Suitcases or Backpacks?
 

Hi,

We will be going to Europe in May (Spain, Italy & Malta) for 6 weeks.

We are staying in a combination of hotels and private rooms in hostels and travelling mainly by plane with some car hire and train as well.

I would like some advice whether you think we should get backpacks or take suitcases?

Thanks

I prefer a backpack because it allows me to walk around with my hands free. This assumes you will be packing light (< 20 lbs, including backpack or suitcase).

IMO cases with wheels are best.Takes the strain off your back & lessens hassles at checkin - some bag handling systems have probs with rucksacks, you have to tie down all the loose belts, buckles etc as they jam in the conveyors.Also rucksacks bring pickpockets - all those zippers & pockets out of your sight round the back attract them.
If you do take rucksacks dont put anything important in the back pouch.I watched 2 Germans being robbed of their passports etc in Barcelona - the guy walked alongside waving leaflets in front of them while his hand was undoing the back pouch.If you lock it they can easily slit it open.

I prefer 22" rolling suitcases, as well.

one 22-24" rolling suitcase

(but this question is rather one of preference and style than absolute right or wrong, either will work fine for your trip)

Exterior pockets on a backpack can be secured easily with small combination locks. And, of course, it's foolish to put something valuable like a passport in such a space to begin with. There are also many varieties of backpacks which do not have all the frilly clips and what-not hanging from them.

I used a rolling suitcase once, wasn't thrilled with it, and then gave it away. I found it inconvienent to use when going up or down stairs or walking over brick or cobble streets. Plus, if I need both hands for something, I have to totally let go of the suitcase, which presents its own security issue. On the other hand, I can certainly see why someone with back trouble or who packs heavy would prefer it to a backpack.

If you're even considering a backpack, you must be young and in good enough shape to cope with it. One thought...if you don't have back trouble now, you may at the end of 6 weeks. :)

If a backpack is your ultimate choice, NEVER carry anything in it you can't afford to lose!!! Keep your money, passport, credit cards, etc. in either a moneybelt or neck wallet.

Sounds like a great trip!

Angelblue,

I am not sure where you are located, but on a trip to Europe in the winter of 2004 during which we planned a little bit of moving around, I purchased a bag from REI which is actually a rolling bag and a backpack. for most US air carriers, it is carryon size. but it can expand and be checked to fit a few more items!! This allowed me the freedom to carry it on my back when I wanted/needed hands free (or there were lots of stairs, cobblestone, etc), but gave me the ease of a rolling bag when convenient.

if I recall correctly, the bag was about $130.

I've also traveled with both; now I go with the small (22" MAX!!) roll-aboard suitcase.

As others have pointed out, advantages and disadvantages with both systems. I found that w/ a backpack, I tended to bump into people on trains more easily.The suitcase was easier to get down the aisles.

Also, I like how my clothes stay neater and easier to get at in a small suitcase. I sort of lose everything in a big jumble in a backpack, no matter how hard I try to organize it.

The most important thing, as I am sure you know, is to be able to carry the darn thing! Pack light, pack light, pack light...

I was in Italy and Spain for 4 weeks in May/June and used the rolling suitcase. Getting on and off of trains was the hardest part for me (I am not old or feeble, just find that swinging the suitcase up those steep train steps always difficult).

Have a great trip.

Done both, rolling suitcase from now on.

Unless you're really backpacking -- carrying your gear into the wild -- or need to feel the romance of the youthful vagabond, the suitcase wins for ease of handling.

Makes a good emergency seat, too.

I always travel with both. My 22" Travelpro rollaway and my EBTEK backpack are my two favorite travel companions...besides ms_go and allie_go, of course!

I love my rolling duffle bag with the extra long handle.


I just have to remember not to put everything I own in it! :)

If you pack lightly enough either method is OK.

I do not recommend a combo (i.e., rolling backpack) because anything with frame, handle, wheels has extra weight, so to my mind a rolling backpack is the worst of both worlds.

If you are buying a new suitcase, pay attention to the weight of it empty. And get the lightest one you can find. If you are buying a new backpack, pay attention to how it fits you.

Suze has a point that we initially worried about (the extra weight) about the rolling backpack ...however, for both domestic (US) and foreign travel over the past year and 10 months, i have found that the convenience of having the option (backpack or rolling bag)outweighs the "extra" weight.

