Talk me into NOT checking in a Bag

I routinely go on a two week business trip with a suit, running gear and computer bag all in one carry on so It’s not unrealistic or even uncommon to not check a bag with a family of 3. This trip looks pretty low stress so I’d say it’s the perfect opportunity to try packing Light.

DJ

I had similar family dynamics the first time I insisted on carry-on only. My husband was ok with it, but 2 teenage girls thought I was nuts. After 7 weeks on and off trains in the summer heat, they acknowledged I was right and are now committed one-baggers and much better packers. Go for it. A larger bag is nothing but an albatross around your neck. Although I suppose it would be your husband's neck. Would he be the pack mule?

It is such a relief to have less stuff to manage and when everyone can manage their own. Since you’re buying new luggage, make sure it is as light as you can find. And I’m no longer wholly committed to backpacks; small, light rolling bags are ok too imo. My favorite combo now is a 20” Eagle Creek 2 wheel bag (not 4-wheel spinner), an Eagle Creek very small, light daypack and a tiny ebags cross-body purse. I can travel indefinitely with just that much.

I travel for 6 weeks at a time, with a carry-on plus a tote bag that slips over the carry-on’s handle (personal item). Inside I pack a very light weight folding duffle bag, in case I have more stuff going home. I also pack an empty RS day pack, which weighs almost nothing, which I use on a daily basis while traveling. It is certainly very possible, if you follow guidance on this RS web site and elsewhere. Many benefits: (1) you get off your flight and go right to local transport, no waiting for baggage. (2) your baggage won’t be delayed or lost. (3) less problem fitting your stuff into a rental car trunk. (4) the biggest I think, you won’t struggle handling your baggage at train stations, getting settled into and between trains; in and out of hotels; and sometimes up a few or many steps in hotels. In July you will want light weight clothing anyway. Also, when getting on your flight, wear whatever jacket, sweater or hat you might take, with your phone, a book or whatever in your pockets.

Thank you so much, Nelly! And I happen to travel with my Eagle Creek Load Warrior carryon (mine's the 22") and it is super super lightweight. I'm similar to you in that I have stopped using backpacks b/c they just feel bulky and hurt too much (I'm only 5' 1" and very short waisted). You'll laugh but I still use the tried and true 'fanny pack' (Yes they are baaaaack but now called 'waist packs' LOL).

More feedback like this will give me the push I need!!!!

Hi Larry - This is fabulous advice - Just wondering what specific brand/make 'lightweight' duffle you pack? And which specific RS daypack are you referring to?

A large suitcase will be a hassle with trains, especially if you're traveling during peak commuter hours. Getting on/off in a hurry is a necessity, and then in a crowded train, luggage space can be hard to find for larger pieces. I have found that a small suitcase helps make train travel that much less stressful!

We are a family of 5. 3 Kids are now between 10-15. We all carry our own bags, all carry on. Including the previously 8 and then 9 and now 10 year old. She has her own backpack and carries her own stuff. We also carry lightweight extra bags inside, like Larry, for carrying extra stuff as needed. These are Osprey Ultralight backpacks in our case. Our luggage are Osprey 46 Porter backpacks (we favor backpacks at this point).
We used to travel (domestically, to the inlaws) with one or two bigger suitcase for all of us and the weight and cumbersomeness was something I quickly decided I would never do again.

I totally get it. And honestly I don’t think that your husband is unreasonable. One bag checked for 3 people is traveling pretty light. But it also is very doable even lighter. A full-sized carry on bag plus a backpack or tote as a personal item can totally give enough room for everything you need to pack.

You said to convince you. Do you want to be convinced WHY to do it or HOW? As for why, it certainly saves time (no waiting at baggage claim), and worry (because your bag could be on an itinerary unexpectedly different from yours). You are going to several cities so a lost bag just might never catch up to you. Granted, MOST bags make it but...you just never know.

