aren't worth the asking price, especially with so many good alternatives at all price points.

Peugeot Voyages Carry-On Spinner for $595 : What a price tag for a plastic-case suitcase. You can see where Peugeot tried to imbue the Voyages with some luxury, such as the metal riveting and built-in travel locks, but the case felt no more solid than a budget hard-sided bag, and the USB charging port felt cheap, like an outlet you'd find built into a seat in an airport terminal.

Eagle Creek Caldera Convertible International Carry-On for $469 : At 6 pounds, 2 ounces, this bag is a bit heavy. There's a zip-off 19-liter backpack that you can separate from the rest of the 37-liter bag, but when they're zipped together, the combined size doesn't meet carry-on restrictions.

Ebags CTS Carry-On Spinner for $200 : This one wasn't awful, but there are much better options for the money. Its hard plastic sides felt more brittle than the hard-sided plastic Away suitcases. The handle rattles a lot and it didn't roll quite as smoothly as other bags.

A Few Travel Accessories

Once you've got your bag, you'll want to pack it with a few more useful items:

Apple AirTag for $24 : If you have an iPhone, it's one of the best ways to keep a digital eye on your bags. Drop an AirTag into an interior pocket to make sure you and your luggage are reunited at your destination. Don't have an iPhone? We suggest the Chipolo in our guide to the Best Bluetooth Trackers .

Eagle Creek Specter Pack-It Cubes Three-Pack for $35 keep everything inside your bags organized by allowing you to separate it into different cubes, so you won't ever have to hunt through seven pairs of socks to find your bathing suit again.

Calpak Clear Cosmetics Case for $75 : Calpak’s viral clear cases come in three sizes and a ton of colors for the edge trims. Reviewer Nena Farrell loved the small size for my gym bag and traveling with a smaller carry-on bag, while the medium was a great size for my daily makeup or larger suitcases.

Troubadour Buddy 2.0 Tech Case for $75 : You probably need a case to organize your spare charging cables and power banks. I've been testing this compact, waterproof, and recycled bag that fits neatly into my personal item.

UrPower Portable Steamer for $24 beats a travel iron because it's far lighter and you don't need to hunt down an ironing board at your hotel. WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano and I both have been using UrPowers for years. For a tiny thing, it's powerful and effective at steaming practically anything. You just need to refill it often.

Samsonite Manual Luggage Scale for $15 is handy when you're packing a heavy bag for an upcoming trip. Use it to weigh your luggage and make sure it's within the weight limits. International airlines are sticklers for carry-on weight, and even American airlines will be unforgiving about weight for checked bags.

InCase MacBook Sleeves for $50 will keep your laptop from bearing the damage caused by airport security lines. Travel through an airport without a case and it's only a matter of time before a bare laptop or tablet picks up nasty scratches and dents. Check our guide to the Best MacBook Accessories for more.

How to Pick the Right Size Bag

Every airline sets its own dimensional requirements for carry-on baggage, so if you want to be safe, you should check your airline's requirements before packing. But broadly, they're split into two categories: domestic and international.

Domestic flights by US airlines (and a few others) have standardized on 22 x 14 x 9 inches.

International carry-on bag sizes tend to be about 21 inches tall and a bit narrower, but they're all over the place. It's tough, because many international airlines will measure your bags at the airport and reject anything even slightly bigger than the allowed size. If you fly outside the US a lot, you may as well buy a bag sized for international flights.

You'll also want to check each airline's weight limits. They vary wildly, but some international airlines restrict you to 15 or 20 pounds, including the weight of the bag itself. For example, there are some East Asian airlines that limit carry-on bags to 11 pounds. Once you subtract 6 or more pounds for the bag, you're not left with much wiggle room to put stuff inside.

When to Remove Battery Banks

Battery banks, also known as power banks, are a travel must-have. Whether you're using a tablet to watch movies on your flight or relying on your phone to coordinate rideshares, hotel check-in, and handle your boarding passes, you've got to keep those devices charged and topped up. Many bags offer a removable battery bank that slides into a special pocket or notch of the suitcase.

For carry-on luggage on a flight in the US, you're allowed to bring a lithium-ion battery of 100 watt-hours or less. You don't need to remove it from the suitcase's pocket if you're storing your bag in the overhead bin.

Lithium-ion battery banks are not allowed in checked luggage. If you check your bag or have to gate-check it, make sure to remove the battery bank before you give your suitcase to the gate agent. Slip the battery bank into your purse, backpack, or pocket for the duration of the flight.

Nena Farrell

Matt Jancer

Scott Gilbertson

Julian Chokkattu

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Eurail Planner Blog

A blog full of guidance and inspiration for your European rail trip.

What backpack should I take for a Eurotrip? The top 6 backpacks to take travelling around Europe

“What backpack should I take on a Eurotrip?” – we get asked this question a lot. But that makes sense, at is your most important piece of kit. You’ll be using it to carry all your possessions and lugging it around, most likely, in the heat of summer and on busy trains. So it’s really crucial that you find one that works for you.

What size backpack should I take?

The size of the backpack you should take on a Eurail trip does depend on a few factors, like change of clothes/footwear for weather conditions and your access to travel facilities. A lot of Eurailers like to travel light and keep things manageable, and this is good advice. Remember, you’ll be carrying all your stuff on your back – don’t take anything you think you might need, if turns out you need something you didn’t bring, you can always buy it out in Europe!

We recommend taking a main backpack of 50-70 litres for a 3 week Eurotrip. If you’re going for longer, this will also do you well, as you can just wash things as you go along more regularly. You should definitely also take a day sack for exploring cities, leaving your main bag in the hostel locker. A lot of the more premium backpacks come with handy detachable sacks, which are an ideal size for exploring.

The best backpacks to take Eurailing

We’ve selected six of our favourite backpacks to take Eurailing. We are teamed up with Amazon so you can click on each bag and get further information. They come in at various price levels but we recommend you spend the most you can afford on a backpack. Good ones last for ages and it’s likely you will use it again!

Osprey Farpoint 55L

An excellent backpack packed with handy features for travellers. It’s front-loading, so nothing will ever get stuck at the bottom! You can also zip away the back straps, so it can go on the plane without getting caught on anything. And it comes with a  detachable 13L day bag for day trips, perfectly sized for a laptop. It’s one of the lightest back-packable travel packs for its capacity and packs like a suitcase but is worn like a backpack. This is the 55L size but the 70L version is also suitable for Eurailing and is available here .

Vango Freedom II 60 + 20L

This backpack is the updated version of the original Vango Freedom backpack and it’s been upgraded in all the right areas. This is a versatile and hard-wearing travel bag due to its Protex 4:2 fabric construction, which is abrasion and water resistant – ideal for Eurotrips! It’s front-loading and there’s a 20L detachable day sack, just as the others above.

Vango have also built in compression straps, zipped pockets and a drawcord inside, to help pack down clothes, but also keep things separate i.e. dirty laundry

It’s one of the best bags on the market for long distance travelling. The travel pack is also well prepared for air travel, featuring a flight cover to protect the straps while in transit. The 80 + 20L pack is available here .

Mountain Warehouse Tor 65L

This is a great, lower-cost option – more of a classic expedition-style backpack, but still ideal for Eurotrips. You can access the bag from the top or bottom, so things that are stuffed at the bottom are still easy to access. There are 6 pockets and the main compartment can be divided into two areas so you can keep things separate. The straps are also very adjustable so you can get a comfortable fit on your back.

Deuter ACT Lite 45 + 10L

If you feel like travelling light, this is the perfect-sized backpack for you. It’s been manufactured to fit smaller frames as it has a shorter back length, so is ideal for women. It’s actually designed by women, for women!

It also comes with a detachable day pack, and is a top-loader so you’ll need to be organised if you choose this backpack.

Osprey Atmos AG 50L

This is a lightweight backpack with an anti-gravity suspension system that takes the weight off your shoulders. It sits slightly off your back thanks to the air mesh system in order to be breathable and (hopefully!) prevent a sweaty back. Similar systems have been used for the shoulder and hip straps. Pack more but feel less weight!

Caribee Fast Track 75L

Now, this one is effectively a suitcase, as it is front-loading and gives you the choice of carrying like a normal backpack or wheeling it along the city streets – extremely useful for Eurotrips, but future holidays too! It’s a very easy-to-manoeuvre wheeled bag, which also sits comfortably on your back thanks to the adjustable waist strap.

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Train Travel: Your Complete Guide to Luggage on Amtrak, Eurostar, & Beyond

Glamorous air travel may be (mostly) a thing of the past, but a certain mystique remains attached to traveling by train . There's something romantic about taking pleasure in the slow travel journey, and the list of additional pros is lengthy. Travelers often opt for a train over a plane because train stations are in city centers—much more convenient than getting to the airport in the outskirts. Train travel is also generally more economical for distances covered, especially if you take advantage of a rail pass. And liquid restrictions? Not a thing on train travel. One downside? There's no getting away from carry-on and checked luggage allowances, extra and oversize baggage fees, and lists of prohibited and restricted items. Don't get overwhelmed, read on for our complete guide to bringing luggage on Amtrak, Eurostar, and beyond. All aboard!

See recent posts by Rachel Klein

Amtrak’s Baggage Policy

Overall, Amtrak has a generous baggage policy and reasonable fees for additional pieces and oversized luggage. The list of prohibited items isn’t exhaustive, and there are no restrictions on liquids, so no need to spend the night before you trip decanting your favorite shampoo into a three-ounce bottle. There are size and weight requirements for carry-on and checked items, along with specific rules that apply to traveling with pets and children. Some stations offer parcel check to ticket-holding customers for a nominal fee of $10 per item for 24 hours, and $20 per item for customers without tickets Keep in mind that some trains don’t have baggage cars and not every station has a baggage-holding office, so it isn’t possible to check bags on every route. It’s best to call 1-800-USA-RAIL or check Amtrak’s website before booking. Call ahead.

Amtrak’s Carry-On Policy

Passengers are entitled to two personal items, each weighing a maximum of 25 pounds and no larger than 14 x 11 x 7 inches, in addition to two carry-on pieces of no more than 50 pounds and 28 x 22 x 14 inches in dimension. Families traveling with infants under 2 years of age can add baby gear such as a stroller or diaper bag without it counting toward carry-on limits. As for sports equipment, standard bicycles with a maximum tire width of 2 inches can be carried on board as long as they weigh less than 50 pounds. Skis, snowboards, and golf bags must measure 6 feet or less and also weigh under 50 pounds. Cabins in sleeping cars have limited storage space and most can only comfortably accommodate two carry-on bags. Family rooms are big enough to store a total of up to three carry-on suitcases.

Amtrak’s Checked Bag Policy

Can’t decide on the jumpsuit or maxi dress for a night out? You might be able to bring both, considering Amtrak’s generous checked bag allowance. Up to four checked bags are permitted on board, two of which are free of charge and two that cost $20 each. Bags can’t exceed 50 pounds or 75 linear inches. Oversized bags 76-100 linear inches are accepted for an additional $20. As previously mentioned, call or check Amtrak’s website in advance of your trip to make sure your train has checked bag services, and plan to check luggage at least 45 minutes before your train leaves. If your itinerary includes a transfer en-route, allow roughly two hours between arrival and departure for the train’s staff to transfer checked bags to the next train. No extra fees apply for checking baby gear in lieu of one bag; passengers may be required to check those items if there’s limited space in the train car. All checked sports equipment must weigh in at less than 50 pounds. Larger bike models are permitted as long as they don’t exceed 70 x 41 x 8.5 inches. Skis, snowboards, and golf bags can be checked free of charge in lieu of a piece of baggage, but count as oversized items if they’re more than 76-100 linear inches and are subject to an extra $20 fee.

