I'm backpacking across Europe with a very large (70 liter) backpack, plus a smaller daypack (35 L). I've found myself taking a number of trains, with different available facilities and passenger loads, and am wondering what the proper etiquette is when hauling around rather large luggage.
Some scenarios I've come across so far, in the UK:
- The English and Welsh trains that I rode have a luggage rack at one end of the car, and sometimes between seats in the middle of the car. Travelling with a backpack, should I try to put my pack on a particular shelf? If the rack is full, can I stack my pack on top of other luggage?
- The ScotsRail train I rode from Newcastle to Edinburgh had no luggage racks and a very small overhead rack that could not fit my pack, nor could it fit on the floor under/in front of the seats. Is it acceptable to place my large pack on the seat adjacent to mine? What if the train is full up (standing room only)?
I'm looking to learn about general luggage etiquette on trains, specifically those without dedicated luggage compartment or staffed baggage handling. IE: the situations where I carry a large backpack or other luggage onto a train and then need to decide what to do with it.