Jason

Thanks again. We're going to do a "test run" tonight and see if we can get everything we need into two 22" bags plus a medium sized backpack. If not, we may get a third 22" bag, which would give us three 22" roll ons, and two medium sized backpacks. We'll check with the airline whatever we have to check. <BR><BR>We will be moving around quite a bit, so we may go with the "overnight bag" idea, and just bring into the hotel whatever we need for that night and the next day, and leave the rest in the trunk (is it called the boot?). We'll see how the test run goes. We will definitely need a sweater or two, although we might buy one when we're there.

the fine art of packing

I won't re-hash the huge benefits of packing light. People above already have covered that (and it IS a tiny bit more difficult for cooler weather). Having said that...<BR><BR>1) DON'T plan to leave luggage in your rental car. Certainly not the back seat and not even in the trunk (and yes it is called the boot!).<BR><BR>2) If you must take more, I suggest you EACH have one 22" roller with one carry-on meant to be attached to it (i.e., it hooks on the handle so you can roll them both along together).<BR><BR>3) Wear your bulkiest stuff on the plane.<BR><BR>4) Downsize all toiletries and cosmetics into tiny sizes, just barely enough for your trip.

Andy

Jason-<BR>We rented a Mercedes small sedan-the equivalant to an 320 in the US- the car was no there when we went to pick it up , so they gave us a SMALLER Mercedes=<BR>We could only fit 1 26" suitcase in the trunk, along with 2 small 18" carry ons'<BR>The OTHER large suitcase went in the back seat---<BR><BR>We were driving thru England-the Cotswolds,The Lake District,Chester--etc.<BR><BR>When we were driving from town to town during the day changing hotels, we did sightseeing on the way-BUT ONE OF US always stayed with the luggage in the car--A HORRIBLE way to sightsee--ALONE-<BR>This only happened 2 times so it was not earth shattering....<BR><BR>But some of the BnB's we stayed at ( and they were 4-5 star places ) had NO ELEVATORS-so we had to drag those heavy suitcases up and down the stairs--<BR><BR>REASON for the large suitcases-we were spending a week touring England ( one type weather) and a week on a MED cruise.SO we needed more clothes than normal for the different seasons....<BR><BR>Tell your girlfriend to go with BASIC BLACK ( it does NOT show dirt) and accessorize with khaki or red in the form of some t shirts and scarves..<BR><BR>When we normally take a 2 week drive to ONE country- we travel with only 1 27" suitcase on wheels and 2 carry on's--<BR>It's amazing what LITTLE you really need on vacation--And if you run out of things, bring a BLOW UP suitcase and tell your girlfriend to go shopping- I am SURE she will LOVE that!<BR>

Baggage

Jason,<BR>Why don't you solve your whole problem by renting a mid-size and taking 2-26" suitcases. A car with 12 to 15 Cu feet of trunk space will handle both. <BR>Check with your rental agency.

Jason

Aaah, the lure of the bigger car. It's a possibility, but everything I've read about driving in the UK says that the smaller the car the better. Although Hertz's definition of a "mid-size" and my definition of a "mid-size" are probably a lot different.

ddd

If you think you diverge on the definition of "mid-size car" wait'll you see what the UK calls a "single track road." <BR><BR>Don't get me wrong, I love driving in England and Scotland. It's the best way to see the countryside. But you most definitely want the smallest vehicle you can manage.

amy

But, but , but...just because Hertz says that will give you the larger car doesn't mean they have it. Too many of us approach the desk and they say, "We tried, but the car you ordered hasn't come in. However, you can choose between this miniscule automatic and this compact standard."<BR><BR>That said, you've hit on a partial solution with the more-than-one 22" as opposed to one big suitcase. A couple of the people on the board are big believers in two 22"s if need be rather than one 26" or 29". Again, you can navigate around them in your hotel room, they can be arranged more than one way in the car, and you can lift them easily (one per hand) up the six flights of stairs or running-way-train.<BR><BR>One more thing--when you have light luggage, you have more than a change of clothes: you have freedom to change your mind. Having lugged your suitcase up the five flights of stairs and seeing the room from hell, it's really easy to walk down the stairs and say "Sorry, I'm out of here," with a nice 22".

msa

Like many people here have already said, yes it is easy to go for several weeks with just a 22" bag. Our family of 4 each takes one bag, thats it. Trust me, if we can do that for 3 weeks at a time in the middle of winter in Scotland, England, and France...then anyone can. Everyones hints here work great...take all the tidbits and put them to use and you will have no problem. Have a wonderful time!

Bob C

We did the 29" on our first trip after getting the bags up to one too many 3rd floors we got 26" bags for the next trip. If you want a full sized bag then the 26" is the size to get.