Amtrak’s Prohibited Items

  There are few surprises here in terms of what you can’t bring on board. Explosives, dangerous chemicals, flammable liquids including bleach, propellants (with the exception of oxygen for medical use), sharp objects like swords and knives, and self-defense and martial arts items are all restricted in carry-on and checked bags on Amtrak. Less obvious restricted items are hoverboards and batteries with acid that could potentially leak. Corkscrews and small personal grooming items such as scissors, nail clippers, and razors are allowed in carry-on bags. Amtrak does allow sheathed archery and fencing equipment in checked bags. Some firearms and ammunition are also permitted (with restrictions ) in checked luggage.

Other Things to Keep in Mind When Traveling on Amtrak

Bringing food onboard is A-OK—including perishable items—as long as it fits inside your carry-on. Most short-distance trains have cafe cars with table seating for snacks, drinks, and items like packaged sandwiches. Almost all medium- and long-distance trains have lounge cars for full meals, and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations for lunch and dinner are recommended. First class passengers are served meals at their seats. Fancy! Meals are included in the price of sleeper car tickets.

Dogs and cats up to 20 pounds (weighed in with their carrier) are allowed in Coach class on most journeys that are seven hours or less, but pets can’t travel in Business or First class, or in sleeping or food service cars. Some routes designate certain cars for people traveling with their furry friends. You can forget about a weekday escape with your pet on Acela Express; it’s weekends and holidays only. There are no restrictions for service animals, but Amtrak doesn’t make special exceptions for emotional support animals and considers them pets, so restrictions apply. Animals have to be kept inside carriers at all times, which can’t exceed 19 x 14 x 10.5 inches, and count as one piece of carry-on luggage.

There’s free basic Wi-Fi in most major stations and on select trains, which is fine for checking email. Nail down your binge-watching schedule advance, because you won’t be able to stream movies or music, or download large files.

Eurostar’s Luggage Policy

Eurostar’s baggage restrictions aren’t as generous as Amtrak’s. But one major perk of traveling on Eurostar is that there’s no weight limit for carry-on bags—but be prepared to hoist them up yourself on the luggage rack. Another huge plus is that there aren’t any liquid restrictions, except for alcohol (details below). Carry-on and checked bag allowances are based on the class of ticket for adult and children. Keep in mind that not all routes offer a checked bag option, and in those instances passengers have to follow carry-on rules. Eurostar does offer shipping service to send luggage in advance for an extra fee. Like other lines, checked bags and full-size bicycles and other large sports equipment also incur fees.

Eurostar’s Carry-On Policy

Adults with Standard tickets are allowed to bring two pieces of carry-on luggage measuring up to 33 inches long (85 cm), plus one small personal item like a handbag or briefcase. Business Class passengers can add an additional carry-on for free. There are rules for kids, too: they’re allowed to bring one carry-on bag and one piece of hand luggage. Strollers don’t count toward the carry-on allowance, but they must be folded and secured to the luggage rack. Again, no weight restrictions apply to carry-on bags as long as passengers can lift them without assistance from train staff. Be strong or pack light!

Eurostar’s Checked Bag Policy

EuroDispatch is Eurostar’s luggage service, which covers both on-board checked bags and its shipping arm to send extra or oversized items (for a fee ) in advance of travel. The service is only available on routes between London , Paris, Brussels, and Lille; carry-on luggage allowances apply for all other destinations. You’re allowed three checked items weighing 66 pounds (30 kg) or less, for 30 euros per bag. Anything over 33 inches (85 cm) must be checked. Anything longer than 6.5 feet (2 meters) won’t be accepted. Passengers can ship luggage a week before traveling—a fantastic perk. Bags to be picked up are held for 14 days at stations’ luggage offices.

Fully assembled bicycles, golf clubs, skis, and other large sports equipment costs 30-50 euros. If you’re traveling with your bike, be sure to book a space for it in advance, in addition to purchasing your regular train ticket. Note that trains to Amsterdam (a biker’s paradise) have very limited space for bikes, so book well in advance if it’s your final destination.

Direct trains to skiing centers of Bourg-St-Maurice, Lyon, Avignon and Marseille have extra space on board for skiing equipment, and passengers on these routes are allowed to bring one pair of skis or a snowboard in addition to the standard luggage allowance.

Eurostar’s Prohibited Items

Eurostar’s prohibited and restricted items list is more exhaustive and detailed than Amtrak’s, which makes sense considering that Eurostar trains cross country borders. No explosives, unlicensed firearms, toy guns that look like weapons, or ammunition are allowed on board. Restrictions apply for licensed firearms and authorized firearms that don’t need a certificate, swords, and ceremonial and martial arts weapons. Nail polish and hairspray are fine, but all other flammable substances are banned, in addition to things like mace and other self-defense sprays. Folding and pocket knives with blades shorter than 3 inches (75mm) are allowed. There are no restrictions against cigarette lighters or matches, but firelighters, lighter fuel, and any other knife or dagger is prohibited. Restrictions apply to kitchen utensil knives, open and cut-throat razors, and tools such as screwdrivers, drills, and hammers. Furniture is not allowed. Perishable food including meat, fish, and dairy products are also banned. There are no restrictions for fruit.

Other Things to Keep in Mind When Traveling on Eurostar

If you’re traveling between the UK and Europe, you’ll have to go through security and passport control, so plan on getting to the station at least 45 minutes before your train’s departure. It’s fine to bring your own food unless it’s a restricted perishable item. No worries if there’s no time to grab anything; there’s a cafe on board for Standard ticket holders to buy snacks, beverages, and small meals. Passengers in higher classes are served meals at their seats. Remember your corkscrew and bottle opener, because four bottles of beer or one bottle of wine per person is allowed. Mixing up cocktails en route is a little more challenging, as no large bottles of spirits are permitted, and larger amounts of alcohol must be checked. Skiers and sports fans will have to drink up in advance. No alcohol is sold or allowed on board night ski trains or trains that ferry passengers to and from major sporting events. Registered service dogs with papers are welcome on board, but Eurostar doesn’t allow any other pets, including emotional support animals. Most stations and new or refurbished trains have Wi-Fi, which is free in all classes. There are also USB sockets at seats in Standard and Business class, so you can stay charged.

Rules on Other Major Rail Lines

VIA Rail Canada’s Baggage Policy

Like Eurostar, carry-on allowances depend on ticket type on VIA Rail Canada . Economy passengers can bring (free of charge) one personal item weighing up to 25 pounds (11.5 kg) and not exceeding 17 x 6 x 13 inches (43 x 15 x 33 cm), and one larger bag weighing up to 50 pounds (23 kg) and no larger than 62 linear inches (158 linear cm). The other option is two small items weighing up to 25 pounds (11.5 kg) and not exceeding 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches (54.5 x 39.5 x 23 cm). As for weight limits and baggage fees, travelers can check up to two bags weighing 50 pounds (23 kg) or less for $40 each one-way. Sleeper and Prestige class passengers can bring one personal item and two smaller bags, but extra luggage must be checked. Business class passengers can carry-on an additional larger bag at no cost. Check your bags more than 45 minutes before departure, but, like Amtrak, some trains don’t have baggage cars and not every station has a baggage-holding office, so checked baggage service isn’t available on every route. Before booking, it’s best to call customer service at 1-888-VIA-RAIL or check the website .

Oversized sports equipment like skis and snowboards, foldable bikes, golf bags, hockey bags and sticks, and oversized musical instruments are accepted as carry-on items (except for Renaissance trains), but they count toward luggage allowances and must meet size restrictions.  Strollers, car seats, and similar children’s gear can be brought on board in addition to carry-on items.

Restricted and prohibited items are similar to other lines, except for rules on liquids, which are allowed in small quantities in carry-on bags but not in checked luggage.

Japan Railway’s Baggage Policy

Japan Railway doesn’t have the same exhaustive list of policies as other lines, as social etiquette dictates that travelers are expected to use common sense and be considerate of other passengers. Rules for prohibited and restricted items are general: dangerous or “questionable” items, anything that’s filthy or smells unpleasant, and you’ll need to skip hauling that cooking stove.

Up to two pieces of luggage weighing up to 66 pounds (30 kg) and measuring no more than 98 linear inches (250 linear cm) are allowed on board at no charge. Small pets can be brought on board for a nominal fee and must be kept inside a carrying case that’s less than 35.5 inches long (90 cm). Wheelchairs can’t be wider than 27.5 inches (70 cm) or higher than 47 inches (120 cm) to fit on the train.

There isn’t a lot of room for big pieces of luggage, and train stations are very busy, particularly in Tokyo . Some Shinkansen (high-speed) trains and trains that service the airport, such as the Narita Express and Haruka, have extra space for luggage. All Shinkansen trains have overhead storage racks, which can hold carry-on luggage, but nothing much larger. There’s enough room between seats to slide in a carry-on bag, if you’re comfortable sitting with your legs squished to one side. People commonly use coin lockers in Japan’s train stations to stow luggage, which an option to consider that’s handy if you’re taking a side trip and don’t want to schlep everything with you.

Indian Railway’s Baggage Policy

Indian Railway’s baggage policies are relatively new. Some rules and fees associated with extra and oversized baggage are vague, so it’s best to get as much information as possible at the train station before you travel. Luggage allowances are determined by weight and correspond to class of ticket purchased, and details are a lot to swallow It ranges from AC First Class, where passengers are entitled to 150 pounds of free luggage and an additional 180 pounds for a fee, to Second Class, which allows 77 pounds at no charge and additional 150 pounds for a cost. Several classes with a range of permitted weights fall in between. Children get half the free allowance, and bags can’t total more than 110 pounds. Scooters and bicycles have to be checked, and there’s a fee attached. Keep tables on your bags’ dimensions, because no suitcases, trunks, or other baggage larger than 39 x 23.6 x 9.8 inches (100 x 60 x 25 cm) can be brought on board. Anythinglarger must be checked, and are transported in a van—not on the train—to your destination. Extra charges apply for checked items that weigh more than 220 pounds (100 kg) or are larger than 8 linear feet (1 x 1 x 0.7 meters). Suitcases, trunks, and other extra baggage needs to be brought to the luggage office in the station to be weighed and paid for 30 minutes before your train leaves. Bags can be booked in advance if you purchase your ticket online. Be advised that there’s a steep penalty for unbooked or partially booked luggage that’s over the designated weight requirements.

Safety Tips for Train Travel

Train travel isn’t dangerous, but common sense is required. Keep locks on your carry-on bag, and have a smaller bag for your most essential items including your passport, laptop, phone, and cash—that you can bring with you to the bathroom. The smartest time to get up is when the train is moving—not at the station—so someone doesn’t swipe your bag and walk off. It isn’t a bad idea to get a short bike wire and a padlock to loop through your bag’s handle and attach it to the luggage rack (especially if you plan on sleeping). Put labels and luggage tags on everything, just as you would for air travel.

