Trekking poles on trains in Europe?

[kusitb]

Are trekking poles allowed in trains in France, Portugal, and Spain?

My wife and I are coming from Toronto, and we have decided to just check in our trekking poles. Besides, our poles won't fit in our backpacks. We plan to put them in an old bag/luggage that we can just throw away when we get to France and then just carry the trekking poles "openly". We plan to go to Fatima, Avila, Madrid, Barcelona, & Lourdes after the camino. Will the trekking poles be allowed in trains in France, Portugal, and Spain?

Flying back home to Toronto will be another problem - maybe we'll just buy a box, pad it, then put the trekking poles there so we can check it in.

BTW, are there hostels in Paris that are willing to hold a luggage? I was hoping that if there is one, then we can stay there one night when we arrive from Toronto, leave the empty trekking pole luggage, then stay there again for maybe 3 nights before flying back home.

 

[mspath]

kusitb,

No problem with hiking poles on trains on the continent. If you are planning to take the Eurostar to London or the Thalys to Brussels from Paris they could be a problem. On other trains just put the poles flat on the floor beneath your seat. On the night train from Paris/Austerlitz to Bayonne I place my poles on the berth against the compartment wall.

For some hostels in Paris see this TripAdvisor selection.


Margaret Meredith

 

[GlenysP]

BTW, are there hostels in Paris that are willing to hold a luggage? I was hoping that if there is one, then we can stay there one night when we arrive from Toronto, leave the empty trekking pole luggage, then stay there again for maybe 3 nights before flying back home.

We did that in Madrid in 2011. I simply google translated message and copied it into an email directly to the hotel that I'd chosen. I asked if they would store the bag (described the size) and if so the cost. They replied yes, for free.

 

[kusitb]

How about knives, are they allowed on trains in Europe, specifically France, Spain, and Portugal? I'll be checking in our trekking poles together with a knife in a box and plan to just discard the box when we get to Paris. The knife is small - just an ordinary pocket knife with a 2-inch blade.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

In January, there was a very disinterested x-raying of baggage in Spanish train stations. My trekking poles were in my hands (but went through the scanner). Interest may be heightened now, and the equipment is in place to screen packs and luggage.

One bus driver insisted that my poles go into the baggage hold, so security is in the eyes of the individual bus driver (other drivers did not seem to care if my poles went inside into the overhead bin).

 

[kusitb]

Thank you @Kathar1na. We'll be landing in CDG, then sleeping in Paris for one night. Then, we'll be taking an SNCF train from Paris Montparnasse to Bayonne, then SJPP the next day.

In that case (and in order to keep things simple on my side), I might just keep the knife in the box with the trekking poles, and then just unpack everything in SJPP.

As for going back home, the current plan is to just buy a small cheap luggage in SdC, together with some clothes since we are also planning to go to Fatima, Lourdes, Madrid, & Barcelona after the camino.