Tips

Luggage Storage and Coin Lockers: City Examples

A long row of white coin lockers inside a station.
Coin lockers at Shin-Osaka Station · Photo: Crispin Semmens / CC BY-SA 2.0

Where you can leave bags: station lockers, tourist information centers, lockers at sights and your hotel, with city examples, fees and hours.

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Where to leave your bags: what this post covers

When you've checked out with hours to go before your next train, or you want to start sightseeing before check-in, big bags get in the way. Station coin lockers, luggage storage at tourist information centers, lockers at sights and your own hotel are the usual options, and they differ from city to city.

Below are city examples, grouped by type. It's not a complete list. Fees and hours can change, so check official information before you go.

Getting from the airport into town is covered in the airport-to-city transfer post and the late-arrival post, and baggage weight and carry-on rules for your flight are in the baggage rules post. This post focuses on where to leave your bags once you've arrived.

Station coin lockers and tourist information centers

The simplest plan is to drop your bags as soon as you step off the train and explore light. In these cities you can use station lockers or luggage storage at a station tourist information center.

Tourist information centers keep set hours and closing days, so the time you pick up matters more than the time you drop off. Make sure your plans get you back before they close.

Lockers and cloakrooms at sights

Some museums, archaeological sites and temples don't let you take big bags inside but have lockers or a cloakroom at the entrance. Some are free, others need coins or a fee, so keep a few local coins for coin lockers.

At some places you leave bags after the security check, so look for the signs before you join the entry queue.

Places with no storage or no big bags

Other places refuse large bags and have nowhere to leave them. For these you'll need to leave your luggage at your hotel or the station, so on a day when you change hotels, skip them or store your bags first.

Leaving bags at your hotel before check-in or after check-out

The easiest option is usually your accommodation. In Venice and Kobe, too, it's easiest to leave luggage at your hotel. Whether a hotel keeps bags before check-in or after check-out, and until when, differs from place to place, so ask when you book or before you arrive.

Get a claim tag or receipt when you hand bags over, and keep valuables such as your passport, wallet and charger, plus what you need for the day, with you. In countries with a tipping culture, staff who carry your bags may expect a tip.

When you have to roll your suitcase around

If you can't find anywhere to leave bags, or you're moving between hotels, you'll be pulling your suitcase with you. Neighborhoods with slopes, stairs or cobblestones, and places you can only reach by boat, are hard going with luggage.

If you're staying in one of these areas, pack lighter or take a taxi just for the last stretch to your hotel. Some buses also limit the size of bags you can bring.

Three wheeled suitcases with handles raised, standing on the pavement outside a station.
In front of Berlin Hauptbahnhof · Photo: Dirk Ingo Franke / CC BY-SA 3.0

Luggage storage checklist before you go

With luggage storage, when you pick up matters more than where you drop off. Each city guide has the details in its areas, sights and tips sections.

FAQ

Does every station have coin lockers?

Some cities, like Kobe and Warsaw, have station lockers, but you can't count on every station having them. If you have big bags, plan on leaving them at your hotel as a backup.

Can I leave luggage at my hotel before check-in?

It depends on the hotel. Ask when you book or before you arrive whether it keeps bags before check-in and after check-out, and until when.

Can I take a big bag to sights?

It depends. Some places, like the Sannai Maruyama Site in Aomori or the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, let you leave bags for free, while others, like the Reichstag glass dome in Berlin, don't allow large luggage and have no storage. Check the sights section of the guide first.

Is there luggage storage at the airport?

If you want to leave bags at the airport, check the airport's official information for locations and hours.

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