Check luggage or use carry on bags?

Most (and I emphasize "most") airlines will allow one carry on bag to go in the overhead bin, and one personal bag that will go under the seat in front of you. Without knowing the airline it's hard to be specific. We spend three to four weeks at a time in Europe with just that amount of luggage each. It greatly simplifies getting on and off planes, trains, busses, and moving in and out of hotels. Whether you check your bags or carry them on, consider putting half of each person's stuff in each bag. If one bags gets misdirected you'll at least have enough for each person to get by until the bags catches up to you.

You can take two items onboard. One goes overhead and one under the seat in front of you. Your airline’s website will tell you the exact dimensional limits.

We each take a 22 inch roll aboard and a daypack. I stuff a small, empty purse into my rollaboard for use once on the ground. No need to check bags unless you have too much liquid (you know the 3-1-1 rule?) or any sharp items.

Sometimes we take trekking sticks and then we have to check a bag.

Most airlines allow one carry-on, stored in the overhead, and one "personal bag" to be stored under the seat per person. You don't say which airline you're flying, how long you'll be in Italy nor where you'll be going besides Venice. All of these may have bearing on whether to check bags or not. My wife and I only do carry-on anymore and we usually spend a month in Italy when we go. We also usually rent apartments with washing machines so we don't have to spend a lot of time at the lavanderia.

You need to check with your airline as to what they permit, as you don’t say who you are travelling with and they all vary. If it says one piece of luggage, any handbag or lap top will have to fit into this bag.

I don’t know why Americans are so adverse to taking more luggage and checking it in, as Europeans would do, but I don’t want to open that debate again!

Hi d,

Checking and/or carrying a bag on board is really a personal thing. Every airline is different in their baggage policies. What airline are you flying? Since you state it's a direct flight and have the offer of a free checked bag, then perhaps you could take advantage of that.

For example: I fly British Airways. They allow two free carry ons - one at 22" - up to 50 lbs and another, - a large tote or laptop - about 16." The checked one is free up to 50 lbs! Very generous.

Tip -- Tie/knot a colorful strip of material to identify your bag coming off the carousel.

Take the smaller bag for your essentials, 3-1-1- bag, meds, documents, electronics and chargers, personal stuff and one or two days of clothing - just in case. Depending on the aircraft seating, stowing a bag under seat can be a little challenging. There may be less space depending on the seat.

A suggestion. Using a lightweight, soft-sided carry on bag can fit a lot, easier to put in the overhead if need be or stowed under seat. For example - Kipling products are made for such adventures - and some are unisex. They offer totes, back packs (if that's your thing) and large cross body purses/totes doubled as a 14"-16" carry on/day bag. They also have lightweight rolling duffles.

Another vendor is (Macy's) Travelpro - lightweight, soft sided, has two big wheels (not the skimpy ones.) They have spinners too if you like that choice.

Check your airline's baggage allowance. Many, if not most, flights out of North America will allow one personal item in addition to the carry on bag. DH and I use the bags we will use as a day bag while on our travels. I use my medium size messenger bag. He either has his messenger bag or his day backpack. Both fit under our seat and contain what we need for the flight as well as our meds, valuables, and documents for passport control on arrival.

As for whether to check your main bags, it's up to you. On our last trip we checked our bags. Mine was carry on size, but DH had a 24 inch. Many on this forum are paranoid about checking bags, or stand jn horror at the thought if having to wait for their bag at the carousel. We'd rather not have to lug them everywhere thru the airports. In 40 years of travel, we've never lost a bag, and have had the bag delayed twice (in both cases they arrived on the next flight and we're delivered to us).

I don't yet know how to give you the link to another thread, but in the Packing Forum various people (including me) weigh in on this topic: "Help locating Small item Carry on for British Airways 16" x 12" x 6""

It's for the under-the-seat, passes-for-a-purse bag that would be in addition to your regular carry-on bag.

