What size luggage?
 

My friend and I will be spending 2 weeks in Europe next month. We WERE planning on taking a carry on size suitcase for our belongings. We wanted to do carry on size 1) so that we would not be charged for luggage on plane ride to/from home 2) easier to get around with....BUT we are realizing we don't think we can fit everything in that small size suitcase. We found out our airline does not charge for our bags, so why not take the bigger size suitcase, right? We have a direct flight so there is no reason our luggage would be lost. We are taking TRAINS only when we are in Europe. Does anyone see why we should not take a bigger suitcase? PS- There are a couple of days that we will have to pay to store our luggage at the train station while we sightsee (one day in Venice, one day in Munich). If we take the larger luggage, where does this go on the train ride since it won't fit overhead? Is it true that we should lock our bags together with a cable, etc?

How large is your larger luggage? Anything bigger than 24 inch will become tedious to handle on trains. Rather than taking a bigger suitcase, I'd take a bigger second/personal item. It is easier to lift and store two smaller bags than one big bag.

There is storage space at the end of Italian train carriages for larger bags.

If you choose a larger bag remember elevators/escalators are few and far between in Europe. You will also have to lift the luggage up onto the train and probably up stairs places you stay. I also liked the security of having my bag right above me on the train rides and not at the entrance of the train.

If you plan to do laundry at least once on your trip you should be able to fit everything in a carryon especially with summer clothes.

You can fit everything you NEED, not want, in one carry on suitcase. I used to be the queen of 'I better bring it just in case'. No more. It is so freeing to bring a smaller suitcase. You will have to carry your suitcase at times and it will get heavy and cumbersome, especially lifting it up onto the train storage.

I just practice packed for our six week trip, including both summer and winter wear, and I made over 30 different outfits with the clothes I could fit in my carry on suitcase. I plan to take out even more. If you stick to one color scheme you can definitely do it.

I agree with ellenem, but I'd say even a fully-loaded 24-inch can be too unwieldy for train travel. On most trains you have to lift the bag 3-4 steep stairs from the platform to the seating level, and you would leave the 24-inch bag in the luggage racks at the end of the car. The question of whether you should cablelock your luggage in these racks has been debated here many times. Here's the most recent discussion:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...witzerland.cfm


I've taken 3-week trips using a carryon 22-inch rolling bag plus a second bag small enough to fit under the seat in front of me on the plane. This choice has nothing to do with airline baggage fees or no fees but all about being able to easily handle my luggage on trains, ferries, cobblestone streets, Venetian bridges, etc.

You put 6 wks of clothes in a carry on? How in the world????

Hi! I was a strong supporter of carry-on size, but now I favor a bag that's a bit bigger, though not unmanageable, that I check in. It holds more but it's still small enough that I can haul it up stairs or load it on a train without killing myself. Then I pack a collapsable cloth carry-on bag, so at the end of the trip when I've accumulated stuff I have the option of putting overflow in it and carrying it onboard -- without incurring costs for a second checked bag. Worked fine until the wheel on my new bag broke....

some of us wash clothes more often than 6 weeks...that's how we pack light :)

No matter how long we go for, we pack for about 8 days max. We do laundry along the way. I pack with one color scheme.

For me I bring beige, tan and brown pants, 1 jeans and 1 capri. 4 t-shirts, 1 lite 3/4 sleeve sweater, 1 gauze button up shirt and one long sleeve sweater, 2 long sleeve tops and silk long underwear for Switzerland. Pjs, 5 socks and 5 undies. I wash these out in the hotel sink.

I wear my tennies and carry my jacket on plane and bring another pair of slip on shoes and sandals in carryon. I pack toiletries into a carrier that lies flat on top of suitcase. I also bring a small folding hairdryer from Paris and a small quart baggie with laundry soap, clothesline and clothespins.

It's all about one color scheme and bringing colors to mix and match. Everything MUST go with at least two other items or it stays home. If you practice you will be able to do it.

I start by listing my clothes on a piece of paper and then write down all the combos I can make from those clothes. You will probably be very surprised, as I was, just how many combos you can make if you stick to the one color scheme plan.

My 'purse' is actually an ice chest type bag that I slip my purse and mini netbook into. We do mostly all picnics and rent apts so I need an ice chest type container and this works great. It looks just like a large purse.

We went for 3 months last year and used a 24" suitcase and small carryon. I'm looking forward to packing less each time.

We traveled by train and bus in Italy and were very glad to have the 22-inch wheeled bag along with a daypack. So much easier to negotiate stairs, get on/off trains, load/unload. Plus, it's easier to decide what to wear when you have fewer clothing items with you. Just add a collapsible duffel to pull out for the trip home, if you're worried about accumulating too much on the trip. (Baggalini makes one as does Rick Steves). Most likely, at the end of the trip you'll discover you took items you never or rarely wore.

