22" or 25" suitcase...
 

I am going away for three weeks, I know everyone thinks a 22" is perfect...but it seems so small! would a little bigger really be that cumbersome?

22'' is a large as you can take as carry on luggage for most airlines, that's how that size became popular. If you were planning on checking your luggage anyway, I would go for the larger size unless you anticipate having to carry/push your own luggage on public transportation (trains/ busses etc) IF so, the extra size will indeed be that much heavier and due to size, harder to get around without knocking into aother people

Anna,<BR>The only difference besides the extra room, is that a 25" has to be checked-in, whereas a 22" could be a carry-on if your only other bag is a purse or a personal bag.

Anna, it depends on how you are traveling. If you are taking the train around, you will have to lift the bag onto the train and then perhaps onto a pile of other bags. The smaller the better. If you are staying in one place, it doesn't matter what size your bag is.

Anna,<BR><BR>Any chance you are Jason's girlfriend? <BR><BR>See the recent thread "Will My Luggage Fit In Rental Car?" for some diverse opinions on this very topic.<BR><BR>Load up a 25" suitcase. Haul it up and down some stairs. Will you be travelling on trains? See if you can lift it over your head. Take it outside and run around the block with it. Bonus points if it's raining. Give the neighbors a heads-up so they don't think you're nutso.<BR><BR>All jokes aside, if you can navigate with it and it makes you happy, take it and have a great trip!<BR><BR>

I think whether you are going to move around to lots of different places using public transportation is the key to your decision. If you are truly staying put in one location, then take whatever you want.<BR><BR>They even made me check my 22" last month Seattle/London, so that isn't always a factor. Having said that...<BR><BR>There is nothing you need for 3 weeks in Europe that will not fit into a 22" suitcase. Believe me!! You just have to get over the shock-factor of dwelling on that it "seems so small". Try to get with the philosophy, that "this will certainly hold all I need."

Get a 22" that expands to 24" and plan to check it. Pack in the 22" size and use the extra space as you go for your treasures. If you pack light you will bless the day you did. It took us a LONG time to realize this.

a 22 that expands to 24? I've never seen or heard of this!

She's not my girlfriend, although she sounds lovely.

Actually, we have a 22" expandable suitcase but it becomes 3" thicker not taller! For our 2-week trip in May, we departed with it unexpanded and then expanded it along the way as we made purchases. We also took a small nylon duffel bag just in case we needed extra room in our suitcase upon our return. We figured we could put dirty clothes in the duffel and check it. But we didn't need it. It's amazing what all you can get in a 22" suitcase if you plan carefully!

From an average size woman who travels without benefit of tour groups, maid or limo service:<BR><BR>Public transportation: there are lots of stairs in subways; bus doors are narrow and the buses are crowded most of the time; trains have hiiiiigh steps, narrow aisles, limited storage space, and oftentimes only a scant few minutes to make connections; train stations in big cities are huge, in small towns there are only stairs to get you to the right track (no escalators or elevators).<BR><BR>Streets: city sidewalks are crowded, have high curbs, broken pavement, cobblestones, yucky stuff you don't want<BR>explained, puddles when it rains.<BR><BR>Accommodations: unless you are staying in a luxury hotel or American chain hotel, you'll find tiny lobbies, narrow steep stairs, no elevator, eentsy rooms, no bell hop.<BR><BR>Pack a 25" bag, and do as everyone has suggested. Then, bring it into your bathroom and try to unpack it or find something in the bottom. That extra 3" not only adds more volume to what you're toting, but also QUANTITY and WEIGHT of stuff. Now you're digging through 6 t-shirts i/o 2, another pair of shoes, a lame blouse....to get to your hairbrush. Believe me, that larger suitcase is just 14% bigger than the 22" suitcase, but 75% more hassle. <BR><BR><BR>

I want to know how an average size, in-shape woman can lift a 22" loaded suitcase over her head into the overhead bin! I can't do that unloaded. I take only a 22" and a small tote bag, but I have to check the 22". Is there something I don't know?

Anna,<BR>For a three week trip, I would definitly take a 25" suitcase. I just don't think you can fit all the clothes you need, toiletries, shoes and make up in a 22". But I would try to take only one suitcase and a hand bag.

This may be obvious, but a 25" suitcase isn't usually just 3" longer than 22" one, it's also wider and deeper. A standard size 22x14x9 suitcase has a volume of roughly 2772 cu. in, while a 25x16x11 has a volume of roughly 4400 cu. in. So, if it's filled it will hold a lot more -- something like 60 percent more and will correspondingly be a lot heavier.

I'm like Anna. I think it's too small. I would like to know what you can fit in a 22" suitcase that you would need for a three/four week trip? I have my clothes/necessitites laid out, but they are never going to fit. Seriously, what exactly do I need to take?

I don't know how a well dressed adult woman can carry enough clothes for two weeks in a 22" case with shoes and toiletries. I don't want to see or smell myself in the same clothes every day, let alone what other people think about me.

I always plan to do at least some laundry when I travel. Sounds as though many people want to take enough to wear different clothes every day?

Some people will do origami on a toothbrush to minimize baggage. Others can't leave home without the coffeemaker. If you can haul it or are willing to pay someone else to, this all seems like a matter of personal style and not a judgment of right or wrong.

For Anna, Josie & Peale~~<BR><BR>To answer Peale's question how a well dressed woman can carry enough clothes for 2 weeks in a 22" case? ... Well, honestly, practice makes perfect*!* And you do need good clothing to start with (that is versatile, packs well, looks great on you). Packing light like dressing well is an ART.<BR><BR>Actually I just did 3 weeks -first in Amsterdam then onto Switzerland- with a 22" roller. Believe me, I did not smell bad nor did I wear the same clothing everyday. I do carry my cosmetic bag separately in an oversize pocketbook when in transit (all toiletries and cosmetics totally downsized for travel).<BR><BR>And one small European-sized load of cotton tank tops and undies got done half way thru.

Susan, well, I wish you would teach me a thing or two about packing. At the last minute I throw in a few things, then a few more things that I love and want to wear in Europe. <BR>I want to try a 22" or 25" this year though.