In response to the dimensions Q, not all Americans know the exact measurements of their suitcases. I will have to measure mine to compare with these comments.

I know my suitcases in terms of "fits in the overhead bin on a domestic flight" and "too big to fit in the overhead bin and would need to be checked." With respect to weight, you get charged on AA if it's over 50 lbs but I've rarely come close to that (only in college when home at the end of the school year).

I guess this original Q started because my husband thought we should take 2 larger suitcases (that would not fit in the overheard bin) and check them + a backpack for him and a tote bag for me. Or, one large (too large to fit overhead) and one medium (carryon size). Both are on wheels and are fine to navigate with. I guess we'll lay out what we want to bring and take it from there, trying to pack as lightly as possible.

"#
MademoiselleFifi on Aug 8, 09 at 10:08 AM

re <<on every single overseas trip I've traveled on with my husband, he had been asked by females to help them stow or retrieve their suitcases>>

yk, they actually had the nerve to ask? How rude. I'd never ask people to help, though it's nice when they offer.'

I have to agree with yk. As I mentioned, my husband is tall, looks in good shape, but his back cannot take heavy lifting.
He would never say no if someone asked for help, but it got to be really annoying ( to me) after a third women asked him for help with her ( huge) luggage when we got off the train in Nice. It wasn't the first time, it probably won't be the last...

Summerbride08
Whenever we travel, the bags we bring are dictated by the airline we are traveling on. They (airlines) state both the size maximums and the weight maximums allowed per person per bag before they will charge extra--different classes of travel have different restrictions.
We now travel with one 25" roll-on (so it can fit a man's suit) and one 20-22 inch roll-on, for extended vacations. I have physically measured them for size to make sure they are allowed. And I have purchased a luggage scale that I can take with me (it's very small and weighs hardly anything)as both Airlines we are travelling on this next trip (we will be gone 21 days) only allow maximum weight of 20kg (44pounds) per bag). I make sure that what we pack leaving is under this weight then I know that I can add some purchases for the trip home. I also have 2 fold-up backpack type bags (fold to 8 inch square)in case we need extra room coming home-which we also use during our trip for shopping. Our clothes are color coordinated so to get more options. We carry our coats on the plane as they are the heaviest.
My purse is usually large enough to carry a change of undies and one clean top each in case of lost luggage, camera, travel info, medications and our book to read on the plane. We keep all liquids in the checked bags. We do not like having to carry luggage on the plane unless my husband is on business and has to carry his laptop bag.
We have found that the more we travel the more experienced we are at packing the right things.
Hope this helps you! Have a great trip!

First, congrats on a wonderful upcoming trip! I personally loved Attnymom's advice. I recently returned from an 11 night trip through Ireland. There were 5 of us - hubby and I, and 3 children aged 10, 12, and 14. We didn't check any luggage. We each had a rolling carry-on and a few backpacks.
We brought old underwear and socks, disposed of them each day. (Sorry to the environmentalists.) Suitcases much emptier and lighter by the end of the trip for small souveneirs. We did laundry once - no big deal to drop it. We hand washed a few items in the room, wringing vigorously and then rolling in a towel before hanging item. We each had sneakers for walking and one pr of dressier shoes. We were in and out of 6 hotels/B&Bs so having less stuff was essential. Loading in and out of car had to be simplified.
I have never travelled this way before. I don't think I will ever check luggage again. It is wonderful to roll your carry-ons past the heavy packers waiting anxiously for their checked baggage at the spinning carousels.
Our trips are more about the experience, less about how we look. Black pants are my favorite thing.
Have a grand time!

I don't find much difficulty in managing a larger suitcase, but often I choose to do carry-on only anyway. (I am sure I am repeating myself.)

Two main reasons:
1) If I might want to catch a different flight, this is much easier if you do not have checked luggage. United (unless things have changed) allows you to catch an earlier flight than you booked for no charge. Or, if irregular ops look likely, having carry-on only luggage gives you more options.

