Traveling on RENFE with Dangerous Items

[joe g texas aggies]

Hi,
I have a question for the forum regarding carry on items that are not normally allowed. This past summer we were traveling by RENFE from Girona to Barcelona. A friend of ours had her deceased father's Swiss Army Knife in her purse. When she put her purse through the RENFE x-ray machine, they found and confiscated her knife. Of course, she was upset that she lost the knife for sentimental reasons.
My question is related to the fact that I intend to carry a Swiss Army Knife on the Camino. I will have a small bag which I can use to check the knife and any other items that cannot be carried on (really can't think of any, at the moment) when traveling by air. However, I most likely be required to travel by train in Spain or France, even for a short distance. What have others to address this situation? Thanks in advance.

 

[Tincatinker]

Joe, this recent thread Legalities of knives in Spain and France includes this link http://www.guardiacivil.es/es/servi...ica_armas/armas_prohibidas/index.html#navajas which gives the current law in Spain. Unless your friend was carrying a particularly large Swiss Army Knife I cannot se that confiscation was justified. However, you say it was in her purse, hand-bag in the UK. The bottom of your pack is the place to carry any knife on public transport anywhere.

 

[Mark Lee]

I carried a Leatherman tool with me on my first Camino in 2013 and traveled by rail from Paris to SJPDP. I kept the tool (which had a small knife blade) in my pack and had no problems. I never had the tool in a carry-on bag on flights, and it stayed in my pack which was checked-on. I don't recall having any of my possessions inspected prior to boarding any of the trains from Paris to SJPDP. In the end I never had any use for the Leatherman tool and it never left my pack, but I suppose it could have come in handy to repair equipment, or slice cheese or chorizo (I always managed to find a kitchen knife in the albergues for that). It did not have a corkscrew for opening wine bottles, which basically rendered it useless....
My second Camino this year I carried no knives, but did have a corkscrew and a "spork" (very useful).
If you have any concerns, just buy a small, cheap knife when you get to Spain. That way if it's lost or confiscated by "da man" no big deal. Just make sure it has a corkscrew on it.

Buen Camino and "Gig em".....

 

[joe g texas aggies]

I carried a Leatherman tool with me on my first Camino in 2013 and traveled by rail from Paris to SJPDP. I kept the tool (which had a small knife blade) in my pack and had no problems. I never had the tool in a carry-on bag on flights, and it stayed in my pack which was checked-on. I don't recall having any of my possessions inspected prior to boarding any of the trains from Paris to SJPDP. In the end I never had any use for the Leatherman tool and it never left my pack, but I suppose it could have come in handy to repair equipment, or slice cheese or chorizo (I always managed to find a kitchen knife in the albergues for that). It did not have a corkscrew for opening wine bottles, which basically rendered it useless....
My second Camino this year I carried no knives, but did have a corkscrew and a "spork" (very useful).
If you have any concerns, just buy a small, cheap knife when you get to Spain. That way if it's lost or confiscated by "da man" no big deal. Just make sure it has a corkscrew on it.

Buen Camino and "Gig em".....

LOL Thanks, Mark, especially for the "Gig em." I am nervous at the moment. (The Ags are playing the Pigs in a couple of hours for those not in the know.)

 

[Mark Lee]

LOL Thanks, Mark, especially for the "Gig em." I am nervous at the moment. (The Ags are playing the Pigs in a couple of hours for those not in the know.)

Yeah, I think y'all will have no problem with the Pigs, especially because it's at Kyle Field and even without "Johnny Football", ha ha.
My ex is an Aggie. Many years ago when we first started dating she snuck me in to an A&M-UT game at Kyle Field with her brother's college ID (also an Aggie). I had to wear an A&M sweatshirt and do all those things y'all used do at games against UT. Interesting date to say the least, and ended well because A&M won, ha ha. Dates are more fun when the girlfriend is happy because her team won.
OK, nuff said before the moderators ban me from this thread for being off subject, ha ha.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

All high-speed AVE trains and most long distance ones have X-ray security prior boarding. Weapons are not allowed on board, knives included. A small pocket knife would probably make it through as security is nothing like an airport.

 

[dougfitz]

All high-speed AVE trains and most long distance ones have X-ray security prior boarding. Weapons are not allowed on board, knives included. A small pocket knife would probably make it through as security is nothing like an airport.

My experience with Eurostar a couple of years ago is that their security was at least as demanding as airport check in. A particular problem is that because one does not check one's main bag, but carries it onto the train to put in the luggage racks in each compartment, everything is treated as if it were the equivalent of cabin baggage on an aircraft. As a result knives seem to be banned completely. That said, they did allow my walking poles on, packed into my large pack.

This wasn't an issue going from Paris to SJPP, where there was not security check.

I know that we don't always do this, but it pays to check the conditions of carriage to see what is allowed or not allowed on specific services.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Leave your knife in your back pack , it is the best place to take it with you .