GUfruf

I know there are those who are adamant about doing this and I just never would. I just don't like wearing the same clothes over and over. And I NEVER do laundry on vacation. Plus where do you put all the clothes you buy, which for me is considerable. If my bags get lost, just more clothes to buy. Money is to be spent is my motto . You can't take it with you. And I really don't mind waiting at the luggage carousel. Go ahead and slam me if you want. Shopping in Europe is one of my pleasures in life.

danon

"Go ahead and slam me if you want'

Why would anyone wish to do so?

We all have our ways of traveling, stay in hotels our budget allows, eat in restaurants according to our taste, and like or dislike certain cities!

suze

I find cold weather packing to be easier actually. Because you wear your heavy stuff (boots, coat, bulkiest sweater) when you're moving (plane or train). And winter clothes are friendlier to wear multiple times w/out washing.

J_Correa

If the 21" case isn't sufficient, we like to each bring the 21" suitcase that can be checked or carried on and then a smaller case to carry on. The smaller case attaches to the 21" case so that they can be pulled around as 1 unit. We like this method better than having larger suitcases because it allows for more flexibility. For weekend trips, we take the smaller cases, for 1-2 week trips we take the 21" cases, and for longer trips, we take both. It works well.

Luisah

<<Is it that much of difference shlepping a 25" on rollers than a 21" on rollers?>>

Yes, it's a bit of a difference, but who will be shlepping it? If your husband doesn't mind and you haul the 21" you should be okay. However, a 24" might be easier to deal with on the trains than the 15". I did get my 24" on the rack above the seat in Italy but I was in a first class compartment. Second class may be more crowded and have less storage space.

I don't know how big your husband is but getting shoes and enough clothes into a 21" for a 6'3" man might be a problem.

Attnymom

Travel2Live2: Do you mind telling me where you got your backpack/duffel bag? We are going to try to pack only a carry-on each for a 2 month trip this summer - we'll see if it actually happens!! I will use a roller bag, but my husband is looking for a combo backpack/duffel or backpack/roller bag.

Thanks

shoefly

What is so hard about quickly washing out your fast-drying travel clothes? I'd much rather so that than schlep a ton of stuff (or, God forbid, check through - I am NOT NOT going shopping!).

Cindywho

I didn't mention that we have a washer/dryer during the first 5 days of our stay - in our apartment!

I am not opposed to washing out clothing in the sink.

US Air, which we are flying with a connection thru PHILADELPIA (the worst possibly for losing luggage?), has a one carry on rule along with a "personal item" such as purse, briefcase, etc. Would this "personal item" include a backpack/daypack as long as it fits under the seat??

Thanks for all of your opinions. As someone said there is no right answer, just whatever is best for each one. We may still do the carryon...

travel2live2

Attnymom, they are Rick Steves bags - we ordered them off his website several years ago. They are rugged, durable and very inexpensive. They are perfect for us. I could not even begin to imagine having to carry regular luggage or dragging wheeled luggage on cobblestones or other uneven surfaces or even uphill.

Maybe we will change our minds when we get older but for now it's just right. We've tried everything and this is our only winner.

Attnymom

Thanks travel2live2 - I have been checking out the bags on his website. It is good to have a review from a fellow traveler! There may be a new carry-on under our tree this year . . .

danon

in all our travels with carry ons
no one has measured them yet - it is the weight that the airlines have been checking !

WillTravel

I've certainly seen many carry-on sizers at airport check-ins. My experience is that both factors matter.

danon

"I've certainly seen many carry-on sizers at airport check-ins."

I have seen them too .. just never seen any one using them...

Therese

Yes, Cindywho, you can count a daypack or briefcase or diaper bag as your personal item.

travel2live2

You are welcome, Attnymom. I forgot to mention that they are also nice and light. It is not often I would rate something 10/10 but I would in this case.

arewethereyet

We spent almost 3 weeks with our 2 teens traveling through 4 countries - all with carry-ons. We thought it would be really difficult, but it was quite easy, and so convenient for getting on/off trains, metros, etc. No one wants to do laundry on vacation, but we found that we could send it out for washing (which we only did once). We dropped it in the morning and picked up fresh clothes in the afternoon. Very easy!

arewethereyet

Oh, and then for my "personal" item, I have one of those totes that fold up to wallet size. On the trip home I stick my purse in there along with my purchases and then it's just a large purse which I can carry in addition to my carry-on.

mpkp

We have done it both ways depending on the activities -- if we are going hiking and need hiking boots then we usually check a bag.