2) If I am going somewhere such that it would be a real hassle to have to buy new clothes and shoes, I might decide that even the tiny risk of losing my luggage is too much, and just do carry-on only. For example, when I landed in Buenos Aires on a Sunday afternoon, and I was going to Iguazu the next morning, I did carry-on only. Shopping for a new wardrobe sometime in there would not have been possible.

Now I am reconsidering the issue for my next trip, in which I am flying Ryanair. I know carry-on won't be possible for the Ryanair segments, and that I also have to keep within the 15 kg limit for checked luggage.

"I have never travelled this way before. I don't think I will ever check luggage again. "


Some of us go a bit goofy when it comes to this topic. I don't know why, I apologize if I was rude.
It is obviously a matter of life-style, age, strength, need, sometimes the purpose of the trip, mode of transportation and more..
For many , like the PP, it may be experiencing something different.
For years I traveled with a big case ( before wheels), often changing airports, taking buses, metro, trams..
Although I was mostly visiting family in Europe, it was essential to have "my" shampoo and all kinds of outfits. My husband used to take his suit on all trips .. "just in case'. ( yup, he really needed it in Paris in August!).
The last time we checked in luggage was about 10 years ago - it was lost both ways ( I know it does not happen often).
Because it is such a personal choice, it is almost impossible to give people anything but one's own preference . Best never try to "convert" anyone from "the other side"

danon

"Because it is such a personal choice, it is almost impossible to give people anything but one's own preference . Best never try to "convert" anyone from "the other side"

So true.

Well, this trip in September will be our first to Italy and after reading teresa?'s posts on this site I decided I would try the "lighter side" and go with just a 21" rollaboard and a large tote. I did do a trial run and seemed to be able to fit everything I'm considering taking easily.

Wardrobe wise, we two ladies decided on basic black and white with an accent color. I'll wear my trail walking shoes on the plane and take only some comfy walking sandals, maybe a dress pair, and carry a pair of flip flops in the tote so I can let me feet rest on the plane. This tote, by the way, even has a cooler compartment to pack snacks which I thought would be great for the plane ride since so many airlines don't feed you these days.

Many times in traveling to Hawaii I have WAY over packed and did not wear half of the clothing I brought along. I really don't mind washing out things when you need them or doing laundry once a week. And since we are traveling Italy from Venice to Sicily I doubt anyone will keep track of seeing the same outfit n a different locale.

I'm curious about the really lightweight underwear and socks that would dry quickly. Anyone have any recommendations?

I cannot give you a specific brand, but thick all cotton items usually take the longest time to dry. I would look for a blend , thin socks . Undies are often kind of personal preference but the thinner , silkier kind would dry faster. Spt. is a warm months in Italy, you should be fine washing out things before going to bed and have them dry by the next day.
How long are you going for?

Adding to my reply above . . . I also packed a small clothesline with plastic clips (available at a travel store) for drip drying and a couple of inflatable hangers. The hangers were great because once inflated, you could drip dry shirts easily because the front and back of the shirt were separated - allowing air to circulate and speeding up drying time.

Don't bring jeans or anything that takes long to dry. Be sure to take your most comfortable shoes - even if they are not stylish. I threw in my sneakers and a pair of flip flops at the last minute, and I wore them almost every day. The months of research I did on comfortable sandals and ballet flats went out the window my first week in Europe. Even though I thought I had broken in the sandals and ballet flats extensively before my trip, we did soooooo much walking that I still got blisters. 90% of the people we saw were wearing sneakers, keene's, birkenstocks, crocs or other ugly yet comfortable shoes. Don't worry about standing out as a tourist - you ARE a tourist! I wore my comfy shoes during the day, then switched to my ballet flats for nights out.

danon-Yes, I didn't think all cotton would dry quickly. I saw some at REI but didn't really care for them so I'll hunt for some light weight silk.

The other gal that is going with us found some very lightweight anklet socks that actually have a little non-slip plastic band at the back of the heel. Nothing I hate more than to be walking and have the back of your sock slide into your tennis shoe!