I’m about to take my first 3-week trip, carry on only. I love the idea of being first in line at customs and not worry about anything. No waiting at baggage claim, just off the plane and on my way!

Now for the how: Maybe start by having everyone just see if what they need will all fit in carry ons, right off the bat. And if not, how close to fitting are you? I bet with a few decisions that you can get by with not quite as much stuff, everyone will be surprised how doable this is. I was just making my packing list and had 2 pairs of jeans on that list. And I realized the jeans I’m wearing today are on their 3rd wear since washing. I don’t need to pack a new pair for every time I wear jeans. (And I’m borderline plus-sized so my jeans take up a lot of bag space, so I want to take fewer for sure.) There are a zillion posts in forums about how to pack, and I bet you could even do this without having to do laundry on the road.

We routinely go for three or four weeks with just a carry on and "personal" item each. We do it with the smaller European size carry on so doing it with an American size carry on will be a breeze.

To do so you must accept that laundry will have to be done along the way. Some laundry (perhaps all) will be done by hand. We do all ours by hand and it only takes 20 or so minutes a day. If you think you will be doing hand wash, let me know and I'll let you in on a few tricks. It must be accepted that all of you will wear the same outfit more than once. Maybe two or three times each. Don' t worry about what others may think if they see you in the same outfit several times because they don't pay your bills.

Do not take a hair dryer. Haven't been in a place in Europe in ages that didn't have one in the room or reception. Take only black, white, and grey clothing that can be mixed and matched. This works for men as well as women. Women can add a splash of color with a scarf or tee or tank. Men can add color with shirts. Take things that are light weight, wrinkle free, and will dry quickly. Several sources are Magellan's, Travel Smith, and Chico's. All have web sites and Chico's has regular stores. Chico's is really great.

If you take a lot of meds, get an extra label from the druggist, put it on a freezer zip lock, put the pills in the baggie. Saves a ton of space and weight.

Take very little jewelry. One or two necklaces and ear pieces at the most. Only two purses -- one regular for day and one small clutch for evening. Only two pairs of shoes. Do not take a lap top or tablet as they just take up space and add more weight.

I realize some of the above may cause a 14 year old female to panic. But in the long run it will be a great experience for when she heads to college and then the real world.

My hubby did it for 3 weeks and was fine! My main worry is always lost luggage as it has happened to me a couple of times and I don’t need the worry or stress it creates! I have a couple of Ebag carry one that expand. I find them to be laid out quite conveniently. I crammed in a wide array of clothes for five weeks, from the Alps to the Mediterranean, just fine.
I do like the duffle idea for the way home, I use a small backpack as my carry on with a collapsible tote for extras.

Before we moved to France for good my wife and I went on a 6-week trip, mostly in France with a bit of time in the UK. We each had one carry-on and one personal bag (her a backpack, me a Tom Bihn bag I used in the U.S. as a briefcase).

Once you commit to packing light and washing stuff up as needed, you can stay indefinitely using only a carry-on.

It's not completely unrealistic to do, especially for only two weeks. Remember: the more stuff you have to haul around with you, the more it will just slow you down and make moves between hotels and in train stations that much more difficult and uncomfortable.

Have they watched the videos? It takes imagination and experience to understand the benefit. If your husband & daughter can't imagine wearing the same clothes more than once, or that you can actually do laundry on vacation, it will be hard to convince them otherwise. Most people can logically understand that it will save time at the airport to not have a checked bag, but its the not understanding how little you absolutely need to take that is difficult to get across.

Its not a crime to check a bag - its better than overstuffing and cramming an oversize carryon onto the plane. But its the dragging it around from hotel to car to train to hotel, etc., that is the real reason. You could try and educate them by having them take the bags to school or work on a bus or metro, for a day where you live. But that requires cooperation.

If you end up checking a bag, needless to say, but hubby should be responsible for packing and dragging it. Then do an after action review on what was packed and not needed.

