Wheeled Luggage vs Large Backpack??

I use a 20" rolly carryon, plus a daybag, for traveling in Europe for three months each summer. I pack light and have no problem (well, occasional challenges but no problems) getting it up and down stairs, over cobblestones, on buses, etc., I would definitely not say it's "so difficult" unless it's overpacked, not balanced, or a rolly designed for flat surfaces (some spinners with tiny wheels).
I have been using the RS 20" rolling carryon and the Civita or Ravenna daybag.

If you are not sure about wheeling luggage down the street or up/down stairs, take a taxi from the train station to your hotel.

In my opinion, the convertible backpacks are the worst of both worlds.

First, a small backpack WOULD be allowed on a Delta international flight as long as it fits under the seat in front of you. I routinely travel with the Rick Steves Veloce backpack and it easily fits under.

The Eagle Creek looks good. To me it is not huge at all. Since you live in NY is there an outdoor store near where you can look at this in person and see how it fits? REI usually has staff who have been trained in fitting packs. However if you feel it would be too much for you, go with a roller for yourself and either rollers or cases with backpack straps for the others.

I’ve got 18 years on you and the first couple of times I traveled to Europe I took Rick’s Convertible backpack. I realized it just gave ne bruises on my arms from slinging it around to my back so I went to the 21 inch roller. I would go smaller if I came across a deal on a 2 wheeler.

Two weeks is a pretty short time. You can do with 2-3 bottom, 4-5 tops.

For many years we used the Rick Steves convertible bags that had back pack straps but now use roller bags because they are so much easier on the body. With regard to "....wheeled bags make it so difficult to navigate streets, stairs, trains, buses etc.", that has not been our experience at all and we've used them extensively in a number of locations. We currently have the small RS roller bags that will fit the European airlines carry on requirements. We also use his Veloce bag as our personal bag and have not had a problem with them fitting under the seat. It is possible to go to Europe for many weeks at a time just using those bags as long as you spend twenty minutes or so each day or two doing laundry.

Hey Pam - Just to clarify - I meant that I didn't think Delta would allow a wheeled bag AND a small backpack as a personal item for one person....Is that not accurate?
Cynthia

If your small personal item fits under the seat you can have the wheeled carryon bag and the personal item also. I have used a wheeled bag and messenger bag. I like this combination as the messenger bag feels safer from pick pockets on metros or other crowded spaces. The wheeled bag is generally good for getting around if its carry on size, noisy on cobbles but I also throw in a shoulder strap for the occasional carrying.

DH and I disagree on wheels vs backpacks, so we each use what works best for us. We did 3 weeks in Scandinavia this summer, getting around by train, plane and boat. DH is 55 and I am 54, so just slightly older than you. He's more athletic than I, though we're both healthy and capable of carrying luggage for a few blocks. We flew on Delta, KLM, SAS and Norwegian and carried everything on all our flights. The trans-Atlantic flights were both on KLM.

For luggage, I used this lightweight wheeled carry-on: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I3H9B88/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
DH used this backpack/suitcase: https://www.standardluggage.com/products/carry-on-backpack-travel-bag

For personal items, I used a backpack that was "too tall" for KLM's rules, but met the other dimensions. I did not fill it full so if anyone had asked I could have squished it into a sizer, but in the end, nobody asked. DH used a Red Oxx Mini Boss that he has outfitted as a camera bag. For daytime outings in Europe, I carried a cross-body Baggallini purse which fits into my backpack during air travel. For future trips, I am looking for something more like a tote bag since the backpack was really bigger than I needed.

Choice depends on you physical capabilities. Many on this forum, myself included, that can not carry the heavy loads we use to carry. That said, wheels do not work very well on stairs and robust wheels are needed on rough cobbles.

While a properly fitted backpack with load carrying hip belt suspension system can easily handle 25 or 30 pounds (pack weight included), the pack needs to fit your torso length for the hip belt to work. For long torso persons, the pack will to too long to comply with typical carry-on maximum lengths.

