Officially its "Checked Luggage – General Due to space restrictions, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one suitcase per person weighing no more than 50 pounds (23 kg) and with overall dimensions (length + width + height) not exceeding 62 inches (158 cm)." That is the same limitations that airlines like Delta will restrict you to.
You can find that and more under the Before You Go, Inclusive Prices, Luggage Handling and Restrictions section for your tour here on the website. It encourages you to limit your carryon luggage as well. However, I wouldn't worry too much about that. River cruising has very little luggage handling compared to land tours
From experience (our first river cruise was the old French Waterways which was pretty much the same tour as this one) here is likely what will occur:
On day 3 your baggage will be picked up in your hotel room at about breakfast time (7-8 am) and taken by truck to the ship in Lyon. The TDs on our tour were very good about giving us extra luggage tags if we wanted anything else to go with the big bag. You just had to have it tagged and placed altogether just inside the hotel room door. You might want to hold back a tote bag/back pack to hand carry anything else you want to take on the train - meds, ereader, camera, lunch, etc.
You'll spend the morning touring Paris on your own then meet back at the hotel for the group to be bused to Gare de Lyon for your TGV ride. Once you get on board the ship in your stateroom, your bags that went ahead will be laying on your bed ready to unpack into the closet. Hangers are provided. There is plenty of room to store bags under the bed and out of your valuable floor space. Being able to unpack and hang my clothes is one of many advantages on board.
Hope you have a great cruise. The Rhone is still my favorite after 3 river cruises.
We’ve done this trip and 2 other river cruises. We always have 2 checked suitcases and 2 hard roll aboards. Never had an issue with storing all 4 bags under the bed in the cabin. May not be exactly as Tauck advises but it has always worked for us with no problem.
We’ve done this trip and 2 other river cruises. We always have 2 checked suitcases and 2 hard roll aboards. Never had an issue with storing all 4 bags under the bed in the cabin. May not be exactly as Tauck advises but it has always worked for us with no problem.
Yep, the carry-on verbiage is mostly a hold over from the land tours where loading, unloading, and fitting in alot of luggage on a full tour bus every 2 days could be a problem. I now take a small, underseat sized wheeled bag, a softsided tote plus my big checked bag. My little wheelie bag fits nicely on my big bag when I have to deal with the lot, holds the extras I want for an international flight and the wheels make it easy to move around.
I like to follow Tauck rules, if everyone took 2 bags it could be crazy. Why can’t everyone manage with one bag. I’m at the airport just about to go on a Tauck tour, my checked bag is not full and I have a small back pack for my carry on, what on earth do people take on their tours?
I like to follow Tauck rules, if everyone took 2 bags it could be crazy. Why can’t everyone manage with one bag. I’m at the airport just about to go on a Tauck tour, my checked bag is not full and I have a small back pack for my carry on, what on earth do people take on their tours?
To each his/her/their own. I commend you for traveling light. We prefer our way and as previously stated, we have never had a problem. I am sure Tauck will forgive our luggage faux pas.
I like to follow Tauck rules, if everyone took 2 bags it could be crazy. Why can’t everyone manage with one bag. I’m at the airport just about to go on a Tauck tour, my checked bag is not full and I have a small back pack for my carry on, what on earth do people take on their tours?
I followed Tauck's rules on our first tour - a river cruise - and almost the first thing the TD asked when we met them was "do you need extra luggage tags". This as I said earlier was the French Waterways where all the luggage would be trucked to the ship. On top of that I had taken a non-wheeled bag as my airplane carryon. By the time I'd lugged it thru De Gaulle airport and the extremely long, slow customs line I was kicking it along the floor in front of me.
