Luggage sizes

Yes, a 26 inch bag is too big. Depending on how you are traveling, it will be hard to hoist around. Even with wheels you'll need to carry it places. You will be glad for paring down.

Hi Victoria,

I disagree with Ron, I think a 26" luggage bag would be just fine. My wife and I were in Italy during the month of April and both of us took 27" Eagle Creek suitcases and neither one of us had any problem getting around even up and down steps.

Greg

Use 22 inch...you won't regret packing less. The physics of the whole thing show the advantage. A 22 inch carry-on has about 2800 cu. in. storage space, while a typical 26 incher has @4700 cu in. That's almost double the space, and double the weight of clothing. The empty weight of the 22 incher is about 8 pounds....a 26 incher, 12 or 13. Check this board and Rick's packing light tips to travel in fine style with a 22 incher.

Victoria, if you do take a 26" suitcase and it weighs more than 50 pounds, be prepared to pay an extra fee when checking it. I think it's around $50 - but it differs by airline.

Take Rick Steves' advice to only do carry on. I always overpack, but I did manage to limit myself to carry-on on a two week trip to Italy last fall and was grateful that I did so. You will end up having to lift and carry your baggage much more than you think you will - over your head to stash it into the luggage rack on a train, up several flights of at a hotel that doesn't have an elevator, on and off busses, vaporettos, subways, or other forms of mass transit. Just do some laundry every night or so in your room, you may know how many changes of clothes you are rotating but no one else in Italy will notice.

I go to Europe every summer for one month during which I incorporate a RS tour. I only take one of RS 21" roller-bags. It was very difficult for me the first time to get everything I WANTED to take into that sized bag, but, after TWICE attending the RS "Packing Light" class at his headquarters in Edmonds, WA - I managed to do so. The fact that we were taking one of his tours where we were limited to one carry-on certainly helped. RS says he takes one carry-on sized suitcase for his three month European trip every year. Yes, he has plenty of practice. Believe me, for someone who was getting caught for having overweight suitcases every time I flew, it was a new experience. Taking large suitcases, that have to be checked in, only increases your chances of having the airlines loose something.

I wholeheartedly agree with taking the smallest bag possible. Upon returning from vacation, I don't know anyone who ever said, "I wish I had taken a larger, heavier bag." Check out posts here and www.onebag.com for tips on packing light. You will NOT regret taking the smaller bag.

I totally agree with Arlyce! We have Rick's 21 in. rolling suitcases and our trips are always 4-6 wks long. You need very little for a 10 day trip. The less you have to carry around with you the free-er you will feel which will make your trip more enjoyable.

Found 22" bags fairly cumbersome getting on trains. I imagine 26" bag would be quite a chore to lug up and down the stairs on trains. Also found in Venice glad we had 22" bags on wheels especially with all the small bridges to cross. The smaller the better.

On the trains, 22" bags can usually fit under the back to back seats. The 26" bags have to be left in the luggage area and those get filled up fairly quickly. And, if you are renting a car, unless it's a large car, the 26" bags won't fit. We too, do 4-6 week trips out of our 21" bags and have plenty of stuff with us.

I did a month with a 20 inch and a daypack. I did take a folding little bag to make room for items bought on my trip but other than that everything I needed was in the 2 carry ons. As far as I had to walk to get out of the Termini coming from the airport, I am glad I didn't have a larger bag.

I'm a hard core carry-on only traveller. For just 10 days it is very doable. I don't even own a 27incher anymore.

F/A

we just returned from a 2 week trip and definitely a 22" bag and pack lightly...going on and off the trains with a bigger bag would be a big chore. I could have left 1/4 of what I packed at home.Jo

I agree with the carry-on-did 10 days in England and Ireland with that and it worked great. Just a question for responders- how do you bring home souveniers?? Lyn

Hi I just checked my carryon on the way home & purchased a tote to carry the new purchases.
Now I have a Baggalini fold up tote that expands & zips closed I can use for purchases.