For rollers to work properly, they add weight for the frame and pull handles and use up carrying space. If you do go with wheels, look for rollerblade skate type wheels and axles.

I use backpack style (RS Classic) carry-on bag but my checked bags are wheelies. (I travel heavy when skiing, less heavy when trekking).

Although I don't fly Delta, rather AA, BA and United, I always carry on a 22" wheeled suitcase and a smaller sized backpack or Day bag. I can't imagine Delta would be so different from it's competitors. Don't they list sizes, measurements on their website?
Don't take a large backpack with your size and what you describe as lack of athleticism. You are only going for two weeks so do not need to take a lot of clothes. Staying 3 nights in places is good as it allows to do your own wash or have hotel do it for you.

I'm a 5'3" female and 65 years old. I would never in a million years travel with a backpack. I don't even use a day-pack unless I'm doing a walk in the country, because I find it very inconvenient to remove the pack every time I need to switch glasses, grab my water bottle, consult my map, etc.

I can't imagine having significant trouble maneuvering a carry-on size bag with normal contents except unless it had spinner wheels and the pavement was uneven.

As a taker of very long trips that are 100% public transportation who inevitably at least starts with a too-heavy bag (not because of excess clothing), I've moved around with up to 40 lb. worth of stuff--which I am certainly not recommending--in a rolling bag. I can go up a flight of stairs in the Metro with a bag like that as long as it's only 23" or so, but it is struggle for me. I've walked a mile or slightly more between RR station and hotel. It wasn't fun if uphill, but I can do it. Staying on upper floors of a non-elevator building is an issue, but I avoid that as much as I can and take my time when it is unavoidable.

When you get up near 24", it's tight rolling the bag down the aisle on the train if the luggage rack isn't right beside the entry door. Lifting my suitcase (including the smallest/lightest I've ever used) into an overhead bin is not going to happen for me because of my height, so that is not an option. I visit a lot of small towns and end up using buses a lot. Buses are much easier than trains because of the luggage bays.

The major frequent problem with a rolling bag is, as already mentioned, uneven pavement or the occasional patch of no pavement such as I found in Bayeux (probably not on the direct path from RR station to town, though). There are many places where a 4-wheeled spinner bag will not work in standard mode; you'll need to tilt it and roll it on two wheels. The less expensive spinner bags seem to have pretty cheap wheels which don't take very kindly to cobblestones and can fail catastrophically with virtually no warning, so I will never again take a spinner bag to Europe. I've found the wheels on inexpensive two-wheeled bags to be less prone to breakage than the wheels on cheap spinners. I have so far had no experience with better-quality bags, but I am very doubtful that even good spinner wheels will continue to spin smoothly after a long, cobblestone-laden trip to Europe.

My husband and I - now 57 and 55 and just under 6' have always used backpacks. We started with the RS convertible bag, and moved on to an Osprey Porter for our last 2 trips. On our last trip I did begin to feel the weight was getting a bit much for very long distances. Disclaimer it was a Christmas market trip and we kept buying mugs at all the markets so the bags were getting heavier and heavier. My son started using his RS convertible bag at the age of 11. He's 23 now and still uses it.

I just bought an Osprey Ozone 22" / 50L rolling backpack with a zip on day pack that I just tried out on a domestic trip. I love this bag and am 99% sure it was an excellent choice for our trip next year. I want to be able to roll when it's convenient, but want to be able to wear on my back when that is most convenient. This bag is very comfortable on my back even with the wheels. It wasn't cheap though. Significantly more than the RS wheeled backpack. The only negative comment I have about this bag is that the handle is a weird T shaped handle which seemed a little awkward at first, but I got used to it no problem.

If you do use backpacks of any kind you will need to learn to pack light:)

I did fly on Delta on my recent trip with this bag and had no trouble using the attachable day backpack as my personal item.