Next cruise I'd bought my husband a wheeled carryon and we used it to pile me carryon bag on top. The third cruise was followed by our first european land tour. I heeded the advice and neither of us took wheeled bags. Got on the land tour and the TD offered something no one had ever mentioned -- a special Tauck tan colored "Carry On Luggage Tag". He explained that if we wanted, we could use that tag on any bag we wanted to carry down to the bus ourselves and it would be stored in a different compartment on the bus separate from the bigger bags. On board but not readily available during the day. As soon as the bus got to the hotel with us, the driver would have it there. This is exactly what I did last month of the Ireland tour. I could have my big bag ready the night before, then use my small wheelie bag and tote for anything I needed to get dressed in the morning - toiletries, nightware, electronics, etc. I carried them down, he put in in the compartment and it was ready when we got to the hotel. It worked a treat.
As to what I carry for an international flight (different from just a stateside trip) - the usual valuables (money, documents), prescription meds, 3-1-1 bag, various electronics and their chargers, at least one change of clothes, neck pillow, noise canceling headphones, a sweater or wrap if traveling in the summer heat since it's cold on planes, my new foot hammock/rest, and a few misc items like granola bars, empty water bottle. Maybe someday Mr Sails we'll ok paying for a higher cost, more comfortable seat category and some of those items will come off the list, but not yet.
FYI, on the foot hammock/foot rest (several variations sold on Amazon) I used it for the first time on the trip to Ireland and it definitely made the economy comfort seat much more comfortable. It fits over the arms of the tray table and I could rest my feet in it or the backs of my calves. It took the pressure off my back and the back of my thighs. Worth the very modest cost.
Hi Claudia, I promise that next time I am on a land tour I’ll try to do a bit of research and see if I can notice if people really do take more than one suitcase. I might even have the guts to ask the tour director. Right now I am in the middle of my first small ship tour, but it is impossible to know about all but the few people we keep bumping into.
One surprise was the ship information that said laundry can take between 48 and 72 hours to be returned. I tried laundering a piece of women’s underwear and a pair of socks, there is a laundry line in the shower, it took more than 48 hours for the socks to dry.
I’m noticing a lack of men wearing jackets etc at Dinner. I’m noticing people moving at a snails pace on walks, I’m noticing a general lack of feeling like we belong to the same tribe because there are too many people. The four tour directors are wonderful, friendly and super efficient. On a previous thread a new Tauck customer talked about unfriendly tour directors, not on this tour.
I’ll try to post a review at the end of the tour.
I tried laundering a piece of women’s underwear and a pair of socks, there is a laundry line in the shower, it took more than 48 hours for the socks to dry.
One surprise was the ship information that said laundry can take between 48 and 72 hours to be returned. I tried laundering a piece of women’s underwear and a pair of socks, there is a laundry line in the shower, it took more than 48 hours for the socks to dry.
I know about the hairdryer trick and have used it in the past. I have plenty of clean clothes but I am a little bit like a squirrel to be sure I have plenty so always wash one set of smalls at the beginning of a tour.
This tour is revealing as usual that very few people dress up for the evening. There were even people in what i would call gym wear for the Gala dinner. Really, no one cares what you wear.
Yep, drying time in a minimally ventilated shower. That's why I keep preaching to pick at least a few items made from synthetic blends. The first week in Ireland we had typical rainy/cool weather so I wore my 32 Degrees long sleeve tshirts as a base layer. Washed 2 out one night and hung in the bathroom - ready to wear/pack overnight.
Yep, hairdryers work too. Heated towel bars are useful and can even tackle heavier items like jeans.
I only needed to wash some socks and a few pieces of underwear, but said, what the hey, and decided to do it all in the hotel in Torgiano. Unfortunately, I waited until the second night of our two night stop in Umbria on Classic Italy. It wasn't drying and I didn't want to pack it wet. Luckily there were TWO hair dryers in the suite we had been assigned. : )
That’s where zip lock bags come in handy! I roll a packet of various sizes for just such an emergency as wet clothes/ bathing suits. This after I burned a hole in a sock using the hairdryer trick!
That’s where zip lock bags come in handy! I roll a packet of various sizes for just such an emergency as wet clothes/ bathing suits. This after I burned a hole in a sock using the hairdryer trick!
