looking for advice on kids' luggage

My kids are too young for having tried anything on them, so I speak based on what my preference was when I was little and traveled with my parents. I definitely preferred a backpack. Shop around to see what works for her. LLBean has a good selection.
Also, do some trial runs with your daughter to see what her preference is. Walk around the block first in a rolling bag and then a backpack and see what works. Go up and down curbs and steps. I think you guys will get a feel for what will work fairly quickly. Have fun!

Our kids started international travel with us around age 9. We gave them Rick's convertable bag. As long as you don't overload it, she should be fine. I'd also get her a small school type backpack as a day bag.

Lisa,, i went on a Rick Steves Familly tour. Twenty six people,, of which 14 were children! The youngest was 8,, and mine was 11. Nine of the children were between the ages of 10-14.
All the children used rolling bags. The only time they needed help( cause on RS tours you do carry your own bags, and sometimes for blocks) was in Venice where all those cute arched bridges you see are actually stepped not ramped. Even then only the youngest kids needed help. It is easier to drag a bag then carry it on your back,, especially for a small kid. A child is only supposed to carry 10-15% of their body weight on their backs. Look it up. So if your child is 100 pounds you know what that means, and your child is probaly alot smaller then that! Just make sure you get a bag with good wheels, not crappy plastic ones,, we still have the bag my dd used and that was almost 5 years ago, and it wasn't even that expensive ( less then 80 bucks) .

My kids have nice quality rolling carry-on bags. I think it's important that you get them something nice that is lightweight and rolls well.

We liked the Rick Steves Avanti rolling bags for our kids. They are small enough for them to deal with but they also stack together and can be rolled as one. I don't think Rick is carrying them on his site but other sites have them. Our kids 5 and 9 used them for 3 weeks in Europe as well as camp the following year. It is technically a laptop bag but for kids clothes it works really well and they can stash books or papers in the laptop area.

20" sized rolling bags work just fine for us and our kids. Just make sure that they aren't those spinners. Those have rather small wheels that don't work well on uneven surfaces. The ones that have 2 wheels work much better.

Thanks all. The rolling bag sounds like the right way to go for my daughter. I greatly appreciate all the comments.

Hi! I wanted to add- yes, rolling bags- and get the 4 swivel wheels (more expensive but worth it). I have three girls (now 6, 8, and 14, but we started to Europe at 2, 5, and 11). The girls didn't have swivel wheels on our first trip, and I did- I have been converting the rest of the family over to the swivel. My oldest almost never needed help, even the first trip (at 11)- she was just as likely to be helping out a little sister as we were. Small backpacks are nice for their day-packs.

I would also vote for rolling bags. The wheel is a great invention and should have eliminated the need for people to carry heavy things on their backs. Also, if you're not used to wearing a backpack, please be careful in crowded situations (train, plane, bus, etc.) that you don't hit other passengers as you move around. As for choosing a rolling bag for your daughter, just be sure it's small enough that if she needs to briefly carry it up a few stairs or over a curb, that she is able to do so.

I'd very seriously look at the Goodhope convertible carryon (www.luggage.com/Goodhope-Bags-Convertible-18-3-Way-Carry-On-Duffel-7260-GHB1367.html). It is a miniature version of the RS convertibles, 1400 ci and about 2#. The unfortunate fact about rollaboards is that you put less stuff in them (less weight for kids clothes), but they still weigh the same. Now instead of an adult with a rollaboard that weighs 1/3 of the total, a kid has to manage with a bag that weighs as much as it's content. Caution: If you use a rolling case, make sure you drag it directly behind you! Dragging it out to the side makes it hard for people to get around you, and, because it's below most people's line of sight, you can trip them.

Have you considered Rick's Appenzel daypack? I have one that is surprisingly roomy, and I actually used it as my ONLY bag on a week long trip to Vegas last year. As a matter of fact, if I knew I wasn't going to purchase anything while away, I could easily use this bag for a 2-3 week trip in Europe( using the pack light mantra of course...). It's actually described as a good "junior big bag" for kids who aren't ready for the full size carry on...

Here's another vote for the Appenzell Day Pack. Rick used to sell a smaller version of the convertible carry on that my son used when he was 11. We have 2 of the Appenzell Day Packs (never used for Europe just love them for weekends and such). I would think it would be perfect for a smallish 11 year old! If you have her just carry her own clothing, and no toiletries or electronics I would think she should be able to fit that in the Appenzell, and it shouldn't be too heavy.