Well, my baggage includes:
— RS 20” rolling carry-on
— Samsonite Tote Bag which was better than my previous tote bag in several ways: slips over carry-on handle, zipper is lockable, outside pockets, shoulder strap if I want to attach and use it. This bag had an unreasonable list price of $175 but I bought it on deep discount at Macy’s for $48. It’s plenty big but has never been questioned as a personal item.
— Nike 24 inch (?) gym/duffle bag, with no real structure to it, folds flat and light. I am sure there are other brands, probably similar and cheaper. Nike bags are available at Kohls, Spain metimes on sale, but generally you cannot use general Kohl’s discounts on Nike items. Don’t get one that is so big you are unlikely to be able to fill it, which would leave anything packed in it vulnerable to flopping around and breaking. (Or just use it for clean or dirty clothes, rugs, maybe books, shoes, etc.) I have often packed wine, olive oil, or other liquids, in large zip locks, then wrapped in clothing and/or surrounded by books, then packed into a modest size cardboard box that I find on the street outside a shop on one of my last evenings before returning, then more clothing to fill the bag, which I check when traveling home. Never a problem, so far.
— RS Civita day pack for daily use.

I also take a bunch of zip loc bags of different sizes, from 2 inches to 2 gallons, plus I use the zip loc type packing bags, in which I pack clothing and then roll out the air. This makes packed clothing considerably smaller, although not lighter. Some people say put all shirts together, etc. but I prefer to pack enough mixed clothes in one bag for a couple of days (minus slacks), so I can just pull out one zip bag for a short stay.

What do you mean by carry on bags only? Are you limiting them to ONE small suitcase each? To me that would be unrealistic. We do a 20 inch carry on suitcase and then we each have a large personal bag. I use my Kipling Sherpa bag and my husband has a full size backpack. The suitcases go overhead and the bags go at our feet because they have items we want to access during the flight.

With that being said if your husband wants to check in one bag, let him...he can deal with it. That is just not the fight I would want, it's his vacation too and he should be able to make some choices (that he has to live with). He can experience the time it MAY take away by having to go down to the turnstile to retrieve the bag, lugging it around, lifting it UP and onto the train, trying to fit it in the rental car....if he wants to do all that bravo for him. He is an adult he can make that choice to bring the suitcase your job is to let him know the possible obstacles the family may encounter and if he is comfortable with that then so be it.

You are travelling to Europe, so do as the Europeans do. Take a checked in bag. It only adds 5 minutes to your time at the airport and you have a car for much of your holiday, so dragging it places it isn’t going to be much of an issue.

Most Europeans travelling for 2 weeks in July would think you were mad just taking a small carry on bag! You are on holiday - why waste time washing clothes or paying a hotel to do it? Who wants to wear the same thing all fortnight?

I travel abroad 4 times a year on average and I have never had a bag mislaid in transit. The only time I would take just a carry on is if I was taking a city break for a week or less.

There is plenty room on trains for luggage. Taking a larger bag, ideally with a bit of capacity means you have some room for souvenirs, plus you can also carry liquids bigger than 100 mls.

Maybe I can make this a little easier for you.

UNLESS your husband need to take large or unusual medical devices, let suggest your give your husband the following challenge:

Make a stack of clothes, etc. and pick any week this spring/early summer and give him the challenge of wearing JUST those clothes for a week for routine activities (other than anything to do with his job, special occasions, sports, mowing the lawn, etc.) I think he'll be able to do it.

At home, he likely wears the same pants/shirts for more than a day. Likely there is somewhere mid-way in your vacation where you will be able to do or have laundry done.

Shoes are always challenging, especially since men's shoes are so much larger. But, stuff items in the shoes and suggest he wear the larger/heavier pair on the plane.

If he is not up for that challenge, then give him the challenge of packing a large piece of luggage (borrow one from a friend), and at last three times each day, have him lift it up over his shoulders 3 times a day and carry up/down a set of stairs, and on other days, have him put it in/out of the car.

