Luggage rules on European trains: how many bags, what size and extra bag fees (2026)
According to the official pages of 14 of the 18 train companies we checked, read on 31 October 2026, the table below gives how many bags you can bring, the size limits and the fees for extra bags, with the source of each rule; for the other 4 the official page did not open for our check or did not state a rule, so we give no rules for them.
Train companies change their luggage rules, and staff on board decide when a train is full. We quote each company’s own pages word for word, with the date we checked them; the short summaries are ours. Your ticket and the company’s current page decide.
“Bags you can bring” and “Size limit” are our short summaries of each company’s official page; the company page quotes the rule word for word. “Not stated” means the pages we read do not say. Sizes are in the order the company writes them.
| Train company | Bags you can bring | Size limit | Extra bags and fees | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurostar UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany | 2 bags + 1 item of hand luggage (Eurostar Premier: 3 bags + 1) | Bags up to 85 cm long on London routes, 75 cm on other routes | London routes: book ahead, from £35 per extra bag (guide price); other routes: €30 per extra item on the day | Eurostar, 31 October 2026 |
| TGV INOUI (SNCF) France | 2 suitcases + 1 item of hand luggage, or 1 suitcase + 1 special item + 1 item of hand luggage | Suitcase 70 x 90 x 50 cm; hand luggage 40 x 30 x 15 cm; special item 90 x 130 x 50 cm | Excess or non-compliant luggage: €50 for 1 item, €100 for 2, €150 for 3 or more | SNCF Connect (SNCF), 31 October 2026 |
| OUIGO France France | One item of hand luggage + one cabin bag included | Hand luggage 40 x 30 x 15 cm; cabin bag 55 x 35 x 25 cm; extra bag up to 90 x 130 x 50 cm and 30 kg | Extra or oversized bag €5 online, €20 at the station; included in OUIGO Plus and OUIGO Full | OUIGO (SNCF Voyageurs), 31 October 2026 |
| OUIGO Spain Spain | One item of hand luggage + one cabin bag included | Hand bag 27 x 36 x 15 cm; cabin bag 55 x 35 x 25 cm; extra bag up to 200 cm and 25 kg | Extra bag: €25 at boarding if not added online before the last 30 minutes; included in OUIGO Plus (from €6) | OUIGO España, 31 October 2026 |
| Renfe AVE and long-distance trains Spain | Up to 3 pieces of hand luggage | Largest 85 x 55 x 35 cm; the three together up to 290 cm | No paid extra bag on the pages we read; one special item (skis, golf clubs, bike in a bag) per person | Renfe, 31 October 2026 |
| Avlo (Renfe) Spain | 1 item of hand luggage + 1 suitcase included | Hand luggage 36 x 27 x 25 cm; suitcase 55 x 35 x 25 cm; extra bag up to 85 x 60 x 35 cm (180 cm in total) | Extra bag €10 when you buy the ticket, €15 after (also at the station or on board, subject to availability) | Renfe, 31 October 2026 |
| Trenitalia (Frecciarossa and other trains) Italy | No fixed number; free if it fits the luggage spaces | No fixed size; larger luggage may be allowed if it does not disturb anyone | No fee for luggage you carry on board | Trenitalia, 31 October 2026 |
| Italo Italy | As many items as needed, free | Smart class: up to 75 x 53 x 30; overhead racks 53 cm high and 42 cm deep | No fee for luggage | Italo (Italo – Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori), 31 October 2026 |
| Deutsche Bahn (ICE and IC) Germany | Hand luggage + one larger item, free | No fixed limit; the racks are designed for 700 x 500 x 300 mm | No fee; no reservation needed for luggage | Deutsche Bahn, 31 October 2026 |
| ÖBB (Railjet and Nightjet) Austria | No fixed number; free if it fits the racks | Each piece up to 90 cm x 60 cm x 40 cm | No fee; luggage that blocks passageways or doors can be removed from the train | ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) · ÖBB Nightjet, 31 October 2026 |
| NS International (Eurocity Direct) Netherlands, Belgium | No fixed number; only what you can easily carry and store | No maximum size, but it must fit in the racks, under the seat or in the vestibule | Extra luggage for a fee is not possible | NS International, 31 October 2026 |
