A similar thread is currently on the Europe board, but I thought the answer might be different for Peru. My daughter and I will be visiting Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, and I'm wondering whether to take a rolling suitcase or a backpack. I''m concerned the terrain, esp at Lake Titicaca, may not be suited to a rolling suitcase and we'd end up just carrying it. Suggestions?

I took a rolling suitcase and never had to carry it once. The best thing I did was pack a small duffle for the Sacred Valley and MP, leaving the large suitcase (locked) in storage at our hotel in Cusco. Then we stored it at the lockers in Aguas Calientes. Made life a LOT easier.

Didn't go to Lake Titicaca, but we rolled our suitcases everyplace else you mention. No problems at all.

No problem at all with our suitcases in Cuzco

I travel with just a carry-on and don't like rollers - they're loud and hard and the rolling mechanism takes up too much space and weight for my taste. I love best to go places suitcases won't roll and would rather shoulder a bag than carry it by hand or with a strap if rolling won't work. I have a conversion pack with an excellent detachable day pack (usually detached) that I've traveled all over with and am very loyal to (not to Peru yet, though, you lucky duck). Just my 2 cents' worth...

When your luggage weights a third of your weight and you have a bad back, wheels are a necessity.

I like a rolling suitcase but keep it under 25 lbs. so I can lift if when necessary.

Just an additional thought: I recently upgraded (inexpensively) and bought a roller on 4 wheels instead of 2 wheels. This gives you the option of rolling on 4 wheels, which means you just push the luggage along from the top, never having to extend the handle and without having to bear any weight at all on your arm if you don't want to. I just got back from using it in Mexico in some colonial towns where the streets are cobblestone, and in Mexico City. It is amazing how much strain a full piece of 2 wheeled luggage can put on your arm and back. The 4 wheelers are so much less strain, and they can spin 360 degrees in any direction, and are much more flexible.

I bought my piece at a discount place (Tuesday Morning) for $69 and it is the best travel investment I've made in a long time. I've seen good brands of 4 wheelers at TJ Maxx and other discount stores also.

I'm guessing for a younger traveler a backpack might be the better choice.

Whatever you carry your stuff in, the best advice I've ever gotten is pack light. Every time I travel I take less, and there's still always stuff I wish I could leave behind rather than drag along. For me, it was completely worth the cost/effort to buy a few items like zip-off pants that help lighten the load. That said, I use my backpack for vacations and my roller for work trips.
Best of luck with the packing and enjoy the trip!
melissa

We're pretty good at packing light. Went to Asia last year for nearly 3 weeks in 1 rolling carry on and a small day pack. And as for ages... well, I'm 50, daughter's 26. That's young, right?
The problem is I read somewhere there are 200 steps or so when you arrive at the pier for our overnight stay at Lake Titicaca and I think I'd have trouble carrying my roll-on bag all that way. It's kind of heavy with nothing in it! I'm a pretty small person so it's not all that easy. Anyone do an overnight homestay at Lake Titicaca who can share your experiences? Sounds like everywhere else the rolling bag would be fine.
tks!