I spent nearly 3 weeks with a 19 pound Osprey Porter 46. (The 19 pounds means it wasn't packed full) and a cross body purse. I also packed a nylon zippered bag to use for toting things during the day. My personal item was a cross body purse. I am 52 and chubby. I was very happy with this combination. I would have been tired if I had to walk several miles with the backpack all at once, but from hotel to train station to next hotel there are resting points in between. I felt very secure when in transit because my hands were free and I didn't have anything to keep track of, everything was attached to my body. I could have done with an Osprey 40L but I am glad I have the larger bag in case I want to buy stuff to bring home and packing and cinching is easier than fitting stuff in a smaller space.

Have a great trip.

I had a similar experience as vandrabrud. On my recent 2+ week trip to Europe, I carried an eBags TLS motherlode weekender convertible junior backpack as my carryon and a travelon cross-body travel purse as my personal item. I was aiming to pack light and not have to check any bags (although my DH did check a bag because we were bringing several bottles of wine back with us). In the backpack, I fit the following early-fall wardrobe: 3 pairs of pants, 6 tops, a robe, two sweaters and a jacket, a pair of shoes, lingerie, and the usual travel items, including meds and toiletries. I also took a backpack cover in case of rain, but did not need it; however it takes up very little space and will protect your belongings from getting soaked. I separated the non-clothing items into ziplock plastic bags to save weight. The bag ended up weighing less than 17#. I am 65, of average fitness, and 5'2", which is why I bought the junior - the regular size was too big for my frame. I had no problem comfortably carrying the backpack through airports and to and from accommodations, even up hills (we were in hilly Portugal) and stairs. I reveled in the sense of freedom I had in having my hands free, being able to carry it over cobblestones and up narrow staircases, and being able to fit the backpack easily in the cabin storage areas. On one flight, I even put the backpack under the seat, but that was an exceptional case. There was no risk of losing my belongings as checked baggage. The backpack also fit easily in the trunk of the rental car, where a bunch of wheelie would have been harder to fit in. I love this backpack and recommend it highly!

Perhaps you can carry backpacks and one large wheelie to pick up any excess weight items you might want to take with you? That compromise worked well for us.

BTW, the definition of convertible is ambiguous. In this case, it refers to halfway between a backpack and suitcase, so it opens up on the side instead of from the top. It is great to store things in, you can find them easily. This is not a hybrid between a backpack and a wheelie, which I gather some other convertibles may be.

I can cram a Tom Bihn Brain Bag, a very substantial mid-sized backpack, under the seat in front of me on a standard Delta mainline jet as my personal item.

I've gone through a progression over the years, getting smaller and smaller. For quite awhile I used a full size convertible carry-on while my ex used a roller carry-on. I always carried a Civita daypack (because it was the least bulky to pack) in my bag to use on daily excursions. I think both of us were happy with our choices. I was happier when on stairs and cobblestones, she was happier in airports and sidewalks. If I had to give a general rule, I'd say if it's more than 20 lbs., you will be happier with wheels.

In reality, whether you carry or roll, you rarely take your bag more than a quarter mile or so at a time. If you're going further, you are likely to hop on a metro.

Now I'm down to carrying 10 to 15 lbs (max) and use just a shoulder bag, which is small enough to fit carry-on requirements for any airline right now. Instead of carrying a daypack in my bag, I'm now carrying a reusable shopping bag. It folds flat and solves my need for something to pack groceries, picnic stuff or a sweater/towel. It's inconspicuous because many people carry them around regularly.

Watch the dimensions carefully on any bag you buy. Size down with wheeled or hard sided luggage because the whole thing has to fit in the airline's sizing bin or you have to check it. Wheels add at least an inch to the bag in most cases. Stuffing a soft sided bag can also make it too big. Duffles and backpacks are often too long to be carry-ons. If you have to check, you lose a lot of time at airports (at each end) and may have to pay extra.

Remember your load will expand during your trip so make an effort to underpack rather than fit every last thing you can.

Cynthia, yes, my experience has been as Keith describes. I’ve taken the RS 21” roller for the overhead bin and had the RS Veloce (small backpack) as my personal item at the same time on Delta! This has been flying to London or Paris and back.

