Great idea about the butter..I need to do that next time,,it's so much better than Land O Lakes (!!!!)

I have hotel stickers that my parents collected in the 50s and 60s from some of the great old hotels......will think about gluing them on.....

Did I mention that So MANY of the bAgs on the Lufthansa flight from Munich to JFK were Rimowa?? Most were the classic silver. None of them looked terribly beat up but some had dents.
But those were check in.......which I might have to get one of these days!!

Yes, I wrote about Sicily..look on the Europe board......also wrote about the food on HungryOnion.org.....I think those are in different categories...one for Catania and one foe Aeolian Islands...and one for Marina di Ragusa......I will link them if you cannot find..

You were an inspiration for me to buy that Rimowa bag!! Thank you!!!!!!!! It is amazing how much easier it is to drag that than the older two-wheelers, which are all of my other suitcases......I been have a beautiful Brics..dark navy with tan trim. Carry on, but very heavy and only two wheels....never used! I think I bought it in a sample sale here in NYC..will take photo of t hat one also....

My graduation present from college was a set of black and red Lark suitcases!!!! You are too young to remember that brand. they had no wheels, but I schlepped them all around SE Asia India, etc when I was in my 20s! All the other "budget" travelers had backpacks but there was I, with my Larks, imprinted with my initials and slapped with my stickers from college that my Dad plastered on them!!!



https://www.ebay.com/itm/333829592024?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28









xx

Oh I'm glad you love your bag! I noticed lots of Rimowa bags too on my recent trip and am now thinking about getting a checked size-maybe the trunk version. I love your graduation luggage! When I hitch-hiked around Europe with my friend at 18 yoa for some reason I didn't want to have a backpack so I had a soft sided bag with a big shoulder strap that was about the size of a big carry on. I remember my Dad saying is that all you are taking? Don't you want to maybe ship a trunk or a large suitcase ahead of you? Don't know how I managed but my clothes were much smaller then and I was much more low maintenance ha ha.
I am enjoying your Catania report, will read the others and check out the hungry onion too, thanks! You are very brave driving there.

The metal ones are worth it, they are very hard wearing and durable and look amazing. Depends how much you travel I guess, but for someone who travels regularly, definitely worth it.

I love my Rimowa bag! I have the cabin bag.

After reading the comments, I now want to try a Rimowa suitcase.
It's a pity that there are no brand stores in my country and there are almost only cheaper, medium-quality suitcases in the shops. Of course, American Tourister or Samsonite are available, but they are not the same. Should I go abroad and buy a Rimowa suitcase in person at a brand store, or should I be brave enough and order it in a webshop?

I am glad you brought this thread up.

I bought a Rimowa aluminum carry on in Munich a few months ago, in the new emerald green color. This is the first spinner bag I've ever owned and it glides like a dream.
(I loved my Eagle Creek carry on with wheels, not spinners, but it got damaged on Salina a few months ago and since its about 20 years old it was time for me to buy a new carry on, hence the green Rimowa.)

NOW I am thinking about a new checked bag. I use, and love, the large check-in Briggs and Riley I bought about 6 years ago. It expands, you can cram in so much STUFF--everything great and it's gotten a lot of use since I travel abroad 3-4 times a year now. I highly recommend this company. Maybe on the upper middle range but I feel it was worth the price. It is heavy, however, but that's ok for me.

HOWEVER, it is not a spinner bag. When I travel alone, it is difficult to maneuver this, along with the new Rimowa carry-on,, plus my 25-year-old wonderful Kipling backpack (cannot say enough about customer service at Kipling..will go into details if anyone wants but let's just say that they were a huge help to me with this bag--I bought it when I was in a master's program to carry my books, so that would have been the mid 1990s!!!!! I had a minor issue with the drawstring thread and they not only sent me a new thread but also a new little monkey (their mascot) since mine is still wandering around Barajas airport looking for me--he got lost on the people mover about 8 years ago and has not been heard from since!)

Seriously, despite how much I love the B&R bag, I could not manage well with that, the spinner Rimora, my backpack, and the medium-large handbag I bought in Spain and now take on trips..might be the best looking and most useful purse I ever owned and I have a ton of pocketbooks. I am not in the physical shape I once was, no surprise here, and I often travel alone, so have to be able to handle all these bags. Spinners are new to me and what a great invention for travelers. It seems like everyone on the planes I've taken recently was using one, except me!!

So....I had all but settled on a new Rimowa in the large trunk size. It even comes in the emerald green, same as my carry on. But I did a lot of reading and learned that they were taken over by LMVH and many people feel that quality has declined. I dropped into their NYC store yesterday (surprisingly empty) and had a long discussion with the loveliest salesperson, Ash--ask for her if you happen to go there.

I asked a lot of questions. She agreed that the bag will get dented and perhaps more damaged when checked. (They offer lifetime repair service, free, but still a pain fi you are abroad when damage occurs)
She also agreed that some people have trouble with the locks and those can break as well.
How will I feel when it gets dinged many times--I know about the patina and all, but who wants to be worried after eery flight that your bag will arrive cracked or dented???? I think I would obsess over large dents and scratches, something I never think about with the Briggs and Riley.