Congratulations on your first trip to Italy. Choosing to check or not is a personal decision and has to do with a number of factors, including your ability to lift bags into the overhead bin. You have already received some great advice. I would like to add a few things:

• Even if you choose to check, if you take a train or stay in an older hotel, you will need to pack light. You may not find elevators everywhere you go.
• Most airlines allow one bag for overhead (check airline for dimensions and weight requirements) and one under the seat. If have only had bags weighed a few times and even though I had one bag, I had to check (too many shoes). Start with a light suitcase if you are buying new bags.
• While you can only take two bags, I always carry my purse as well. It is a small travel purse that I put in the front of my suitcase when I go into check-in and/or boarding. I traveled 100k miles this past year internationally and as long as your purse fits in one of the other bags you can take it. When I get on the plane, I take it out.
• For toiletries: I traveled this past June with two college age girls whose passion is make-up. We were able to find sample sizes for 3-1-1 and then bought additional products on our trip. Even if you like high-end products, so many of them have travel size now.

Have a good trip.
Sandy

It's not an either or proposition. You can pack in a carryon and check. SandyO's comments are extremely valid. I always pack in carryon bags, BUT I check my wheelie nonetheless. I don't want to hassle with it in the airport or on the plane or worry about enough room in the bins if I don't want to fight my way to the front of the pack getting on the plane (which I don't). I use the RS wheeled bag and a travelon classic backpack for underseat. Having carryon sized bags makes it easy to change my mind at the last minute should there be a particularly long line at baggage check, which isn't the case any longer with bag drop off locations but nonetheless I like to be prepared. Weight and hassle are my concerns. The carryon bag prevents me from getting carried away in my packing and checking it allows me to avoid the hassle of the bag in the airport.

The advice to check your airline’s baggage rules and allowances is right on, as there can be major differences. There has not been much discussion here about weight limits. I flew Turkish Air this year, generally an excellent airline, but their weight limit for a carry-on bag is just 8 kilos, equal to under 18 pounds. No way I could travel several weeks with that, so I loaded my carry-on bag with more, then checked it.

I read the "we" as 2 people, each taking a carry on, which would work.....you absolutely should have a suitcase that size for trekking all over Italy, if you would like to make it easier for your train trips and getting to your lodging. I PERSONALLY, would take advantage of the airline offering to take your luggage at the first airport and giving it back to you at the last for free (as I hate lugging ANYTHING more than I have to ANYWHERE agreeing with Wray!), but you seem to be ok with lugging your luggage everywhere.

I would stick with carry on size (or only SLIGHTLY larger if checking your bag) for your trip anyways, and bring a smaller bag under the seat (I mean, better to have items at arm's reach than in an overhead bin). No need to carry on one and check the other same sized luggage, I would say go with how much hassle do you want to deal with (I guess some say checking luggage is hassle, other say lugging it everywhere is).

Just updated the topic with the requested information, thanks.

You may have a few items that can go into a checked bag that cannot go in your carry-on. You each get a checked bag, take advantage of it. You won’t save much, if any, time at the other end, since your bags will come off the plane quicker than you’ll make it through passport control.

It depends also on whether you buy stuff or not. If you have a pretty full carryon to start with, there isn’t much room for purchases.

What Wray and Katherine said -- we use carry-on size rolling bags but check them in for all flights (less to haul through the airport, especially with connections!) plus one personal item each. Checked bag got delayed on the trip home ONE time, but it was delivered the next day.
My personal bag is a Rick Steves Euro tote, which can atrach to the roller bag handle.

This is an easy answer because you’re going to Venice. You want to pack the lightest, so you are not hauling multiple bags up & over all of the bridges you will be walking to reach your hotel. Each person bring a carry-on suitcase (place in the overhead bin) and a small daypack backpack or purse to hold the items you want at your feet during your flight.

