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Viability of a Medium Checked Bag on Rick Steves Portugal Tour

Posted by (Londonderry NH) on

Hi!

I am looking for some insight regarding the hotels on the Rick Steves Portugal tour. This will be our 7th Rick Steves tour and I have always abided by the Carry On + Day bag suggestion.

We have experienced most everything a Rick Steves tour can throw at you over the years: lots of narrow staircases, long walks from the tour bus to our hotel, the need to take public transportation to our hotel, and even the need to leave our bigger bag on the bus for overnight stays in Venice and Mont Saint Michel.

For Portugal I was thinking of taking the Away medium checked bag, which is 26 inches and not the usual 22 inches if a carry on to allow for additional medical and comfort support items. So far we know that our first and last hotels have an elevator. Are there any special or unusual transportation or hotel challenges on this tour that would make a 26” bag impossible? I can lift the bag and carry it up and down stairs without issues.

I just wanted a reality check before I make my final decision. Our tour is in early September.

Thanks!

Debbie

Posted by
127 posts

My wife and I just finished a Rick Steves tour in Portugal which we also did a Camino after. We had to carry extra luggage because of this. We didn't have any issue with stairs or long walks with it.

Posted by
4027 posts

I can lift the bag and carry it up and down stairs without issues.

I haven't been on the Portugal tour, but if you can do this, you should be fine. No one will measure your bag. I've been on RS tours where people had much larger suitcases. FWIW, this is from the RS Tour Conditions (2026):

On any RSE tour, you assume certain obligations and responsibilities to RSE and your fellow tour members, including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Carry or roll your own luggage for up to 15 minutes over uneven pavement from the bus to the hotel (not applicable on 7-day city tours), then haul it up a few flights of stairs to reach your room.

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