Three Luggage Picks Perfect for Train Travel

Traveling with spinner wheel luggage is great for wheeling through airports, but it isn’t ideal for train travel. You’ll definitely want something that’s sturdy and won’t wheel away. Softside bags made from rugged, ballistic nylon are your best bet. Look for pieces with compression straps and lots of easy access pockets for items you’ll want to grab while your luggage is on the overhead rack. If you’re fussy about keeping your bag pristine, softside luggage isn’t as easy to clean as a hardside piece, so go for a dark color.

Sporty doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style. Case in point: this is carry-on from Filson . It’s compact, sturdy, strong, and lightweight at 6 pounds 8 ounces, plus it has compression straps and outer pockets. Inside, there are two zippered packing compartments and a silky, luxurious lining. For a weeklong trip, check out this Eddie Bauer bag , which features a drop bottom with lockable zippers, inline skate wheels, and an excellent outer compression system. If you’re beyond the years where you’re comfortable carrying a frame pack, Billabong makes a rad and roomy softside roller bag . The wet-dry compartment is genius, and it also has lockable zippers and compression straps.

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The 13 train travel essentials you shouldn’t forget on your next trip

All aboard!

• Marie Rossiter
• January 18, 2024

The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Train travel can add a new dimension to your vacation, letting you take in the scenery at a relaxing pace, and letting someone else do the driving. For those who love the journey as much as the destination, taking the train is the way to go. But what do you need for train travel?

Whether you’re planning a family train trip or solo travel across the country , there’s more to consider than just where you want to go. You’ll need to prepare for the journey to make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you need at your disposal. In fact, even if you commute by train to work, you shouldn’t hold back on putting together a collection of must-have train travel items to make your ride pleasant.

We spoke with travel experts to get their recommendations on what to bring on a train, so whether you’re planning a train-based vacation or want to make your work commute a bit smoother, here’s what you’ll need.

1. Travel Pillows

$14 (was $22) at Amazon

All the travel experts we connected with listed a sturdy travel pillow at or near the top of their must-have items when traveling by train.

“Train rides can be long, and having a good neck pillow makes all the difference in getting some sleep or just relaxing during the journey,” said Rachel Coleman of Easy World Travels .

Collen Clark, an attorney who lives in Washington, D.C., and loves traveling by train, told us a quality neck pillow can not only make a difference during a trip, but afterward.

“A neck pillow not only provides much-needed support for a nap but also helps prevent post-travel stiffness,” he said. “It’s a small investment that pays off big time in terms of comfort.”

The napfun Memory Foam Neck Pillow is the top-selling travel pillow on Amazon. It provides full chin and neck support with adjustable memory foam. This pillow can even be used for seats with headrests.

2. Noise-Canceling Headphones

$299.99 (was $329) at Amazon

Our experts all talked about the importance of having a pair of noise-canceling headphones. When you’re ready to tune out your surroundings, they can be a lifesaver.

“Train rides can often be noisy, whether it’s the sound of the train itself or fellow passengers,” said James Kinsella of Turtle Trip . “A pair of noise-canceling headphones can transform your journey into a peaceful retreat.”

Kinsella recommends the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, which “block out almost all of the background noise and allow me to fully immerse myself in a movie on an iPad or drift off to sleep.”

Amazon currently has the Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones Bundle on sale for $299.99, marked down from $329. This bundle includes the headphones, an airplane headphone adapter, a 3.5 mm/2.5 mm audio cable cord, a 12-inch USB-C charging cable and a carrying case that will protect your headphones even if they get jostled around in your bag.

MORE: The best scenic winter train rides in North America

3. Sleep Masks

$19.99 (was $24.99) at Amazon

As you’re settling in for a nap or a night’s sleep, you’ll want a sleep mask to maximize your comfort and block out the surrounding light. When looking for a sleep mask, you want to find one that doesn’t apply too much pressure to your face.

The Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask was ranked the top choice by The New York Times for its contoured shape and deep eyecups that don’t press against your eyes while sleeping. Their experts also liked the wide design and “unstructured nose gap,” which made the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask a better, more comfortable fit.

For a limited time, you can buy the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask from Amazon for just $19.99.

4. Lightweight Travel Blanket

$29.95 (was $34.45) at Amazon

You should consider bringing a portable, lightweight blanket to complete your relaxation travel collection.

“I highly recommend packing a light blanket when traveling via train, as it can be slightly cooler once the sun goes down,” shared Amanda Harper of Plugged In Travel .

For a comfortable blanket that doesn’t take up much room in your bag, consider picking up the EverSnug Travel Blanket . It comes in six colors and folds up neatly to ride on top of your roller luggage for convenient transport. Right now, it’s marked down 13% to $29.95.

MORE: Scenic train rides in the US you won’t want to miss

5. Portable Chargers

$19.99 (was $29.99) at Amazon

Your computer, smartphone and other electric devices can make your trip more enjoyable. However, you don’t want to get caught with the dreaded low-battery warning mid-trip.

While many trains have a plug or charging port either built-in to the seat or nearby, experienced travelers told us not to always depend on those.

“The amount of times I’ve opted for a seat with a plug or charging port, sometimes even pay extra, only to find it’s broken or is incredibly slow to charge my devices,” said Ryan Walker, CEO of Beyond Academy and a businessman who often travels by train.

The Iniu Portable Charger has a slim design and USB-C ports. Its high-speed charging ability can bring an iPhone up to 78% within an hour.

6. Travel Document Organizers

$8.49 (was $9.99) at Amazon

One of the most challenging things about travel is keeping all your travel documents in one place that’s easy to access. Between passports, tickets, and all the other loose papers you need to get from one place to the other, it’s enough to drive even the most experienced traveler crazy.

All of the experts we spoke to suggested purchasing a travel documents organizer. These compact, convenient bags have loads of pockets to keep everything neatly organized.

The Boacay Family Passport Holder has room for multiple family members’ documents, cash and whatever you want to keep tucked away yet have easy access to on the train.

MORE: You can travel across the country by train for less than $500

7. Carry-On Bag

$98 at Conmigo

A quality travel bag can mean the difference between a relaxing trip and hours (or days) of inconvenience and hassle.

Vanessa Gordon of East End Taste told us the Conmigo Ulti travel bag is her go-to for whenever she travels by train.

“The bag is perfect for train travel. It has a built-in, multi-purpose padded cushion, allowing you to ‘upgrade your seat’ while in transit,” Gordon said. “It also allows you to safeguard your possessions during travel.”

8. Toiletries/Makeup Bag

$108 at Nordstrom

You can’t forget to bring your medication and basic toiletries when you’re on the go. With small bottles containing creams, pills, makeup, toothpaste and the lot, you need a way to keep all of the little things from scattering everywhere.

Gordon uses Nordstrom’s Tropea Ivory Martha Large Briefcase Cosmetics Case for makeup essentials. It features four removable compartments and is made with sustainable materials. You don’t have to worry about creams exploding and ruining the rest of your bag’s contents. And there’s plenty of room for all your toiletry needs.

MORE: This train ride stops in 37 cities on the way from New York to New Orleans

9. Medication Organizer

$17.99 at Amazon

If you need a system to keep your medication organized while you travel but want something a little more stylish than the traditional plastic pill box, check out the Lewis N. Clark Travel Pill Organizer on Amazon.

Instead of bulky boxes, this wallet-style organizer has zip-seal bags for you and a travel companion to keep up to eight days’ worth of medication.

10. Collapsible/Refillable Water Bottle

$18.98 (was $22.98) at Amazon

“Staying hydrated is essential during travel,” Coleman reminded us, “[and] a refillable water bottle ensures that you always have access to clean drinking water without constantly buying plastic bottles.”

We recommend getting a collapsible water bottle like Amazon’s Special Made Collapsible Water Bottle . When full, this bottle holds 20 ounces of water and stands just under 8.5 inches tall. When collapsed, it is only 1.97 inches high and 4.33 inches wide. The plastic can withstand temperatures from -58 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

11. A Travel Journal and Pen

$24.99 at Amazon

Consider us old-fashioned, but there is something special about keeping a travel diary during a vacation. And, on a train trip, you’ll have extra time to write about your journey.

You can use a traditional blank notebook, but why not get something a little nicer with some prompts to help inspire your writing? This Cosmo Jr Travel Journal and Notebook has a customizable table of contents, plenty of pages with prompts to help you capture your memories, and even space for photos and other mementos.

12. Non-Electronic Entertainment

Our smartphones and computers have many entertainment options, including music, e-books, video, and games. However, sometimes it’s nice to unplug our brains and keep ourselves busy with other things.

In addition to traditional books, you can always enjoy some time with a deck of cards and collections of puzzle books, like this group of 8 Pocket-Size Activity Books for Adults . The set is marked down to only $15.95 for a limited time.

$15.95 (was $19.95) at Amazon

You get eight books filled with popular puzzles, including sudoku, word search and crosswords. More than 1,000 are packed into this collection. This set also includes three pens and a magnifier.

$29.95 at Amazon

Snacks are essential on any trip, whether you’re an adult or a child. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll want to pick up the Cravebox Variety Pack , which includes 50 different snacks. From granola bars and cookies to candy and crackers, this collection has something for everyone.

And if you want something a little healthier, try the Premium Penguin Healthy Snacks Variety Pack for Adults . You’ll get Veggie Straws, almonds, granola bars, Kind bars and much more.

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Traveling Amtrak For The First Time? Here Are 14 Things To Know About Amtrak Trains

F eel the need to go outside New York City? Confused about which ride to select? Forget going to out-of-the-way airports or using crowded taxi services. The Amtrak train offers the ultimate solution to meet everyone's travel needs. Meet the luxurious train that makes passengers feel like they're at home. The endless amenities and friendly, respectful staff also make one's trip memorable.

Many Amtrak trains successfully run across hundreds of tracks in the United States (most Amtrak trains offer incredibly beautiful routes , too), and there's also a rich history behind the company. Multiple packages are available for every type of passenger, depending on budget, accommodation choice, and other factors. For a pleasant change, the Amtrak company charges no extra fees, i.e., passengers get what they see, unlike some airliners who keep adding extra surcharges to a customer's expense list till the last moment.

Related: Empire Builder: What Makes This Amtrak Route One Of The Most Scenic In The U.S.

Furthermore, passengers get extra legroom for a long journey compared to a car or air travel. The Amtrak also saves on fuel and protects one's personal vehicle from wear and tear if one uses it to travel. So, with that in mind, let's skim through some important things travelers should know about the trains, such as Amtrak train routes and prices, etc.

UPDATE: 2023/06/06 21:47 EST BY REENA JAIN

More Things To Know About Amtrak Trains For First Time Travelers

Everyone should be aware of a few things before embarking on their first Amtrak journey, regardless of the destination or length of the journey. This list has been updated with additional important information, including train routes, prices, schedules, destinations, and more to help travelers have a stress-free, relaxing, and enjoyable Amtrak journey.

The Amtrak App

The Amtrak app makes it simple for travelers to plan and reserve their trips, check Amtrak schedules and destinations, and receive real-time alerts for delays or changes. Users can access their e-tickets through the app, which provides information on Amtrak train routes and prices. Additionally, the app includes interactive maps that help passengers track the whereabouts of the train and get knowledge of the schedule. The Amtrak app has a user-friendly interface and convenient features, making train travel more simple, reliable, and enjoyable.

