 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I just wondered if anyone has experience with taking a ski or board bag on a train inside the UK?
I'm heading out to France for a season this year, and it seems like the best way to get to the company pick up point in the south of England will be by train. However, I was wondering about the logistics of fitting skis somewhere, or if anyone has had problems with train staff, or if it's all been fine?
(I'm not planning to have much apart from my skis in the bag, maybe just a couple of sweatshirts to pad them a bit.)
Any experiences with this would be good to hear, thank you. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You should be fine, especially if you're willing to put some effort into keeping your skis out of the way of other passengers. Thousands of people travel on the trains to airports every winter with skis (including me), and I'd guess plenty of people get the train quite long distances (esp. if they're getting on the Eurostar in St Pancras). The main problem you'll have is that luggage racks aren't usually designed to hold skis, so you quite often have to hang out in the door area/space between carriages. Other passengers don't seem to mind too much...in fact I've been amazed not to get tutted at more when lugging a massive double ski bag onto a packed commuter train!
If you're getting a longer distance mainline train then it might be worth having a word with the guard on the train to see if he can put the skis in the guard's van...I've seen people do this with bikes before and it seemed to work well.
Welcome to snowheads, btw 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I once took skis in a big roller bag down a branch-line, into London, across the underground, Eurostar from St. P into Paris, around the Paris Metro and on a sleeper into Bourg St. M. France. FWIW I think I relied on stashing the roller bag that they were in on it's end in most cases and on the sleeper and Euro star I think they slid under the bed and on the luggage shelves respectively. I'm not going to say it was the easiest journey I ever made and I swear I got 'goosed' on the Paris Metro because my hands were full keeping the bag balanced on its end, but I survived.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I had a hilarious afternoon lugging a (non-wheely) double ski bag around the tube once. I don't think I was very popular, but worked fine from my point of view!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have taken a wheeled ski box on the train into Marylebone, tube to St Pancras, eurostar to Paris, RER across Paris and TGV to Moutiers without any issues. Only problem was the taxi to the first station which struggled with the length of the ski box. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've taken skis on underground and overground trains in the UK, on the Paris Metro (and Paris buses) and sleeper train. I had to sleep with them in the sleeper - no room anywhere else! But no, no problem at all really.
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| Malin wrote: |
| I just wondered if anyone has experience with taking a ski or board bag on a train inside the UK? |
You're generally fine carrying skis on trains.
If you have a peak at the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, section 47, you'll see this:
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| You may take a single item of hand luggage that must be capable of being held in your lap if required, plus up to 2 items of luggage ch not exceeding 30 x 70 x 90 cm in size |
...which means that one jobsworth arsehole can make your life most inconvenient. Such people are rare, and if they catch you on the train they're generally not mean enough to charge you or chuck you off assuming the train isn't jam packed, but it is something to be aware of.
You'll probably have more luck with a little pouch containing a pair of slalom skis or a snowboard than you are with a 2m long wheely bag stuffed with your own bodyweight in kit, of course.
| NeddySkiGoon wrote: |
| Do trains still have guard's vans? |
More of a "bike van", these days.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've found that there are times when clipping the ski bag to an upright pole in a carriage, or the upright of an end-of-car luggage rack can stop the bag from getting in people's way. If you are lucky, on quiet trips, the bag will sometimes fit in a luggage rack. Think how to keep your skis from being a pain to others, any you will usually be OK. Of course, if you are travelling BA and using an unwieldy coffin bag to carry everything to meet the airline's baggage regs, life could get more difficult.
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I have put large suitcases in the guard's van on GNER in recent years (especially travelling around Christmas). It's definitely worth asking.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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More explicitly:
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| Excess luggage and certain more bulky items (such as skis) may be carried, subject to available space, at an extra charge. |
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/luggage_animals.aspx
The charge being set by each individual train company, but
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it will not exceed half the adult single fare for the journey
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So if you got them onto the train then there is obviously available space, but the Fitzwilliams might sting you for it. I've never been charged or seen it happen.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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National Rail really do take the wee wee. So we are encouraged to use public transport but are ripped off for the pleasure, then they try to rip us off again for "Large" items. Crazy.....
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I've taken a coffin board bag loads of times on the train. If there are spare seats, have it standing up on the floor by the window seat and you sit next to it. If the train is busy stand hugging it somewhere as out of the way as possible. You don;t take up much room if you stand and hug. If I was traveling a long way, I might potentially book the bag a seat if the price was cheap enough.
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You know it makes sense.
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My train ride will be 50 mins to Kings X 19th December. We will have a roller board bag each and one medium case. Travelling about 3pm. Should be ok. I hope
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@chrisrawles, you'll be fine. I've done that route many times and not had anyone bat an eyelid. I bring a couple of bungees and strap the bags vertically to the poles and handles by the doors of the carriage. This keeps them out of the way of everyone and so not a problem. On some trains (TGV from memory) I've put them on the overhead luggage racks and that was similarly fine, but on most trains they won't fit up there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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this thread title sound like a new horror movie....
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