Attnymom-where did you find the inflatable hangers? I have read posts about taking along a small bag of balloons that do essentially the same thing in keeping the layers separated. I can just imagine the getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and freaking out because of some michelin man balloon thing is in the room!

No, definitely no jeans, too hot. As for shoes, I did a trial run in June in NY and tested what I thought would be comfy sandals, no way! So I bought some La Plume sandals which are like walking on air. They look like a Birk but are black patent so a bit nicer looking. Between those and my trail runners my feet should be ready for the miles and miles of walking we will surely do. I need a little height in the heel (wedge) for my plantar faciatis so I'm still on the hunt for some comfy dressier sandals at night. It's so hard when you still LOVE kitten heels but know at this point in life comfort means so much more!

We will be in Italy for 21 days.

I was just going to say something about taking a plastic hanger when I read Att. post.
I usually pack one plasitc hanger because in many hotels one cannot take a hanger from the closet to the bathroom .
I also wash my tops so they have to be thin, blend, easy to dry, no -ironing necessary ...

I was in Prague, Dresden, Berlin for 12 days ( on the ground) at the end of July. Had a very small, over the shoulder carry on . I always travel that way - even for 3 weeks in Australia. If I need something, I buy it.
This trip, I only bought a bottle of hair conditioner and a shirt ( because I liked it..).
Your trip sounds fantastic... you'll be moving around a lot,it will be hot... make it easy on you self..
One can still look nice without dragging all kinds of clothing from trains to buses, to small hotel with no elevators ,and up those steep, cobblestone streets .....
happy travels!

Gale,
I got the inflatable hangers at a local travel store. I just did a google search and they have them at Amazon.com and organize.com. They are great - they take up no room in the suitcase but sure come in handy when drip drying clothes. You definitely want to avoid the Michelin Balloon Man!!

UPDATE!

So we "packed" and decided to go with one "large" (still havent measured but its not enormous) checked bag and one carryon/overhead bin size suitcase. I didn't pack overly tight but after packing the carryon bag, we decided we didn't need the large suitcase and instead swapped in a second carryon sized bag. we will likely check that bag anyway so we can take liquids (we'll see, we may change our minds) and we're considering packing a soft duffle to use on our return.

I also think we're bringing more clothing than necessary since we have the space for it and figured why not?

I'm a little nervous about the concept of taking a 19 day trip carryon only, but we will likely do laundry once in the middle of our trip. I packed 19 pairs of undies for myself but hubby is only bringing about 6-8 pairs of boxers so we will need to wash.

ty!

<<I also think we're bringing more clothing than necessary since we have the space for it and figured why not?>>

I give up.

Have a good trip.

I gave up some time ago. I think this is one of those religious arguments, like whether to wear a money belt.

#
thursdaysd on Aug 10, 09 at 12:08 PM

I gave up some time ago. I think this is one of those religious arguments, like whether to wear a money belt."

LOL.. or like : take a laptop, have daily itinerary, pre-book restaurants, change money at home , take taxis or public transit, stay in hotels or apartments, big cities or small towns, find Prague, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Nice, Florence....etc enchanting or NOT..

So are you taking a large bag and a carryon size bag, or two carryon size bags? If you're taking two carryon sized bags and a duffle for expanding purposes, good job on the packing. I almost always try to have a duffle to expand into for the trip home, it hardly takes any space and it's there for purchases. The one I take is definitely carry on size so it's great for my fragile items.

If you're taking more clothing than necessary, that's fine, it's your trip and so it's your choice. I think you're hilarious with your 19 pairs of undies. :) Why be nervous about going carryon only??? What is there that you're likely to need for clothes, that you can't easily buy there? You'll be fine. :)

Remember to have fun :D

summer08bride-

<i>I also think we're bringing more clothing than necessary since we have the space for it and figured why not?</i>

Leave those at home so that you'll have extra space for any shopping you do in Italy & Paris!!!

19 pairs of panties? Wouldn't that be the entire insured amount if the suitcase is lost?

