upper bunk for storage?

[flying_babyb]

family of 5 traving in 3 roomettes. Can we use the top bunk (aka the extra one) for storage of luggage? Would love to be able to stash our carryons on the empty bunk

 

[Alice]

Which train? Viewliners are easier than Superliners on account of the very skinny staircase to the upstairs roomettes. Remember both have narrow aisles so you'll not want to be carrying a lot. Depending on where you are getting on and whether you use a redcap, you might need to be able to carry everything in one trip all the way to your roomettes. Other than that, it is what a lot of us do.

 

[Lonestar648]

On the Superliners, there is also a luggage storage area on the first level (good for larger bags too heavy to drag up the stairs), then you can put the roller bags on the upper bunk. You may want to pull out the bedding for the lower bunk first, put it on top of the bags so you don't have to unload the bags to have the lower bed made down in the evening.

 

[TinCan782]

Its YOUR roomette for the trip. You can do whatever you want.

I use the upper bunk for daytime storage in a regular bedroom ( leave it in the down positon).

 

[Skyline]

You may find it's easier if, instead of using luggage, you carry everything in a wearable backpack. Depending on your needs, go with 2,500 to 3,500 cu. in. with at least a couple of external zipped pockets, and use lightweight silnylon stuff sacks to organize some of your things inside the pack. Try to keep weight manageable (20-25 lbs. at most). Practice walking with it before your trip. Once you envision carrying it in a city or to/from the train, or within a train, you may suddenly "realize" there are a few things you can do without. Sometimes less really is more!

The advantage of packs vs. luggage is that it is easier to wear a 25 lb. pack than to carry a 25-lb. suitcase. Once you take what you need or want on board the train out of the pack, its reduced size is easy to store in coach or in a private sleeping compartment. I have no problem keeping my pack at the foot of a bed while sleeping in a roomette or in the overhead luggage rack above coach seats.. If you have an extra unused bunk there should absolutely be no issue for all of you to store your packs there.

If you don't already own an appropriately sized pack, I wouldn't splurge on one that is mountaineering-worthy; you won't be carrying 40-50 lbs. over tough terrain for weeks at a time. You can find inexpensive ones at most of the big box stores that would work just as well for intercity train travel.

 

[PVD]

As others have pointed out, the type of car you are in (SL v VL) makes a difference in your options. The downstairs luggage rack is not an option on a VL, but on a VL the upper bunk raise or lowers vertically rather than folding out, you can use it as a shelf and slide it back up making it easier to sit in the seats without a headroom problem. Also, there is a fair amount of space for smaller bags in VL roomettes at the ceiling over the toilet sink area.

 

[Cina]

Travelling with my mom in a Superliner, I put the upper bunk down slightly during the day and stuck our small rolling suitcase up there (our extra one went downstairs on the luggage rack) it worked really well. We just clicked the bunk down far enough to fit the bag up there, that way we still had some head room. At night the bag went in the little spot between the bed and the door.