The most important question is ">><i>how big is big?</i><<"

I personally use nothing larger than a 21 inch rollaboard (and often only a 19 inch). But if your larger bag is say 24 inches -- then sure that would be OK. I would <u>not</u> go any larger.

"<i>You put 6 wks of clothes in a carry on? How in the world????</i>"

Well the easy answer is -- you don't. Not 6 weeks worth anyway. Even for a 2 month trip I only take between 5 and 6 days "worth" of clothing. If everything (or most everything) is mix/match/layerable you can very easily get 25-30 unique outfits out of a 21 in suitcase. Five "bottoms" (skirts/jeans/slacks) including what you wear on the flight, and then lots of tops/sweaters/t-shirts/blouses, plus scarves/accessories/shoes (usually 3 pair but sometimes only 2)

easy peasy (and lots of people take even less)

Hi isinginmyjeep,

I travel around Europe by train, I am a 56 year-old woman (no spring chicken), and I have no trouble using a 24-inch suitcase.

But I would NOT go any larger.

I've also found that, if you have a second bag, it's a lot easier to handle if that's a backpack-type. Trying to haul two bags onto a train can be tiresome.

Have fun!

s

I mentioned 24 inch hoping that was the size of the OP's bigger bag. My suitcase is 22 inch and I'd never go bigger. On my recent trip to Italy I ran into a group of first-timers on train struggling to move their 28-inch rolling bags down the aisle while wearing fully-loaded daypacks. They admitted they had made a huge mistake, packing for "all possibilities" for their two-week trip. These bags only fit in the luggage area at the end of the car, and all four would not fit together.

I finally learned how to pack light and I feel so liberated! I travel for a month once or twice a year using a 20" Heys spinner and a tote bag. Although the 20" is carryon size, I check it because of the numerous liquids/creams I must take. I pack 3 bottoms, 8 tops (mostly synthetic knits), a cardigan, one lightweight blazer type jacket, a rain jacket, one gown, one robe, 1 pr shoes, 1 bra and 2 pr undies. Everything is hand washable, drip-dryable and no-iron. The rest of the space is devoted to cosmetics, hair products/tools, accessories, etc. In cooler weather, I carry a leather jacket on the plane. My under-the-seat tote carries a sleep sack, one pr shoes, meds/vitamins, headphones and my one (crazy) splurge -- my very small electric coffee maker. (When luggage inspectors find this, it becomes an amusing/annoying experience as they very carefully take it apart searching for ?explosives? ?bombs?) The outfit I wear on the plane is usually packed away until the return trip and is not part of the day-to-day mix. Just my preference. I also wear on the plane a Scottevest which has numerous pockets to carry whatever you would normally carry in a purse, so that I have only two pieces to keep track of and to carry.

I don't want to make you paranoid about lost luggage, but I need to say that the only two times my luggage strayed was on direct flights. Fortunately, I had spare stuff in my carry on. Good luck!

I don't want to make you paranoid about lost luggage, but I need to say that the only two times my luggage strayed was on direct flights. Fortunately, I had spare stuff in my carry on. Good luck!

Just curious: those of you who talk about packing 6 weeks of clothes. Do you really have that many clothes? I couldn't go more than maybe 3 weeks without doing laundry at home. Even then I'm scraping bottom and wearing the weird things I should have never bought!

When saying 6 weeks of clothes that means enough clothes for a trip that long doing laundry. The point is your don't need two different outfits a day. I do the black and gray mix with items that can be washed out in a sink but have rented an apartment for part of my next trip and will do laundry then. Two pairs of shoes, I am wearing my heavier waterproof hiking boots on the plane and walking shoes inside the suitcase with a cheap pair of flip flops for the one hostel stay. I bought the solid tins of shampoo and conditioner for my next trip, can't way to try them. I am not going over a 20 inch suitcase as we will be doing public transportation. I thought about going wheel less with a light weight lucas bag but we have several blocks to walk from train and bus stations on this trip and have three discs that are messed up so think I need the wheelie luggage. I so want a small chrome messenger waterproof bag and that will be it. I think being on trains and buses it is smarter to have smallest cases you can. Layer, mix and match, bring a one dollar poncho instead of a bulky raincoat. I bought a thin windbreaker rain parka from Lands end that has inside pockets for the passport and tons of outside pockets so will wear on board the plane. You can do less!

ssachida: I don't think anyone is talking about "packing 6 weeks of clothes". They're talking about one week's worth of clothes, laundered and coordinated to last for six weeks.

I imagine it would be quite easy to make 30 different combinations using the wardrobes mentioned above.

isinginmyjeep - It may help you to pack light by remembering that you will be constantly moving thus the only one who will know you are wearing the same clothes is you. Be sure to pack a couple scarfs, they can easily change the whole look of an outfit. Pack light, you will not regret it.