If you check bags, you’re missing out on extra minutes enjoying Venice vs. standing in the airport. Or, worse if your bag is misplaced. Delta Amex card has given me free checked bags for years; I’ve never checked a bag during years of trips to Europe that are 2.5-3 weeks long.

Enjoy your time in Italy!

I do not know your packing style, but I know that I overpacked for my first trip to Italy. (I overpacked for my second and third trip to Europe as well...)

Anyway, what we now try to do (flying Delta) is to use a carryon bag (the largest bag possible with Delta's carryon limits) which goes in the overhead bin and a smaller personal item each which goes beneath the seat in front of you. We still wind up checking one bag, because my other half travels with a large size can of shaving cream which won't fit the 3-1-1 requirements. We then use that checked bag for things like the corkscrew, travel scissors, and any other liquids which are too large for carry on bags.

(Note - Medical liquids should never be checked. You can declare those at the TSA checkpoint and be allowed to carry them on board with additional screening.)

The less luggage you carry, the less you have to shlep around on your trip. Just be prepared to do some laundry while you're abroad. I hope you have a wonderful trip!!!

Lots of very helpful information, thanks for taking the time.

One question regarding carry on bags. It's been many years since we have flown. I'm assuing that many passengers use the overhead compartments for storing their bags. If so, how easy will it be to find storage space for our bags near our seat?

again, make sure you truly understand the overhead bin size on your international flight . they tend to be a lot smaller than US domestic flights. for example, on US flights in economy, you can load your bag with "wheels out". but on most international flights, you can only load your bag horizontally.

and as far as buying a suitcase, if you truly plan on trying to do carryon do not buy a hard side bag. a soft side will allow you to try to squish it in the bin.

We have flown Delta exclusively on all our oversea flights. They are very accommodating for bags carried on international flights, and there has never been a lack of overhead bin space. The problem can lie in switching to other carriers who have tighter limitations. We switched to Air France flights after landing in Paris, and they had different baggage restrictions than Delta. I figured we'd come under closer scrutiny at the main ticket counter at check in on the return flight, so we checked in online. We each had a roller carry on and a personal item. My husband had the Rick Steves daypack, and I had my Travelon bag. We were gone 18 days, did hand washing of undies, nighties and a few nylon shirts and used a laundry service once midway in the trip. I stuck with basic colors in clothes that could be interchangeable, and we wore clothes many times! Be sure to pack a few plastic hangers with rotating heads to hang damp clothes in the bathroom when hand washing. There is a thread on this forum that is dedicated to tips for hand washing clothes.

The tip about Venice being not friendly to large roller bags is true! We took a large bag to check on 2 previous trips abroad and decided never again! Just the steps in train stations are enough to convince you to pack lightly! Our trip this May was the first we had no large checked bag, and it was wonderful not having to trek to the carousel or lug a monster up steps, bridge or inclines. You can purchase larger shaving cream cans once you land.

You will LOVE Italy! It is our favorite country!

Thanks again.
Wonder if anyone has personal experience with picking up checked bags at the Venice airport, specifically- convenient or not worth the effort?

Does anyone have advise on using a passport cover or not, and what type to use?

Going in mid Oct-early Nov so thinking we may need to prepare for rain. Anyone know of a light weight foldable waterproof rain "something" that we can carry in a day bag?

Thanks, again.

We have never put our passports in a cover. I'm not sure you really need one. We usually leave them locked in the hotel room safe while we are out exploring or in the safety pouch that my husband wears around his neck when in transit. About the rain jacket---I went to Dicks Sporting Goods before we left and bought a light weight Colombia jacket that folded up easily into my bag. It was also wind resistant, so it was a good buy. We did get drenched in the Cinque Terre, but we also took a very small umbrella that fit in an outside pocket on Rick Steve's daypack. Do take an extra pair of shoes so wet ones can dry out!

