janisj-

I'm not a touchy soul, but I find your comments on this subject ignorant.

Besides sporting events, etc., there are other events that require special clothing that weighs more- for example, ballgowns, tuxedoes, etc. Although you may not dress formally when you travel, there are those of us that may. These items take up quite a bit of space and weight.

As for needing as opposing to choosing, I CHOOSE to attend the events, but I NEED to be dressed appropriately.

You are not an expert on what I or anyone else NEEDS -- your opinion that we don't NEED something doesn't make it only our CHOICE to take it.

The solution seems simple to me; if you CHOOSE to travel with a mountain of luggage, just pay the additional baggage charges, plus hiring a porter where one is available. Mostly, they are not nowadays, so it may limit your travel choices.

We CHOOSE to travel with one carry on bag apiece, plus a personal item, since I abhor schlepping luggage, and trailing a baggage train.

Works for us, not for you.

Vivre la difference!

Well, I didn't read the OP to say that adam7 is planning to take two 50-pound bags; only that s/he noticed the discrepancy between LH's transatlantic allowance and Croatia Airlines' allowance. If this is all on one itinerary, I agree with sanschag and Cowboy1968--call the airlines and check to see if the overseas allowance applies to all segments. That's generally been my experience on multi-carrier Star Alliance itineraries.

I agree with ms go.

As for NEEDING vs. CHOOSING, well, I daresay very few of us NEED to travel with ballgowns and tuxedoes and other apparently tremendously heavy luxury items, but if you NEED to carry those things with you, then just pay up. Pretty simple. (What a great opportunity this was for a poster to show off in the guise of being insulted, I might add).

Ball gowns, even huge ones, don't weight that much. I've brought several of them (not all for myself) and even a wedding gown once, and never had more than one suitcase.

Books, however, can easily make a 24" suitcase overweight.

&quot;<i>Although you may not dress formally when you travel, there are those of us that may. </i>&quot;

Hmmm - just how formal are we talking about here??? How about In the presence of Her Majesty the Queen, formal <b><font color="red">FORMAL</font></b>, long white gloves and the whole 9 yards? Yep -- been there, done that -- out of my 22 inch rollie bag.

Don't assume things - OK . . . . . .

&lt;&lt;The problem is not knowing how much a bag might weigh until arrival at the airport - then finding the bag is overweight. Solution is to determine the weight before leaving for the airport.&gt;&gt;

I usually pack a few days awhead and weigh the suitcase on the bathroom scales; I just balance it on the scales, don't stand on the scales holding the bag, and it's usually within a pound or two of the airline scales. I try to stay under 35 pounds so start taking items out when it goes over. I often shop on trips so it's heavier going back but always within the limit.

The small luggage scales that you can hold may be an option for you.

A good start is knowing how heavy your luggage is empty, if you have the older heavier type, you might want to shop for newer, lighter weight luggage. I see a lot of good bargains at TJ Maxx and luggageonline has good sales.

Good luck and have a great trip, Croatia is beautiful.

Someone else mentioned it, but check ahead of time with the code share thing. You might be able to get away with more weight/# of bags, since your overall destination is international. If the airlines are partners, some extra bags/extra weight will get through OK. The return trip is definitely the one to watch...

As for comments on how much to take, it all depends on the purpose of your trip. Many travelers like to keep it basic. Unfortunately, I end up packing all kinds of crazy stuff, because I'm a musician. When on tour, I have to pack folding music stands, music folders (the big heavy kind), music clips, stand light, concert dress, concert shoes, regular clothes, toiletries, etc. My carry on is my instrument, so EVERYTHING else goes in the suitcase. I usually start with 1 suitcase, and pack a duffel bag inside of it. On the way back, I check the duffel bag, also. It holds souvenirs, or laundry, etc.

I don't care what kind of events you choose to attend, it most certainly does NOT take 100 lbs. of clothes to be appropriately dressed for them.

No one NEEDS 2 suitcases at 50 lbs. each.

For those people who do choose to take that much, I'd bet a million bucks they do not USE everything they pack.

Sporting equipment or musican instruments, OK that'd possibly be an exception. But I don't think that's what's in MOST people's suitcases!

The OP does seem to say that one of them is taking 2 pieces of luggage. Can't imagine that.
And there won't be any curbside check in for an international destination.

Discrepancies in baggage allowances are pure gold for us airline people.

Be very careful to choose airlines that have the same baggage allowance, or at least that the lowest baggage allowance is acceptable to you.

Sorry - but unless you're carrying bricks - how would you get 100 pounds of luggage? And if you had it - how would you deal wth it on trains or in cars?

We travel with 2 large duffel bags a suitcase and a bike box each one weighing in at approximately 45 pounds. Plus our two rollerboard carryons. So for us it's easy to reach the maximum limits.

Of course we are packing a tent, sleeping bags &amp; mats, stove, eating &amp; cooking utensils, full first aid kit and everything needed to camp alongside the road for the Tour de France. As well as a complete road racing bike &amp; gear for my DH.

It is a nightmare!! I can't imagine going on a &quot;normal&quot; vacation with that much junk. I would be so stressed just trying to schlep that stuff around I would probably deliberately abandon a suitcase halfway through the trip .

When we travel at other times it's a carryone and a purse for me and a carryon &amp; laptop for my DH. Our last trip to Amsterdam in February was a breeze.

I can't imagine traveling with so much stuff that I couldn't carry my own suitcase.

Scuba diving gear (another exception where I would understand being overweight).

&lt;&lt;Scuba diving gear (another exception where I would understand being overweight).&gt;.

Or weight lifters who bring their own weights.

Or golfers who bring their own clubs.

Or ?

&lt;&lt;The OP does seem to say that one of them is taking 2 pieces of luggage&gt;&gt;

I reread the OPs two posts and still didn' see that. His second post was asking how they would know what their luggage weighed and they got suggestions on how to do that.

I join the chorus of never seeing curbside check in outside the U.S.

I don't think the OP ever said he wanted to take two bags each, either, he was just saying that is one airlines' allowance -- but the concern was Croatia Airlines where you were only allowed one bag and not over 44 pounds. I and others think that should be plenty for a normal vacationer.

I agree there are certainly special situations where people do need more -- sporting gear, for example, moving or something. NOne of us know why adam thinks they need more than 44 pounds of check-in luggage, as I don't believe he has said. A lot of people do just pack too much on a regular vacation (I admit a guy with big shoes does have more of a problem, just some men are just bigger and thus their clothes could weight twice as much as a small woman).

Actually, I think there was a respondent on this thread who thought 100 pounds per person for a vacation was an okay thing and could be necessary due to formal events or something, not that the OP suggested it. Although that was confusing, also, as she referred to how she and her husband took two bags and 100 pounds between the two of them, which is irrelevant as baggage limits are per person. So talking about what two people take is confusing.

Oh good lord who cares what other people pack. There are those who pack light, those who pack heavy, and those (probably most) somewhere in between. There isn't any 'right' way.

~Adam 7 - double check if you are allowed the larger allowance on both flights if they have been booked one one itinerary. I'd get it in writing if I were you.

If not, pack to the lighter limit or pay the extra fee on Lufthansa.

Simple.