Buckingham Palace Bag Check Question

[Dohmacc]

Hello! The Buckingham Palace website states that bags/backpacks cannot be larger than 40cm X 30cm X 20cm.

 

Does anyone have any recent experience about how they gauge the size of the bags during the security inspection? For example, do they have the sizer bins like they do at airports for guests to place their bags in, or do guards simply 'eyeball' the bags and make rough determinations of size?

 

The backpack I plan to bring is about 30cm wide, but I'm pretty sure it can be squeezed into a bin because it's flexible fabric. However, if the guards just look at it, I can see how they might feel it's over the size. I know there are some (kind of) nearby lockers via Stasher, but I'd still prefer to just keep my backpack with me.. so wondering what people think.

 

Thanks so much!

[princeton123211]

39 minutes ago, Dohmacc said:

The backpack I plan to bring is about 30cm wide, but I'm pretty sure it can be squeezed into a bin because it's flexible fabric. However, if the guards just look at it, I can see how they might feel it's over the size. I know there are some (kind of) nearby lockers via Stasher, but I'd still prefer to just keep my backpack with me.. so wondering what people think.

They take security pretty seriously-- you aren't visiting a museum, you're visiting the main home of the head of state. You also aren't allowed to wear the backpack when you're inside the palace so if that's going to be an issue carrying it at your side it might be worth considering. I would just leave it at your hotel if at all possible. 

[Luckynana]

On 7/5/2024 at 7:26 PM, Dohmacc said:

Hello! The Buckingham Palace website states that bags/backpacks cannot be larger than 40cm X 30cm X 20cm.

 

Does anyone have any recent experience about how they gauge the size of the bags during the security inspection? For example, do they have the sizer bins like they do at airports for guests to place their bags in, or do guards simply 'eyeball' the bags and make rough determinations of size?

 

The backpack I plan to bring is about 30cm wide, but I'm pretty sure it can be squeezed into a bin because it's flexible fabric. However, if the guards just look at it, I can see how they might feel it's over the size. I know there are some (kind of) nearby lockers via Stasher, but I'd still prefer to just keep my backpack with me.. so wondering what people think.

 

Thanks so much!

I just went through Security at a  Concert last week to see Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson in N.J. last week.  My bag was just a "teeny bit" bigger than they would allow.  I was told that I could check the bag....there were over 17,000 people at this Venue, and I saw people checking their items that wouldn't pass.  Luckily the bag I had wasn't a good bag, and there was no way I was going to have to retrieve my bag at the end of the Concert, so I just told them to throw it out!  Lesson learned.  I'll be carrying something just big enough to hold my wallet, phone, etc.  I'll just carry my bottle of water next time..lol!

[phabric]

I remember in August 2015, after going through the security machine like at the airports - belts off, empty pockets, bags, walk through, I checked my backpack (I think, they must have giving me some kind of ticket) and after exiting the Palace, down some stairs, one side had a small tent cafe and other side I picked up my backpack.  They had moved the bags from the entrance to the exit.

 

No bathrooms in the Palace for the public.  There are public bathrooms on the way out of the Palace grounds.

[Dohmacc]

Thanks everyone for feedback! I will report back in a few weeks after my visit to update, in case anyone ever runs across this thread in the future.