In fact, if you want to make it even more realistic, have him make a separate stack of clothes that would be what he would put in the larger suitcase and have him wear those for a week (again, excluding for work, sports, special occasions, mowing the lawn, etc.) and see what items are left over and not used.

But, we find that it is nice to not have to wait to recollect our luggage when going thru customs (because carry-on is already with us), even though we are Global Entry, which does not matter if going thru customs in other countries. And, if something happens where a flight is delayed/cancelled, etc., you will have soooo much more flexibility if you don't have checked bags. We checked a bag returning from Asia recently, because we had a bottle of liquor in it that we were bringing back...........ugh.....how I regretted that....the wait for the bags to then go thru customs......we would have whizzed right thru otherwise. And, remember, you will likely be extra tired and a bit jet lagged when making those connections.

Another time, an airline agent offered us a better routing on the spot, when she learned we were spending an extra night in Atlanta, just because we were trying to head off problems with an upcoming snow/ice storm. She asked if we had checked a bag, we told her no and just pointed to our carry ons, and she said "oh you will be easy" and the next thing we knew we had a flight directly to Barcelona without the throw-away extra night en route to Atlanta. Traveling carry-on can bring some HUGE benefits that you might never anticipate.

Not knowing where you live, you could do a dress rehearsal with city buses or the subway, having him take the larger bag and get on/off a few times during rush hour. Finding a place to put the bag (where he can keep an eye on it and easily access it for quick disembarking).

There are sometimes a few pieces of clothing (a t-shirt or two) in my carry-on bag that I wind up not using on a trip, and I really pack efficiently, but I guess you could say I over packed ....LOL.

Good luck....once he becomes a believer, there is no going back..............

My sister and her husband always check luggage, and for an African safari they took a couple of years ago, her bag arrived at their home (never made it to their destinations in Africa), something like 18 days after she returned home. She said that on the trip, her fellow tour members kindly/jokingly referred to her as "the lady in THE white shirt." So, it is amazing just how little she made it thru that trip with, and likely she would have had more if she had a modest carry-on instead of her checked bag.

Have a wonderful trip.

Do not check your bag! I have made 12 trips to Europe and have only checked a bag once and then it was involuntary. My bag is USA size limit compliant but an over zealous American Airlines agent insisted that my bag be checked. On that trip I was flying business class and the agent stressed that there was no charge and assured me the “PRIORITY” luggage tag would prevent the bag from being lost. That was on a Friday and I didn’t see my bag again until the next Wednesday. Palermo in June is no place to be without a change of clothes. For some reason my priority bag never made it out of Miami. I have made 3 international flights since then with the same bag with no problems carrying on the bag. Be risk-adverse and don’t check a bag. Be in control of your vacation and have a great trip!

My wife and I have converted to carry on only. Previously we had been touring by car so the amount of luggage was not a big concern. When we started using trains, metros, etc carry on was the only way. With one exception to what most of the above have said. We do NOT do laundry by hand at home and definitely will NOT do it by hand when on vacation. Surprise, guess what, there are laundromats in Europe!! We usually plan on a laundry stop every 7 to 10 days. Sometimes after asking where the nearest laundromat is, a B&Bs host will offer to do it for you at a very reasonable cost.

I agree with all previous posters about the positives for carry-on only and would like to add one more that I haven’t yet seen mentioned. It may not apply to you, since it appears that your flights are direct, but, for others who might’ve wavering, here goes. My husband and I were connecting through Amsterdam to Florence. After we were already at the gate, we were informed that our flight to Amsterdam would be delayed by an hour and a half. This made the connecting time to our Florence flight impossible. I got on the phone right away with Delta and was able to schedule a flight to Rome instead. Since we had planned to drive from Florence to Pienza anyhow, flying to Rome didn’t matter. We were able to do this only because we had no checked luggage. Otherwise we would have been delayed by a day, as there were no other connecting flights to Florence that day. For reasons like this I always carry on on the way to Europe, although I have occasionally checked a bag on the return flight.

