We are taking our first trip to Europe. I have carefully noted the baggage allowances. We plan to pack two bags each (one for clothing; one for toiletries, to keep them separate from the clothing, and miscellaneous items), along with a small tote each (for the camera, binoculars, PDA's, cell phones - won't need them "over there" but want to have them along in case of contingencies upon departure) reading material, notes, jackets, bottled water) to carry on.

I've also read that you should pack a fold-up tote for purchases.

I'm wondering if we return with two bags each to check, and our carry on totes, will we be able to bring a tote (or two) full of treasures we've purchased?

Should we not bother with duty free shopping, lest we accumulate an extra bag that would put us over the limit of the two checked plus one carry on?

Has anyone returned home recently with a carry on AND a bag of shopping after having already checked two bags and encountered difficulties?

Doing my best to comply with all the rules!

For how long are you going? Seems like you may be trying to take too much stuff with you. Two full bags each is a lot of stuff. Usually you only need to take one "set" of toiletries and you can share things like toothpaste, shampoo, etc. A small fold-up tote is a good idea if you are a big shopper. I haven't had any problems with packing away most of my purchases in my checked luggage, taking only the lightest and least bulky items, e.g. swarovski crystal figurines, with me as carry-on luggage.

The general rule seems to be 1 item of carryon and a small bag e.g. a purse or a computer bag.

Lizanne, mostly depends on which airline you are flying..Some have strict rules which they follow punctilliously and others are more relaxed. Years ago, people could take anything they wanted aboard the plane, which caused a lots of distress to many passengers, but we live in differents times and the airlines have now different policies.The best thing to do is to call and find out the guideline.
Have Fun, you are going to enjoy Europe,
Ciao,
kismet

It sounds like a lot of expensive stuff - PDA's, binoculars, cell phones? Are you going to be comfortable leaving all this in your hotel room? You certainly won't want to carry them all over. The lighter you pack, the better. In fact, overseas baggage allowances also have weight limits, so do a practice packing session and weigh it all in advance.

lizanne,

As an example, Lufthansa limits your luggage piece to 30 kg (70 lbs) and 62" total overall dimensions (H+W+D).

Only YOU,m and not anyone here, can decide just how much you take is "enough" or "too much" since that is personal and all depends on your own perceived needs so be wise about all of those "recommendations" although I would agree with the old adage of taking everything OUT of your suitcase and then re-packing HALF of what you thought you'd need and that will be enough!
In terms of the supposed "rules" about baggage, and Lufthansa in particular, we just returned from two weeks in Europe and travled Lufthansa both ways...both within and into/out of Europe. LH is like all the other airlines in terms of limiting you to two bags each of no more than 70 pounds...HOWEVER, on both transatlantic flights there were a LOT of passengers who got on with what looked like all their worldly goods and many of these carry-ons would NOT have fitted under ANY airline seat anywhere! I suspect once you get over there and are ready to come home you can probably find space in your bags for some of those carried-on items from the trip over which would leave space in your normal carry-ons for some of the things you bought. Hope your trip is a good one.

Coming home , I just toss the leftover toothpaste, deodorant , etc..makes room for purchases in my carryon if they are fragile. They ususally don't say much about duty free purchases..and since your bags are already checked before you get near the duty free shops it doesn't matter how many you've checked. Often the duty free is delivered directly to the plane and you pick it up as you board, so I would not worry about that.

You can check as much as you want..but you will PAY for it if you exceed the weight or piece limit.

You need to remember that when you get various places YOU are the one that will handle your luggage--there aren't many porters in Europe. You can check 2 pieces of luggage/box/duffle and carry on one "personal" use piece. On BA it is restricted in weight I have heard. We have 22" luggage that expands to 24". We pack in the 22" going over and have the extra for souvenirs coming back. Have also bought inexpensive duffles to bring back excess. So check one going over and 2 coming back if you need to. You probably should check with your air carrier for their exact regulations. All carriers now have the 62" rule now and they enforce it--pay for extra size.

I would strongly recommend that you search out and read up on some of the past Fodors threads about packing, especially about traveling light. If you think you need a separate piece of luggage for toiletries and such, you are almost certainly overpacking.

Another vote to take a hard look at all you are packing, read up on the internet under tips for 'packing light', and really rethink the necessities.

Just as important as the airlines size & weight limits, you will most likely have to carry all your own stuff, at some point.

Hint: No need to take any full-size toiletries, rather transfer into tiny bottles or buy travel-sized. It doesn't take much shampoo to be set for a 3 week trip, for example. If you use jumbo ziplock bags or other spillproof system, perhaps the toiletries could share space in either your clothing suitcase or your carryon bag?

I'd wait until shopping & then buy an inexpensive tote in Europe if needed. Personally, I bring that extra tote on the plane as my carryon return trip, but I only have 1 rolling suitcase + 1 oversize pocketbook total to begin with.

One thing I'd like to add is NOT to pack all your stuff in one bag and the other family member's stuff in the other (if you are traveling with husband/kids). Mix up the clothes some so that each of you have some clothes in case one bag is lost or delayed.

That said I think perhaps you need to reevaluate what you are taking. Airlines are getting very strict about carryon's and baggage in general. We fly BA and they allow (in economy) only bags weighing 13 pounds or less for carryon. Sometimes you can get away with a little more but it's not worth the risk. The weight allowance for checked baggage is strict now too, and while each person is allowed two bags trust me you do not want to schlepp too much baggage if there is any chance you are going to have to handle it yourself.

As for shampoos, etc. you can buy small sizes and if you need more everything is available in Europe anyway. Not sure I'd bother taking a cell phone I could not use over there, it's just one more thing to keep track of.

I'm guessing here that you're each packing two smaller, more managable, bags to check, along with the totes for carry on. And, this is what we do. We check two bags each, though not stuffed full, so there's room for other stuff when repacking for home.

Coming home, we pack the camera (but not the film or disks, these days) and accessories, along with the binoculars, notes, journals, etc. in the checked bags. While we wish to safeguard the camera and binoculars on the way over, not quite as important on the way back. We have belt clips for the cell phones and throw the PDA's into the checked luggage, keeping our "backup" on memory sticks with us, just in case, though we've never "lost" a PDA, camera, binoculars, etc. on the way back.

This precludes the need for the fold-up totes, as our carry on totes are nearly empty coming home. Plenty of room for any especially fragile purchases and duty-free purchases.