Expect Train Delays

Amtrak trains need to stop at some places to let large freight trains pass because they share the same tracks. It can result in unforeseen delays in travel times, especially on longer, cross-country routes. For instance, the California Zephyr from Chicago to Denver may need to stop before the Moffat Tunnel to allow a freight train to pass, delaying Amtrak schedules. Therefore, researching Amtrak schedules and destinations is beneficial before making travel plans.

Making A Pre-Departure Checklist Is Helpful

Passengers will require a number of items, including those necessary and desirable for a stress-free and memorable Amtrak trip. Some of these—like an ID—are necessary, while others are worthwhile for an enjoyable Amtrak journey.

Identification

Passengers must have a photo ID or passport with them.

Train Tickets

Passengers should have hard copies of their tickets or electronic copies of their tickets on hand.

Travel insurance

It's essential to protect oneself from unanticipated travel mishaps.

Passengers who will need to take any medication while traveling must bring it with them.

Other Essentials

Personal care items, snacks, beverages, books, and some forms of entertainment are desirable (but not necessary) for a comfortable trip, particularly on long Amtrak routes.

Stations Have Different Stopover Times

The train makes scheduled stops at various stations during a trip, and the stopover time varies depending on the type of station. If a station is a rest stop, the stopover time is comparatively longer than that of a passenger drop-off and pick-up location. Knowing if a specific stop is a designated rest stop where passengers are permitted to disembark is preferable for those who want to smoke because smoking is not permitted on the train or simply want to move around the station.

Reasonable Ticket Prices

Amtrak tickets are reasonably priced! The average price of a ticket from New York to Atlantic City is about $94 (although Amtrak's famous roomettes typically cost much more ). It is pretty budget-friendly compared to any airline fare on the same route, and it is not even the lowest price out there. The cheapest tickets on this Amtrak route can even be found for only $82.

The best thing is to avoid rush hour and book your Amtrak tickets well in advance. Plus, a cool tip: Amtrak offers saver fares on each route, where passengers can save up to 20% compared to the standard Coach fare when booked at least 7 days in advance. Furthermore, Amtrak fares for seniors (aged 65 and up) are 10% less than the standard fare on most trains in the United States, and seniors (aged 60 and up) pay 10% less for cross-border services operated by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada.

Plenty Dining Choices

Amtrak offers many dining choices to its customers. There is something tasty and appetizing for every passenger, from adults to kids. Some of these main options include:

Passengers can access the café, which is open to passengers from all classes of the train from the early morning until late at night. Whether business or economy class, there are snacks, drinks, and food items for everyone.

• Traditional Dining

Traditional dining service for passengers in private rooms is provided in the dining car as a complimentary exclusive offering.

• Flexible Dining

Exclusive offer to First Class passengers to eat at flexible timings. Special diet menus are also available at Amtrak for customers with specific dietary requirements. The food menu comes with a detailed calorie breakdown as well.

A Variety Of Accommodations

The Amtrak from New York to Atlantic City offers various services and accommodations. Among the expert tips for first-time Amtrak passengers is to check the various room options available in order to best fit the needs and budget of a passenger.

• Seating Options

Even the Coach class has the best comfy seats. Imagine reclining sofa-like seats with spacious areas. The addition of multiple amenities combines to make the trip a relaxing one! For passengers with mobility impairments, Amtrak provides accessible seating arrangements.

• Private Rooms

Amtrak provides a unique luxurious experience to its passengers by offering private rooms to First Class. If one wants privacy and their own space on a short trip with added comfort, then a private room booking is the perfect step.

Related: California Zephyr Vs. Southwest Chief: Which Amtrak Train Route Is More Scenic?

Wi-Fi On Board

The Amtrak train comes with complimentary Wi-Fi during traveling. The speed of Amtrak Wi-Fi is less than a passenger’s home or work Wi-Fi network. Furthermore, the same Wi-Fi gets shared by all the passengers on the Amtrak from New York to Atlantic City. So, each passenger should try to surf the internet in such a limited way as not to overburden the network for the other onboard users.

The key is not downloading large files or streaming heavy videos online and keeping fellow passengers in mind while using the shared Wi-Fi. That is why limited access is provided by Amtrak so that more onboard bandwidth is available to all passengers. Access to websites with objectionable content is also restricted in this shared onboard Wi-Fi.

Onboard Upgrades

The trains are divided into classes: Coach, Business, and First Class. All these classes differ from each other, with a different set of rates and amenities for each of them. So, if space is available as unoccupied in a class, one can upgrade from one's original class to that higher class seating. It can be from Coach to Business or Business to First Class.

This smart feature can change the outlook of one's whole journey. Passengers only need to speak to the conductor onboard. They might inform about the availability of such an upgrade and let passengers purchase a new class seat.

Passengers Can Bring A Bicycle Along

Amtrak offers its customers the opportunity to bring their bicycles along. One can explore the stops along the way during a train journey - and what better way to do that than by bike? Ride the rails on board the train with a bike - sounds awesome! Amtrak offers several different services to transport a customer’s bike onboard.

Remember, though, that each train has different equipment and loading procedures that decide what service will be offered. The starting and ending destination stations also determine how or what is allowed by Amtrak regarding one's bicycle. For carry-on/train side, bicycles up to 50 lbs are allowed. Here, standard bicycle sizes apply with a maximum tire width of 2 inches.

Enjoy Guest Rewards

Amtrak offers a guest rewards system to its customers . The points earned can be used to travel on trains, stay at hotels, and shop.

• Earning Points

Customers can earn guest rewards by earning points through various means, both on and off the train. Passengers can earn 2 points for every $1 spent.

• Redeeming the Points

Customer of Amtrak can easily redeem their earned points. The reward travel begins at just 800 points, with train travel allowed to over 500 destinations.

• Member Benefits

Becoming an Amtrak member rewards customers for every ride on and off the train.

• Bonus Points

One can earn 20,000 bonus points with the new Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard®. Customers can even choose from over 350,000 hotels worldwide to stay at using their collected points.

Passengers Can Bring Pets

Pets are allowed to travel on Amtrak. However, like with air travel, there are restrictions. Dogs and cats can come on trips that can take up to seven hours on most Amtrak routes in a pet carrier - of course, for a small fee. The pet carrier must also be spacious and highly ventilated, allowing for free movement of the animal, and the weight of the pet and carrier combined must be under 20 lbs.

Things to Note About Pets on Amtrak Trains

• Service animals are readily welcomed on all Amtrak services as they are not included in the pet category.
• Pets are not allowed to travel as baggage. A pet must travel with its human counterpart on a train.
• Only dogs and cats are allowed to travel as pets on Amtrak, and pets must be at least eight weeks old and up to date on all vaccinations.
• Amtrak highly recommends making pet reservations in advance of one's trip.

Related: Roomette Vs. Sleeper Bedroom: Knowing The Difference On An Amtrak

Baggage Limits

With Amtrak, customers can shed their baggage worries as the company handles everything meticulously. As baggage, a customer may bring 2 carry-on items. Here, limitations apply regarding weight and size. So, browse them beforehand. Checking this guide on what to pack for an Amtrak train ride may also be handy in terms of prioritizing what to bring (and what not to bring to save baggage weight and space).

Similarly, for checked luggage, each traveler can bring 4 bags, 2 are registered as free, and the other 2 are at $20 per bag. Again, size/weight limitations apply. For special items of baggage that require special handling or are outside the normal baggage category, Amtrak may ask for additional packing requirements and service fees. Amtrak also prohibits certain items onboard trains for security purposes.

Going with unreserved seating on a packed train? No worries. Travelers can find a Red Cap (baggage porter) to escort them to the train. They can access the track before the masses and carry their bags. Red Cap services are free, but a generous tip is recommended.

No Security Line No Waiting

Amtrak lets passengers simply go to the track and get on the train. There is no security line blockage as there is at the airport. With a reduction in airport TSA staff and more passengers flying, travelers need to get to the airport about two hours before their flight just to have enough time to check in or check a bag and clear security.

With Amtrak travel, one's ticket might be scanned before entering the platform or scanned onboard, but there is no waiting line. On the other hand, Amtrak recommends arriving 30 minutes before one's train departs.

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Home » Europe » Moscow

EPIC MOSCOW Itinerary! (2024)

Moscow is the heart of Mother Russia. Just the mention of this city conjures images of colorful bulbous pointed domes, crisp temperatures, and a uniquely original spirit!

Moscow has an incredibly turbulent history, a seemingly resilient culture, and a unique enchantment that pulls countless tourists to the city each year! Although the warmer months make exploring Moscow’s attractions more favorable, there’s just something about a fresh snowfall that only enhances the appearance of the city’s iconic sites!

If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or simply wanting to see as much of the city as possible, this Moscow itinerary will help you do just that!

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Best Time To Visit Moscow

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Here is a quick look at the seasons so you can decide when to visit Moscow!

The summer months (June-August) are a great time to travel to Moscow to take advantage of the enjoyable mild temperatures. This is considered peak travel season. Bear in mind that hotel prices rise along with the temperatures!

If you’re planning a trip to Moscow during fall (September-November) try to plan for early fall. This way the temperatures will still be pleasant and winter won’t be threatening.

Russian winters (December-February) are not for the faint of heart as Napoleon learned to his peril. Some days the sun will be out for less than an hour, and snow is guaranteed. Although winters are exceptionally cold, this is when you’ll get a true glimpse of the Moscow experience!

The best time to visit Moscow is during spring  (March-May). The temperatures will begin to creep up and the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day. Hotel rates will also have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges!

With a Moscow City Pass , you can experience the best of Moscow at the CHEAPEST prices. Discounts, attractions, tickets, and even public transport are all standards in any good city pass – be sure invest now and save them $$$ when you arrive!

Moscow is a large city with many accommodation options to choose from. Staying in a location that fits with your travel plans will only enhance your Moscow itinerary. Here is a brief introduction to a few great areas of the city we recommend checking out!

The best place to stay in Moscow to be close to all the action is Kitay-Gorod. This charming neighborhood will put you within walking distance to Moscow’s famous Red Square, thus cutting down on travel time. This will allow you to see more of the city in a shorter amount of time!

It’s surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops. If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or just planning a quick weekend in Moscow, then this area is perfect for you!

Another great area to consider is the Zamoskvorechye district. This area of the city offers a blend of new and old Moscow. It has an artsy vibe and there are plenty of fun sites you can explore outside of the main touristy areas of Moscow.

Of course, as in all areas of Moscow, it’s close to public transportation that will quickly connect you with the rest of the city and make your Moscow itinerary super accessible!

Best Airbnb in Moscow – Exclusive Apartment in Old Moscow

Modern and cozy, this apartment is in the heart of Old Moscow. Bordering the Basmanny and Kitay-Gorod districts, this two-bedroom flat is walking distance to the Kremlin and Red Square. Safe, quiet, and comfortable, this is the best Airbnb in Moscow, no question!

Best Budget Hotel in Moscow – Izmailovo Alfa Hotel

The Izmailovo Alfa Hotel is a very highly rated accommodation that provides all the components necessary for a comfortable trip to Moscow. There is an on-site restaurant, bar, fitness center, and an airport shuttle service. The rooms are modern and spacious and are equipped with a TV, heating/air conditioning, minibar, and more!

