Travelling with a musical instrument this summer? How to keep it safe by car, train or plane

Bands are hitting the headlines recently following valuable musical instruments and equipment being stolen while on tour. The Bay City Rollers suffered the loss of all their musical equipment, plus a much-loved tartan guitar owned for over 50 years, when their van was robbed in a hotel car park. Meanwhile in Leicester, Masti Band lost their amplifiers, speakers and specialised drums in a similar fashion. Aamir Rana, the vocalist and keyboard player, described one of the custom drums as “priceless” due to its sentimental value.

Sadly, theft of musical equipment can be all too common – and it can leave musicians like you in a tight spot. Not only do you lose a much treasured or irreplaceable instrument but it may also affect your ability to play booked gigs. As summer gigging season continues, many musicians will be travelling more often – so here’s a guide to keeping your precious musical instruments and equipment safe on your travels.

Summer travel: prepare before you go

Whether you’re playing a few gigs locally with your band, heading out on a summer-long tour with an orchestra, doing the festival circuit, or simply taking your guitar on holiday with you, travelling with something as special as a musical instrument requires careful preparation to protect it from damage, as well as reduce the risk of it getting lost or stolen.

Firstly, you need to plan for how you’re travelling. Sticking locally? Car or public transport might be your preferred route. Heading abroad? You may need to navigate the complexities of flying.

However you travel, there are a few essential steps you should take first:

1. Choose the right case – hard cases offer the most protection from knocks, bumps and temperature changes in transit, especially in the back of a vehicle. They are essential for flying. If you’re travelling by bus or train, a padded gig bag may be easier to carry but make sure it’s robust enough to withstand a crowded carriage or busy station.
2. Label your cases and equipment – make sure each separate case is clearly labelled with your name and contact details. It’s a good idea to use ‘Fragile’ stickers as well, and we recommend making your case uniquely identifiable, such as adding colourful tape or stickers.
3. Take photographs of everything – if you need to prove ownership or claim on your insurance, photographs of the condition of your instrument before you left may be useful.
4. Check your current insurance is suitable – if you’re taking your instrument away with you, make sure your insurance provides the right level of cover for your needs. Home insurance policies vary and may not extend cover for your instrument when you take it out of the home, travel, or if you get paid to gig, so check your policy terms and consider using specialist musical instrument insurance for peace of mind.

With all of the above sorted, you’re in good shape to get on the road. So how do you protect your instrument while in transit? Read on.

Keeping musical instruments safe when travelling by bus or train

As any musician who has navigated a crowded train with a guitar on their back, or an awkwardly-shaped trombone case, or even a small instrument case like a flute or clarinet, knows – travelling by public transport can pose its own set of challenges.

Limited space is the most obvious issue. You need to keep your instrument within sight at all times and, ideally, not on overhead racks where it could get knocked or fall down during the journey.

Depending on the size of the musical instrument, you may need to book a dedicated seat for it, and there are some railway lines in particular that don’t allow items onboard that are over a metre long and not easy to carry. Double bassists, for example, may need to check railway policies before travelling simply due to the size of their instrument.

Again, due to the logistics of carrying an instrument around crowded spaces such as stations, it’s important to give yourself plenty of time to navigate onto your train or bus. Plan your route in advance to minimise stress and keep your instrument on you at all times.

Handy tips when you’re on your way

Watch out for temperature changes

Hot temperatures can play havoc with delicate instruments, from melting the glue to expanding the wood to simply making it harder to tune. If you’re travelling in an air-conditioned environment, give your instrument time to adjust to warmer temperatures before you play – letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before playing it. You can find out more tips for hot weather in our guide to gigging in summer.

Never leave your instruments in a vehicle on a hot day. Temperatures inside vehicles can rise quickly, which may cause serious or even permanent damage to delicate instruments.

Check whether your insurance includes cover for travelling with musical instruments

Before travelling, it’s worth checking whether your current insurance is suitable for how and where you’ll be using your instrument. Sometimes musicians rely on their home insurance to provide cover, but this may not be enough if you’re regularly travelling with your musical instrument and equipment.

Home insurance policies don’t always include cover for instruments taken outside of the house, used abroad, carried in vehicles, on public transport or used as part of a paid performance. You might need to consider specialist musicians’ insurance instead. Every policy is different so check your policy wording or speak to your insurer before you travel.