Rolling Carry-on size bag or backpack-style luggage for RS Best of Italy 17 Days

Hi, we did the 17-day Best of Italy tour several years ago, and it was my favorite - so many special locations!

Honestly, either choice will be 100% okay. At the time, I had the RS rolling carry-on and did fine. Over many more trips to Europe, I now take a Cotopaxi Allpa 35L backpack, instead. I absolutely love it and keep the loaded weight down to 13.5 pounds, so it’s no problem for this 68-year old woman to carry through many train stations and walking to/from historic center hotels.

If you’ve been to Europe several times already, just bring what you normally do. And have a great time!

The BOI tour was our first time in Italy, and I did purchase a couple of ceramic pitchers, so the wheeled luggage was easier to transport it home.

A 22 lb. backpack can get pretty tiring unless you're in great shape.

We prefer ultra light 21 inch carry on bags as we never check a bag any time. My wife is mobility challenged and I drag two bags. Following Rick Steves' packing list with minor changes, we can travel indefinitely this way--with my wife carrying a large purse for meds and make up.

You’ll have a wonderful time! I preferred my spinner carryon size plus a backpack for my “bus bag” with guidebook, iPad, pillow, snacks, sunscreen, hat, etc. The wheeled bags are easier at the airports and bus/train stations IMO. The travel pro max light fared pretty well on cobblestones and uneven streets. I bungeed my backpack to it, or carried the backpack on my shoulders at times.

There will be cities where you must walk more than a few blocks bc the coach can’t drive right up to the hotels. You can sometimes find a smoother part of the sidewalk to roll on! And cross to the shady side if possible. I think some people who wore the bigger backpacks were extra sweaty (June) with the heat and distance at a few locales (Venice, Rome, Florence). One husband ended up with he and his wife’s bags on his back bc it was too much for her. When is your trip?

I needed the extra space of a backpack, so this combo worked well for me. I even spilled over into a folding Trader Joe’s bag for my snacks, hat and small travel pillow - just easier to throw things in and out of in a hurry …. Esp on the bus or at rest stops/autogrills for lunch. Packed back into two bags at end of trip, for onward travels.

Back in 2022, the tour started in Varenna. So, when got to Venice, we left our suitcases on bus and just took essentials on the water bus / walk to hotel. In cinque terre our guide hired tiny trucks to tow our luggage from train to our steep - uphill hotels (Grazie Mille, Mariana!).
Ps future trips I kept my phone on a wrist lanyard - felt more secure, esp when taking photos near bodies of water, bridges, etc, LOL

Whatever suits your space, physicality and comfort will be key. Enjoy your planning and your trip!!

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. The last time we did Europe with backpack luggage (44L bags) was 2011 (so, 13 years younger!) and it was fine. I think it was also a bonus as we were constantly on trains and it definitely made it easier to run and hop on (and keep track of my kids who also had the same bag on) and not have to drag a bag and then get it up the steps onto the train. In 2022 we went to Prague for a few days before meeting up with our river cruise in Regensburg, Germany. Since we had some dressier nights on the boat (and needed a bit more clothing) we decided to check bags for that trip and even on the streets of Prague (which are VERY uneven) and a long walk from our hotel in Budapest to the train station (and numerous trains and even a bus - as the train lines were being worked on so we were able to train to track's end then transfer to the bus, then back to the train, oy), the checked size spinners were not a problem. I guess the theme seems to be if taking a lot of trains etc. backpack style luggage MAY be more convenient but if you're simply moving from bus to hotel, which I assume we will be for the most part on this Best of Italy tour, (maybe walking a few blocks at most) a spinner might be a better option. Also, with a spinner, as was mentioned, I'll be able to carry a regular size backpack on my back with extras. If I'm using backpack luggage, the only place for an additional, regular backpack would be to carry it on the front of me which makes me picture a pack mule :-) We are going mid-September so most likely the weather will be on the warmer side in most of the locations. I think I can pack more in my 44L backpack luggage though...hmmm, decisions. I assume on this tour there will be an opportunity to visit a laundromat or laundry service. I don't mind washing a few clothes (socks, underwear, bras and some lightweight shirts) in the sink but there's nothing better than having truly clean clothes halfway through your trip).

I have a variety of different bags. If planning to travel overseas, carryon only, my priority was a bag that was light so that more clothes would fit and meet airline weight requirements. To me, that means no wheels (with the weight of frames, handles, and wheels). For the money, I dont think you can beat the Rick Steves Classic backpack, at a little over 2 pounds empty, especially when it's periodically on sale. Nowadays, I'm more likely to check a bag, in which case a 2-wheeler is preferred since weight is not an object.

If you're on a tour, as you noted, you're only taking your bag from bus to hotel & vice versa, so other features are less important. My observation on 4 RS tours has been the majority of people have the RS 2-wheeler as their main bag.

I like the rolling bag from RS and try not to check til we come home with wine and other goodies. Take the flight bag on the plane for underseat and then use on the bus for "stuff" and generally take a sling bag if out of the day with camera, guide book, etc.

We carried backpacks on our Best of Italy trip--they were 38L I think. There were two other couples with backpacks, the rest had rollers of some sort. Didn't make too much difference except on the bridges of Venice. Backpacks were a definite advantage then. The hotel in the Cinque Terre had a laundry service, and the one in the Dolomites had a single washer and dryer available for the guests' use. This was in 2017 though, and I know the tour has changed a little since then.

Thanks for the laundry info. Good to know there may be laundry accommodations along the way.

As far as packing, it may come down to laying out everything I want to bring and seeing which is easier to lug around keeping in mind, stairs, bridges, airports, vaporetti, trains, etc.

mala1961 when you have the first tour meet-up, ask the tour leader about laundry opportunities. Its a routine question for them.