By the end of day 1, IF your bags arrive (direct flight is no guarantee), you will be SO sorry you decided to pack bigger bags. You'll be even sorrier once you start riding the trains. You just do not need all that "stuff," plus you are probably going to want to buy at least a few items while you're there. Two weeks is a short time - you could easily pack what you need for a 2-week trip in the smallest carryon. Take a 21"or 22" rollaboard and some sort of practical tote or messenger bag.

I like the plastic zip loc compression bags. They can really allow a lot more in a 21 inch roll aboard. On a trip where a friend had the same size bag he couldn't believe how many more clothes I had than he did! ;^)

We normally travel to Europe for 2-3 weeks. Never take anything larger than a 21" roller bag. I recommend that you heed the advice here - it is from a lot of seasoned travelers. You can do laundry or have your hotel take care of the laundry or dry cleaning, probably for the same price as checking a large bag.

And, if you do forget to take something, I have heard on good authority that many useful items are sold in stores in Europe.

isinginmyjeep

One important thing to consider in this decision is what your airline's bag policy is...as in how much will they let you carry on (not what it says on their website). American carriers are a lot more lenient on this issue.

On our last trip Air France was extremely strict about everyone putting their bag in the little metal box the size of a tissue box before approving it as a carry on. They they put a sticker on the bag if you were approved. On the flight back we flew Delta and I could have pulled several 24" bags on if I had wanted to.

On our upcoming trip (next week...'bout time!) we're flying Air Canada and I actually went to the Air Canada counter the last time I was at the airport and asked them how strict they were. I was told they were very lenient so we're going to attempt to bring a 22" bag as a carry on. It is more of a hassle to carry on but not near the hassle of not having the bag for the trip when it's lost.

To throw a wrench into this discussion...how about kids? For our trip we're bringing our 8 and 10 year old for the first time. Our current luggage list is:
dad - 24" carry on and camera bag (24" most likely checked)
mom - 22" carry on and backpack with laptop, mags, etc
10 yo - 20" carry on
8 yo - backpack with kids toys

My wife is now thinking we need to bring two 22" bags and toss the 20". We're packing this weekend to figure it out.

...will report back on how well this works.

I take a 21" expandable to 24". I carry-on on the way over and if I make purchases on the trip, I check the now 24" bag for the trip home.

I am only a recent convert, convinced by janisj and others on this forum.

It is so liberating that you will not mind getting the laundry done every week or so.

Okay, only an anecdote but on a recent trip to Italy, one friend got her checked luggage after 5 days, another never did. The third got her luggage but hated having so much and on the return trip her checked luggage showed up one week after she did.

From a guy's perspective, I take a carryon legal 21 inch rollerboard, but I check that bag, and take a smaller tote with me in the cabin when flying. I wouldn't get on an international flight without a carryon bag with at least a couple of days worth of clothing and my toiletry essentials, lest my checked bag gets lost. However, I don't want anything larger than a carryon legal bag for storing on trains, storing in the trunk of a car, carrying up stairs, or getting on very small elevators. The tote plus carryon gives me the capacity of the larger bag, with with more flexibility.

I could get by with just a carryon bag if I had to, but I will also be the person carrying maps, papers, guidebooks, and some other stuff that the rest in my party won't have to carry as result, but we'll all be carrying the same bags--one checked carryon legal bag, and one tote.

Well I was going to take the carry on size on the flight and use a backpack (I always use backpack instead of purse when traveling)as well. Air Berlin does not allow 2 carry on's like other airlines I have flown with. So one of those bags will have to be checked. We thought, well if it has to be checked regardless we might as well take a larger suitcase. After reading your comments, you all have me wanting to stick with the carry on size:)Thanks for the info!

These people with their huge carry-on bags! What horrible travelers.

No, you don't need any suitcase at all. I wear cargo pants, a fishing vest with tons of pockets, and a rain-proof jacket with lots more pockets. I stuff everything I need into the pockets.

Admittedly, I do look like Bib the Michelin Man, and one airline tried to make me get an extra seat because I was so huge, but I explained that I would be much thinner once I got my 40-pound jacket into the overhead bin.

I usually even have room for a 3-pound salami (I don't like airline food at all). The only drawback with the salami is that a lot of dogs and cats follow me around once I get to Europe, but I just consider it all part of the cultural experience.

I had to laugh a little over someone's ocmment earlier that no one will know you're wearing the same clothes multiple times. I have a particular sweater I love to take on trips because it coordinates with all the tops and trousers I take. It's a mid-weight cotton, so not too hot not too cold, and can be washed if I'm desperate. Anyway, there I am in photos from nearly every trip, wearing that dang sweater. My husband finally suggested it be retired from my travel wardrobe... at least for a few trips.

