Best carry-on only luggage for kids for 2 weeks in Italy - backpacks or rolling suitcases?

I guess it depends on how much they will be pulling or carrying. When we started traveling to Europe with our kids, when they were 10 years old, they were capable of pulling their rolling bags on their own, except for up and down stairs. And they had a small backpack for their stuff on the plane/in the car.

At 7 and 9, I'm not sure if your kids could carry all of their clothes plus any other kid stuff in a backpack. Plus, if you're carrying backpacks, and need to help them with their stuff, it would be easier if they had rolling bags that you could pull (or carry up and down stairs), as necessary.

If you and your spouse would be carrying some / all of the kids' clothes as well, and the kids would be taking care only of their extra kid stuff, then IMHO a backpack would be easier.

I always take a rolling bag, plus a small messenger as a day bag, and have not had issues with pulling my rolling bag on any street.
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I've traveled with my kids at ages: 9 months, 2, 7, 8, 12 and 13. We have a system similar to the poster below, that adults use backpacks, kids use rolling bags and carry their own daytime stuff in backpacks like the ones that they are used to taking to school. We've found that they can wheel their own bags most of the time, remembering to put any heavier items nearer to the wheels inside the suitcase. This really does make rolling it easier and then if they can't roll their bags, Dad and I have free hands to roll their suitcases with one hand and hold their hands crossing busy streets with the other. Also, both the Swiss and the Italian train systems have a baggage forwarding service for around $35 per bag if you have a lot of train connections and just don't think you can manage. We did this once in Switzerland on a day when we were changing trains 4 times and it worked like a charm. I hope this helps.

If the kid's luggage it too big/heavy for them, be prepared to take over with the hefting and/or pulling. That said, if at least one of the adults carries a backpack style bag, and the kids have rollers, the adult with the backpack can pull two rollers.

We have the Rick Steves rolling carry-ons, one each, plus each a small backpack. We have used them for 4 trips, the first when the boys were 8 and 10. They managed them fine. We helped a little getting on trains or with lots of stairs, but we have always managed them easily. They were fine even in Venice (that was when they were 8 and 10).

Kim

When we traveled with the grandson in the summer of 2011, he was still ten, a month from turning 11. He had a roller. There were four of us traveling in France all together. He pulled his own roller.

I took a Rick Steves family tour once , we had 14 kids between ages of 7-17 .

They all pulled rolling bags , even the 7 yr old . You will likely have to help them with stairs ,so having your hands free ( by wearing backpacks yourselves ) is a good idea .

I just did a test packing for my 10 year old. It looks like this will be the first year he carries a backpack. We were able to fit all his clothes and a small assortment of kid items (iPod, books, paper for drawing, colored pencils) into a school backpack - so that's what he's taking. He's too small for a luggage backpack, he is just now 10 and a skinny little guy. My younger child will still have a very small roller - I think it's 17 inches.
Last year they both had rollers and it was ok but we are flying Alitalia this time and they have much stricter size limits. We would have had to buy 10 year old a new suitcase, but he said he was ready for a backpack. We will see how this goes

Limited packing is key. We did 2 pants, 4 shirts, 4 quick dry underwear, swimsuit, pajamas, 1 pair socks (his shoes are keen sandals so socks aren't likely but if he gets cold or blisters it's good to have one pair), plus what he will be wearing which includes a raincoat. We stay in apartments with laundry most of the time, and we hand wash underwear every few days.

When our boys were that age we used their school book bags/backpack. It was the right size for them.

On our first trip, our 7 year old pulled her own roller without any problems up and down stairs on trains. She kept loading the heavy stuff at the top causing it to be difficult to control. We had to show her how to pack. After this, she had not problems.

Oh Mira I would never bring only one pair of socks , your child must be an angel, mine loses 1 sock every three days lol !