I saw this at a department store this weekend and thought it might be good for our trip to France and Italy in September (Rome, Venice, Provence, Paris). We'll be traveling for 2.5 weeks by plane, train, and automobile. http://www.highsierrasport.com/ItemD...?itemNum=AT201

Will this be too big? I thought that the backpack straps might be good for the cobblestone streets, and especially for Venice. But I've read mixed things about rolling duffels. This one seems to be sturdier than most others I've seen. Has anyone used this bag?

I am on my third generation of High Sierra duffel bags. I think they are great, hold a lot and are quite sturdy.

I prefer the ones with a dropped bottom where you can lay your pants and shirts flat like a regular suitcase, which I don't think that the one you are looking at has.

Also, I don't know where you live but Macy's always has this brand on sale for half price.

I have the large drop-bottom rolling duffle. It holds a lot and it can be very heavy. I cannot imagine wearing the one I have on my back. It is great if going a tour that limits you to one bag and someone else is lifting it.

The duffle does not stand up vertically. So you need to be super careful when you put it down because people tend to not see and back over it and fall.

It is really sturdy and does not show wear like a regular suitcase.

My BF had a similar duffel bag and was unhappy that it didn't stand upright (vertical) on its own. More recently, he bought the Victorinox Trek Pack 26" and now uses it for every trip, even when a smaller bag would do!

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/produc...tegoryID=20563

His bag is lime green (not shown at Macy's site), which is great on the luggage carrousel. When we were in Paris last spring, he easily switched from rolling through the Metro station to wearing it on his back along cobblestoned streets to our hotel (while I struggled with my wheelie luggage). He also likes that he can use the zip-off second pack as a day pack; it locks onto the larger bag if you want to check both in at the airport. The bag is sturdy and well-constructed, with one central, curved spine for the handle, which helps when you wear the bag on your back.

Personally, I think that a 30" bag will be too big to lug around, especially with a mix of transportation and multiple cities. I know the decision-making about what clothes to bring for different climates and locales can be really difficult (I'm always so bad at it!), but despite a limited wardrobe, you'll probably be happier with a lighter load to carry. (My personal anecdote with this is the 10-day trip to Italy I took during college: 3 girls, one with just a bookbag-type backpack. The two of us with larger bags complained the entire trip to the smug looks of our friend; at one point, we almost missed a train because we couldn't run with the weight of our bags! When we returned home, though, my friend was so sick of the 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants she'd been wearing that she couldn't bear to wear them any more. So I don't think I'd ever go with that small a bag!)

All that said, I had a High Sierra bag as my primary luggage for years and years, and was disappointed when I finally wore it to shreds. They are certainly a good brand to look at.

Hope this helps!
ggreen

This third edition now stands perfectly on end!!!

And yes, I would have to agree that full I would never be able to wear it on my back .

Thanks for all your responses!

One question my husband has is if it would even be necessary to have the "backpack" option, assuming that the bag was actually light enough to carry that way. He thinks that rolling our suitcases around all over Europe won't be a problem, but I was thinking that having the other options might be good. Any thoughts??

We alway just roll them, we have never put them on our backs. I have visions of that little boy in the christmas movie that was all bundled up and fell down, back first, in the snow and couldn't get up, just kept waving his arms and legs...

In Europe as you said, streets are frequently cobblestoned, which makes for bumpy wheeling. And keep in mind that many streets and sidewalks in major cities are *narrow*: two of you will not really be able to walk side-by-side unless you are on a wide boulevard. Add a large wheeled suitcase and you'll find it even harder to maneuver.

How (and how frequently) you will be using the various modes of transportation you mentioned will have an impact on whether or not a wheel-only bag will be appropriate for you. For example:

You will need to lift your luggage onto the storage racks on the trains (plus wheel them down the aisle if you need to walk between cars). You also will need to fit them into the trunk of your rental car - something my mother and I were unable to do with our Ford Focus in France a few years ago. (Only one bag fit in the trunk; the other traveled on the back seat. Fortunately, we weren't in any locations where we were leaving the bags in the car and would want them out of sight.)

Additionally, if you are planning on taking your luggage on the Paris Metro, the system for the most part is very unwieldy for the wheel-bound, with many flights of stairs, especially when connecting from one subway line to another. This is usually where I am most miserable with my wheeled luggage, as my BF takes one end and I the other, and commuters rush past...

I will say that my experience comes from many years of visiting Europe, especially Paris, and that I usually travel to and from the airport by public transportation such as the RER. Also, I always prefer to have the ability to carry my bags, not just wheel them. (This is true for me even stateside, where lifting the bag and weaving around people in a crowded area is to me preferable than waddling along behind them...)

Just wanted to clarify that I'm no longer looking at taking a bag as big as 30". We are going to start looking at 26" or smaller.

It sounds like nobody really uses the backpack method. If our bags have side handles to use in lieu of wheels, I guess maybe that is good enough?