Gavin

I have sympathy with the desire to carry lots of stuff. As a bird watcher I need to carry a telescope and a heavy duty tripod, clothing for field use and all the other stuff that everybody else takes.<BR><BR>On a trip to Kent We had a 29 inch case, a garment bag and two carry ons in a Ford Focus from Hertz at LHR. For sure the back seat was down, not a problem for security since we were only staying in one place. Space in the hotel room was a little tight but it worked. <BR><BR>On a more recent trip we smartened up and switched the 29 incher for a 26 incher. This meant taking the tripod apart. This time Hertz gave us a free upgrade to a Vauxhall Vectra (no cleaned Focus available). This car had a very roomy boot and likly would have held most or all of our last trip's load. This luggage was no problem for a 2.5 week trip with many changes of sleeping quarters and three legs of train travel, four cab rides and one ride on the Underground. <BR><BR>One thing that I have done to lighten the luggage load is to wear my hiking boots onto the plane and take them off when just sitting in my seat. Quick dry clothing is a great space saver too.

greg

I see one reason why you have so much to pack. Take sweaters for example. You are taking one or two and also buying one there? <BR><BR>When I went to Scotland, I did not take a sweater since I knew I wanted to get a nice wool sweater from Scotland. So what space the sweater used up in my suitcase, it was for as a souvenir and also something needed for the trip.<BR><BR>Also the raingear. Since they can be quite bulky, is it something suitable for what you are planning to do? Since I was not planning to do heavy hiking, I did not need a lined raingear. I only took rainshell that packs into about a size of my fist and combined with my sweater to adjust for the need for warmth.

Jason

Well, in a shocker, my girlfriend fit what she needed for 2 weeks in the 22" bag, with room to spare! And I know she has no intention to do laundry or to wear the same undergarments twice, so this is truly an amazing feat (at least to me, but not to some of you who've been saying it's possible). She took all her underwear and socks and put them in her backpack, which she can take on the plane. Then, and I think this was the key, she rolled all of her shirts and stuff and fit them into the bag, no problem. Add a couple of pairs of pants, and a sweater, and she'll wear her jacket on the plane, and she's home free. Since there's still some room, she can add some more.<BR><BR>This puts the pressure on ME to fit all of my stuff in one of those bags, but even if I'm high maintenance and can't do it, the most we'll have is a 26" and a 22" plus a couple of small backpacks. Now to find a bag to get in the next 10 days.

janis

Jason - you KNOW she will never let you live it down if she manages w/ a 22 in bag and you have to use a 26 incher <BR><BR>Take it a a challenge and work it out.<BR><BR>Why not compromise and get one of the expandable ones. then you can "cheat" a little. Expanded they will not fit in most overheads and must be checked. But at least they are smaller than 26 inches.

Jason

Yes Janis, she wouldn't let me hear the end of it. I end up lugging around the bags anyway, so it's in my interest to keep them smaller. What exactly do they mean by "expandable?" Would an expandable 22" bag expand to 24"? I've seen them around but didn't know if they were legit or not. Am I better off with a duffle (soft exterior, more flexible)?<BR><BR>I'm assuming that a 22" and 24"-26" would fit in the trunk, although I'm thinking of upgrading to a different car to make sure I get a closed boot and not a hatch-back.

Marilyn

Expandables expand "upward" not "outward". In other words, the length and width of the case remain the same, but the height increases, which is why they no longer fit into the overhead bins on airplanes.<BR><BR>Still cubic inches is cubic inches when you need more space.

janis

No - they don't expand out - i.e. to 24 inches. They have a long zipper that releases a sort of gusset that makes the case deeper. So instead of 22 inches long X 14 inches wide and 9 inches deep -- they expand to 11 or 12 inches deep.<BR><BR>I used to have one but now I have reduced my packing to where I didn't to expand it. But for those still learning to pack light they are a good security blanket. it is amazing how much extra those two or 3 inches hold.<BR><BR>One strategy a lot of people use is to take it over normal size and expand it on the way home to hold all the souviners.

smiling solo light

Jason, I think you hit on something when you mentioned lugging all the luggage for both of you!! Because I am single female & often travel alone... hey maybe that's why I don't find it a problem to pack light. That I KNOW ahead I have to carry the bag myself for the entire trip ;-) hahaha

Jason

Thanks. Would a 22" expandable generally be allowed as a carry-on as long as it's not expanded (put into "expanding expansion mode")? In other words, when at normal size, is it like any other 22"?

janis

Yes - an "un-expanded" expandable would fit in the overheads. It is exactly the same size as a regular 22 inch bag. <BR><BR>However it would probably have to be checked on BA and Virgin - not because of the size but because of the weight. They are VERY strict about their 5 kilo limit (even many 18 inchers have to be checked on BA and Virgin). But on AA, UA Continental, delta, NW and just about every other transatlantic carrier it qualifies as carry-on.

Jason

Janis, just wanted to let you know that I did a test run last night and was able to squeeze everything into a 22" bag, plus a smaller carry-on bag. We ordered a 22" expandable anyway, just for the extra space. We'll probably end up checking the 22 inchers because we each have another carry-on bag (hopefully Virgin, like the other airlines, allows for a small "personal item" such as a briefcase or purse in addition to the carry-on, so I can bring my empty backpack). So we've gone from 2 29" bags (which I now admit was way too much) to 2 22" bags, plus a few smaller carry-on bags. I assume this will fit in the boot. Now to make sure I get a car with a closed boot. Thanks for the help.