carry on baggage allowance

[AJBrook]

My wife and I are planning an Amtrak trip from Washington to NY to Buffalo to Chicago to San Francisco however the Washington to NY and NY to Buffalo journeys do not accept checked baggage and our suitcases are bigger than the carry on allowance - is there a solution for us or do we have to buy smaller suitcases?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Are you going "straight" to SF? If so, if you don't need anything in the larger luggage, you could check them from WAS to SF. They probably won't go on the same trains as you, but they should be there when you get there.

Let us know what size bags and how many. Amtrak is not as strict as airlines, so you may be able to take them with you.

 

[the_traveler]

The carry on allowance on Amtrak is very lax. No one will have a tape measure or scale. As long as it's not outrageously large (like 9 feet around or 5 feet wide) or it takes 3 or 4 people to carry it, very likely no one will question it. No one will question a bag that is 1 inch over "the limit" if you carry it on. Nor will they question a bag 2 pounds over "the limit" if you carry it on. However, if you check a bag, it will be measured and weighed.

Even if you have 2 bags to check with 1 weighing 22 pounds and the other weighing 54 pounds, you'll be asked to rearrange them so both are under 50 pounds each!

 

[saxman]

Are you taking a Regional then to Empire Service to BUF? If so, you can still check your bags. They just won't go on your train. And if you need them in Buffalo you might have to wait for the arrival of the Lake Shore Limited. If you don't need them, just retrieve them in BUF as you leave again. Amtrak will store your checked luggage for free up to 48 hours. If you don't need the bags at all, just check them all the way to SF. They will probably get there ahead of you, but like I said. Amtrak will store them for free. Or if you'd rather keep them close you can carry them. Generally, if you can carry the bags without help, Amtrak is pretty lax, when it comes to carry ons.

 

[Eris]

The carry-on bag size is 28 x 22 x 14 ... that's a really large bag. For comparison, United's carry-on bag size limit is 9 x 14 x 22... the Amtrak carry-on limit is *more than three times bigger*. United's checked baggage without over-size fee has to be 62 inches when you add length/width/height... Amtrak's carry-on limit is 2" MORE than United would allow as a standard checked bag.

I'd check your suitcase sizes again before even starting to worry, and then I still wouldn't worry because as the previous posters say... Amtrak pretty much doesn't care as long as you can maneuver it yourself (and even sometimes if you can't).

 

[ajbrook]

many thanks to all posters - we have a couple of bags which are 30ins x 16ins x 16ins which I am confident will be acceptable to Amtrak judging by the general feeling that they do not enforce the measurement rules rigidly.

Thanks again and looking forward to the trip!