Has anyone traveled to Europe for business and pleasure and been able to carry a 24 inch or less bag? I have to bring a suit, a cocktail dress and appropriate but casual work attire. I intend on doing train and smaller European airline travel before and after my business obligations, so I won't have a home base hotel to keep my luggage. One country on my list is Norway, therefore a jacket will be necessary as well. I'm most concerned with the lugging around of heavy bags up stairs and down streets to stations, etc. Any thoughts? However, aside from the professional clothes, my personal style will be quite easy to minimize- no problems mix and matching here, or with frequent clothes washing. Thanks!

"<i>Has anyone traveled to Europe for business and pleasure and been able to carry a 24 inch or less bag?</i>"

Yes. It takes planning/coordinating colors and layering, but is relatively easy. I once took a 3 week trip to England that included a very formal event in London (long gown/long gloves/the whole 9 yards) as well as two very casual weeks in the countryside -- and did it out of a 21 inch rollie bag. (But then I'm known as the packing Nazi in some parts :)

A 24 inch suitcase would be quite doable.

for butrflysl,

Yes, 24-inch bag. Several trips have involved both opera and serious hiking, or several classical concerts and serious hiking, or concerts and skiing.

One thing that helps is having a lightweight first layer that washes out easily and dries overnight without needing ironing.

Plus, of course, if you're moving a lot, no one will know what you wore two days ago.

Have fun!

s

Wow, this is a great thread with great advice. Count us into the "smaller is better" group. My girlfriend and I each take a 22" carry-on plus one small day pack. My girlfriend cheats because her carry-on is expandable which is a nice feature if you are bringing souvenirs home. It is also great for dirty clothes which, for some reason, take up twice as much space as clean clothes...anyone ever notice that?

Our trips are normally 3 weeks but this year we are doing 4. We always have more clothes than we need even with limiting ourselves to the smaller suitcases. Two keys to packing light are, 1) take the right clothes, that mix and match, and are easy to wash and quick to dry, 2) master doing your laundry in the sink.

No matter how little we take with us, we begin resenting it about a week into our trip. So pack light and travel fast.

Thanks for the tips and encouragement! I think I need to do some practice packing and then maybe some simulated travel scenarios involving stairs and lifting into overhead compartments!

someone on Fodors qotted this this--not so much what to pack, as HOW to pack. It works!

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/201...6-pack-ss.html

How much can you comfortably lift for brief periods? Even if you are taking trains, or encounter some stairs, you are looking at maybe a minute of lifting in any given day, all in short spurts, and most of that lifting is measured in inches, rather than feet. Honestly, anything under 70 pounds is more than manageable for me.

To that end, for anything longer than a week, I use a 27" Samsonite Cosmolite case, which fully-loaded, comes in at the 50-pound mark that is the normal limit for checked luggage.

I use a 24-25" lightweight suitcase when I travel for several weeks (I have a Delsey I like and another brande I got at Kohls that is very lighweight) and it doesn't bother me at all in terms of size. I take trains, also, and handle it myself. I might not if I were moving hotels or taking the train every day or two, I suppose, but I don't do that (except sometimes in rural areas and by then I have a rental car so its in the trunk).

If you have never traveled or handled this suitcase before, it's kind of hard to say how you will like it. I wouldn't take a 27" myself but find a 24-25" makes a big difference in terms of what I can take. I don't really care that much about being able to take everything in a carry-on.

I haven't traveled on Italian trains so don't know those issues, but of course you can't put that size overhead on any train I've been on. You put it in the area for baggage which may be at the end of the car or sometimes between seats. i presume you aren't the only person in the world who would have a suitcase that size on a train.

On my first trip to Europe, many years ago. I took only a purse and 15x6x8 plastic "suitcase" carry on. (The suitcase was issued by the airline--Pan Am I think--when I booked my ticket.) I wore a shirtwaist, sweater, low heels, and raincoat (with the usual undergarments of the era). In the suitcase were two blouses, a skirt, tie shoes, a change of underthings, nightgown, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste,bar of soap, lipstick and those foam curlers.

Jean, your comment about the sweater in every photo brought back memories of that trip. My niece was looking at my scrapbook from that trip and commented that it looked as if I had just posed in front of various backdrops, because I always seemed to be in the same clothes.

I don't travel as light today, but do manage to keep things under control.

Actually, on my recent trip to Italy, i discovered that there are some lifts and ramps if you know where to look.

on my outward journey I was so confused and befuddled that i didn't find any of them, but on the way back I spotted a lift at Pisa Centrale that i swear had not been there a week before, and a ramp too.

getting the case onto some of the trains is still a problem of course, but it's not as bad as lugging it up and down those stairs.

IME the lifts tend to be at the other end of the platform from where you get off the train and the location of the ramps is a state secret but they are probably there somewhere.