I’ll be going on your Best of Bulgaria Tour. However, in your most recent email, you state we should bring just a carry-on size bag. However, I am coming to Sofia three days early and then, after the Tour, flying to Prague where I’ll be staying for two more weeks. Among other things, Prague can get a little colder than Bulgaria (especially if it’s raining) so I’ll need more and possibly a few heavier things to bring with me. I was planning to bring a 24” suitcase, in order to fit everything in. I hope that’s OK. The other thing I could do would be to take both a carry-on and 24” suitcase and arrange with the hotel in Sofia to leave my bigger suitcase there.
Please let me know what you think.
Thank you.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
9803 posts
Hi, this is a forum of fellow travelers - some who take RS tours and others who are familiar with his guidebooks. If you have a question about your tour, contact the RS office. There’s an email on your tour packet info, also.
They don’t care about your luggage size. But you must handle all of it yourself, carrying it from the bus to your hotel room. Some of the hotels don’t have elevators, and typically there are no rooms on the ground floor.
Posted by
Minnesota
755 posts
I’ve taken 12 Rick Steves tours and Bulgaria remains one of my favorites!
RS recommends a carry-on size bag because you must handle the luggage yourself. Sometimes the bus can’t get near the hotel because of narrow streets or pedestrian areas, so you may need to drag your luggage a few blocks. Occasionally a hotel does not have elevators, so you need to carry luggage up stairs. As long as you can do this, nobody cares what size luggage yourself bring.
While most people on the tours stick with carry-on size, I have seen many people bring larger pieces of luggage on these tours. On my last trip (Portugal), one woman brought a HUGE suitcase AND a carry-on size AND a smaller backpack. I have no idea what she had in there for a 12-day tour (I think I could have fit my entire home wardrobe in them), but she managed somehow. Some hotel rooms were quite small, so I’m not sure where she put all that luggage, another consideration.
By the way, I hate dragging all my stuff around airports, so I check my 21-inch “carry-on” anyway.
You might want to browse the packing section of this forum. There are lots of good ideas there for reducing your needed luggage. Layering is key when traveling to different climates (although I’m not sure Prague will be that different, depending on when you are going. Be sure to track weather for a while before your trip.). Plan to do laundry so you need fewer items. I don’t do sink laundry except for a few small items. I use local laundromats or have the hotel launder some items. The tour guide will give information about available laundry services (or simply ask).
Posted by
6849 posts
If the tour is a circle ending in Sofia, you could store a larger bag there and take a more manageable one on the tour. You’ll be more comfortable that way.