My husband carries a sling pack camera bag with the camera and I carry a back pack with all toiletries in it and other necessities -- glasses, medicines, first aid items etc. I can fit one outfit each in this if I need to so it is a fairly good sized day pack.

We have a 24 inch suitcase and it is a lightweight one-- but even so we have to be careful to keep the weight below 50 pounds or an extra fee is charged. I have found that ist is easy to go over that 50 pound limit. If we decide to check this, then we will take one more carryon size and we pack both of our clothes in both cases -- maybe 3 or 4 days each will go in the carryon. That way if our suitcase does not arrive, we still have enough to get us through for a few days.

I do not carry a purse -- I have a small one that I pack in the suitcase and I make sure that the clothes I am wearing has a place for my passport and wallet. This way I can have a carryon suitcase and the back pack as my personal item. Never have we had problems carrying on that much.

One more thing that we have done if we are flying somewhere and having a rental car for the time we are there is we check the larger bag but when we get to the destination, it stays in the car and we take things out of it and carry them to the room. That way we are not lugging the large suitcase in and out every day or two.

One thing to consider is the weight of the empty suitcase. To me it is worth it to pay for light weight. Carryons should weigh less than 10 pounds empty. We had a 24 inch suitcase that I got from Costco -- one of my favorite stores -- and back then it weighed 17 pounds empty! We gave it away because it was so heavy when packed. When you are lugging things, every pound counts!

J_Correa

I always take a day pack, tote bag, etc. as my personal item. I have a travel purse from SportSac made of nylon that folds up very small. I empty it out, fold it up, and stash it someplace in my larger bag. That way, the purse isn't counted as another item and I still have it to use when I get where I am going. Then depending on what we are doing on any particular day, I can take my purse or my day pack or tote.

aneckc

My wife and I have done it both ways.

Typically, we travel with 2 carry-ons and backpacks. We can usually fit 2 days underwear, one change of clothes, toiletries, camera, paperbacks, medicines, sandwiches and snacks into our backpacks with room to spare. In our carry-ons we both include 2 pairs of nylon convertible pants to wear as shorts or long pants that wash and dry very easily overnight. I will bring 5 dri-release polo shirts that I alternate. They dry overnight. Others wear cool max shirts. Find nylon or Cool Max socks too. 100% cotton socks will not dry overnight. I have never taken jeans because they are too heavy and take too long to dry. Travelsmith sells Cool Max jeans but at $70 seems too expensive. It does get tedious washing laundry every night though. I used the hotel's laundry service in Positano once and they charged me over 20 euros for not very much laundry. Very expensive.

If I am going to be in one city for several days I will email my hotel for suggestions on self-service lauromats nearby. Or, you can look for a Rick Steves book in the library. They usually will include locations for laundromats in different cities you will be visiting. We've used this strategy for trips as long as 3 weeks so it can be done.

We have also taken large suitcases for checkin. We've done it when taking 3 week cruises in Europe where we don't have to pack and unpack everyday. Be sure to put half your clothes in your spouses suitcase and half of hers in yours in case they get lost. We still carry extra days clothes in our backpacks in case the suitcases get lost. I don't trust the airlines at all. I don't like waiting in long lines at the luggage carousel so usually travel with the carryons only.

When we were traveling in Switzerland we used their train system exclusively and were glad we weren't hauling suitcases from place to place. There were a lot of stairs in Positano and would have been a chore to lug heavy suitcases up those steps. Ditto Capri. (Haven't been to Santorini yet but heard there were many steps there too). As mentioned earlier Venice would have been troublesome dragging heavy suitcases over canals. Many European cities have cobblestone streets.

Anyway, enjoy your trips. We love to travel!