Yes have done that, too. Thinking back, because it was a two night stop, I actually did the wash on the first night so my stuff was just damp when it came time to pack the next evening. There was just too much of it and we didn't have a large enough plastic bag. As I found out later, there was a local lavenderia not too far from the hotel!! D'Oh!!
Going on the Small group tour of Italy May31,20 . Is the 62 inch total size of the luggage bag real and enforced or is it just a practicality of the van size?
Carmine. It might help if you specify which tour. We did Small Group Ireland and the same size bus used for bigger tours was used so loads of room under and inside the bus. However, even if Tauck doesn't enforce the 50lb/62inch limit, your airline likely will. Check the policies for all airlines you're flying on and the penalties they may charge.
Keep in mind that your driver has to load/unload your bag repeatedly and the hotel staff has to do the same getting it to and from your room. They are expecting something reasonably close to those dimensions. Tip accordingly.
Carmine, 2:45PM, Going on the Small group tour of Italy May31,20 . Is the 62 inch total size of the luggage bag real and enforced or is it just a practicality of the van size?
Except for the day trip along the Amalfi Coast where you ride in a minibus due to the traffic and tight curves, you will be traveling on a standard Euro size bus as a regular size bus. Tauck won't measure or weigh your bags (but they'll know, they are not new to this rodeo), they assume everyone is an adult and knows what is right. You will most likely be flying into Naples on a smaller aircraft than the one on the transatlantic leg and must comply with those baggage limitations.
Comments
You can find that and more under the Before You Go, Inclusive Prices, Luggage Handling and Restrictions section for your tour here on the website. It encourages you to limit your carryon luggage as well. However, I wouldn't worry too much about that. River cruising has very little luggage handling compared to land tours
From experience (our first river cruise was the old French Waterways which was pretty much the same tour as this one) here is likely what will occur:
On day 3 your baggage will be picked up in your hotel room at about breakfast time (7-8 am) and taken by truck to the ship in Lyon. The TDs on our tour were very good about giving us extra luggage tags if we wanted anything else to go with the big bag. You just had to have it tagged and placed altogether just inside the hotel room door. You might want to hold back a tote bag/back pack to hand carry anything else you want to take on the train - meds, ereader, camera, lunch, etc.
You'll spend the morning touring Paris on your own then meet back at the hotel for the group to be bused to Gare de Lyon for your TGV ride. Once you get on board the ship in your stateroom, your bags that went ahead will be laying on your bed ready to unpack into the closet. Hangers are provided. There is plenty of room to store bags under the bed and out of your valuable floor space. Being able to unpack and hang my clothes is one of many advantages on board.
Hope you have a great cruise. The Rhone is still my favorite after 3 river cruises.
Yep, the carry-on verbiage is mostly a hold over from the land tours where loading, unloading, and fitting in alot of luggage on a full tour bus every 2 days could be a problem. I now take a small, underseat sized wheeled bag, a softsided tote plus my big checked bag. My little wheelie bag fits nicely on my big bag when I have to deal with the lot, holds the extras I want for an international flight and the wheels make it easy to move around.
To each his/her/their own. I commend you for traveling light. We prefer our way and as previously stated, we have never had a problem. I am sure Tauck will forgive our luggage faux pas.
I followed Tauck's rules on our first tour - a river cruise - and almost the first thing the TD asked when we met them was "do you need extra luggage tags". This as I said earlier was the French Waterways where all the luggage would be trucked to the ship. On top of that I had taken a non-wheeled bag as my airplane carryon. By the time I'd lugged it thru De Gaulle airport and the extremely long, slow customs line I was kicking it along the floor in front of me.
