When measuring a carry on for budget European airlines, do you measure from bottom of wheel to top of bag or bottom of bag to top
Bottom of wheels to top of handle. They can be really difficult about sizing/extra fees.
This is one of the main reasons I prefer my 2 wheel international carryon.
Honestly, you will worry yourself sick about the bag being oversize and overweight (also you bag needs to be measured when packed and bulging)
My advice, which I always take myself, is to just price the cost of checking a bag on a budget flight. You eliminate risk and worry, the flight is point to point, so little chances of lost luggage, and the total cost is still dirt cheap. Trying to scrimp, and failing, is expensive.
The airline doesn’t care whether your suitcase has wheels or no wheels. It’s whether your entire suitcase will fit inside a box with their maximum dimensions listed on their website.
Depending on the airline and fare class, you may also have weight restrictions.
Some airlines are stricter than others about the size and sometimes weight of carry on bags. It is those wheels that sometimes catch you.
Out of dozens of budget airline flights, only one time have I had to pay--on Norwegian Air Shuttle in Oslo. What made me mad was after I got on the plane, there were dozens and dozens of passengers with bags larger than mine.
Once we were caught on weight in Copenhagen. They wanted to charge me big $. So I put on some of the clothes and offloaded some clothes to a lighter bag to get around their games.
We just look ahead and walk fast thru the line of passengers and seldom do we get a second look.