HI there,<BR><BR>My husband and I are travelling for 3 weeks in Europe this spring. We will be travelling by air and train every few days. In your opinion, would it be easier to use a suitcase (the kind with the handle and wheels) or a backpack. i took my backpack last time but was staying in campsites. This time we will be using hotels...any thoughts?<BR><BR>Thank you!

Just my personal experience, I purchased a wheeled suitcase that converted into a backpack if I needed it to when I went to Italy last September. I packed pretty light and tried the backpack feature on before I left. What a joke! I felt I would have to be a 200 lb. man in order to lug that around on my back. If you're able to do it, more power to you. I never had problems wheeling the bag around, even on cobblestone if you buy a good bag. Enjoy!

I think you'll find a suitcase (a SMALL one!) better. I tried using a backpack- it seemed the longest walks were IN train stations, with no time to put my backpack on, so I carried it... wheels would have been better.<BR><BR>Another consideration: I found it hard to work out of a backpack that didn't have a &quot;lid&quot; like a suitcase, it's hard to see everything.<BR><BR>

I agree with the last poster. A small (e.g. No bigger 23-24&quot; - the next size up from carry-on) suitcase, plus a roomy 25-30 litre daypack work well. I travelled with a larger wheeled suitcase last year (26&quot for a longer trip, and it was too heavy to lift on and off the trains. (Generally trains are a bigger problem than airports since you have to get your own luggage up and down the train steps.) North Face makes an amazingly comfortable day pack called Borealis, with water bottle pockets, bands to hold your sweater or newspaper, a well-organized front pocket and lots of space inside.

I have the wheeled suitcase that converts to a backpack and I really like it. If I had to choose between wheels and backpack feature I would choose wheels, I definitly have used them more than the backpack feature, but sometimes it does come in handy. I agree that it should be the kind that opens like a suitcase as oppossed to the backpack style that you have to dig through. I have found that the &quot;no-name&quot; ones (as oppossed to say EagleCreek or the like)tend to be lighter. They don't have quite as many pockets, dividers, etc but the lighter weight is important. I have a 20-21 inch one, it's held up for several trips (so far) and I can put it on my back when I need to - and I am a very small woman. When you do have a distance to cover and can't use the wheels, I would much rather put it on my back than carry it by the handle. But the wheels are still the most important feature.

jamikins, <BR><BR>We purchased 2 Swiss Army rolling backpacks, 24&quot; for a 2 week trip to Italy in 9/01. Fully packed, it weighed 20 lbs. and I could easily carry it and stow it above my head on the train. Took several trains &amp; plains during our trip. This particular model has a detachable &quot;day bag&quot; style mini pack. It also open like a normal suitcase, which is important. If you go with a rolling backpack choice, try it on in the store and have someone pull down on it to mimic the pressure. Take note of where those pressure points on your body are. They will increase. This model we choose is phenomenol from that aspect. However, its costly. We also used the rolling option quite a lot.

I have lived in Europe off and on for the past 20 yrs. I have found with trains backpacks are best. Recently for my birthday my recieved a backpack with wheels and they were large wheels for stones and cobbles. I used this last month in Italy and found it to be very useful. I am unsure of the name but my sister bought it in the mall where the young kids backpacks are sold.

Just to be different . . .<BR><BR>People with backpacks on trains and airplanes can be a royal pain in the rear. The inconsiderate ones don't realize that when they turn around they have a 20-pound extension attached to their back.<BR><BR>So if you use backpacks, be mindful.

I like the backpacks that also have wheels. We had very good luck using these on our Italy trip last year, and found that the ability to switch between backpack/wheels was very valuable. These are made by several manufacturers, including Swiss Army, Eagle Creek, and High Sierra.<BR><BR>I chose the model that has a zip-off daypack, so we could have the smaller bag with us on the plane, and also use it during the day's sightseeing.<BR><BR>If you are concerned about having room for purchases, I found a zip up nylon suitcse/tote by TOTES. It folds down to 8x8 and zips around itself to form a small pkg, then opens up to make a pretty good size for taking home all your dirty laundry, so you can pack purchases in your wheeled suitcases. We each take one of these along.<BR><BR>The main key is to pack light, so you're not hauling a huge suitcase on and off of trains and up and down a million steps.

My 22&quot; Eagle Creek bag is a wheeled bag that opens like a suitcase, and it works great. It easily wheels just about everywhere, I can easily pick it up to go up and down stairs, and can survive being bumped around. It's light enough (barely) for me to lift onto overhead shelves (I'm a short woman). I also have a bag that can convert from a backpack to a shoulder bag. I use it as a backpack when I need hands free, and when I'm somewhere dressier, I convert it to a shoulder bag.

Barb made a point I would like to emphasize. I was unprepared for hauling our wheeled luggage down and up all the stairs in the train stations. Next time I will definitely travel much lighter!

Just been there done that scenario and a wheelie bag is definitely the way to go. It is still a pain dealing with trains no matter what you use, be extremely careful getting on and off, I saw a lady have a terrible fall off the train in Munich when we arrived at the station. Stations with stairs should be made obsolete in my book, the station in Florence is a dream, no stairs at all, everything on the same level. With regards to backpacks, on the metro they are a disaster, I saw someone having to back all the way out as the train was so crowded they couldn't even turn round. Try and use a size that will fit on the racks above your head, some trains don't have anywhere to put the bag on the floor, some have an area at each end of the carriage but it's difficult to keep and eye on your bag if you are in the middle area of the carriage. They all vary a lot, Eurostar really doesn't have much room at all whereas the Swiss trains had heaps of room. Too big a bag and too many when dealing with trains makes for a frustrating experience. Try and find one that is quite deep, I have a cabin size one and take it to Aussie on holiday and it's plenty big enough but one in between that and 26&quot; is idealfor Europe. I agree a 26&quot; bag is too big and hard to manage. And strong wheels, they sure bounce around on those old cobblestones. Have fun.