Do we need to carry our passport with us everyday while we are touring in Italy? When in Siena we will have a car for a few days, otherewise we will be walking. Thanks.

d,

It's a personal choice. I carry my Passport with me even out and about in the city centre. My mindset is that if there was an emergency, and I could not return to my hotel for whatever reason, it is my "lifeline."

I also write some pertinent medical information on an index card and put it in the PP book. If I need medical attention and am unable to communicate, I would want the docs/EMT's to know how to treat and what allergies I may or may not have. I also write my Primary's name & number on the card.

I put my passport in a ziplock baggie and put it into my cross body purse or money belt. It keeps it from tearing and keeps it dry.

You don't really need a fancy passport cover/book unless you really want one. It adds weight and bulk. But, there are some styles that are wallet-like for extra cards, euros, tickets, etc.- they have zippers for coins and a slot for Euros.

TJMaxx and Walmart sells them so you can take a look at them. I feel they are not necessary.

'Speaking of money belts,' maybe invest in one. It is worn under your clothes/slacks, etc. It keeps your extra Euros, credit/debit cards and metro tickets or site seeing tickets that are not used yet. (Do not wear it through TSA security check in. If you choose to buy/use one, tuck it safely away between clothes in your carry on.)

Oh, I am sure you know to not carry a wallet in any pants pocket. Practice common sense (large city) and awareness. If riding a bus or metro, put your bag directly in front of you with a hand over the zipper top. Not to scare you. I do that even at home while riding a train or bus. Anyone might be tempted.

We go for 3 weeks with only 1 carry on bag, each, and I have a purse. At the end of our trip, my husband takes a personal bag with souvenirs. So much easier and don't have to wait for luggage that was checked.

For international flights, we always check our main (roller) suitcases so we don’t have to deal with them on the plane. Plus the luggage always seems to be at customs shortly after we arrive. Know that you pick up checked bags right before customs. We then carry on small pack backs for medications, important paperwork and things we will need on the flight. One other thing we travel with is a stuffable dufflebag, incase we buy duty’s free liquor on the way home, and then if we need to tranfer flights once back in the US, we transfer the liquor to our bag to check, and put dirty clothes, etc. into the duffle to carry on the flight.

Okay, I can't resist. I'm going to assume that you have not explored some of the resources right here on this website and provide some links to them. Here we go.

Travel Tips. Especially Packing Light and Money.

Digging down into packing, seeing Sarah Murdoch's video, Packing Light & Right is very helpful. Exploring the Packing Forum is also very helpful.

Personally, I always travel carry-on. My trips are typically 4-8 weeks long. I pack for 1 week and do laundry along the way. My "big" bag rarely weighs more than 22 pounds and I try to keep it at 20 or less.

My favorite wheeled bag is this Lipault. Pay attention to the Description & Features for size and weight. I have a duck blue 22". These bags are sold by many vendors online.

I have lots of Baggallini cross-body totes with the sleeve that goes over the handle. My favorite is the Hobo. I can get my meds, electronics and a small purse in there.

My current favorite small purse is a Baggallini Pocket Medium Crossbody. It's plenty big enough for daily use and soft enough to put in the Hobo in a number of ways.

I've been traveling solo for the past 3 trips. Unlike many, I always wear a money belt with my passport, ID info, backup debit and credit cards, extra cash and most especially medical and insurance information. That's in case something happens and I can't talk and my purse disappears. After buying and trying almost every kind of "hide-your-stuff" gizmo, I've settled on this Eazymate. When I got mine, this was the only brand I saw, but now there are many. Needless to say, you wear the thing inside you clothes, not like the picture.

It's helpful to carry a small foldup bag in your luggage for purchases or dirty clothes. The principle of entropy means that your carefully arranged luggage will quickly deteriorate into chaos(although packing cubes can retard this process) and you will have trouble repacking your stuff into your same bag if your bag was completely full at the start of your trip. If you check luggage on the way over, you should be sure your personal item includes essential items like medicine and a change of clothes. We have seldom had bags lost but it does happen, which is why many of us don't check bags on the way over. When home is your final destination, you can check those carryons and/or your foldup bag.