I do fly a small regional jet out of my local airport so have to gate check the roller to SLC but the Veloce easily fits under seat even on a small plane.

When I do this I pack my cross body purse that I am going to use day to day. I do wear an Eddie Bauer Connect wallet under my cardie to keep my money and passport on me.

I second Brad's caution about dimensions. On our last trip, we flew American to Europe, then within Europe flew Ryanair and TAP Portugal. All 3 have different dimensional and weight requirements for both carry-ons and personal items. Some smaller airlines do not do personal items at all. The smaller European airlines worry more about carry-on weight than a big international carrier like AA does. So do your research before your trip and make sure that the bags you take fit the airlines you'll be flying. Otherwise you'll be checking everything. Checking is fine but it often costs money, takes time, and opens you up to the possibility of the airlines misplacing your bag (Vueling misplaced/delayed our bags twice). Also remember that when you rent a car in Europe, they are often small and have small trunks. We had four people traveling together and our rental car had a decent size trunk. But with 3 wheelies of checked bag size and various backpacks, it almost didn't fit. And you definitely don't want to leave any baggage out on the seat where thieves can catch sight of them. On trains, at least in Spain, bigger bags go in luggage racks in the front of each car. If you want to keep your bags with you, they have to fit in an overhead shelf. All of these are arguments for keeping your bag dimensions reasonably small while traveling in Europe and being aware of size requirements.

Generally you are allowed an underseat personal item - which is usually a purse, tote, messenger bag, or small backpack and a carry on luggage bag which is can be a backpack or a wheel bag. Check size limits carefully. Delta would permit an underseat backpack (like a school backpack) and a bigger carry on according to this https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/baggage/during-your-trip/carry-on.html

Of course if your flight is run by another airline - delta codeshares with some European airlines like Alitalia- then their rules apply.

So -when I fly a carrier with no or reasonable weight limits like delta I prefer a small roller bag and a purse inside a tote. Purse has my DSLR camera and normal purse stuff, plus a couple things for in-flight in the tote (like my kindle and water bottle). All that goes underseat. The rolling bag has my stuff for the trip. I keep it light so I can carry it up stairs and lift onto overhead racks. The wheels are handy but only if you can carry it when necessary. You don't want to be faced with a broken elevator and a bag you can't carry.

I do use a backpack sometimes. Alitalia has an 8kg limit and I can't get my stuff in a roller bag for that weight. But I can do it in a backpack. If you are considering that route - test it first. Pack a bag with 15-20 lbs of stuff and go for a walk. Lift the bag,climb stairs. It's nice to be hands free and for me it's not as hard as I thought.

My backpack is the Ebags weekender JUNIOR (I'm 5'3 and many backpacks are too big). My roller is the rick Steves carry on. My purse is a random thing from target ;)

It really doesn't matter what anyone else does. It only matters on what would make you happiest.

For years, I traveled with a convertible backpack. A few years ago as I got older and the back got weaker , I switched to a wheeled bag an have never looked back.

If a convertible bag will be difficult for you, take a wheelie. It will do fine on the streets of Europe.

As for Delta, you are allowed one carry on bag and one personal item. Two items total. Not a carry on, personal item and purse. Pick two.

At 70+ we take longer (usually month-plus) trips, so the small additional time to pick up checked bags doesn't impact us much compared to the freedom of not having to worry about finding overhead space on airplanes for carry-on bags.

That said, we each take a 22" carry-on size roller bag plus a personal bag (mine is RS Euro tote, which fits on the roller bag handles for walking.)

For getting on/off trains, my husband lifts both roller bags and I carry both personal bags, with my Euro tote cross-body so I have one hand for the railing. Then we can each roll our bigger bags to our seats. And I have my Civita day bag scrunched up inside the roller bag unless I am using it to carry train snacks on board. (And a nylon Ikea shopping bag that goes with me everywhere -- fits in a pocket.)

I routinely fly Delta overseas. The wheeled bag counts as your carry on bag (assuming it fits Delta size guidelines for carryon bags), and the backpack will count as your personal item PROVIDED that it will fit underneath the seat in front of you.