Best Luxury Hotel in Moscow – Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre

If you’re touring Moscow in luxury, the Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre is the hotel for you! Elegantly furnished rooms are equipped with a minibar, flat-screen TV,  in-room safes, as well as tea and coffee making facilities! Bathrooms come with bathrobes, slippers, and free toiletries. There is also an onsite restaurant, bar, and fitness center.

Best Hostel in Moscow – Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station. Guests will enjoy all the usual hostel perks such as self-catering facilities, 24-hour reception, Free Wi-Fi, and security lockers. This is one of the best hostels in Moscow and its wonderful social atmosphere and will make your vacation in Moscow extra special!

Godzillas Hostel is one of our favourites in Moscow but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

An important aspect of planning any trip is figuring out the transportation situation. You’re probably wondering how you’re going to get to all of your Moscow points of interest right? Luckily, this sprawling city has an excellent network of public transportation that will make traveling a breeze!

The underground metro system is the quickest and most efficient way to travel around Moscow. Most visitors rely exclusively on this super-efficient transportation system, which allows you to get to pretty much anywhere in the city! It’s also a great option if you’re planning a Moscow itinerary during the colder months, as you’ll be sheltered from the snow and freezing temperatures!

If you prefer above-ground transportation, buses, trams, and trolleybuses, run throughout the city and provide a rather comfortable alternative to the metro.

Moscow’s metro, buses, trams, and trolleybuses are all accessible with a ‘Troika’ card. This card can be topped up with any sum of money at a metro cash desk. The ticket is simple, convenient, and even refundable upon return to a cashier!

No matter which method you choose, you’ll never find yourself without an easy means of getting from point A to point B!

Red Square | Moscow Kremlin | Lenin’s Mausoleum | St. Basil’s Cathedral  | GUM Department Store

Spend the first day of your itinerary taking your own self guided Moscow walking tour around the historic Red Square! This is Moscow’s compact city center and every stop on this list is within easy walking distance to the next! Get ready to see all of the top Moscow landmarks!

Day 1 / Stop 1 – The Red Square

• Why it’s awesome: The Red Square is the most recognizable area in Moscow, it has mesmerizing architecture and centuries worth of history attached to its name.
• Cost: Free to walk around, individual attractions in the square have separate fees. 
• Food nearby: Check out Bar BQ Cafe for friendly service and good food in a great location! The atmosphere is upbeat and they’re open 24/7!

The Red Square is Moscow’s historic fortress and the center of the Russian government. The origins of the square date back to the late 15th century, when Ivan the Great decided to expand the Kremlin to reflect Moscow’s growing power and prestige!

During the 20th century, the square became famous as the site for demonstrations designed to showcase Soviet strength. Visiting the Red Square today, you’ll find it teeming with tourists, who come to witness its magical architecture up close!

The square is the picture postcard of Russian tourism, so make sure to bring your camera when you visit! No matter the season, or the time of day, it’s delightfully photogenic! 

It’s also home to some of Russia’s most distinguishing and important landmarks, which we’ve made sure to include further down in this itinerary. It’s an important center of Russia’s cultural life and one of the top places to visit in Moscow!

In 1990, UNESCO designated Russia’s Red Square as a World Heritage site. Visiting this historic site is a true bucket-list event and essential addition to your itinerary for Moscow!

Day 1 / Stop 2 – The Moscow Kremlin

• Why it’s awesome: The Moscow Kremlin complex includes several palaces and cathedrals and is surrounded by the Kremlin wall. It also houses the principal museum of Russia (the Kremlin Armory).
• Cost: USD $15.00
• Food nearby: Bosco Cafe is a charming place to grat a casual bite to eat. They have excellent coffee and wonderful views of the Red Square and the Moscow Kremlin!

The iconic Moscow Kremlin , also known as the Kremlin museum complex, sits on Borovitsky Hill, rising above the Moscow River. It is a fortified complex in the center of the city, overlooking several iconic buildings in the Red Square!

It’s the best known of the Russian Kremlins – citadels or fortress’ protecting and dominating a city. During the early decades of the Soviet era, the Kremlin was a private enclave where the state’s governing elite lived and worked.

The Kremlin is outlined by an irregularly shaped triangular wall that encloses an area of 68 acres! The existing walls and towers were built from 1485 to 1495. Inside the Kremlin museum complex, there are five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.

The Armoury Chamber is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace’s complex and is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1851. It showcases Russian history and displays many cherished relics. Definitely make sure to check out this museum while you’re here!

The churches inside the Moscow Kremlin are the Cathedral of the Dormition, Church of the Archangel, Church of the Annunciation, and the bell tower of Ivan Veliki (a church tower).

The five-domed Cathedral of the Dormition is considered the most famous. It was built from 1475–1479 by an Italian architect and has served as a wedding and coronation place for great princes, tsars, and emperors of Russia. Church services are given in the Kremlin’s numerous cathedrals on a regular basis.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was the former Tsar’s Moscow residence and today it serves as the official workplace of the President of the Russian Federation (Vladimir Putin seems to have bagged that title for life) .

Insider Tip: The Kremlin is closed every Thursday! Make sure to plan this stop on your Moscow itinerary for any other day of the week!

Day 1 / Stop 3 – Lenin’s Mausoleum

• Why it’s awesome: The mausoleum displays the preserved body of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin .
• Cost: Free!
• Food nearby: Khinkal’naya is a charming Georgian restaurant with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick. It’s a popular place with locals and right next to the Red Square!

Lenin’s Mausoleum, also known as Lenin’s Tomb, is the modernist mausoleum for the revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin. It’s located within the Red Square and serves as the resting place for the Soviet leader! His preserved body has been on public display since shortly after his death in 1924.

It’s located just a few steps away from the Kremlin Wall and is one of the most controversial yet popular Moscow attractions!

Admission is free for everyone, you’ll only need to pay if you need to check a bag. Before visitors are allowed to enter the mausoleum, they have to go through a metal detector first. No metal objects, liquids, or large bags are allowed in the mausoleum!

Expect a line to enter the building, and while you’re inside the building, you’ll be constantly moving in line with other visitors. This means you won’t be able to spend as long as you’d like viewing the mausoleum, but you’ll still be able to get a good look. Pictures and filming while inside the building are strictly prohibited, and security guards will stop you if they see you breaking this rule.

The mausoleum is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday – unless it’s a public holiday or a day scheduled for maintenance. The hours it’s open for each day are limited, make sure to check online before you visit to make sure you can fit this into your Moscow itinerary for that day!

Insider Tip: The Lenin’s Museum is there for people to pay their respect; remember to keep silent and move along quickly, it’s not intended for people to congregate around. Also, men are not allowed to wear hats and everyone must take their hands out of their pockets when inside the building.

Day 1 / Stop 4 – St. Basil’s Cathedral

• Why it’s awesome: A dazzling designed cathedral that showcases Russia’s unique architecture. This cathedral is one of the most recognizable symbols of the country!
• Cost: USD $8.00
• Food nearby: Moskovskiy Chaynyy Klub is a cozy cafe serving food items and pipping hot tea; it’s the perfect place to go if you’re visiting Moscow during the winter months!

Located in the Red Square, the ornate 16th-century St. Basil’s Cathedral is probably the building you picture when you think of Moscow’s unique architecture. Its colorful onion-shaped domes tower over the Moscow skyline!

The cathedral was built from 1555-1561 by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was designed with an iconic onion dome facade and enchanting colors that captivate all who see it. Fun fact: If you’re wondering why Russian churches have onion domes, they are popularly believed to symbolize burning candles!

This iconic cathedral has become a symbol of Russia due to its distinguishing architecture and prominent position inside the Red Square. It’s one of the most beautiful, wonderful, and mesmerizing historical cathedrals in the world!

The interior of the church surprises most people when they visit. In contrast to the large exterior, the inside is not so much one large area, but rather a collection of smaller areas, with many corridors and small rooms. There are 9 small chapels and one mausoleum grouped around a central tower.

Visiting the inside is like walking through a maze, there are even small signs all around the cathedral tracing where to walk, and pointing you in the right direction! The walls are meticulously decorated and painted with intricate floral designs and religious themes.

The church rarely holds service and is instead a museum open for the public to visit.

Insider Tip: During the summer months the line to go inside the cathedral can get quite long! Make sure to arrive early or reserve your tickets online to guarantee quick access into the cathedral!

Day 1 / Stop 5 – GUM Department Store

• Why it’s awesome: This is Russia’s most famous shopping mall! It’s designed with elegant and opulent architecture and provides a real sense of nostalgia!
• Cost: Free to enter
• Food nearby: Stolovaya 57 is a cafeteria-style restaurant with a variety of inexpensive Russian cuisine menu items including soups, salads, meat dishes, and desserts. It’s also located inside the GUM department store, making it very easily accessible when you’re shopping!

The enormous GUM Department Store is located within the historic Red Square. It has a whimsical enchantment to it that sets it apart from your typical department store.

A massive domed glass ceiling lines the top of the building and fills the interior with natural sunlight. There are live plants and flowers placed throughout the mall that give the shopping complex a lively and cheerful feel! A playful fountain sits in the center, further adding to the malls inviting a sense of wonder and amusement!

The GUM department store opened on December 2, 1893. Today, it includes local and luxury stores, including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and many more! There are numerous cafes, restaurants, and even a movie theater inside!

For a special treat, head into Gastronom 1. This 1950s-style shop sells gourmet food items, like wine, freshly-baked pastries, cheese, Russian chocolate, and of course, vodka! Also, be on the lookout for a bicycle pedaling ice cream truck with an employing selling ice cream!

The ambiance is simply amazing, a trip to this idyllic shopping mall is an absolute must on any Moscow itinerary!

Insider Tip: Make sure to carry some small change on you in case you need to use the restroom, you’ll need to pay 50 rubles – or about USD $0.80 to use the bathroom in GUM.

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

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Novodevichy Convent | Gorky Park | State Tretyakov Gallery | All-Russian Exhibition Center | Bolshoi Theater

On your 2 day itinerary in Moscow, you’ll have a chance to use the city’s excellent public transportation service! You’ll explore a few more of Moscow’s historic highlight as well as some modern attractions. These sites are a little more spread out, but still very easily accessible thanks to the metro!

Day 2 / Stop 1 – Novodevichy Convent

• Why it’s awesome: The Novodevichy Convent is rich in imperial Russian history and contains some of Russia’s best examples of classical architecture!
• Cost: USD $5.00
• Food nearby: Culinary Shop Karavaevs Brothers is a cozy and simple place to have a quick bite, they also have vegetarian options!

The Novodevichy Convent is the best-known and most popular cloister of Moscow. The convent complex is contained within high walls, and there are many attractions this site is known for! 

The six-pillared five-domed Smolensk Cathedral is the main attraction. It was built to resemble the Kremlin’s Assumption Cathedral and its facade boasts beautiful snowy white walls and a pristine golden onion dome as its centerpiece. It’s the oldest structure in the convent, built from 1524 -1525, and is situated in the center of the complex between the two entrance gates.

