(Apologies in advance if this is a really silly question!) BUT

I'm travelling via the train back home for a week's holiday over Easter ( ) and I am taking my violin with me (only been playing a month or so). Aside from obvious things like 1) not dropping it on the floor 2) leaving it on the train, is there anything I should be doing to protect it etc? I admit it's only a beginners one but as it's the only one I have I am going to look after it!

Also...

Normally I fly back on the plane (as it's much quicker/easier) from the North to South using but this time I decided to take the train as I think it may be cheaper/less hassle than the plane with a violin. How much of a problem is it taking a violin on a small plane for travel in the UK? Does anyone know about this? The main problem is it's bigger than the default hand luggage size, and I think if you put it in the hold you may as well chuck it out the window now as it's not going to be in one piece when you arrive! On the up side it is much lighter than normal hand luggage...

Thanks!

I've never taken my violin on a plane but I went on tour with an orchestra to Italy and a few people took their violins and I dont think they had a problem. Take it on as hand luggage rather than uputting it underneath as it gets quite cold!!

Airlines have different policies. Expensive airlines like BA/El Al etc are usually very accomodating and allow you to take a violin as an extra piece of hand baggage on top of purse+regulation size bag. Sometimes it's counted instead of a laptop bag. If you can figure out which seats board first, book those because it can be hard to get a big enough locker space on full flights.

Budget airlines are mostly rubbish. Easyjet do actually let you take a violin but it's your only piece of hand luggage, so you've got to fit anything else you want for the flight into your case. Most budget airlines make you book an extra seat though (which makes the word "budget" a bit redundant).

Expect some funny looks at security if you carry-on, be careful about extra strings etc which could be seen as potential restraints, and other rubbish like that. Also check the heat of the bottom of the overhead lockers, as the little lights can make really hot patches; if your case is at all flimsy it could cause some damage to the case or even the violin. You don't need to loosen the strings, that's just a myth, but keep an eye on the humidity and a dampit might be handy to keep the humidity up. Low humidity can cause big problems with the bow and violin.

Oh yes, indeed. I once got a rather severe 'is this your luggage?' grilling after my violin was xrayed...it turned out that a practice mute looks a bit too much like a razor blade, and of course it was stuffed halfway under the lining of a pocket, to make it look worse. However, once it was identified, they were great about it, actually asking what it was in detail, so that they could identify them more easily in future.

I don't have any experience of violins but fairly regularly take cellos of various sizes and in fact used to fly Easy Jet whenever I could because although you have to forgo your usual piece of hand luggage they were quite clear about the size of musicial instrument that you could carry (although the staff didn't always know so its worth printing out the relevant information from the website and having it with you). As a half size cello and probably a three quarter size cello fits in the size limit I can't imagine any difficulty with a violin.

Other airlines you have to buy a seat for a cello.

Different airlines have different rules so read them carefully before you go.

The best thing is to have a hard case. I would be very nervous travelling with a soft case. Violin daughter has a Hiscox case, which is great.
We have travelled by air often and never had a problem. THe violin has always counted as her hand luggage.
Violinma

If the airline has a policy that says you can take a musical instrument, print it off and take it with you. But it's still a good idea to act as if they are doing you a big favour by letting you carry the violin on board.

Take minimal additional hand luggage on board, best of all is to take nothing else except your violin. I once had to choose between the tiniest of handbags (a purse effectively) or my fiddle, so I was forced to empty the contents of the handbag into my pockets and hold luggage.

Also be careful with your tuner, yes it is a sharp metal object and therefore a weapon. (I got mine back eventually, but I had forgotten it was in the bottom of my handbag. In fact I didn't even recognise it in the X-ray machine!).

My sister works for an airline and they get so many people giving them a hard time that they are subconsciously looking for pleasant passengers that they can help them with their journey - it makes them feel good about doing their job. Don't make a big fuss, be grateful for their help and you will be fine.

I've travelled with my violin loads of times and have never had any problems. I've got so laid back about it that I don't even worry about seeing my violin disappear into the back of the bus luggage hold, but my case is very hard. I don't know if anyone else has noticed that the E string doesn't last too long after the journey?

As a child at boarding school in England and living abroad, I regularly flew with my violin. The worst thing about it was the constant jokes by security about the machine gun that I must be carrying - if a passenger made that joke you'd be arrested!

I flew home from Japan with a violin last year with Japan Airlines. I was told I could bring the violin as an extra piece of hand luggage, but that there could be nothing else in the case other than the violin and bow. Have also flown BA to London with my violin and there were no problems at all - again just took it as a separate piece of handluggage, and had all the usual paraphenalia in my case. Mind you that was in 2000, so rules have changed.

If you are able to take your violin as hand luggage, it should be perfectly safe in a hard case. Mine is also always (not just when travelling!) wrapped up in a pillow case, which is something that my school violin teacher always insisted on, and I've never got out of the habit of doing!

I've travelled to Ireland, Nice, Tuscany, Venice, and other places in France on planes (ryanair/easyject) and have never had any trouble with instruments, but I did take them as my only piece of hand luggage.

When I went to venice (youth orchestra tour) I was the first to check in and the lady looked at it, asked if it was an intrument and then said that's fine and gave me a sticker to stick on it saying 'cleared for hand baggage.' 40 instruments later she wasn't looking too impressed

To be fair though, the only time I had any real trouble with the violin and "potential restraints" was at Tel Aviv airport...they were pretty jumpy that day (a guy who had a "suspicious" jar of olives was also kept waiting for over 2 hours. Olives and violins... )

Members of the Musicians Union get sent a proper card issued by the Civil Aviation Authority each year, clearly stating what's what when comes to carrying musical instruments as hand luggage.

I carry mine with me when I'm going to fly and present it at the check in desk if the member of staff decides to get on their hobby horse. It soon shuts them up.

Any way that non-members can get hold of a card (even if it means paying)? Could be very useful for me this summer.

Don't know, but have you thought of joining MU as a student member?

I don't really know anything about it, but if it costs money then I can't since my student loan doesn't even cover accomodation Have looked briefly at the website but can't say that I understand what there is to gain from being a member unless, for example, you're a freelancer in which case it could be handy.

A friend of mine has apparently flown with her cello in the seat next to her so often that it actually gets its own post from a couple of airlines, addressed to "Mr A Cello"!

That's cool! I guess if you book online etc you have to put something in the name field for whoever (or whatever) you are buying the seat for!