Exact measurements are your best friend right now.

Given your ages and sizes and the fact that you won't be moving around that often and that you'll be using transit and a car, I'd recommend wheeled bags for you two adults. Preferably with two sturdy wheels, not four flimsy ones. Your daughter might prefer a backpack, freeing up both hands, and you'll be available to reach in there for something if she's wearing it. But she should avoid wearing it in crowded places (like stations, trains etc.) because of pickpockets and because it could bump into someone.

I’m with Dick above.
Age is a factor (sadly perhaps). I went from backpack to wheels at around 40yo. Of course if you plan on carrying your luggage from morning to evening on many of your days, then a pack makes sense. Go midsize not large.
But if you are only carrying luggage to/from hotel and station, then choose your hotels close to transport and go with wheels. I too prefer 2 fixed and rigid wheels, rather than 4 spinners.

Some hard truths:
There are no standards across multiple airlines that you can rely on for bag sizes and weights. Any bag manufacturer that says a bag is "carry-on size" is a liar (because there's no such thing).

Every airline is different, and each published their own rules - for both dimensions and weight.

While it's generally true most of the time that big, international airlines have limits that are somewhat more generous, and smaller, regional/local/obscure and low-cost airlines have limits that are more strict (often VERY strict), you can't count on that.

The rules that the airlines post (which are all different) are are not enforced consistently - on some days, some people may get away with exceeding some of the limits. On other days, nobody gets by. The penalty for exceeding whatever limits happen to be applied to you on the day you fly could be nothing at all, or it could be hundreds of dollars. There's no way to know.

You really have two choices:

1. Know exactly what all of the limits are for all of your flights, and ensure you are within those limits. Buy more allowance for checked bags in advance if needed. Stay within the limits and you can relax. Or,

2. Try and squeeze by. Maybe you will. Maybe you will be force to pay $500. You need to ask yourself, are you feeling lucky?

Me, I always travel with 1) a digital luggage scale, and 2) a tape measure, and 3) most important of all: all the details from the website of every airline I will be traveling on for that trip, with all size and weight limitations clearly called out, confirmed, double-checked and printed out.

On a complex trip, the most-restrictive carrier may be what you need to plan for, and that can really put a crimp in your plans to bring home a few bottles of wine...

Wheeled bags and a messenger bag for your personal bag. I am 62, in good health and carried a back-pack for 30 days walking the Camino. That said, this is not how I want to travel in cities. It is hard to see who and what you are hitting with your back pack. It is tougher to find your items that you packed and to keep your stuff in order and frankly it isn't that difficult walking from train to hotel with a roller bag. We have a ton of cobblestones in Frankfurt and this has never been a problem. There may be some villages or towns with worse stones, but I can also pick up my bag and carry it if desired.

Wearing a back pack as a personal item for sightseeing is a pain. Consider a cross body messenger bag instead. You don't ever have to take it off to get things out of it and you don't have to worry about knocking things over in stores or hitting people in the head on trains. Yes, I get hit a lot and have watched people knock over tables of items in stores. Walking with friends who use back packs drives me up the wall. They take the darn thing off and on about 100 times a day!

The messenger bag/satchel suggestion from Ms Jo is a good one too. Carried sash like across your front it allows for more security consciousness than a day pack.

In my first post I think I didn't mention the crossbody messenger bag that I use everyday, it's a microfiber bag that goes into the rolly when I travel on planes (weighs less than six ounces empty and squishes to fit between packing cubes).

And Delta permits two items, one for the overhead compartment, one that will fit under the seat.

I agree that a crossbody messenger bag is better for your personal item if you will be using it for sightseeing as well. Backpack daypacks are good for hiking but make very little sense for walking around cities and towns. Many museums ban them but allow crossbody bags. You can't access a backpack while walking which is a big problem for maps and cameras especially. They are harder to keep a eye or hand on so pickpockets are more of a risk.