Next cruise I'd bought my husband a wheeled carryon and we used it to pile me carryon bag on top. The third cruise was followed by our first european land tour. I heeded the advice and neither of us took wheeled bags. Got on the land tour and the TD offered something no one had ever mentioned -- a special Tauck tan colored "Carry On Luggage Tag". He explained that if we wanted, we could use that tag on any bag we wanted to carry down to the bus ourselves and it would be stored in a different compartment on the bus separate from the bigger bags. On board but not readily available during the day. As soon as the bus got to the hotel with us, the driver would have it there. This is exactly what I did last month of the Ireland tour. I could have my big bag ready the night before, then use my small wheelie bag and tote for anything I needed to get dressed in the morning - toiletries, nightware, electronics, etc. I carried them down, he put in in the compartment and it was ready when we got to the hotel. It worked a treat.
As to what I carry for an international flight (different from just a stateside trip) - the usual valuables (money, documents), prescription meds, 3-1-1 bag, various electronics and their chargers, at least one change of clothes, neck pillow, noise canceling headphones, a sweater or wrap if traveling in the summer heat since it's cold on planes, my new foot hammock/rest, and a few misc items like granola bars, empty water bottle. Maybe someday Mr Sails we'll ok paying for a higher cost, more comfortable seat category and some of those items will come off the list, but not yet.
FYI, on the foot hammock/foot rest (several variations sold on Amazon) I used it for the first time on the trip to Ireland and it definitely made the economy comfort seat much more comfortable. It fits over the arms of the tray table and I could rest my feet in it or the backs of my calves. It took the pressure off my back and the back of my thighs. Worth the very modest cost.
One surprise was the ship information that said laundry can take between 48 and 72 hours to be returned. I tried laundering a piece of women’s underwear and a pair of socks, there is a laundry line in the shower, it took more than 48 hours for the socks to dry.
I’m noticing a lack of men wearing jackets etc at Dinner. I’m noticing people moving at a snails pace on walks, I’m noticing a general lack of feeling like we belong to the same tribe because there are too many people. The four tour directors are wonderful, friendly and super efficient. On a previous thread a new Tauck customer talked about unfriendly tour directors, not on this tour.
I’ll try to post a review at the end of the tour.
Try packing more ????
This tour is revealing as usual that very few people dress up for the evening. There were even people in what i would call gym wear for the Gala dinner. Really, no one cares what you wear.
Yep, hairdryers work too. Heated towel bars are useful and can even tackle heavier items like jeans.
You betcha!
I only needed to wash some socks and a few pieces of underwear, but said, what the hey, and decided to do it all in the hotel in Torgiano. Unfortunately, I waited until the second night of our two night stop in Umbria on Classic Italy. It wasn't drying and I didn't want to pack it wet. Luckily there were TWO hair dryers in the suite we had been assigned. : )
Yes have done that, too. Thinking back, because it was a two night stop, I actually did the wash on the first night so my stuff was just damp when it came time to pack the next evening. There was just too much of it and we didn't have a large enough plastic bag. As I found out later, there was a local lavenderia not too far from the hotel!! D'Oh!!
Going on the Small group tour of Italy May31,20 . Is the 62 inch total size of the luggage bag real and enforced or is it just a practicality of the van size?
Carmine. It might help if you specify which tour. We did Small Group Ireland and the same size bus used for bigger tours was used so loads of room under and inside the bus. However, even if Tauck doesn't enforce the 50lb/62inch limit, your airline likely will. Check the policies for all airlines you're flying on and the penalties they may charge.
Keep in mind that your driver has to load/unload your bag repeatedly and the hotel staff has to do the same getting it to and from your room. They are expecting something reasonably close to those dimensions. Tip accordingly.
Except for the day trip along the Amalfi Coast where you ride in a minibus due to the traffic and tight curves, you will be traveling on a standard Euro size bus as a regular size bus. Tauck won't measure or weigh your bags (but they'll know, they are not new to this rodeo), they assume everyone is an adult and knows what is right. You will most likely be flying into Naples on a smaller aircraft than the one on the transatlantic leg and must comply with those baggage limitations.