You say 23 days and six cities -- how will you be getting between locations ? You were asking only about the luggage for the flights -- your luggage handling will be different for connections using trains or a car. But the key, as everyone has noted, is pack light.

Arriving at Marco Polo, probably it will take longer to get through immigration than baggage. Chances are that your bags will be on the carousel before you clear immigration.
In Venice, two wheeled bags work better than four wheeled spinner bags.

Great tips, thanks to all.

Any tips, comments or advise on a money belt...waist, neck or belt style?

Love Italy!! Pack light!!!
Small rollaboard/backpack combo with zip off daypack. Don’t over stuff it. IKEA has one that’s just right, light in itself, inexpensive & works great. I take a nylon daypack as well (empty) for use later as it’s lighter & fits better (REI), Amazon has some good ones too. Doubles as a beach bag. Think black clothes, cotton & rayon, comfy touring shoes & real sandals (not flip flops) accessorize & wash by hand as needed. 15+ trips all over the globe, 10 to Italy, up to 30 days all packed as outlined. Btw, they don’t wear fleece much either. Backpack/roll aboard sometimes indispensable as there are lots of stairs in Italy. I’ve packed too heavy before & learned the hard way. You don’t want to worry at each repacking “will it all fit?” Hubby & I are mature adults & well past our back packing stage. Have fun!

d,

For money belts, you can check out the RS store - but you have to pay shipping. TJMaxx, Walmart, maybe Target? and Marshall's sell money belts (or waist belts as labeled by some.)

TJMaxx usually has a good supply of them - depending on your demographic area. Try Amazon.com for a selection and/or Ebags.com. I have not seen too many neck wallets in TJMaxx and none in Walmart. I guess a lot of stores are getting in on the action with money belts - Bed,Bath & Beyond, LLBean, Home Depot

Should we bring water bottles on this trip to Italy?

Is the drinking water in Italy safe to use to refill water bottles for our daily use? Or is it smarter to purchase bottled
water as we go? Assuming bottled water is readily available and reasonablly priced.

Most days we will be on foot touring towns and museums, traveling on trains, and a few days touring by car.

Hi d,

Sure. You can bring a lightweight water bottle to carry along. Make sure it's empty when you go through TSA.

Water from the fountains in Rome are okay to fill up your water bottle. Some buy water at markets.

https://www.explore-italian-culture.com/drinking-fountains-of-rome.html

https://www.livitaly.com/rome-drinking-fountains/

Thanks, again.

Do you know if there are maps available online, of the train stations and their platform numbers and locations?
Thought it might be a good idea to prepare ahead for train changes with limited time to do so.

Do you know if there are maps available online, of the train stations and their platform numbers and locations?
Thought it might be a good idea to prepare ahead for train changes with limited time to do so.

You can look up each station on Wikipedia or Google each one online and get different results

https://www.italiarail.com/train-station/santa-maria-novella-train-station

Vernazza is tiny
Siena is small
Rome is kind of overwhelming to the newbie

Can I ask a question please?
I do understand this desire to travel light so you aren't stuck waiting at the luggage arrivals. But if, as some of you have mentioned traveling for 3 weeks with one carry on, how does that time saved (30mins in my experience) balance out against time lost doing laundry? Curious.
Thank you

Looking at the Delal carry-on page, I do not see the size requirement for the personal bag to fit under the seat.
Does anyone know if Delta has any size limits or specs?
Any suggestions as to the size bag that we should be purchasing for this purpose?