The price is quite a lot higher in the US and so I would advise the above poster to buy in Europe, if feasible. But Rimowa looks like the "status" luggage line and keeps getting more popular in the US--LMVH and all that..... Will every other person on my flight have the same bag...? I do like to be a little different with luggage if possible (hence the emerald green Rimowa carry on).

In my reading I discovered another brand, less pricey than Rimowa: FPM Milano. It is gorgeous and you do not see its around so much. I think it is sturdier than Rimowa. I do not know if it sold in an actual store in NYC but I could buy it in Europe..


https://us.fpm.it/collections/bank

So, after this endless one-way discussion, I'm asking for suggestions or comments on FPM Milano, or other high-end, sturdy bags for check in. I want it to look smart but be practical.
This is to replace my current B&R bag. I could also buy the B&R in a spinner, but now I've gotten a little obsessed with having a great looking as well as great functioning bag.

I thought the Tumi bags I saw in their window were ugly..but didi not enter and see the entire line.


RainyCityGirl, I hope you will give me some advice, or comment. Anyone here know about FPM Milano? They have no store in the US as I can tell, but many in Europe, where the Vat refund would be a big draw.


Important for me:


1. Sturdy
2. Handsome
3. Looks different than the myriad black suitcases tumbling onto the conveyor belt
4. I am able myself a belated birthday present (ha--since no one else does--here's looking at you, partner!!!)

Sorry for the long ramble....and many thanks to you all for being there in critical decision making times like this one! (yes, I'm joking here with that last bit but I am indebted to you all for the help many of you have offered over the years)

I am only an interested observer on this thread. I don't buy in the price range you are considering. And my favorite brands from the past now have the stupidest looking wheels that stick out from the suitcase itself

The two ITs I love and continue to use definitely fit (3) as they are patterened fabric. Mine for sure stand out from everyone else's coming down the conveyor belt -lol.

Keep posting. I'm interested. Trying to buy new. But can't find anything that suits me. My main wish list point is that the bag itself is lightweight when empty. And all of the high-end brands are too heavy.

Well all that's new since my post is that it seems as if the brand I was curious about--FPM Milano--has no actual store in the US; a couple of NYC department stores offer a few pieces but I need to see them in person, and the ones I would consider are not in those stores. I just cannot buy a piece of luggage without seeing it and investigating the inside. AND the repair services do not seem to be offered in the US, so you have to ship (free) to Italy for repairs. They have a lifetime guarantee, but still.... Too bad, I really like the way they look and you can customize the handles and other parts of the bag. so even if I found myself in Italy and could buy at a great price from the flagship, do I want to have to ship it if something goes wrong??? If there was someone here I could ask, that would be great (I mean a salesperson who really knows the line) but not possible. IF I am near one of the department stores that carry it, maybe I will go in and look around, ask some questions.....

HA--my mother had the floral pattered bags, but hers were not only not spinners, they had NO wheels.

Suze, remember those days when you had to CARRY your bags!?? And the days when many of us used duffel bags--just jam everything in! Although I do have an LLBean duffel that is perfectly good after several African trips when you need soft-sided bags for the little airplanes storage holds. But I never think about using it for any other kind of trip...the bag itself is light but when it's even partially filled, it gets heavy!! It was a great buy. LL Bean now makes duffels with wheels but I'm not after that right now...



I'd love to hear more, also--not being morbid but I imagine this would be the last suitcase I would need to buy (unless it breaks down within a few years!) so I am okay with paying for the high end IF it lasts. (Although I said the same thing about a car I bought and by now have had two newer ones of the same make). I might need to buy a little car soon (my 1997 Volvo is getting on in years and parts are hard to find....) but here, once again, I am going far off the topic....

I don't know that brand FPM Milano but will do some research. I had the same dilemma as you last year re the checked in bag not having spinner wheels. I have a few pieces of Briggs and Riley luggage that are many years old and still in great shape but they only have 2 wheels. So last year I bought myself a medium Briggs and Riley spinner and it's the new compression one where you can press a button to make it bigger, zip it up and then press down and it all compresses. I haven't had to use this feature yet but nice to have. I am so happy with this bag, it wheels like a dream, not quite as good as the Rimowa but very good and I can wheel through the airport with it on one side and the Rimowa carry on to my other side. Now does the B&R look as snazzy as the Rimowa trunk? No, but it is functional. It isn't black it's quite a nice medium blue colour.

I like this B&R compression idea so much I bought my daughter in law the carry on size for Christmas last year and this year we are giving our son one as well. Somehow they manage to travel with only carry on, I don't know how!
I can load my Rimowa carry on to the gunnels and still lift it into the overhead compartment, why I keep going to the gym and obeying my personal trainer, so I can be as strong as possible and keep travelling on my own if I want to.

