I just read that on American Airlines you can check two bags. We are checking our 22 inch suitcases. But I have sooo many books, Michelin guides, paper, books to read, maps, etc. I was thinking we could pack the books up and check them through too in a seperate case of some sort. This is a 7 week trip so I have a lot of guides, etc.

Once we get our lease car we would not have too much trouble managing this. My big question is...will we find luggage carts at CDG so we can just put the stuff in there when we collect it all at baggage retrieval. And is this a good idea?..

Thanks again.

Where are you visiting? Is there maybe one guidebook that features all of your destinations? It's not helpful in the end to carry that many books, too heavy.

Hi lois!
I don't know if carrying your suitcases but checking your books is a great idea, doesn't it sort of ruin the whole point of carry on?
But yes, they do have luggage carts at CDG

Hi lois,

If you are checking your two suitcases, you can still bring 2 carryons onto the plane plus two items of "personal" belongings.

That allows you to have one bag over each shoulder and a rolling suitcase. You won't need a luggage cart.

Bring a few paperback for reading. As to guide books, I recommend that you just tear out key pages (and discard those as you travel through the places); I would have made copies of some of the pages from library books instead of buying all of them --those I'm not so disciplined about this as I would like. For supplemental information, save some good websites on your email and go to an internet cafe to view them as you go. With a 7 week trip, you'll likely want to check email anyway and you'll be able to afford a little time.

I feel your pain. I always have trouble leaving guide books home, and I usually go away for only one week at a time. I go through them and still end up bringing too many. If you decide to check a separate bag for books, you should have no problem finding luggage carts at CDG. And since you are renting a car, you can just leave the ones you don't need each day in the car.

If you can bear to part with them when you've finished each area you visit, you could leave them behind, and your luggage will be much lighter when you come home.

I assume AA has a 70lb limit on each checked bag. You have 280lbs. of capacity. You have 80 pounds of cabin baggage capacity. Plus Duty Free! Use a scales and check each bag. Reload as required. Baggage carts make concourse travel easy. Next, drop baggage at exit, retrieve leased car, return for baggage pickup. I assume there are two of you traveling.

I definitely do not think it's a good diea to carry so many books, but I think I already commented about that, and about alternatives, on some on your previous threads about carrying a lot of books. I also think a normal piece of luggage full of books is likely to become heavier than it was designed to become, so that parts of it may be especially likely to beeak during baggage handling.

loisco - If Robespierre gets to read your post about taking all those books you may get a message back saying "why take the forest with you when you can download EVERYTHING onto a PDA?" I take two books which are full of info from past years and I have the most divine map of Paris with truly every detail one could wish for. The problem I can see with all those books is you can't hawk them around with you and the moment you leave one behind - that's the one you'll wish you brought!

Personally, I can't travel without books. I read more on trips than at any other time of the year. So I say yes, pack them up and send them through as long as it doesn't go over the weight limit. I donate them or leave them behind as I read them. For a 7-week trip, I would need quite a few books, even though it's possible to find English-language books in France (which is where I think you're headed). There are plenty of luggage carts at CDG always.

We gave up taking books on trips years ago. Even while in transit from place to place, we find lots of other things to do. Saves a lot of space and weight, too.

But to each her/his own.

Can you find luggage carts at CDG? Yes.

Is this a good idea? I don't think so.

We spent two summers studying literature at Cambridge. There was a lot of required reading before the courses and we needed the books while we were in class as well. In addition, they were almost all hardcover and worth carrying both ways.
We distributed the books among our checked luggage -- 26 rather than 22 inch cases, I admit -- except for a couple we worked on on the plane. We managed just fine. Then we discovered the bookstores in Cambridge.
So, we bought another suitcase for the trip home, a nice, collapsable, red nylon sack we found in Marks and Spencer that we stuffed with our laundry. We called it "the red bag of outrage" and we still tuck it in a suitcase for the outward trip and bring it back stuffed with dirty laundry.
Never, ever be afraid of books.

I read for Literature in my Junior Year Abroad program at Glasgow. Had the option been available, I would have gladly transported my reading (probably comprising 30 linear feet) on memory cards rather than on sheaves of wood pulp.

I'm as bibliophilic as the next drudge - I just don't think it's necessary or desirable, in this, the third millennium C.E., to schlep around dead trees for reading material.

I think that's a reasonable solution, and I know it's a problem when you are traveling for a long time and to different areas, at least regarding guidebooks. Still, try to cut them down to the minimal. I don't remember your exact itinerary but I think it's only a couple main areas. If I am crossing areas when I travel, I pack one guidebook that serves the best purpose, and then may photocopy the few extra pages from surrounding area guidebooks if I plan one stop in another area, or something like that.

I don't pack as many guidebooks as you want, however, I know they can be useful, but I just don't carry around Michelin red guides, for example. I copy or just make a few line notes of the couple of restaurants I may have picked out that I might want to try.

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I think you could back several guidebooks and reading books into a fairly small box, and that won't take away from your carryon allowance, which you probably need for the necessities you should carry on.

I'd suggest finding some box meant for heavy-duty materials that might even have some kind of handle. Maybe something meant for wine or something like that.

One suggestion is that I would not pack the maps in there, at least not the map for your first location. If that box gets lost, you'll be in a bit of trouble without the map. I put maps in my carryon (although I don't know how many you have).

loisco, I think it is a reasonable solution but would suggest one more 22" suitcase with rollers to use for the books (if you can stack two rolling suitcases you won't have to bother grabbing a luggage cart).

for posters new to helping with this particular issue, we already tried talking lois out of taking so many books, mentioned tearing or copying guidebooks, i even suggested shipping some ahead, etc. etc.

my other thought is why make a separate case for just the books?? because (obviously) it will be very very heavy. rather go ahead and plan on using 3 checked-thru suitcases but divide the books up among your clothes. that would also be better as touched on by one poster above because if any one suitcase gets lost, you'll still have some of everything (books, clothes) to work with.

Or you could both simply use larger suitcases? A 22" is only a good recommendation IMO when you can actually fit all your stuff in one

Wow...good suggestions. Thanks. Much to think about. I am starting to think a 2 week trip is easier. And I am convinced our next trip will be easier..lol