Carrying your bike on itelian trains

The Italian train schedules are annotated, designating which trains carry bikes. Still, even on the right trains, the conductors can give you a hard time (apparently they don't read their own schedules). There is a fee and there aren't many trains that permit bikes. The French and Spanish systems are extremely difficult to get a bike on. In fact you usually have to send the bike as freight (usually about US$30 for most destinations) and wait a couple of days for it to show up. The waiting is the worst bit because you have to plan to stay wherever you are getting off the train until your transportation arrives. But there is a better way. It will save you a pile of money and will allow you to get on almost any train anywhere. Buy a bag. If you tear your racks off, push your seat down, take the wheels off, turn your handlebars sideways, and stuff the whole thing in a bag, you can get it on most trains for free. There are size limits (eg 120 cm x 90 cm in France) but I doubt if anyone will actually come out with a tape measure. I discovered this too late to take full advantage, but I wound up buying a plastic table cloth in Spain for about US$7, wrapping it around my bike, and saving US$30 and a couple of days wait. There are commercially available bags that are tough but lightweight. If you are planning to take trains, take one with you. It will also help avoid damage on buses and planes. And some airlines will make you buy a box if you don't have such a bag.