There are other churches inside the convent as well, all dating back from many centuries past. The convent is filled with an abundance of 16th and 17th-century religious artworks, including numerous large and extravagant frescos!

Just outside the convent’s grounds lies the Novodevichy Cemetery. Here, you can visit the graves of famous Russians, including esteemed authors, composers, and politicians. Probably the most intriguing gravestone belongs to Russian politician Nikita Khruschev!

The Novodevichy Convent is located near the Moscow River and offers a peaceful retreat from the busy city. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The convent remains remarkably well-preserved and is an outstanding example of Moscow Baroque architecture! 

Insider Tip: To enter the cathedrals inside the complex, women are advised to cover their heads and shoulders, while men should wear long pants.

Day 2 / Stop 2 – Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

• Why it’s awesome: A large amusement area in the heart of the city offering many attractions!
• Cost: Free! 
• Food nearby: Check out Mepkato, located inside Gorky Central Park for a casual meal in a cozy setting. There are indoor and outdoor seating options and the restaurant is child-friendly!

Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is a large green space in the heart of Moscow. The park opened in 1928, and it stretches along the scenic embankment of the Moskva River. It covers an area of 300-acres and offers a lovely contrast from the compact city center.

You’ll find all sorts of wonderful attractions, from boat rides to bike rentals to tennis courts and ping-pong tables, and much more! there are an open-air cinema and festive events and concerts scheduled in the summer months.  A wide selection of free fitness classes is also offered on a regular basis, including jogging, roller skating, and dancing!

Although many of the options you’ll find here are more suited for outdoor leisure during the summer, you’ll also a selection of winter attractions, including one of Europe’s largest ice rinks for ice-skating!

If you’re trying to decide what to do in Moscow with kids, the park also offers several venues designed specifically for kids. Check out the year-round Green School which offers hands-on classes in gardening and art! You can also feed the squirrels and birds at the Golitsinsky Ponds!

The park is very well maintained and kept clean and the entrance is free of charge, although most individual attractions cost money. There is also Wi-Fi available throughout the park.

With so many attractions, you could easily spend all day here! If you’re only planning a 2 day itinerary in Moscow, make sure to plan your time accordingly and map out all the areas you want to see beforehand!

Day 2 / Stop 3 – The State Tretyakov Gallery

• Why it’s awesome: The gallery’s collection consists entirely of Russian art made by Russian artists!
• Food nearby : Brothers Tretyakovs is located right across the street from the gallery. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant serving top quality food and drinks!

The State Tretyakov Gallery was founded in 1856 by influential merchant and collector Pavel Tretyakov.  The gallery is a national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the most important museums in Russia!

It houses the world’s best collection of Russian art and contains more than 130, 000 paintings, sculptures, and graphics! These works have been created throughout the centuries by generations of Russia’s most talented artists!

The exhibits range from mysterious 12th-century images to politically charged canvases. The collection is rich and revealing and offers great insight into the history and attitudes of this long-suffering yet inspired people!

All pictures are also labeled in English. If you plan to take your time and see everything inside the museum it will take a good 3-4 hours, so make sure to plan your Moscow trip itinerary accordingly! This gallery is a must-see stop for art lovers, or anyone wanting to explore the local culture and history of Russia in a creative and insightful manner! 

Insider Tip: When planning your 2 days in Moscow itinerary, keep in mind that most museums in Moscow are closed on Mondays, this includes The State Tretyakov Gallery!

Day 2 / Stop 4 – All-Russian Exhibition Center

• Why it’s awesome: This large exhibition center showcases the achievements of the Soviet Union in several different spheres. 
• Food nearby: Varenichnaya No. 1 serves authentic and homestyle Russian cuisine in an intimate and casual setting.

The All-Russian Exhibition Center is a massive park that presents the glory of the Soviet era! It pays homage to the achievements of Soviet Russia with its many different sites found on the property.

The center was officially opened in 1939 to exhibit the achievements of the Soviet Union. It’s a huge complex of buildings and the largest exhibition center in Moscow. There are several exhibition halls dedicated to different achievements and every year there are more than one hundred and fifty specialized exhibitions!

The Peoples Friendship Fountain was constructed in 1954 and is a highlight of the park. The stunning gold fountain features 16 gilded statues of girls, each representing the former Soviet Union republics. 

The Stone Flower Fountain was also built in 1954 and is worth checking out. The centerpiece of this large fountain is a flower carved from stones from the Ural Mountains! Along the side of the fountain are various bronze sculptures.

You will find many people zipping around on rollerblades and bicycles across the large area that the venue covers. It’s also home to amusement rides and carousels, making it the perfect place to stop with kids on your Moscow itinerary! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and allow a few hours to explore all the areas that interest you!

Day 2 / Stop 5 – Bolshoi Theater

• Why it’s awesome: The Bolshoi Theater is a historic venue that hosts world-class ballet and opera performances!
• Cost: Prices vary largely between USD $2.00 –  USD $228.00 based on seat location.
• Food nearby: Head to the Russian restaurant, Bolshoi for high-quality food and drinks and excellent service!

The Bolshoi Theater is among the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world! It also boasts the world’s biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers!

The theater has been rebuilt and renovated several times during its long history. In 2011 it finished its most recent renovation after an extensive six-year restoration that started in 2005. The renovation included an improvement in acoustics and the restoration of the original Imperial decor.

The Bolshoi Theater has put on many of the world’s most famous ballet acts! Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theater in 1877 and other notable performances of the Bolshoi repertoire include Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker!

Today, when you visit the theater, you can expect a magical performance from skilled singers, dancers, and musicians with the highest level of technique!

If you don’t have time to see a show, the theater also provides guided tours on select days of the week. Tours are given in both Russian and English and will provide visitors with a more intimate look at the different areas of the theater!

The stage of this iconic Russian theater has seen many outstanding performances. If you’re a fan of the performing arts, the Bolshoi Theater is one of the greatest and oldest ballet and opera companies in the world, making it a must-see attraction on your Moscow itinerary!

Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station.

• Towels Included

Cosmonautics Museum | Alexander Garden | Ostankino Tower | Izmaylovo District | Soviet Arcade Museum

Now that we’ve covered what to do in Moscow in 2 days, if you’re able to spend more time in the city you’re going to need more attractions to fill your time. Here are a few more really cool things to do in Moscow we recommend!

Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

• Hear the timeline of the ‘space race’ from the Russian perspective
• This museum is fun for both adults and children!
• Admission is USD $4.00

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a museum dedicated to space exploration! The museum explores the history of flight, astronomy, space exploration, space technology, and space in the arts. It houses a large assortment of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits, and the museum’s collection holds approximately 85,000 different items!

The museum does an excellent job of telling the full story of the exciting space race between the USSR and the US! It highlights the brightest moments in Russian history and humanity and is very interesting and fun for all ages!

If you’re a fan of space or just curious about gaining insight into Russia’s fascinating history of space exploration, make sure to add this to your 3 day itinerary in Moscow!

The Alexander Garden

• A tranquil place to relax near the Red Square
• Green lawns dotted with sculptures and lovely water features
• The park is open every day and has no entrance fee

The Alexander Garden was one of the first urban public parks in Moscow! The garden premiered in 1821 and was built to celebrate Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s forces in 1812!

The park is beautiful and well maintained with paths to walk on and benches to rest on. The park contains three separate gardens: the upper garden, middle garden, and lower garden.

Located in the upper garden, towards the main entrance to the park is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame. This monument was created in 1967 and contains the body of a soldier who fell during the Great Patriotic War!

The park stretches along all the length of the western Kremlin wall for about half a mile. Due to its central location in the city, it’ll be easily accessible when you’re out exploring The Red Square.

It provides a bit of relief from the city’s high-energy city streets. Bring a picnic lunch, go for a walk, or just sit and people watch, this is one of the best Moscow sites to wind-down and relax!

Ostankino Television Tower

• Television and radio tower in Moscow
• Currently the tallest free-standing structure in Europe
• Make sure you bring your passport when you visit, you can’t go up without it!

For spectacular views of the city, make sure to add the Ostankino Television Tower to your itinerary for Moscow! This impressive free-standing structure provides stunning views of the city in every direction. The glass floor at the top also provides great alternative views of the city!

It takes just 58 seconds for visitors to reach the Tower’s observation deck by super fast elevator. The tower is open every day for long hours and is a great site in Moscow to check out! There is even a restaurant at the top where you can enjoy rotating views of the city while you dine on traditional Russian cuisine or European cuisine!

The tower is somewhat of an architectural surprise in a city that is not known for skyscrapers! To see the city from a new perspective, make sure to add this stop to your Moscow itinerary!

Izmaylovo District

• The most popular attractions in this district are the kremlin and the flea market
• Outside of the city center and easy to reach via metro
• Most popular during the summer and on weekends

Travel outside the city center and discover a unique area of the city! The Izmaylovo District is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, and one of the coolest places to see in Moscow! The two main attractions we recommend checking out are the Kremlin and the flea market.

The Izmailovo Kremlin was established as a cultural center and molded after traditional Russian architecture. This colorful complex is home to several single-subject museums, including a Russian folk art museum and a vodka museum!

Next to the Kremlin is the Izmailovo open-air market, which dates back to the 17th century! The market is connected to the Izmailovo Kremlin by a wooden bridge. Pick up all your Russian souvenirs here, including traditional handicrafts, paintings, books, retro toys, and Soviet memorabilia!

You will find many hand-made and hand-painted options available at higher prices, as well as mass-produced souvenir options at lower prices!

Museum of Soviet Arcade Games

• Closed on Mondays
• Filled with old arcade games that visitors get to try out!
• The museum also includes a small cafe and burger shop

For something a little different, check out the Museum of Soviet Arcade Games! The museum features roughly 60 machines from the Soviet era, including video games, pinball machines, and collaborative hockey foosball! The machines inside the museum were produced in the USSR in the mid-1970s.

The best part is, most of the games are still playable! Purchase tickets and try the games out for yourself! The museum also has a neat little screening room that plays old Soviet cartoons and an area with Soviet magazines! This unique attraction is a fun addition to a 3 day itinerary in Moscow, and an attraction that all ages will enjoy! 

Whether you’re spending one day in Moscow, or more, safety is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling to a big city! Overall, Moscow is a very safe place to visit. However, it is always recommended that tourists take certain precautions when traveling to a new destination!

The police in Moscow is extremely effective at making the city a safe place to visit and do their best to patrol all of the top Moscow, Russia tourist attractions. However, tourists can still be a target for pickpockets and scammers.

Moscow has a huge flow of tourists, therefore there is a risk for pickpocketing. Simple precautions will help eliminate your chances of being robbed. Stay vigilant, keep your items close to you at all times, and don’t flash your valuables!

If you’re planning a solo Moscow itinerary, you should have no need to worry, as the city is also considered safe for solo travelers, even women. Stay in the populated areas, try and not travel alone late at night, and never accept rides from strangers or taxis without a meter and correct signage.

The threat of natural disasters in Moscow is low, with the exception of severe winters when the temperature can dip below freezing! Bring a good, warm jacket if you visit in Winter.

However, please note that Russian views on homsexuality are far less accepting than those in Western Europe. Likewise, Non-Caucasian travellers may sadly encounter racism in Russia .

Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance for Moscow

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Now that we’ve covered all the top things to see in Moscow, we thought we’d include some exciting day trips to other areas of the country!

