When travelling you will often find yourself needing to store your luggage. This might be before you’re able to check into your accommodation, or after you’ve checked out and before your onward journey. Sometimes you can leave your bags at a hotel or hostel, but this isn’t possible with every type of accommodation.
You may also be visiting a place for the day (or a few hours) and where you don’t even need any accommodation for your visit.
Luckily in many destinations, there are various options where you can leave your suitcase and other items. Here are the best places to store your luggage when you travel.
The importance of luggage storage
Luggage storage is an essential service for travellers who want to make the most of their trip without being weighed down by heavy bags. When you’re in a city or other destination for a short amount of time, are unable to check in, or don’t even have an accommodation then carrying around large suitcases can be exhausting and can limit your mobility. This makes it difficult to explore a new location.
Not to mention, it can also be a safety concern if you have valuable items in your luggage. By finding a reliable luggage storage service, you can enjoy your travels without worrying about your bags. This is perfect for those passing through a destination, are visiting for a short amount of time, or for another reason that meets your needs.
Traditional options for luggage storage
In the past, travellers had limited options when it came to storing their luggage. Many hotels offered luggage storage, but it was often limited to guests only. Train and bus stations also had storage lockers, but they were often full or not available for long-term storage. This left travellers with few options, leaving them to either carry their luggage or limit their activities for the day and if you’ve ever lugged around a suitcase whilst sightseeing it’s certainly not very enjoyable.
Where to store and leave your luggage for the day
Here are some of the best places to store your bags when you’re travelling:
At a storage location booked through a specialist online service
A great way to find places to store your baggage is by using an online service. There are various services available that are partnered with shops, hotels and other storage facilities, and they can help you find and book this storage. A few options include:
- Nannybag: Nannybag are part of a huge network and currently offer over 10,000 places to store luggage across 500 cities. You’ll also be booking with a fixed price and each bag is insured up to €1000.
- Stasher: Stasher provides a cheap and easy way for you to find places to leaver your bags. These include locations such as hotels, shops and other businesses where you can store your travel luggage. Although not available in every destination they currently cover 150 cities, four continents and have 800+ Stashpoints. Your bags will also be insured up to £1000 (€1000 in Europe).
- LuggageHero: LuggagHero have over 1,100 locations across 40 cities in Europe and the USA. They charge an hourly fee of £1 per hour, as well as a one-time handling fee. As well as this your bags are insured for up to £2,200.
In luggage storage facilities in stations
If you’re travelling through a big city sometimes you’ll find baggage storage options at train stations and airports. For example, in London you’ll find a company called Left Luggage which allows you to book storage in advance, or even turn up on the day. Similar to the other options mentioned above it’s best to always check what’s available at your destination prior to travelling if you absolutely must leave your baggage somewhere.
At your accommodation
If you’re staying overnight in a hotel or hostel (and sometimes other types of accommodation) you should be able to leave your luggage there. This can be either before you check into your room, or after you’ve checked out. This is a common service that most hotels and hostels offer.
However, if you’re staying in an apartment, campsite and various other types of accommodation then you may not be able to leave your baggage, as they just don’t have the facilities available, or they need to prepare for the next guests.
So if storing your suitcase is important to you when you’re travelling, then make sure you’ve checked your accommodation in advance on whether this is possible or not. If it’s not possible then consider using another option such as below.
Things to consider when storing your bags
A few important things to consider when storing your baggage include:
- Price: How much will you be paying in total for the storage service? Hourly rates are good but if you’re out for an entire day or longer then this might add up.
- Ratings and reviews: When choosing where to store your luggage we’d recommend looking at the reviews. This is more important if you’re not using a hotel/hostel to leave your bags.
- Access availability: It’s super important that you know what access you have to collect your bags when you need them. Such as if you’re out all day and intend to collect your bags before catching a late-night bus or flight, then the last thing you’d want is to find the storage facilities closed or unavailable.
- Location: As well as this you’ll want to ensure that the location is easy to get to or meets your travel plans. So if you’re travelling by train then a place at or near the train station would be a good option, rather than a location that’s at the other end of the city.
- Security: Look for a service that has security measures in place to keep your bags safe.
- Insurance: What insurance is offered by the provider should your bags go missing, or there is a theft?
- Customer service: What customer service options are available should you need any assistance.
The benefits of using a luggage storage service
Using a luggage storage service has many benefits, including:
- Convenience: You can drop off your bags at a convenient location and pick them up when you’re ready.
- Safety: Most luggage storage services have security measures in place to keep your bags safe.
- Flexibility: You can store your bags for a few hours or a few days, depending on your needs.
- Cost-effective: Luggage storage services can sometimes be more affordable than traditional options like hotels or train stations.
Summary
Your travel luggage can sometimes be a pain to travel with when you don’t have a place to store it. However, with the options now available, it means at many destinations and accommodations you should be able to store your bags safely and securely whilst you go about your day and enjoy the place that you’re visiting. We’d generally always recommend trying to use your accommodation if they offer these facilities and you should find almost every hotel and hostel does.
