Luggage for 15 day trip?? Help needed.
 

Luggage for 15 day trip?? Help needed.
I wanted to get some advice. My husband and I are doing a 15 day Europe trip in early July 2013. We are traveling to 4 countries during that time ( as my husbands band is touring). We will fly into Amsterdam and spend 2 nights, fly to London spend 3 nights travel up to Birmingham for 1 night, York 1 night, Edinburgh Scotland 2 nights then fly to Paris for the remaining 5 nights and depart for home California. This will be our first trip to Europe and considering the fast pace of travel we were thinking of just taking two rolling backpack carry -on's and a small bag/purse. I've never packed light before but with so many cities in a short time being able to just take carry-on's and not check baggage is very appealing. I cant decide if we should just find a light rolling carry on and carry a regular backpack or to buy a Wheeled Convertible backpack that comes with a detachable daypack like the Osprey Meridian 22" Wheeled Convertible Pack Carry on size http://www.ebags.com/product/osprey/...uctid=10208797
In theory it sounds great but it's expensive #$329# and a bit heavier than just a travel backpack# I found one at REI that is only $239# REI Stratocruiser Wheeled Luggage - 22" http://www.rei.com/product/827970/re...led-luggage-22
I am also considering eBags Mother Lode TLS Weekender Convertible http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/m...uctid=10235503 which is much cheaper at only $80, very light at 3 lbs, 15 oz but it does not have wheels. We will be taking public transportation # train# most of the time. Advice ? Also we have not booked our flight from Amsterdam to London, or Edinburgh Scotland to Paris. What is the best deals on flights? Best airline?
Thanks !!!!!
Linsey

I like luggage with wheels and don't see the advantage of a convertible bag. Large backpacks are usually too heavy to wear for long periods and are unwieldy in many situations, esp. in crowds. A smaller backpack to use while sightseeing can be helpful but is vulnerable to pickpockets. A roomy bag you can wear cross-body is more secure.

IMO, a 22" bag is definitely large enough for a 2-week trip. You should take a variety of clothing you can mix-and-match and layer with other pieces to handle different weather conditions. I like clothing I can easily wash in a bathroom sink and hang to dry overnight, but occasionally my husband and I will use the laundry service of whatever hotel we're in. I also carry a smaller tote that fits on top of the rolling bag and put my purse inside the tote during security check and boarding.

When you look at the flights, pay careful attention to luggage restrictions/fees.

You can definitely do 15 days with a carry-on. We did 6 weeks with a carry-on each and we brought jeans since it was cool in Scandinavia.

In July you will be able to pack very light-weight clothing. Just rinse things out in your room every few days. It is very freeing to have just a carry-on. You will never go back to lugging around larger luggage pieces once you have done carry-on.

And I totally agree with the wheels. Even though you are packing light it is still a bit of weight to carry everywhere.

Carry on only for sure. I prefer wheels too. Some like taking a back pack but I like having the wheels do the work for me. A 19 or 21 inch rollabpoard plus a handbag/or small satchel is all you need.

But don't assume it will be warm/sunny. I <i>could</i> be - but could also be anything . . . warm, sunny, cool, cold, showers, heavy rain, wind - and sometimes all on the same day. The weather is REALLY changeable in the UK even in summer.

Don't think of heavy clothes though. Think layers so if you luck out and the weather is nice you are set, and if it turns nasty you can just add more layers. You may want to take something waterproof or at least something w/ a hood and a folding umbrella.

Thanks :)

Plan for eight days, not 16. In the middle, do a full wash at the closest laundromat. I'm assuming you don't have to go to the gig each evening and can spare a few relatively restful hours mingling with the locals who will show you how to run the machines.
For your airline research, check a pile of sites like Kayak, plus www.skyscanner.com which is good for European budget lines. The trade-off is always between price and convenience and you may have to take more expensive options to satisfy your relatively rigid schedule.
If you are shopping far enough in advance, Amsterdam-London can be competitive by train. www.seat61.com will tell you more than you need to know about train travel.
PS: Shoes can be heavy and bulky. Travel in a sturdy pair for walking; pack a light pair as backup or for evenings.

All airlines have their own rules for carry-on. Brussels Airlines, for example, only allows a maximum weight of 6 kilos - which is not much (though they did not check this last time I flew with them).
Easyjet allows one bag only, and that includes your purse. But they don't have a weight limit as long as you can carry it.