Sergiev Posad (Golden Ring)

On this 7-hour guided tour, you’ll visit several scenic and historic areas of Russia. Start your day with hotel pick-up as you’re transferred by a comfortable car or minivan to Sergiev Posad. Admire the charming Russian countryside on your drive and enjoy a quick stop to visit the Russian village, Rudonezh!

You’ll see the majestic Saint Spring and the Church of Sergiev Radonezh. You’ll also visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, one of the most famous Orthodox sites in Russia!

Lastly, you’ll swing by the local Matreshka market and enjoy a break in a nice Russian restaurant before returning to Moscow!

Day Trip to Vladimir and Suzdal

On this 13-hour trip, you’ll discover old Russia, with its picturesque landscapes and white-stoned beautiful churches! You’ll visit the main towns of the famous Golden Ring of Russia – the name for several cities and smaller towns north-east of Moscow.

Your first stop will be in the town of Vladimir, the ancient capital of all Russian principalities. The city dates back to the 11th century and is one of the oldest and the most important towns along the Ring! Next, you’ll visit Suzdal, a calm ancient Russian town north of Vladimir with only 13,000 inhabitants!

The old-style architecture and buildings of Suzdal are kept wonderfully intact. If you’re spending three days in Moscow, or more, this is a great option for exploring the charming areas outside the city!

Zvenigorod Day Trip and Russian Countryside

On this 9-hour private tour, you’ll explore the ancient town of Zvenigorod, one of the oldest towns in the Moscow region! As you leave Moscow you’ll enjoy the stunning scenery along the Moscow River, and make a few stops at old churches along the way to Zvenigorod.

Upon arrival, you’ll explore the medieval center, including the 14th-century Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Next, you’ll take a break for lunch (own expense) where you’ll have the chance to try out the Russian cuisine! Next, you’ll visit the Museum of Russian Dessert and sip on tea at a Russian tea ceremony.

The final stop of the day is at the Ershovo Estate, a gorgeous place to walk around and enjoy nature!

Day Trip to St Petersburg by Train visiting Hermitage & Faberge

On this full-day tour, you’ll enjoy a a full round trip to St Petersburg where you’ll spend an exciting day exploring another popular Russian city! You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Moscow and be transferred to the train station where you’ll ride the high-speed train ‘Sapsan’ to St Petersburg.

Upon arrival, you’ll start the day by touring the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace. Next, you’ll visit the Faberge Museum, where you’ll explore the impressive collection of rare Faberge Eggs! In the afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing boat ride and a traditional 3-course Russian lunch.

If you’re spending 3 days in Moscow, or more, this is an excellent trip to take!

Trip to Kolomna – Authentic Cultural Experience from Moscow

On this 10-hour tour, you’ll escape the city and travel to the historic town of Kolomna! First, you’ll visit the 14th-century Kolomna Kremlin, home to the Assumption Cathedral and an abundance of museums!

Next, enjoy lunch at a local cafe (own expense) before embarking on a tour of the Marshmallow Museum – of course, a marshmallow tasting is provided!  Your final stop is the Museum of Forging Settlements, where displays include armor and accessories for fishing and hunting.

Discover this beautiful Russian fairytale city on a private trip, where all of the planning is taken care of for you!

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Find out what people want to know when planning their Moscow itinerary.

How many days you need in Moscow?

We recommend that you spend at least two or three days in Moscow to take it all in.

What’s the best month to visit Moscow?

The best time to visit Moscow is over the spring, from March to May as temperatures are mild, crowds are thin and prices are reasonable.

What are some unusual things to do in Moscow?

I mean, queuing up to see an almost 100 year old corpse is pretty unsual! Check out Lenin’s Mausoleum if you fancy it!

What are some fun things to do in Moscow?

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a fun place to explore the famous space race from the perspective of the ‘other side’!

We hope you enjoyed our Moscow itinerary! We’ve made sure to cover all the Moscow must-sees as well as some unique attractions in the city! Our addition of insider tips, favorite food stops, and day trips from Moscow is an added bonus and will guarantee you make the most out of your exciting Russian vacation!

Immerse yourself in the modern and traditional Russian lifestyle! Get lost in museums, witness awe-inspiring architecture, and indulge in Russian cuisine! Spend the day strolling through all of the charming sites of Moscow, admiring the beautiful scenery and discovering the city’s fairytale-like enchantment!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Alya and Campbell

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2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

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Las Vegas to Los Angeles in 2 hours: Work begins on high-speed rail from Sin City to the City of Angels

Electric-powered trains from las vegas to los angeles will offer rest rooms, wi-fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage..

Work is set to begin Monday on a $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, with officials projecting millions of ticket -buyers will be boarding trains by 2028.

Brightline West, whose sister company already operates a fast train between Miami and Orlando in Florida, aims to lay 218 miles (351 kilometers) of new track between a terminal to be built just south of the Las Vegas Strip and another new facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Almost the full distance is to be built in the median of Interstate 15, with a station stop in San Bernardino County’s Victorville area.

In a statement, Brightline Holdings founder and Chairperson Wes Edens called the moment “the foundation for a new industry.”

Brightline aims to link other US cities that are too near to each other for flying between them to make sense and too far for people to drive the distance, Edens said.

CEO Mike Reininger has said the goal is to have trains operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to take part in Monday's groundbreaking. Brightline received $6.5 billion in backing from the Biden administration, including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and approval to sell another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds.

The project is touted as the first true high-speed passenger rail line in the nation, designed to reach speeds of 186 mph (300 kph), comparable to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains.

The route between Vegas and LA is largely open space, with no convenient alternate to I-15. Brightline’s Southern California terminal will be at a commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles.

The project outline says electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours. Forecasts are for 11 million one-way passengers per year, or some 30,000 per day, with fares well below airline travel costs. The trains will offer rest rooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage.

Las Vegas is a popular driving destination for Southern Californians. Officials hope the train line will relieve congestion on I-15, where motorists often sit in miles of crawling traffic while returning home from a Las Vegas weekend.

The Las Vegas area, now approaching 3 million residents, draws more than 40 million visitors per year. Passenger traffic at the city's Harry Reid International Airport set a record of 57.6 million people in 2023. An average of more than 44,000 automobiles per day crossed the California-Nevada state line on I-15 in 2023, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data.

Florida-based Brightline Holdings already operates the Miami-to-Orlando line with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph (200 kph). It launched service in 2018 and expanded service to Orlando International Airport last September. It offers 16 round-trips per day, with one-way tickets for the 235-mile (378-kilometer) distance costing about $80.

Other fast trains in the US include Amtrak’s Acela, which can top 150 mph (241 kph) while sharing tracks with freight and commuter service between Boston and Washington, D.C.

Ideas for connecting other US cities with high-speed passenger trains have been floated in recent years, including Dallas to Houston; Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina; and Chicago to St. Louis. Most have faced delays.

In California, voters in 2008 approved a proposed 500-mile (805-kilometer) rail line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the plan has been beset by rising costs and routing disputes. A 2022 business plan by the California High-Speed Rail Authority projected the cost had more than tripled to $105 billion.

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Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow: The Best of Moscow!

I just got back from one week in Moscow. And, as you might have already guessed, it was a mind-boggling experience. It was not my first trip to the Russian capital. But I hardly ever got enough time to explore this sprawling city. Visiting places for business rarely leaves enough time for sightseeing. I think that if you’ve got one week in Russia, you can also consider splitting your time between its largest cities (i.e. Saint Petersburg ) to get the most out of your trip. Seven days will let you see the majority of the main sights and go beyond just scratching the surface. In this post, I’m going to share with you my idea of the perfect travel itinerary for one week in Moscow.

Moscow is perhaps both the business and cultural hub of Russia. There is a lot more to see here than just the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Centuries-old churches with onion-shaped domes dotted around the city are in stark contrast with newly completed impressive skyscrapers of Moscow City dominating the skyline. I spent a lot of time thinking about my Moscow itinerary before I left. And this city lived up to all of my expectations.

Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow

Day 1 – red square and the kremlin.

Metro Station: Okhotny Ryad on Red Line.

No trip to Moscow would be complete without seeing its main attraction. The Red Square is just a stone’s throw away from several metro stations. It is home to some of the most impressive architectural masterpieces in the city. The first thing you’ll probably notice after entering it and passing vendors selling weird fur hats is the fairytale-like looking Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It was built to commemorate one of the major victories of Ivan the Terrible. I once spent 20 minutes gazing at it, trying to find the perfect angle to snap it. It was easier said than done because of the hordes of locals and tourists.

As you continue strolling around Red Square, there’s no way you can miss Gum. It was widely known as the main department store during the Soviet Era. Now this large (yet historic) shopping mall is filled with expensive boutiques, pricey eateries, etc. During my trip to Moscow, I was on a tight budget. So I only took a retro-style stroll in Gum to get a rare glimpse of a place where Soviet leaders used to grocery shop and buy their stuff. In case you want some modern shopping experience, head to the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center with stores like New Yorker, Zara, and Adidas.

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To continue this Moscow itinerary, next you may want to go inside the Kremlin walls. This is the center of Russian political power and the president’s official residence. If you’re planning to pay Kremlin a visit do your best to visit Ivan the Great Bell Tower as well. Go there as early as possible to avoid crowds and get an incredible bird’s-eye view. There are a couple of museums that are available during designated visiting hours. Make sure to book your ticket online and avoid lines.

Day 2 – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the Arbat Street

Metro Station: Kropotkinskaya on Red Line

As soon as you start creating a Moscow itinerary for your second day, you’ll discover that there are plenty of metro stations that are much closer to certain sites. Depending on your route, take a closer look at the metro map to pick the closest.

The white marble walls of Christ the Saviour Cathedral are awe-inspiring. As you approach this tallest Orthodox Christian church, you may notice the bronze sculptures, magnificent arches, and cupolas that were created to commemorate Russia’s victory against Napoleon.

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Unfortunately, the current Cathedral is a replica, since original was blown to bits in 1931 by the Soviet government. The new cathedral basically follows the original design, but they have added some new elements such as marble high reliefs.

Home to some precious collection of artworks, in Tretyakov Gallery you can find more than 150,000 of works spanning centuries of artistic endeavor. Originally a privately owned gallery, it now has become one of the largest museums in Russia. The Gallery is often considered essential to visit. But I have encountered a lot of locals who have never been there.

Famous for its souvenirs, musicians, and theaters, Arbat street is among the few in Moscow that were turned into pedestrian zones. Arbat street is usually very busy with tourists and locals alike. My local friend once called it the oldest street in Moscow dating back to 1493. It is a kilometer long walking street filled with fancy gift shops, small cozy restaurants, lots of cute cafes, and street artists. It is closed to any vehicular traffic, so you can easily stroll it with kids.

Day 3 – Moscow River Boat Ride, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park, the Moscow City

Metro Station: Kievskaya and Park Pobedy on Dark Blue Line / Vystavochnaya on Light Blue Line

Voyaging along the Moscow River is definitely one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of the city and see the attractions from a bit different perspective. Depending on your Moscow itinerary, travel budget and the time of the year, there are various types of boats available. In the summer there is no shortage of boats, and you’ll be spoiled for choice.

