Those Bumpy Sidewalks

If it has decent wheels, not much. You will have to negotiate stairs in many locations, so if picking up your bag to carry it up stairs is an issue, reconsider.

Picking up the bag for stairs should be doable, but I got to thinking of cobblestone walkways. Not a problem? Then I'll likely stick with the rolling luggage.

My problem was never my wheelie bag, but my feet :-) Thick soles!!

I'm a quiet traveler. No loud conversations in restaurants or on trains for me. I really prefer a backpack for the ease of getting on and off trains quickly, the ease in getting up and down stairs, and of course because I make no noise when I move about the city on any type of pavement.

The city with the most uneven pavement, IMHO, is Florence. After 3 or 4 days my ankles are ready for a change. I prefer wheeled luggage and pulling it is not much of a problem for me. It is just the ankle ache that concerns me the most. Buon viaggio,

I have a backpack and a rolling carry on. I've used both, but I prefer my backpack (still carry on size) while in Europe for the reasons that you mention. If you use subways much, the stairs can be a pain (London caused my wife to abandon her roller after that trip). Cobblestones also are a bit of a pain, and they can apply quite a bit of strain to your luggage (not to mention your wrists and shoulders!). My roller had straps, so I found that I would often just wear it when on uneven surfaces. however, those rolling assemblies add about 7 pounds to a bag, so it was a lot of extra weight. I've found that a simple, frameless backpack is the simplest way to go (not to sell, but RS Convertible Carryon works great. It's what my wife and I both have settled on after years of European travel. And no, I do not work for RS.) I've used both, but the dragging behind me on uneven terrain and road debris got old. If you go roller, make sure that you have alternative means of carrying it, in case those cobbles damage the assembly. Good luck.

Kathy, I used a wheeled carryon throughout Florence, Rome and hilltowns of Umbria and while it was heavier carrying it upstairs, it was the overall better choice for me. Pulling a backpack over my shoulder hurts my thumbs and hands and I found the rolling bag better for that issue. One thing I have to point out though is make sure those wheels are very sturdy as they will take a beating on the cobblestones. No one has mentioned this yet but be aware that the sidewalks in Florence and Rome are very narrow - sometimes you may have to step aside to let someone pass you. Ciao and happy travels. Linda

I was traveling and studying for a month last summer, so a backpack was not an option for me. Although the bumpy streets could make pulling a wheeled suitcase tiring, it was fine. I didn't have too much trouble. Just make sure you can carry it up stairs easily. I had to lift my suitcase up 4 flights of stairs in Switzerland, and then pull it on a 20 minute walk to a hotel in Germany because I thought the distance was shorter! If your suitcase is small/light enough to pick it up while needed, you shouldn't have too much trouble with the train station/lodging walks unless they're pretty long. Also, on trains, if your suitcase is too heavy or large to put up top on the racks, look between the seats where there are often gaps where you can slide it in and fit the luggage. This is much preferable to storing it at the end of the car where it's hard to keep an eye on it.

We didn't have any problems in 2008 when we traveled to Italy with our wheeled luggage. We bought the RS carry-on wheeled pieces with the really sturdy inline skate type wheels. Loved them. We always travel with them now.