A 22" expandable is what we have used for many years. Works well.

A 22-inch bag is too big for a lot of European airlines. 21-inches will work. But do check the websites of the airlines you're flying for details on what they will accept.

You may wish to invest in packable down jacket-- use as pillow on flights, wear if cold in mornings and nights, they store in own pocket. A 21-22" carryon should allow you to bring 3-4 pants, 6 shortsleeve tees, 3 tanks + 3 longsleeve or ultrathin fleece, flip-flops, ballets, wear heaviest-bulkiest walking shoes + lightwt jacket (denim or whatever). The key is in thin fabrics, in jersey and those that dry by next morning. I have portable clothesline + tiny clip hangers. Keep colors all going with each other so accessories will either be brown or black and gold or silver. Europe has been very cool and wet this spring, hopefully that will change. I too thing small rolling duffel that is narrow but high. Carry huge tote w/ small purse inside. Folding umbrellas sold on every street in every shower if you dont bring something rain repellent.

Do you have a TJMaxx near you?? They have a carryon about 21" that weighs 3.5 lbs for about $50 -- you can't beat it though others' (REI for one) are alot nicer but pricier.

Definitely carryon w/wheels but I would NOT spend that much $$$$. Go to TJMAXX or Marshall's and check out what they have.

I prefer a backpack to a rolling bag because I find the wheeled bags harder to deal with on the streets/sidewalks/cobblestones. I also find the wheeled bags to be heavier and the wheels take up a lot of space.

I really like the one bag concept. My husband and I traveled around Europe for 3.5 weeks with one bag each and it was so easy! I'll never go back! check out http://www.onebag.com for packing lists and other helpful tips. They also have some great recommendations for bags. The one we bought was from http://www.redoxx.com. It was about $250 at the time, made in the US with great materials (industrial strength zippers!!) and comes in a bunch of awesome colors. It's guaranteed basically forever and will probably last even longer, since it's so well made.

Anyway, have a fantastic trip whatever luggage you decide!

Another vote for regular shapped suitcase, carryon size, with wheels (it's worth the extra weight to have wheels imo).

Do pay attention to the weight of the bag empty. I'm currently shopping myself for a new piece of luggage and am surprised to find 20-22" suitcases varying from 4 lbs - 8+ lbs!

go carryon drlins. there are lots of write ups that show you how to do it light and right....besides... so what if you wear the same shirt twice in the same week? ;-)

DH and I use Rick Steves' Classic Back Door Bag http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/ca...entId=8&id=346

We have used them for 2 7-week tours of Britain and all our other travels in the US. They have taken quite a beating and still look new. They are amazing. They also do not have any stiff frames so they can fit into those little sizing boxes the airlines have, unless you over-pack. And they are on sale right now for almost 1/3 of the bags you are considering.

They are too small for me, but a girlfriends swears by that same RS bag above.

My husband and I both have the ebag weekender without wheels. They are nice expandable backpacks that we generally tie down to fit into regional jet overheads/under seats. They do not come with lumbar straps so that can cause fatigue issues when you have to pack them long distances.

While I agree that you can get by with carry on bags, I would also say it isn't a problem to check bags either. The only time on your itinerary that you are not making international connections seems to be when you are traveling within the UK and I assume you are going by rail/bus/car then. You have to clear immigration on international flights before you pick up your bags, so they are generally out before you are through. It may be worth it to consider this when inches start to count.

Since you are making international connections on each flight, 23 kilos are standard for checked baggage and 6-10 for carry on (depending on carrier). It all comes down to whether you want to (maybe) wait for a few extra minutes for your luggage and carry more stuff, or whether you want to save a few minutes (maybe) and have a much more limited space.

Personally, I would take something between 22-26 inches and just check it. 6-10 kilos is not a lot when you subtract about half of that weight for the luggage itself, especially when you consider that Northern Europe is experiencing abnormally cold and wet weather this summer. Be prepared to spend extra time with laundry and drying your things, although hopefully it won't be that bad for you. Right now it seems we get a few good days and then cold pouring rain for several more. Gah!

When my husband and I travel within Europe, we choose Lufthansa, KLM, Air Berlin, or British Airways. Lufthansa tends to have the best deals for us but we live in Germany so that may affect prices for us as well. All of these airlines have the 23 kilo allowance for checked baggage and I think 8 for carryons.