Thanks for the reply Samoca. I agree checking online is the way to go (or so now I know).

Someone else mentioned vacuum bags. I like to pack them on the way out but not use them until the way back. I can usually fit whatever I've bought on the trip in the same bag then. Heavier on the way back, though!

All the info above is good advice. IMO carry on is easier and safer because you know where your bag is, you do not have to wait for luggage at arrival airport(quicker passport check?), and it is so much more easily handled on trains and such. I would not check bags ever again unless forced to do so. Also if you buy more stuff whie in Europe, what a novel idea, you can purchase a small collapsible carry on type bag to put extra in and check the bigger bag to go back to the US.

I hate categorical statements like "anyone can pack for xx days in a carryon."

Anyone of a certain size with no health issues packing one pair of a certain size shoes and traveling at a temperate time of year can probably pack for a week, which is certainly enough for a summer if you wash regularly.

But change any of those variables, and the equation falls apart.

In our years of travelling we've run the gamut for luggage. In our 20's the backpack was perfect for most everything for hitchhiking around Europe. And after having used every imaginable sized wheelie in the 40+ years we've come full circle and now use a soft-sided, non-wheelie carry-on each. There's a very useful web site dedicated to the concept and it's titled 'one bag one world' and well worth a visit.

However, we fully recognize that while this concept works perfectly for us it's not for everyone in our age bracket as implied by a previous post.