| TGV Lyria France, Switzerland | No limit on the number of items you can carry and store yourself | Each item up to 130 x 90 x 50 cm | No fee stated; labels are mandatory | SNCF Connect (SNCF) · TGV Lyria, 31 October 2026 |
| Lumo UK | One small bag or small holdall + one medium suitcase | Medium suitcase up to 63 x 41 x 27 cm | £40 per item over the limit, or travel may be refused | Lumo, 31 October 2026 |
| Avanti West Coast UK | Up to three items | Largest bag up to 30 x 70 x 90 cm | Not stated | Avanti West Coast, 31 October 2026 |
| Iryo Spain | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The official website answered our check with an error (HTTP 403). Official page: Iryo. | |||
| Trenitalia France France, Italy | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The official luggage page answered our check with an error (HTTP 403). Official page: Trenitalia France. | |||
| SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) Switzerland | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The SBB pages we read give no number of bags and no size limit for luggage you carry on board yourself. Official page: SBB. | |||
| LNER UK | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The official luggage page answered our check with an anti-robot page (HTTP 403). Official page: LNER. | |||
Travelling to or from London? Eurostar check-in times by station, with the EES border checks
Flying instead? Cabin bag size by airline · liquids rules by airport
Questions
What is the luggage allowance on European trains?
It depends on the company. On the official pages we read: Eurostar: 2 bags + 1 item of hand luggage (Eurostar Premier: 3 bags + 1); TGV INOUI: 2 suitcases + 1 item of hand luggage, or 1 suitcase + 1 special item + 1 item of hand luggage; OUIGO France: one item of hand luggage + one cabin bag included; OUIGO Spain: one item of hand luggage + one cabin bag included; Renfe AVE: up to 3 pieces of hand luggage; Avlo: 1 item of hand luggage + 1 suitcase included; Trenitalia Frecciarossa: no fixed number; free if it fits the luggage spaces; Italo: as many items as needed, free; Deutsche Bahn ICE: hand luggage + one larger item, free; ÖBB Railjet and Nightjet: no fixed number; free if it fits the racks; NS International Eurocity Direct: no fixed number; only what you can easily carry and store; TGV Lyria: no limit on the number of items you can carry and store yourself; Lumo: one small bag or small holdall + one medium suitcase; Avanti West Coast: up to three items.
What are the luggage restrictions on trains in Europe?
Each company sets its own limits (see the table above). On the official pages we read, these companies charge for extra, oversized or non-compliant bags: Eurostar (London routes: book ahead, from £35 per extra bag (guide price); other routes: €30 per extra item on the day); TGV INOUI (excess or non-compliant luggage: €50 for 1 item, €100 for 2, €150 for 3 or more); OUIGO France (extra or oversized bag €5 online, €20 at the station; included in OUIGO Plus and OUIGO Full); OUIGO Spain (extra bag: €25 at boarding if not added online before the last 30 minutes; included in OUIGO Plus (from €6)); Avlo (extra bag €10 when you buy the ticket, €15 after (also at the station or on board, subject to availability)); Lumo (£40 per item over the limit, or travel may be refused).
How we check
We read each train company’s own luggage pages (for TGV INOUI, SNCF’s booking site SNCF Connect) and quote them word for word with the date; Spanish quotes come with our translation. A company gets a page only if its official page states how many bags or how large they can be. Some official websites answer automated checks with an error or an anti-robot page: we do not try to pass those checks and we do not copy their rules from other websites, so those rows say “Not read”. We check every source again every three months. More on the About page. Spotted a change? Tell us.