As I tell my family, since you don't know anyone there and you are moving around Europe no one is going to care if you wear an outfit twice. I always take two pairs of shoes, some slacks-usually black since they go with everything and a few shirts that can mix and max. Also make sure that you can wash them since I either wash them in the sink or take them to a launderette.

Trust me when you can get on a bus from the airport to city center with ease and can easily carry luggage onto a train you will wonder why you ever overpacked. Also, if your daughter insists on overpacking-make it clear that she is responsible for her own bags in Europe.

As has been mentioned, make your husband and daughter responsible for their own bags (and stick to the plan when you get to Europe) - experience is the best teacher. If you end up checking a bag, it would be smart to divide up your items so that each of you has some items checked and some carried on. That way you'll all have a change of clothes (or two) and any essential items (medications, etc.) necessary to survive a few days if the checked suitcase goes missing or delayed.

I think your biggest limitation will be trunk space in the rental car. You should not leave anything visible in the car when parked on your travels; if you all have carry ons plus a checked bag, you'll want to plan rental car choice accordingly. "Medium" sized car is not necessarily going to work for you.

Carry on only versus checking a bag has probably created more division than religion over the years! I fall firmly in the check a bag category. I completely agree with packing smartly and don't bring something because you 'might' need it. However, on a trip when you're going to be walking and busy, it is nice to have a few more clothes than carry on only would allow. It's nice to have fresh clothes in the evening after a busy sightseeing day, especially if the weather was warm. Also, I like to reduce the amount of time doing laundry. At least with the ability to have laundry picked up and delivered, that helps reduce that dead time in the schedule. I am a professional now and way beyond my starving student days. I'm not doing laundry in a hotel room sink, just as I won't be eating ramen noodles or mac and cheese from a box! That's just me, and your mileage may very.

For three people, one bag plus a carry on is traveling light, in my opinion. You're not bringing steamer trunks full with your entire wardrobe. I don't think I'd make carry on only a hill to die on. And, of course, once the decision has been made, make sure there's no, "I told you so!" Travel can be stressful enough without petty bickering.

Your husband is an adult-he can live with his own decision. I would make my daughter pack 2 weeks in advance and carry her luggage herself for distances equivalent to airports and quickly lifting up and down the stairs of a train. Do not offer her the option of packing her stuff in a checked bag that Dad will manage-Dad will not always be there to do it for her -what if you and she decide to do a girls only trip at some time in the future? If she doesn't like the experience, she will have time to make the necessary changes before the trip. Plus, it's easier to train them when they're young!

I have not hand washed their lined jeans yet(prior to my trip to Scotland), but a British company, Rohan, advertises unlined jeans that dry overnight and other clothes that dry even more quickly. And anything over $75 is free shipping. I found their lined(normal fabric, not fleece or flannel like Bean's lined pants) jeans very comfortable this winter.

I could carry on my bag, but I prefer not to hassle with it. I’ve never had a problem with a late bag. One friend was on a 2 week trip to Finland and her bag made it there the last day. It gave her an excuse to buy new clothes 😀

I pack lightly but still prefer to check my bag--I like to bring stuff home from my travels, no apologies there. I use a carry-on tote (which has anything I'd truly need in case my checked bag is delayed or lost) and a 24" or so suitcase, both are easily controlled and lightweight.

Cala - most luggage these days has wheels, so there is very little lifting, just dragging! Even I can manage to lift a 20kg bag 12 inches onto the baggage conveyor belt at the airport or into the back of a car or onto the luggage rack of a train. Few trains have more than 3 steps for access/egress. Taking a large bag is second nature to me and has never been a problem anywhere in Europe.