So - my suggestion is small rolling bag for your carry on and messenger bag for your underseat item on the plane. Then you can use the messenger bag for a daybag when sightseeing if you want.

I don't think you mentioned flying any airlines other than Delta. My experience, so far, is American carriers allow a carry-on plus a personal item while many European carriers allow only one item. If you carry a personal item on a European carrier, you likely have to check your carry-on. The trend is toward less and the day may be coming soon when American carriers enforce stricter carry-on limits. At the same time, the allowable size for carry-ons seems to be shrinking. As has been mentioned, the size depends on the airline and they each have their own standard. Like others here, I make sure my bag meets limits before I go. I have a hand-held bag scale at home that I use to weigh my bags when I pack. Fortunately, for me, my idea of packing light is still less than airlines are allowing.

The rule is based on when you bought your ticket, so if the allowance changes between now and your flight, you're still under the rules in effect when your ticket was purchased.

For anyone who wants to have a day-pack available for occasional use but doesn't want to carry something weighty or bulky that won't be used often, I'd suggest checking out Sea-to-Summit's Ultra-Sil Daypack. I doubt that it would stand up well to heavy use and being over-stuffed, but it weighs just 3.2 ounces and can be wadded up and jammed into a purse or a suitcase. I think I first heard about it on this forum. I didn't like spending so much money ($30 to $35), but I couldn't find something light enough in local stores.

Incidentally, Sea to Summit also makes a quality, lightweight collapsible umbrella.

Another vote for a roller bag and a cross body bag or backpack. I do love my backpack though and it as my personal carry on but I do see some downside as mentioned above. Since we always check one bag each our roller bags sizes vary from a standard (by US airlines) 22" "carry-on" size and a 25" roller bag. Our recent trip to Italy I had my 22" and my backpack. We cycled for a week so we had some specialty clothing to add to our bags. I pack two pillows (is use the Eagle Creek compression bags) and still had plenty of room as I have learned the art not over packing my clothes/shoes. My husband really got everything he needed in the 25" and had only a very small personal size backpack to carry on. Our friends on the other hand used 22" roller bags AND a "large" day pack and were miserable lugging the day packs on the travel days. They vowed never to do that again.

I simply LOVE how passionate everyone has been about responding to this thread! I have enjoyed reading ALL of your responses and have concluded that using the rolling carryons with a messenger bag for myself and a small backpack for our daughter, would be the best for us.

Now - what to do with the two four-wheeled 360 roller carryons that we have already LOL? I'm planning to purchase one new two-wheel roller for myself. I like the RS...

Thanks again for your feedback!
Cynthia

The correct answer is always backpack because hands-free.

Cynthia, you can donate your other luggage to some relief organization (I started a thread on what to do with old luggage a couple of months ago, many interesting responses).

I meant that I didn't think Delta would allow a wheeled bag AND a
small backpack as a personal item for one person....Is that not
accurate?

From JFK Terminal 4, as long as the backpack doesn't look you're going on a trek for a year, Delta will allow a 2 wheel upright and a small backpack with you on the plane. That may not be the case from your European airport heading back to JFK.

Now - what to do with the two four-wheeled 360 roller carryons that we
have already LOL? I'm planning to purchase one new two-wheel roller
for myself. I like the RS...

If you can't return it for a refund, donate it. As for your new purchase, choose a retailer whose return policy allows you a full-refund easily without questions or any kind of restrictions especially no time restrictions like within 90 days of purchase for example. Find out from RS, if that's your interest, what their return policy is first. You don't want to be stuck with more luggage you don't like!

I love the idea of donating my old luggage! I am totally going to follow up with that. Both of these cases are used and about 3-5 years old. I didn't pay much for them though. Under $100 each. But if somebody in need could use them, I'd be glad to help out....

My old bags go to Salvation Army. So much of the luggage sold right now is four-wheeled. Unfortunately, the four wheeled versions add the most weight. Many European carriers limit your weight allowance, as well as size, so a heavy bag is as bad as an oversize bag if you intend to carry-on only.