<u>nineteen</u>?? You are serious - right? Of course, undies don't take much space -- but WHY????

(I'll bet many reading this don't even <i>own</i> 19 pairs of skivvies . . . . .)

I don't see why it is such a big deal washing silky ( blend) undies and having them dry and clean the next day?

I don't think I own 19 pairs , but if I did , I could not imagine carrying dirty undies around (in August !).

I'm chuckling to myself over this whole thread - now it looks like it is going to turn into the panty wars! Bottom line is - everyone has different preferences, needs, wants and experiences. At the end of the day, no one way of doing anything - even packing and traveling styles / philosophies - is the right way for everybody. There is just the right way for YOU. Sometimes you need to try different strategies and it can be a bit of hit and miss over time to figure out what works best for you (and sometimes whatever worked for you at one point changes). Perhaps the OP isn't taking quick-dry silky (blend) undies ... many women wear only cotton undies (note that this is recommended by ob/gyns). I don't see what the big deal is about her taking 19 pairs of undies if she wants to and she's got the space for it; depending on the style you wear, they can be quite tiny and take up almost no space. Summerbride, I hope you have fun on your trip, and whatever happens, I'm sure that you'll will learn from this trip what parts of your packing strategy work and don't work for you, and then you can fine-tune things to suit your preferences for future trips. Have a great time!

Just a note that we also pack lightly for extended trips, I in a 22 inch plus medium size back pack and my husband in a medium garment bag and large camera bag.

We get clothes laundered as needed during our trips at private laundromats versus hotels and have been quite pleased with both costs and quality.

. "I don't see what the big deal is about her taking 19 pairs of undies'

Yes, let the "panty" wars rage on...LOL.
Of course people can bring what they wish and as many pairs of whatever...
My personal choice is not to carry deary laundry around for weeks.. for others, it may not be a problem at all.

I just returned from 5 weeks in France and England and traveled with one expandable 22 inch and a smaller carry-on. Going, I left the expandable zipper closed so I would have room for a some shopping and included a foldable carry on in case I needed it for the return. As for the laundry, you can have your laundry done for you just by dropping into a neighborhood laundrymat --- In Paris, for instance, I was quoted 16 Euros for 8 kilos --- (That's a lot of laundry!) Obviously, it was a bit pricy, but I didn't have to give up any precious touring time doing my laundry. On the other hand, if you want to take a little time to relax while you're gone, doing your own might be a good way to chat with the locals! At any rate, whether you pay for someone else to do your laundry or do it yourself, traveling light is always better than lugging heavy suitcases.

Very difficult to agree with Travelidiot, oops I mean Travelgourmet, because they talk out of both sides of their mouth!

Osteopaths are not real doctors? I am so strong I pack heavier each trip? I can carry 2 50lb suitcases all by myself!

Travelidiot, sorry I mean Travelgourmet, is an authority on all things travel. It's only 2 minutes at a time that I have to carry these heavy bags?

This travelidiot! I mean Travelgourmet must be pulling our leg because no one is that idiotic naturally!

<I also think we're bringing more clothing than necessary since we have the space for it and figured why not?>

Why not carry around a bunch of clothes you think you don't need???? That's now the question?

Oh, my! I don't know where to begin. I can't imagine bringing that much luggage. My rule, which I got from the Rick Steves website, is to never, ever, pack more than 5 days' worth of clothing. Bring laundry soap sheets (wash-eze), a braided clothesline from Magellan's, and a stopper for the sink. Wash an item or two each night, and you will never have to wear dirty clothes. I got back from a 12 day trip to France last month, and this worked out really well for my family. No one had to haul a huge heavy bag and nothing got lost or stolen.

"I found that inflated balloons work great for drying underwear faster."