I am a carry on convert. After looking over your itinerary the biggest reason I would go smaller/lighter is the rail segments. Obviously it can be done with bigger bags, but my experience is that it goes a lot smoother with smaller bags.
You don’t mention accommodations—I tend to stay in smaller guest houses or b&b’s where we are navigating stairs, frequently narrow and steep. Again you can get a bigger bag up there but it’s less stressful to me with fewer smaller bags. If your husband wants to check the bags so as not to hassle with them on the plane, that’s one thing. But I would still carefully consider the size and weight for other reasons.
Have a great trip—we were in Bayeux last year and loved it!

Talk you into it? Okay, don't do it for all of the good reasons mentioned above. Bring enough clothes for 7 days (e.g., hubby can pack 2 pairs of pants, 7 shirts, 7 pair each of socks and underwear), and plan to do laundry at least once. Since it is the summer, you have no sweaters, heavy coats, etc. to deal with and should be able to fit a lot into a 9" x 14" x 20" carry-on plus an additional personal item (e.g., backpack or small tote). Although a 9" x 14" x 22" carry-on is typically allowed, the shorter length usually allows the bag to fit perpendicularly in the overhead compartment on the plane, giving you a better chance of getting it stored and not having to check it because it only will fit length-wise and there is no room.

I don't think the size of the bag is as important as the weight. Your husband is likely able to carry a larger bag on and off the train easily, so let him. You and your daughter have to be able to manage your bags so you might want to stick with a smaller one (in my mind 22" isn't necessarily a carryon bag, but if you can manage it, then go for it). That being said, I don't know the size of a medium rental car...your suitcases should fit in the trunk/hatch.

As far as carrying on vs checking? I think that is a non-issue. I pack in a carryon size bag, but I check it. I just returned from a trip to the Netherlands and no time was lost waiting for luggage. The process is pretty efficient. And I am freed up in the airports of my luggage. It is perfect, IMO.

I have no problem with actually checking a bag on a flight. Note that some airlines also have pretty restrictive weight limits for carry-on bags or can make you gate-check bags when planes are full. But I would not buy a new bag that is not small enough to carry onboard most airlines. That's your most flexible purchase, plenty large enough for months of European touring, and much easier to handle in the other hotel/trunk/train/station/stairs/curbs situations that others have mentioned.

Well...Hubbie and daughter have been successfully convinced! We will be carrying-on only. All of your responses were highly entertaining and informative. It has been wonderful to read such thorough and passionate feedback!! Thanks a zillion!

Is it a carry-on each vs one BIG bag for everyone, or a carry-on each PLUS the big ( checked) bag? If it is the former, then maybe it works; if the latter, UGH.

When we were taking trains in Italy I was so happy not being the family with the BIG bags trying to get on/off the trains or trying to fit in the small elevator ( if there was one)

Depending on the car you may not have trunk space to keep all your bags out of sight, if the car and bags are being left while touring some attraction. The bigger the bag the harder it is to hide.

Just to clarify and as a reply to many of your posts, I was voting for each of us having 22" carry-ons (Eagle creek load warriors that weigh 7lbs empty) with backpacks for Hubbie and Daughter and a tote for me.

If we were to check a bag, it would have been just one larger bag (probably 28") and then we'd have two 22" carry-ons and one backpack for daughter. No way I'm washing clothes in our hotel room. I'll pay somebody else to do it or go to the laundromat.

I think we're good to go without the check-in.

drcynpizzulli-One more thing...My carry on is expandable so it can be bigger on the way home for all the goodies we bought AND we always check our bags on the way home. At that point it's not a problem if the bag is lost. If we buy too much we purchase a cheap duffel, fill it with dirty clothes and check that in with our souvenirs in our carry on.

Go for it! Better hope your experience at Terminal 4 JFK is better than this:

Finding luggage at chaotic JFK is near impossible

A growing sea of thousands of pieces of luggage flooded JFK Airport’s
Terminal 4 on Monday, one day after a water-main break there wreaked
havoc and forced evacuations.