Caro,
It isn't just avoiding the luggage pickup at airports, it is maneuvering a larger bag up stairs, into trains and storing them for travel, dragging them over cobblestones or up steep inclines or bridges. We did this for 2 different trips and changed up this last trip to just carry-on size bags. It makes a world of difference! The laundry isn't a problem. I would hand wash a few things each night. Of course, we took some clothes that were made of easy to wash fabrics. Was not an inconvenience. We used a laundry service 1/2 way in our trip. We dropped the laundry off in the morning and returned late afternoon to get it. I had never utilized this service before, but it was wonderfully done and folded. We paid 15 euros (in Monterosso on the Cinque Terre) which was worth every penny. Rick sometimes includes laundry services in his guidebooks.

Caro, I travel for up to 3 months at a time with just carry on. I do some hand washing in the evening, will drop things off at a laundrette--I recently did this on Jersey when the owner told me it would be cheaper than doing it myself-- and occasionally I'll take a day off from sightseeing, which is needed on long trips, and do my laundry. I've even let hotels do it when not too expensive.

I find the ease of a carry on size bag when moving around a great deal is important. I tried a larger bag on one trip and was miserable. And since quite a few flights are in my itineraries it would be a lot of wasted time at baggage carousels.

Caro, it isn't just about saving time picking up the baggage. It's about convenience and many examples have been cited above so I'll not repeat them here. In today's world, it seems nothing is impossible, but we've never had a carry on bag misdirected. Can't same the same about checked bags.

Barb, thanks for the input. What type of carry on luggage do you use-backpack, or a bag with wheels and collapsible handle?

We are about to shop for luggage and are having a hard time deciding the best way to go. On his video
Rick says he is still using a backpack in his travels.

My question here is how much affect does a 20-30 lb loaded back pack have on the lower back. Thinking
this must take it's toll in time??

Wheels look like a good option, but as many have stated, they are not always a benefit to use when traveling in Italy.

Is the hybrid backpack with wheels and handle a good option...any downsides?

Hoping those with experience could share some thoughts.

Thanks.

I don't see wheels as an impediment in Italy. There's never been a street/sidewalk/path on which I could not wheel my bag. When there are stairs, anywhere, you do have to pick the bag up by it's handle like any suitcase. Better than carrying it all.the.time. IMO So don't let Italy be the reason you go with a backpack, go with a backpack because you prefer that mode for all your travel. Again, IMO.

Thank you for your answers.

Pick a bag that is right for you. A lot of negative advice you are getting, especially about wheels, is from posters who have either never 7sed or don't like wheeled bags.

When you get to Italy you will see all types of bags . No wheels, two wheels, four wheels. They all do just fine.

For years I used a convertible bag. Then, I got tired of carrying everything on my back and switched to a wheeled bag. No problems. For my next trip, I'm going to try a carry on spinner. I've talked to numerous people who use them all over. This includes a RS guide in Italy who has never had a problem. (I'm sure people will jump on here to tell me spinners are no good. I ask if they have actually used one or spewing what they have heard.)

I would say that a backpack would be a little easier if you were going over some bumpy streets. The weight shouldn't be a problem if you have the correct TYPE of bag, the weight mainly sits on your hips, and is no more hassle or discomfort than dragging your rolling luggage behind you. I took a 2 wheeled suitcase a bit bigger than carry on size last trip to Italy, and it was fine (though my mile walk to my first lodging was super annoying haha) and it worked for all of the getting on and off trains and such very well. I hope to never have to get 4 wheeled luggage, as those wheels are very small (and more flimsy). THOUGH.....if you need something that spins, the GRO bag seems SO STINKING COOL.

I've noted with interest the comments on 2 vs 4 wheel bags, especially Katherine's last post. I've always used the 2 wheel type and haven't had a problem getting anywhere, even in Venice, but just ordered (haven't received it yet) a Lipault bag (recommended by an earlier poster) that has 4 wheels. The number of wheels wasn't the attraction, it was the very low weight. We'll be flying on Alitalia next month, and there is an 8kg limit for carryon bags. We had our bags weighed only once, and were able to deal with the slightly extra weight by putting some things in our other allowed "personal Item," a roomy tote. But just to be sure, I aim for the correct weight, and saving about one pound from our other bags would probably be a real help. Having never had a spinner, will that be an issue on uneven surfaces? Can it be tilted to use just two wheels? Sure do see lots of them in airports, but maybe they're going to cities with even pavements!