The first time my husband and I went to Europe we purchased 22" luggage for our two week trip. I had to pack and unpack several times to get the most efficient and flexible wardrobe wardrobe but it was worth the effort. We schlepped our luggage around a lot more than I ever expected - overhead train racks, many flights of stairs, cobblestone streets on and off of the subways, train station storage lockers, etc. I was very glad we had the smaller luggage. We also packed a collapsible duffle bag and each had a backpack. The backpacks were great for our daily adventures and for storing books, snacks, umbrellas or jackets, souvenier purchases, etc. When we got to the end of our trip we filled the duffle bag with dirty laundry, and packed our souveniers in our luggage. It worked slick. We also brought along several small combination locks which we used on the backpack zippers to discourage the help-yourself folks. Happy adventures to you.

4 of us travelled for 10 days in England, France and Belgium with 2 medium sized duffle bags. We usually pack a small extra bag for things we buy. But I also make room in my bags as I go by leaving the guidebooks behind! We planning on going for close to 2 weeks and trying to take only 2 suitcases. We've rented apartments with washers, so we can do some laundry as we go. Also with Italy being warmer than England, the clothes take up less space!

Lyn--I bought a foldable duffle bag from REI for under $10. It's about the size of a washcloth when folded (a little thicker), but expands into a pretty large gym-sized duffle bag. Shoved all the dirty laundry and things I didn't care too much about on the return trip (like guidebooks) along with the bottle of wine and the olive oil I had, and checked that. The oil, which was in a tin can, got bent out of shape a bit, but everything made it just fine.

And for the original poster--agree with everyone else. Take the smallest bag you can stand to take. I took a large backpack (the RS Appenzell daybag) and a smaller purse tote for a week in Rome, plus the above-mentioned duffle and I had plenty of room left over. Sure you CAN haul a 26" bag around, but why bother if you don't have to?

Victoria, I did a 10-day trip to London-Munich-Paris with a 20" suitcase. In the suitcase I brought a school backpack in case I had to check in the suitcase... which I never did.

I did not over pack and still had room for souvenirs. The nice part of not overpacking was not having to check in, getting on/off trains and bus (and not breaking my back) and using the teeny tiny elevators/lifts which accommodated me AND my suitcase.

This trip in June I'll be in London-Paris from June 22-July 2 and I'm taking a 19" wheelie duffel... with the same intent of no check in.

Just back from 16 days in Italy last night. In previous trips we've been part of a group of professors and students and had transport arranged porterage of bags etc. This time it was just my husband and myself so we read up on one bag travel. Yes it does take a little planning--- but when you hop on the Leonardo take a seat and watch others struggling with two and three bags you feel pretty happy with your decision.

We each took a max limit wheeled carryon. I took a Jansport half pint backpack in lieu of a purse. If you don't check the bag the air line can't lose it. Inside I packed two zippered canvas totebags.

I purchased three pieces of travelknit clothing on ebay. A tank dress a skirt and a semi dressy jacket. Added a pair of knit pants and five cotton knit tops from my favorite designer Target. 5 sets of sox and undies one pair of broken in walking shoes one pair of keds clogs socks some cotton nightclothes, a pashmina, a pretty costume jewelry necklace some personal care items including a LARGE bottle of advil liquigels my personal drug of choice LOL trash bags for dirty laundry, a small first aid kit, a small sewing kit, a small roll of duct tape. Some ziplock bags in various sizes. Battery charges for the cameras tour guides and such.

Two laundry stops were built into our schedule. both took about an hour and while I started the laundry my husband brought us a great takeaway lunch.

On the way home the canvas bags became home to dirty laundry in one and unbreakable souveniers, which we carried on and in the main bags were wine olive oil honey from San Mineato in ziplock bags stuffed with newspaper then padded with clothing. Those got checked and arrived home in perfect condition.

One great find was 3 oz Dove Cucumber body spray and wet ones moist wipes. GREAT for a quick fresh up on a hot day.

My wife and I spent 21 days in Italy this May, with numerous train and car trips. We each took one 17 inch wheeled carry on and did fine. And we certainly appreciated the light weight climbing on and off trains, and up stairs at family run hotels etc. It call comes down to the type of trip and experience you're looking for. We wanted the freedom to stay in smaller family run places etc. We washed clothes in our rooms on 3-4 occasions, and made one trip to a laundromat in Siena, about half way thru the trip.

Victoria,
My wife and I spent 18 days in Germany with just two 22" carry-ons and had no trouble making due.
Good luck in your decision.
Jim