Frustrated travelers groused that finding their luggage among the
hoards of bags was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“They haven’t told us anything,” fumed London resident Cameron Watts,
25. “One of my colleagues I traveled with found one of her bags — she’s got two — so we know they have to be here somewhere.”

https://nypost.com/2018/01/09/finding-luggage-at-chaotic-jfk-is-near-impossible/

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/07/us/jfk-airport-flooding/index.html

Packing light with a carryon bag and small personal item is how I travel. Not only is travel much easier as there’s less to lug around, with carron only it allows making connections that are tighter due to unexpected delays and when “things” happen. Just recently, my connecting flight to my destination was cancelled and I was automatically rebooked starting the next morning with three legs to suffer. I asked the gate agent for help and was placed on another flight at the next gate in the final boarding process...two legs...made my destination that evening.

I will admit I did not read every response thoroughly, so I apologize for repeated advice. But, here are the reasons why to check or not check.

On the way over, it is entirely dependent on what your itinerary is and what your travel plans are. If you are flying to a city, and will be there for a few days, then checking a bag is not an issue. Worst case is you land, no bag, and at worst, they get your bag to you in a day or two.

If you are landing, then off to distant locales for a night or two, then it is much less likely the bags will catch up to you, so carry-on.

There is also the situation where my wife and I go down to Mexico. we carry on most of our stuff, but then check a bag that has snorkel gear, thermal cups, some basic kitchen things, all stuff that may not make it through TSA. In that case, carry-on will do, but checking makes it much easier.

Not too many thrills that are greater than washing out a couple of shirts and some underwear before you go to bed, then waking up in the morning to find they have ALREADY dried!

One other possibility would be to check a bigger bag, with your daughter carefully packed inside! That way, you save the cost of one ticket. If you do that, you better hope that the bag arrives along with you, on schedule. Good idea to pack some cookies or M & M’s inside, just in case.

When I travel up to a week in the US, I bring a certain amount, if I'm going for six weeks or more in Europe, I am certainly not carrying the same amount as I do for a week in the States. I don't do just carry-on, I always check in the spinner. Still, I aim to keep that 4 wheel spinner under 26 lbs. True, staying at B&Bs in London means by definition no elevator is available. The stairs are narrow and steep.

You're allowed one carry-on, that's the shoulder sack, almost like a medium size duffel which carries no more than 16-17 pounds. The over-all weight for the trip is distributed. No problem with doing laundry in the hotel sink if the stay there is for a few days to a week or more.

The main problem with packing too heavily is trying to get the spinner on to a train easily and quickly, and up the luggage rack . That's the incentive for not over packing. Everything else is relatively easily manageable, ie, to and fro the hotel, I stay in the train station area, ca 2 mins to the station.

I simply cannot understand the obsession with avoiding chdcking luggage. You wait 15 minutes for you luggage, or most often it's already arrived by the time you get through immigration.

I've never lost luggage in all the years I've been travelling. I'm not saying it doesn't happen but certainly not to the degree some will have you believe.

You're travelling by car for most of the trip, a suitcase will sit happily in the boot.

Aircraft are not designed to accommodate so many carry ons in the overhead bins. Personally I think it's selfish that flights are delayed due to cabin crew trying to find space for luggage whilst other people's belongings get crushed because other pasengers cram their bags in.

I agree with J.C. I have never lost a bag, and the minutes I may have to wait for bags to appear are insignificant compared with the other time spent waiting on a journey. I also get frustrated when the space in the bin above my seat has been taken by someone who is sitting some distance away who needs room for a monster bag which - just - fits the maximum dimensions allowed and which is too heavy to lift easily. My wife & I invariably check a couple of bags when we travel, and are pleased to be unencumbered by them as we wait in the departure lounge or trek to and from the aircraft.

Interesting, there seems to be a cultural divide between the U.S. and U.K. on this issue. Count me in as pro-checking-- the 5 or 15 minutes you may wait at baggage claim is not significant, and a 21" roller bag is quite convenient in most circumstances.