However, i tried on a number of backpacks (with and without wheels) and a number of regular suitcases with various weights and found the rolling backpack to be the best fit for my size and my needs. you'll get a good feel if you are able to try different types of bags on for size with various weights in them. I was able to do this at the REI store in my area.

Thankyou all so much for your comments. I realise that it's personal opinion however it's great to hear everyone's thoughts because you raise things that I may not have thought of.
I have done a lot of travelling within my own country (Australia) and have always used suitaces and have found them both convenient and inconvenient but here I've never really had to be concerned about security or putting my bag down, etc. I've received advice to say that at least with a backpack it's on you so harder to take.

I was talking to my chirpractor about this yesterday and he suggested a backpack that has a waist harness is a better option than lifting a suitcase because the weight is evenly distributed though obviously a rolling suitcase is much better. I already have suitcases with wheels etc but as someone else mentioned, I was concerned about the weight because although I am packing extremely light, I plan to bring back lots.

In terms of security, there are also those web things that you can put over the whole pack and it'll prevent anyone from cutting it open.

I am still undecided about the whole thing but am leaning towards the backpack at this stage but may change my mind yet, oh and I guess my husband might get a say in it as well :)

here's a copy of a recent post that i made on another thread:

i often carry a rucksack/backpack on my travels. i have a dark coloured carrimor. it has great support and the straps can be hidden under a zip up panel. a shoulder strap can also be attached, therefore transforming the bag into standard looking luggage. this has the advantage of allowing you to be more discreet when checking into a nicer hotel and it can be checked in as normal luggage on the flight (where a normal rucksack with exposed straps must often be checked in at the odd-size luggage desk).

i would not recommend the convertable wheelie/backpack as they do neither job well. fortunately these days it is easy to find a "high-tech" rucksack that looks more like normal luggage rather than a multi-coloured thing that looks more like something to take up mt everest than to travel around in european cities.

in short:
-dark, single coloured
-high tech suspension system
-zip panel to cover straps

no, they are not cheap but for the sake of your back, do not skimp!

for example, something like this looks like what i was trying to describe:

http://www.letravelstore.com/TP10039.htm

and it comes in black. i don't have this particular pack but this is the idea.
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and i will add...i only use a rolling suitcase if i'm going to one or two locations and staying a while. even if you can find a place to store your case (increasingly difficult these days due to terrorism fears), it can be inconvenient and cost time. if you think you will have to do any sighseeing with all your stuff, i would not consider a wheelie. often you might have a morning before you catch the train and you don't want to be stuck pulling a wheelie around...on the metros, in shops, in crowds, they can be very inconvenient.

Walkinaround, that's an excellent point you make at the end as there probably will be times that we have luggage before catching a train or a plane and going back to the hotel or leaving bags there may not always be an option.

Yes the backpacks I've been looking at also conceal the straps and look more like an ordinary bag as I had read your other post and specifically asked around for this feature-so thankyou very much for all your advice I really appreciate it and I think you've helped me finalise my decision.

A backpack it is!

I agree that it depends on how you travel and see you've also already made a choice.

I do have a different take on the wheeled backpack. Mostly because I really like ours! We each have one of these 21" models.

http://tinyurl.com/8hskc

What I like about it is that it's the backpack or wheeled case as you need it, but also the front zips off to become yet another smaller backpack (it has it's own straps tucked inside when it's zipped together). The small one is really useful as a daypack or a carryon. Makes it very easy to zip off the front and hand over the main part to the ticket counter when we switch to one of the more restrictive airlines re: carryon.

I've even been using it on business trips. The main section becomes the clothes case, the zip off becomes my laptop bag. At 8 lbs, it is heavier though than a regular backpack.

I think those mesh cages for backpacks are crazy business! Angelblue, you might want to also read over on The Thorn Tree on Lonely Planet's website, where I'll wager most of the travelers go with a backpack and can give you first hand tips on how to best use one.

Angelblue - For comparison purposes you might want to look at the backpacks sold in the Travel Store at www.ricksteves.com. They are expandable, come in two sizes, can be carried like a suitcase, and it's possible to buy an over-the-shoulder-strap to go with them.