Since your flight is a non-stop, the risk that the airline might misdirect your luggage is low, so I wouldn’t be afraid to check-in luggage.

I generally check in because even though I have layover flights to Florence or Rome or Milan (the airports I use) I often have to run to make the connection and the less I carry on, the easier it is. I only carry a backpack on board. In it I have documents, electronic devices, essential gadgets for the flight, travel umbrella, and a change of underclothes for one night (in case I get stuck somewhere without luggage).

In over 40 flights to Europe, my luggage didn’t make it only 3 times. Twice it was delivered to me the next day. Once it was never recovered (I had to buy everything in Italy and it was the best thing that happened to me, I had the most beautiful wardrobe I’ve ever had). In all cases it was a flight with a layover.

The deciding factor in your case is not the whether to check in or not, but how u intend to travel while in Italy. If you usetrains, it is important to know that on trains you are your own luggage handler. Luggage must be carried two steps up on the train car, then placed on the overhead compartment. Therefore the less you have the easier it is. It’s hard to travel on trains with anything more than one carry on suitcase and one backpack.

Lois, the 4 wheeled ones CAN be tilted on 2 wheels, but since they turn, they can get misdirected in the sections between cobbles. I like the sturdier wheels (like skateboard or rollerblade type wheels) who are more used to wear and tear with all the bumps. I keep thinking back to that super dreadful walk I had last time when I first arrived, and I would have been a little more worried about the not-as-sturdy wheels on the large cobblestones. If I could find a rollerblade wheel spinner, I would be more likely to look into them. But seriously, when I win the lottery, I am getting the G-RO Luggage, they are 2 wheels, but they spin as well.

I will also echo Robert, just imagine yourself lifting your luggage every which way to get it up stairs, onto trains, into overhead areas......that is enough to make me want a small bag.

Any suggestions on who makes a good 2 wheeler with the larger, sturdier wheels?

I see some of the bags have a molded surface on the wheel and handle side, as one
of RS's has. Does this stiffer surface make it more difficult to cram into tight spaces?

Great thread, thanks!!

I just saw that G-RO has a $100 off sale!

I bought 2 Travelpro 21 inch carry-ons at TJMaxx before this last trip. They each weigh 6.5 lbs, have 4 swivel wheels and a collapsible handle. We could use only 2 wheels as we dragged them over rugged streets. My husband's personal item to carry on was the Rick Steve's day bag that we ordered online before our first trip to Europe. It is not as big as a regular backpack so it is not cumbersome. On days when we were out all day, we'd store travel info, maps, a water bottle, a small umbrella and a rolled up jacket in it, to mention a few things. My personal item was a Travelon bag I also bought online. It has many pockets, a security pocket and steel reinforced adjustable strap. These travel items served us well as we spent 18 days in Italy and Switzerland in May.

Katherine, thanks for letting me know that I could try to use just two wheels. I checked out the G-RO, and it weights 9.3 lbs--which is way more than I'd want, no matter how sturdy it is! Does look like a really nice bag, though. We have two RS bags, both about 6.5 lbs. One is an older model, slightly larger than the newer one, but both should be OK in size. The reason I ordered the Lipault one is that it's only 4.9 lbs, and with an 8kg limit, that is a pretty big improvement.

And I completely agree with all the suggestions to travel light. No matter whether you have trains, planes, or busses, it's much easier. With careful planning, carryons work just fine, even for longer trips.

Quick follow up after our trip to Italy. We decided to use carry on luggage (rather than check our bags) for both flights and all went well. Glad we did, thanks for the advice.