If you're near the SF Bay area, there's a Briggs and Riley outlet in Moss Landing, or somewhere close. Google to get the info.

I hate to sound so "Valley" but the Delsey is way cuter and I love the red.

You might want to look into Platinum model of Travelpro as well. Other than a bit of a weight problem, I think they are very good suitcases. I have been using them for 12 years now and still look new after many miles of traveling.

I'm not inthe SF area, I live in Alexandria VA, so if anyone from my area ( DC, northern VA or MD) has good stores they've gone to, let me know.

But I like the ebags site and its fun to peruse!

I agree, LynnieD that the Delsey looks cute! My husband has a Delsey that is a terrific piece of luggage, however his is way too heavy for me!

SRS, you are thinking about a Delsey too, the same one I am looking at on ebags; what are your reasons for considering it?

..I am very biased. love travelpro (their platinum line)..very durable..my stuff really takes a beating. My s.o. was a real road warrior. He swore by Tumi- His case lasted a 10 years; he destroyed an old samsonite in 1 year. I think my travelpro is almost but not quite as durable as his and is half the price! I like the design of travelpro and they have a variety of sizes.

Hi tripgirl,

I was thinking about the Delsey because of it's weight, expandablity, and that it's 24". I think my reasons are pretty much the same as yours...

I know it's not superlight, but since it's under 15 lbs, it's a winner in my book.

I like the fact that it expands - I usually end up with more on the way home.

I know that so many here use just carry ons. My husband and I have done that before too. But I would rather bring one carry on and one bag that is a bit bigger to check. I like the extra space - it lets me bring a few more items.

And the reviews are good!

So those were my thoughts. I haven't actually bought it yet though because I hate spending money on things like suitcases. (I need to though because my current case is one step away from disaster).

I also think the international traveller luggage that bookchick mentioned looks really good too.

Sally

I will be travelling in Europe this summer, mostly by train. I am looking into luggage right now. I am concerned that a 22 inch rolling bag will just not be quite big enough. I am thinking about a Pathfinder Avenger brand 26 inch rolling duffel. It seems like it would provide more room, but be narrower so would be able to roll up and down the train aisles easily, etc. Has anyone used a bag like this?

Hi

We have 3 22" weekenders by Tumi-with a suitor and we love them. Make sure the clamp for the hangers is the one that flips up and secures the hangers. They are not the lightest but we traveled for 15 days to France with just that and their new rolling carryon. Swiss Army is lighter in weight. Tumi is very well organized and lasts forever. We have an old suitor without wheels and finally replaced it for a new one with wheels. Got all three at a luggage outlet that had Tumi. Good luck.

I sell luggage in Jacksonville, Florida. We have many brands from Tumi to Travel Pro. But I would recommend checking out Swiss Army Victornox NTX. They make this line in Red, Black, and a Silver Color. In florida the 24" is 379.00, a little more than you are looking to spend, but it has a lifetime warrenty and a great reputation.

Just bought my 13 yr. old a swiss army travelwerks suitcase in 24 inch for $160. Since son is going to China this summer and is limited to one suitcase with strict weight restrictions, this suitcase seems to fit the bill. Very light-weight, handle changes for direction of travel, doesn't tip over and you can get a lot into it. got a great deal at luggageguru.com and they threw in a swiss army duffle (which retails at around $100) for free. Shipping was free. Also got a cool backpack contraption which is two backpacks in one from Swiss Army. Son can take a it as a carry-on and smaller backpack detaches from larger packpack for day trips. I got that at letravel.com. My luggage is a 22 inch from Kenneth Cole that I got from Marshalls for $79. It has lasted 5 years, been to europe and many other trips and still looks good. Also son's suitcase is bright blue and black-bought color to remind him to pick up his luggage while traveling.

The luggage ever?
Easy! - Globe Trotter.

Far more stylish than LV and without the c-list celeb connotations that LV has.

Rather pricey mind you – I was pricing some up at the weekend in their shop in the Burlington Arcade just off Old Bond Street and you can pay £650 for a case – but they will last you for life (and your children after you) and they exude quality and understated style.

For a look visit www.globe-trotterltd.com

Dr D. :)

travelbunny:
I looked at travel pro on ebags and they are more expensive than many others.

I know you like their durability. What else about the bag do you like compared to others?

Ebags would have the best price for them?

workerbee:
For Tumi, I could not find on ebags; is there an online source so I can look at this line? Or did I miss something on ebags?

thanks a mil....

God Bless TJMaxx, Marshall's and Ross -- the Big 3! We have bought all of our luggage from those 3 stores and they are all still intact. My husband, the master negotiator, even got the folks at Ross to mark down a bag that had some minor scuffs. Now, they don't all match, but we don't care.

I agree with Marilyn that the handle should run inside the suitcase -- any extra protection for the handles is a good thing. Extra protection on the corners of the suitcase is a plus too.

All of our bags expand, but we only use that feature on the way home.
((c))

http://ca.samsonite.com/webapp/ca/se...oductcategory=

Chieck out the Samsonite Sahora Spinner - its the best luggage I have ever bought. It is light(ish), two-sided and on spinning wheels, which means you can "walk" it, rather than drag it (much easier on the back and shoulders. The avantage of a two-sided case is that you pack your hanging clothes on one side (on hangers) and your shoes/toiletries etc on the other under the zipped compartment and only need to unpack the hanging clothes.

I bought the 28" and the roll-on and am well sa

We have used the TravelPro Crew 5 luggage for many years traveling domestically and internationally and have never had a problem. We recently added the rolling tote bag and really like its features, especially not having to carry around a heavy bag when walking in airports.

As above, I recently added a rolling tote as my carry-on. It's not too big and a real luxury for me in airports, kind of like a large pocketbook on wheels. It then piggybacks with a sleeve onto my 22" which I check thru.

..re travelpro platinum- yes, it is not cheap BUT half the price of Tumi (which is the rolls royce of non handmade luggage). Durability (as well as design) is a major concern of mine. In the last 12 months I have been to the UK twice, France x2,Switzerland,Thailand,Japan, Russia, Burma, Laos and points in between and the bag still looks great. I have used Sampsonite, Am tourister (as a "kid") and I think the bag lasts about 5x as long..with a tumi probably about 1/2 as long as my travelpro. I think before one buys it is important to figure out how much you will travel and put this into the equation when you choose az bag.

..whoops made an error..I think my travel pro lasts 1/2 as long as a tumi(..i know how much my so travels so this is an educated guess)..oh and add senegal to the list for last year.

suze, I just bought a similar rolling tote to use as a carry on. What sold me was the strap on the back so I can slip it over the handle of my 23" wheelie, which I check. With my daypack on my back, I am not only mobile, but have one hand free. Can't wait to try it out. (I paid $30 for it at Ross.)

After a lot of research, I bought an Atlantic Profession 2520 24" suiter, mainly because it looked quite durable and was lighter than the TravelPro. It seems nuts to me to get a suitcase that's heavy even empty. I paid under $100 for it and have been quite satisfied. I note that the cheapest price now is at luggagesource (where I got mine) for $129 w/free shipping. It supposedly lists for $380, but lots of sites have it cheaper.