I did not know LVMH had bought Rimowa....I will go do a bit of research now and come back.

https://www.harryrosen.com/en/produc...nk-20138529075

This Canadian men's wear store here in Vancouver carries FPM Milano and you are right, it's very attractive luggage. The Bank Trunk bag is Canadian $2750.00, dimensions 25.3inchesx14.9inx13.4in deep, however it weighs 16 pounds empty! Harry Rosen seems to carry a variety of their pieces, they have stores in Toronto and Montreal as well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Rimowa/comm...owa/?rdt=48278
Here is a Reddit thread discussing this brand v.s. Rimowa.

HA..that Reddit thread is the one that brought the Milano to my attention!

So it seems like the sensible choice is to go with a B&R spinner.
But will sensible win out over aesthetics? I've made SO many mistakes in buying good-looking stuff, mainly for the apartment. Who in their right mind buys Lefroy Brooks bathroom fixtures (at least I got them when they were still made in England"??; I think those shower fixtures, as great looking as they are, are the single worst large purchase I have ever made..nothing but trouble including having to break into the tiled shower wall and replace some gizmo or other..constant trouble to the point when I go to another bathroom to take a shower since the only water that comes out of the LB shower is either scalding hot or freezing cold..can you imagine the cost of the plumbers to come into Manhattan, many, many times??? Ok, sorry to vent here. ). Not only that, every single fixture in the original part of this place...oh, never mind my rambling here.

SO...I think the fact that the Milano luggage has to be sent back to Milano to fix should be a deal breaker. I'd love to hear what you find out in the coming days/weeks....I did not know until yesterday that they were bought by LMVH. Some said the quality has changed and the warranty might change as well, very soon.... Many people online say that it's great NOT to have a zipper, but I am not sure that is true for me, at least. I went all over the place for so many years with my Andiamo bags; the large one of the two is still ok, but NO wheels!!!
(The zipper in the smaller one did break) That used to be a great brand but I think they have disappeared from the scene.

Right now I do not need anything as I won't travel to Europe again until March, so I've got time to look around, but as you said, the Briggs and Riley is a warhorse...mine is maybe ten years old, maybe a bit less, and apart from a few black marks on the outside, it is wonderful to the max. I have the khaki color and I saw the blue online; I wish they made other colors but this is not a fashion forward maker and that is good as far as quality.....

I'll write it down here: Briggs&Riley is the sensible purchase. I love the idea of the blow up thing that expands the bag....I mean you could pack for around-the-world in those bags, even the older one that I have. And if it gets heavy, we can usually find someone to help out in the airport or taxi or hotel....... I am seeing now that the older I get, it seems as if people are swarming to help out especially on the plane and train, and sometimes in the airport.

Let's re-visit once you come up with more info, and some time passes.

" Somehow they manage to travel with only carry on, I don't know how!"

Easy peasy I haven't checked a bag this century (well, except occasionally gate checking on small commuter planes where even an 18 inch bag won't fit in the overheads). Doesn't matter if it a 4 day or 4 week (or 4 month) trip.

I've taken only one fairly recent trip to Europe with a carry on, but nowadays, I cannot do it, either.
Lots of space taken up by bags of medicines, dental things like electric toothbrush and portable WaterPic, converters for devices.....bag of costume jewelry.....

I can't see all that much inconvenience with checked luggage. And ia say this as someone whose checked luggage went missing not once, but twice, in 2024 alone!
First time: Flight from JFK to Madrid on American last March.
Second time: flight from JFK to Munich, connecting to Catania, on Lufthansa last September

Stressful, yes, but both times I got my luggage the following day.

For me it would be too stressful to try to cram everything into a carry on; but my trips are usually 3-weeks-plus and I like to look good!

I check luggage. Even when it's a size I could probably get onto the plane. Traveling solo I don't like to drag my suitcase thru the airport, take it into bathrooms, restaurants shops, on and off the plane, have to hoist it into the overhead (or have to gate check at the last minute). Only once (knock on wood) has it ever been lost and that was on the way home and a taxi brought it to me the next morning. I do carefully pack a carry-on bag with essentials and valuables.

I'm with suze and ekscrunchy on this one. I see no benefit to myself only packing carry on and I have not had any issues with lost luggage so far. Once my husband's suitcase didn't arrive in Spain for 2 days but he had a couple changes of clothes in his backpack. I pack some spare clothes in my carry on just in case.
I am a careful packer but I like choices in outfits, clothes are important to me and now I have a foot problem I have to have choices in footwear also.

Good to know I have two smart people on my check-in side!!!

ekscrunchy, I'll see how smart I'm feeling during my upcoming trip in June-doing a private tour of the Champagne region which involves lots of dressing up, then going on to Camogli and Villefranche sur Mer which is beachy. This should be a packing nightmare lol!!

I also pack very carefully. Really think thru every single item that goes into my suitcase. I workout on vacations so need gym clothes/sneakers. And my trips recently have all been beachy/hot weather destinations so I can easily use several changes of clothes in a single day (as I am dripping sweat). If I use every thing I brought with me, I figure that is a "smart pack"

Yes, I agree that is a smart pack suze. It is rare that I do not use everything I bring with me.