OMG, my husband would be horrified to walk in the bathroom with said balloons. :)

we just returned from 14 days in vienna, prague and budapest. hardly a laundromat in sight, often used hotel laundry. lugging a big suitcase on to and off trains, up and down steps in train stations can be difficult. we packed for a week (really!)and recycled, mixed and matched the rest of the days. rolled things tightly and packed into a carry-on, which we checked. bring a rain jacket. we also each have llbean mini carry-ons - enough for an overnight, perfect size and holds a lot. have fun!

annieO:
Inflated baloons??????? Please explain! I use a hair dryer when available to finish damp undies etc.

Use Space Bags- they really do compress the clothes and let you pack more in less space.

Travelgourmet is missing the point that it's not necessarily the amount of time lifting the bag that matters. I just had to get my own small rolling suitcase and carry on bag on and off the train in France. The steps are quite high, other people are crowding behind you, and, in the case of getting off, others had left their luggage in the space by the doors because there's not enough luggage storage on those trains, and I had to lift my bags over those, then get them down the steps while holding onto something to keep from falling down the steps- a real fear, since my balance isn't what it used to be.
as TPAYT said, you really learn what's necessary when you don't have your luggage. I spent 10 days in France a few years ago without my bag- it only caught up with me in the airport on my way back home. I found that I could do fine with what was in my carry on and a couple of tops picked up at a local store. The biggest problem was getting a bathing suit- they tend to be very skimpy in Europe! I was with friends who had to put up with seeing my in the same things day after day, but you know what? They survived!

My sister fell off the train once while trying to carry her 21" bag at the same time --lots of bruises and embarrassment. And I have encountered the piles of suitcases at the door. Sometimes there is not run enough to even step through, much less with your bags.

Our first trip to Europe we did the Rome to Florence to Venice to monocao to Portofina and back by train with 2 large suitcases and it was horrible. Tryng to get the suitcases up and down in the stations and onto the trains was awful. also they wouldn't fit anywhere and we had to leave them sometimes in the area where everyone gets on and off so one of us would have to get up each time the train stopped to keep an eye on them. Since then we learned our lession, we travel with 2 small bags easy to handle and a small carry-on with 2 tote bags that fold up until we need on way home. We bring enough for 6 days and do handwash. Bring Dark clothes you can wear over and over. Also if you do have a large suitcase when you get to Venics as we did at least check that at the train station when you get there and only take what you need for your stay there. Makes it so much easier when you are on the Vaparetto to get to your hotel.

<<Wardrobe wise, we two ladies decided on basic black and white with an accent color.>>

I worry a bit when I see this. When I travel, white shirts seem to be a magnet for wine spills and tomato sauce splatters, or worse -- something that doesn't happen at home. I still take one white shirt but the rest are colored and/or prints that work well with black bottoms.

The less, the better. Don't be lulled into thinking you needs lots of outfits. Oh No!! Women should have a few skirts and jeans or slacks. You very every thing else with t-shirts and a couple of blouses. BECAUSE, you will find something you like and buy a few things and your luggage will be heavier coming home. Same for men. A few jeans or slacks and 5 t-shirts should be adequate. As for underware, bring about 5 days worth (socks as well) and you get to wash them in the hotel sink and hang to dry in the tub/shower. SIMPLE. I've done this many times. One lightweight shoulder/back pack per person should do. And, some secure way of storing you money and passport on your person at all times. Italy is wonderful. You will enjoy it!!!!! coastoilartist

My personal choice is not to carry deary laundry around for weeks.. for others, it may not be a problem at all.'

sorry, should be "dirty" .

Finding the right platform, getting there, finding your seat etc.., is enough of a hassle without having to worry about
what to do with one's huge luggage.

I've actually enjoyed this thread, but hate to see anyone's opinions flamed. I think the opposition to travel light has been articulate and reasonable. I'm a 63 yo female recently converted to wheelless carryon--the Tom Bihn Tristar. We'll see how it goes over time, but so far, so good. I'm now enjoying a road trip with all my "stuff" though.
BTW, osteopaths are real doctors--I'm an MD with several DO partners, and no one better for a headache or my shoulder problem.

Travel stores have inflatable hangers which are great for drying shirts, t-shirts and even panties. The clothes dry faster and when you don't need them, just let the air out of the hanger.