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If you find yourself in Moscow during the winter months, I’d recommend going with Radisson boat cruise. These are often more expensive (yet comfy). They offer refreshments like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and, of course, alcoholic drinks. Prices may vary but mostly depend on your food and drink selection. Find their main pier near the opulent Ukraine hotel . The hotel is one of the “Seven Sisters”, so if you’re into the charm of Stalinist architecture don’t miss a chance to stay there.

The area near Poklonnaya Hill has the closest relation to the country’s recent past. The memorial complex was completed in the mid-1990s to commemorate the Victory and WW2 casualties. Also known as the Great Patriotic War Museum, activities here include indoor attractions while the grounds around host an open-air museum with old tanks and other vehicles used on the battlefield.

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The hallmark of the memorial complex and the first thing you see as you exit metro is the statue of Nike mounted to its column. This is a very impressive Obelisk with a statue of Saint George slaying the dragon at its base.

Maybe not as impressive as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower , the skyscrapers of the Moscow City (otherwise known as Moscow International Business Center) are so drastically different from dull Soviet architecture. With 239 meters and 60 floors, the Empire Tower is the seventh highest building in the business district.

The observation deck occupies 56 floor from where you have some panoramic views of the city. I loved the view in the direction of Moscow State University and Luzhniki stadium as well to the other side with residential quarters. The entrance fee is pricey, but if you’re want to get a bird’s eye view, the skyscraper is one of the best places for doing just that.

Day 4 – VDNKh, Worker and Collective Farm Woman Monument, The Ostankino TV Tower

Metro Station: VDNKh on Orange Line

VDNKh is one of my favorite attractions in Moscow. The weird abbreviation actually stands for Russian vystavka dostizheniy narodnogo khozyaystva (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy). With more than 200 buildings and 30 pavilions on the grounds, VDNKh serves as an open-air museum. You can easily spend a full day here since the park occupies a very large area.

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First, there are pavilions that used to showcase different cultures the USSR was made of. Additionally, there is a number of shopping pavilions, as well as Moskvarium (an Oceanarium) that features a variety of marine species. VDNKh is a popular venue for events and fairs. There is always something going on, so I’d recommend checking their website if you want to see some particular exhibition.

A stone’s throw away from VDNKh there is a very distinctive 25-meters high monument. Originally built in 1937 for the world fair in Paris, the hulking figures of men and women holding a hammer and a sickle represent the Soviet idea of united workers and farmers. It doesn’t take much time to see the monument, but visiting it gives some idea of the Soviet Union’s grandiose aspirations.

I have a thing for tall buildings. So to continue my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow I decided to climb the fourth highest TV tower in the world. This iconic 540m tower is a fixture of the skyline. You can see it virtually from everywhere in Moscow, and this is where you can get the best panoramic views (yep, even better than Empire skyscraper).

Parts of the floor are made of tempered glass, so it can be quite scary to exit the elevator. But trust me, as you start observing buildings and cars below, you won’t want to leave. There is only a limited number of tickets per day, so you may want to book online. Insider tip: the first tour is cheaper, you can save up to $10 if go there early.

Day 5 – A Tour To Moscow Manor Houses

Metro Station: Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno on Dark Green Line / Kuskovo on Purple Line

I love visiting the manor houses and palaces in Moscow. These opulent buildings were generally built to house Russian aristocratic families and monarchs. Houses tend to be rather grand affairs with impressive architecture. And, depending on the whims of the owners, some form of a landscaped garden.

During the early part of the 20th century though, many of Russia’s aristocratic families (including the family of the last emperor) ended up being killed or moving abroad . Their manor houses were nationalized. Some time later (after the fall of the USSR) these were open to the public. It means that today a great many of Moscow’s finest manor houses and palaces are open for touring.

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There are 20 manor houses scattered throughout the city and more than 25 in the area around. But not all of them easily accessible and exploring them often takes a lot of time. I’d recommend focusing on three most popular estates in Moscow that are some 30-minute metro ride away from Kremlin.

Sandwiched between the Moscow River and the Andropov Avenue, Kolomenskoye is a UNESCO site that became a public park in the 1920’s. Once a former royal estate, now it is one of the most tranquil parks in the city with gorgeous views. The Ascension Church, The White Column, and the grounds are a truly grand place to visit.

You could easily spend a full day here, exploring a traditional Russian village (that is, in fact, a market), picnicking by the river, enjoying the Eastern Orthodox church architecture, hiking the grounds as well as and wandering the park and gardens with wildflower meadows, apple orchards, and birch and maple groves. The estate museum showcases Russian nature at its finest year-round.

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If my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow was a family tree, Tsaritsyno Park would probably be the crazy uncle that no-one talks about. It’s a large park in the south of the city of mind-boggling proportions, unbelievable in so many ways, and yet most travelers have never heard of it.

The palace was supposed to be a summer home for Empress Catherine the Great. But since the construction didn’t meet with her approval the palace was abandoned. Since the early 1990’s the palace, the pond, and the grounds have been undergoing renovations. The entire complex is now looking brighter and more elaborately decorated than at possibly any other time during its history. Like most parks in Moscow, you can visit Tsaritsyno free of charge, but there is a small fee if you want to visit the palace.

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Last, but by no means least on my Moscow itinerary is Kuskovo Park . This is definitely an off-the-beaten-path place. While it is not easily accessible, you will be rewarded with a lack of crowds. This 18th-century summer country house of the Sheremetev family was one of the first summer country estates of the Russian nobility. And when you visit you’ll quickly realize why locals love this park.

Like many other estates, Kuskovo has just been renovated. So there are lovely French formal garden, a grotto, and the Dutch house to explore. Make sure to plan your itinerary well because the estate is some way from a metro station.

Day 6 – Explore the Golden Ring

Creating the Moscow itinerary may keep you busy for days with the seemingly endless amount of things to do. Visiting the so-called Golden Ring is like stepping back in time. Golden Ring is a “theme route” devised by promotion-minded journalist and writer Yuri Bychkov.

Having started in Moscow the route will take you through a number of historical cities. It now includes Suzdal, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad. All these awe-inspiring towns have their own smaller kremlins and feature dramatic churches with onion-shaped domes, tranquil residential areas, and other architectural landmarks.

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I only visited two out of eight cities included on the route. It is a no-brainer that Sergiev Posad is the nearest and the easiest city to see on a day trip from Moscow. That being said, you can explore its main attractions in just one day. Located some 70 km north-east of the Russian capital, this tiny and overlooked town is home to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, UNESCO Site.

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Sergiev Posad is often described as being at the heart of Russian spiritual life. So it is uncommon to see the crowds of Russian pilgrims showing a deep reverence for their religion. If you’re traveling independently and using public transport, you can reach Sergiev Posad by bus (departs from VDNKh) or by suburban commuter train from Yaroslavskaya Railway Station (Bahnhof). It takes about one and a half hours to reach the town.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a great place to get a glimpse of filling and warming Russian lunch, specifically at the “ Gostevaya Izba ” restaurant. Try the duck breast, hearty potato and vegetables, and the awesome Napoleon cake.

Day 7 – Gorky Park, Izmailovo Kremlin, Patriarch’s Ponds

Metro Station: Park Kultury or Oktyabrskaya on Circle Line / Partizanskaya on Dark Blue Line / Pushkinskaya on Dark Green Line

Gorky Park is in the heart of Moscow. It offers many different types of outdoor activities, such as dancing, cycling, skateboarding, walking, jogging, and anything else you can do in a park. Named after Maxim Gorky, this sprawling and lovely park is where locals go on a picnic, relax and enjoy free yoga classes. It’s a popular place to bike around, and there is a Muzeon Art Park not far from here. A dynamic location with a younger vibe. There is also a pier, so you can take a cruise along the river too.

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The Kremlin in Izmailovo is by no means like the one you can find near the Red Square. Originally built for decorative purposes, it now features the Vernissage flea market and a number of frequent fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. Every weekend, there’s a giant flea market in Izmailovo, where dozens of stalls sell Soviet propaganda crap, Russian nesting dolls, vinyl records, jewelry and just about any object you can imagine. Go early in the morning if you want to beat the crowds.

All the Bulgakov’s fans should pay a visit to Patriarch’s Ponds (yup, that is plural). With a lovely small city park and the only one (!) pond in the middle, the location is where the opening scene of Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita was set. The novel is centered around a visit by Devil to the atheistic Soviet Union is considered by many critics to be one of the best novels of the 20th century. I spent great two hours strolling the nearby streets and having lunch in the hipster cafe.

Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, Moscow is a safe city to visit. I have never had a problem with getting around and most locals are really friendly once they know you’re a foreigner. Moscow has undergone some serious reconstruction over the last few years. So you can expect some places to be completely different. I hope my one week Moscow itinerary was helpful! If you have less time, say 4 days or 5 days, I would cut out day 6 and day 7. You could save the Golden Ring for a separate trip entirely as there’s lots to see!

What are your thoughts on this one week Moscow itinerary? Are you excited about your first time in the city? Let me know in the comments below!

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24 comments.

Ann Snook-Moreau

Moscow looks so beautiful and historic! Thanks for including public transit information for those of us who don’t like to rent cars.

MindTheTravel

Yup, that is me 🙂 Rarely rent + stick to the metro = Full wallet!

Mariella Blago

Looks like you had loads of fun! Well done. Also great value post for travel lovers.

Thanks, Mariella!

I have always wanted to go to Russia, especially Moscow. These sights look absolutely beautiful to see and there is so much history there!

Agree! Moscow is a thousand-year-old city and there is definitely something for everyone.

Tara Pittman

Those are amazing buildings. Looks like a place that would be amazing to visit.

Adriana Lopez

Never been to Moscow or Russia but my family has. Many great spots and a lot of culture. Your itinerary sounds fantastic and covers a lot despite it is only a short period of time.

What was their favourite thing about Russia?

Gladys Parker

I know very little about Moscow or Russia for the\at matter. I do know I would have to see the Red Square and all of its exquisite architectural masterpieces. Also the CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR. Thanks for shedding some light on visiting Moscow.

Thanks for swinging by! The Red Square is a great starting point, but there way too many places and things to discover aside from it!

Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen

You are making me so jealous!! I’ve always wanted to see Russia.

Moscow is in my bucket list, I don’t know when I can visit there, your post is really useful. As a culture rich place we need to spend at least week.

DANA GUTKOWSKI

Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for all the great info! I’ve never been in to Russia, but this post makes me wanna go now!

Wow this is amazing! Moscow is on my bucket list – such an amazing place to visit I can imagine! I can’t wait to go there one day!

The building on the second picture looks familiar. I keep seeing that on TV.

Reesa Lewandowski

What beautiful moments! I always wish I had the personality to travel more like this!

Perfect itinerary for spending a week in Moscow! So many places to visit and it looks like you had a wonderful time. I would love to climb that tower. The views I am sure must have been amazing!

I was lucky enough to see the skyline of Moscow from this TV Tower and it is definitely mind-blowing.

Chelsea Pearl

Moscow is definitely up there on my travel bucket list. So much history and iconic architecture!

Thumbs up! 🙂

Blair Villanueva

OMG I dream to visit Moscow someday! Hope the visa processing would be okay (and become more affordable) so I could pursue my dream trip!

Yup, visa processing is the major downside! Agree! Time and the money consuming process…

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