I used to do a bit of travel for work. There were several times that I had "lost" luggage. Luckily they all occurred on my trip home and they were delivered to my home several days later. On the way out this would have been a big problem. Also, I have had to wait over an hour for my luggage (at JFK) after I got through immigration and for maybe 1/2 hour in Philadelphia. I now do carry on at least on my way to a destination. Sometimes I will check luggage on the way home especially if I have expanded it for purchased items.

Are you the Cynthia Pizzulli that is a counselor, and you needed our help to convince your family about luggage?

LOL - Yup, Joe - That is me...How awesome was I to let the RS forum convince my family not to check a bag? Worked like a charm....

Since we, the forum collectively, did the 'job', do we get to bill for "counseling services" at the going rate? :-) --- (No, I am not holding my breath)

Have a good ( unencumbered) trip!

. . . . actually, the price is reporting how it went when you return from the trip.

No need to send me a bill, Joe - My check's in the mail!

I started carry on flying for the Air Force. Sometimes we'd make our way on commercial air, sans reservations, to pick up or drop off a plane. One was Honolulu to Presque Isle, Maine. If you had checked bags, you had very little flexibility to hop on/off a given flight and get on another.

One of the Air Force mottos is "Flexibility is the Key to Air Power". We jokingly added "Carry on is the key to flexibility."

Later I did an exchange with the German Air Force. I had to pack all my uniforms which left little room for civilian clothes. At the end, I wandered for a little more than a week with only a day pack and what I call a change and a half of clothes (an extra pair of pants, two extra shirts, extra socks and underwear, plus a small shave kit).

I never felt as great as I did traveling with just that. It's so easy to hop on a train, metro or bus. If you can't check into your hotel until later, no worries just carry your stuff. Since then I've always carried on, even if I need to dress up during my trip. I went with a standard carry on for a long time but now I'm down to a shoulder bag, not much bigger than a large day pack and I keep it to around 10 lbs (12 lbs. max) so it fits anyone's carry on rules.

Think mix and match. It's easy to carry on five tops and three bottoms (15 unique outfits) plus non-cotton socks and underwear that can be sink washed as you go . The key is to also keep the other "stuff" to a minimum. Limit yourself to one good pair of shoes (that you wear) for anything from walking to dressing up. You can toss a very light pair of flip-flops or flat sandals in your bag to give those shoes an occasional rest. I always wear a rain shell and warm layer (that can also be outer wear) on the plane. You probably have room to add one more non-bulky sweater if you think you need it.

I'm in the "check the bag" category! I, for one, am tired of over stuffers trying to get the "one" bag into the overhead bin or under the seat or needing help to put the darn bag UP or making me wait to get off the plane while they wrangle the bag free from the overhead bin or ...really I could go on but you get the point.

I travel about 6 times a year by air and have only once had a bag "lost" and that was about 8 years ago and they delivered it two days later.

I'm not sure why RS has made it a competition to see who can wear the same clothes or pack the lightest or only pack one extra pair of shoes for 3 weeks. I'm pretty sure there is no competition. Check or don't check it's not a zero-sum game.

I'm a fairly light packer. I can take a trip of any length and use carry-on-sized baggage only. But my bag is typically over 20 lbs., and with my small personal item, total weight gets closer to 30 lbs. (Maybe I'm not such a light packer at that, but I'm a CPAP user so that adds weight and bulk, and I'm also a blogger, so electronics also add weight...)

However, as a solo traveler I am increasingly finding myself preferring to check my bag and bring only a small backpack on board with me.

First off, it eliminates the anxiety of worrying that by the time I board there won't be any room left in the overhead bins.

Second, when I have a long layover or a little extra time to spend at the airport, I don't have a lug my bag with me to the men's room or to the duty free shops or to an eatery.

Whenever I have checked my bag, I find I suddenly enjoy just wandering around the airport. I enjoy feeling lighter!

If I'm flying direct or have short layovers, I'll still tend to carry on., but I definitely appreciate the freedom that comes with checking a bag.