Hello! My husband and I are traveling to Andalucia and Portugal for 4 weeks taking the train from city to city for the most part. We will be using backpacks for most of our personal stuff, but would like to bring 1 extra luggage for heavier clothing and souvenirs/gifts that we acquire along the way.
Given that most of the older cities in both Spain and Portugal have rocky/cobblestone pavement, it doesn't look like a hard case luggage with wheels will be ideal or anything with wheels. Is that true for the most part? Has anyone had this experience or luggage dilemma? What's a good alternative? I like the convenience of having wheels.
We will be traveling to Albaycin,Granada, Córdoba, Ronda, Tangier, Cadiz, Jerez, Sevilla, Ribera,Porto, Fatima & Alfama,Lisbon. Some of these areas have stone pavement and some don't. Is it worth taking the the hard case or better to take a duffle type bag or something else?
Thank you.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4656 posts
Yes, there are hills but lots of people use wheeled luggage. I have been trying to trade my wheels for a back pack for my Andalusia trip, but not sure I can. Besides the upper body aches and pains, I don't know how to manage a full duffle, a pack and a purse (at times) by the end of the trip.
Wheels are convenient, but are you going to drag it around half or more empty for 2 of those 4 weeks?
I still think, however, that a duffle that folds up might work for you. Not sure when you are going, but lighter layers will work for a lot of area so be thoughtful about the heavier clothing. Also look at compression bags to reduce bulk. It won't reduce weight, but the longer it is before you have to start putting things into the duffle, the better. Then when it is time to go home, check the pack(s) and use the duffle for carry on for the more fragile items.
Of course, if olive oil or wine is on your list to bring home, you need a more traditional suitcase.
Maybe, 1 back pack, 1 wheeled bag, and then the duffle (you can get ones on Amazon that have the sleeve that fit over the luggage handle) for excess.
Do inspect the luggage before travel for any weak wheels, cracks or sticky zippers. You don't want to try to replace it on the road. You will have people who are successful with wheels on cobblestone, gravel or pavement, and some that aren't.
Posted by
Washington DC
28102 posts
Bouncing around on uneven pavement isn't good for cheap wheels. One of the wheels on my not-expensive spinner bag died on Day 91, which was unfortunately Day 1 of a long trip. (Previous use was in Spain, as it happens.) I moved wheels around and treated the bag as a two-wheeler. A second wheel failed 30 days later. I was able to find a replacement bag with only two wheels, which I greatly prefer. The wheels on the new bag are a bit larger (so handle cobbles more smoothly) and seem sturdier. It's too early to tell whether the bag will last through more than 90 days of travel.
Other people (I suspect with better-quality suitcases and/or taking shorter trips) have been totally satisfied with spinner bags.
Other issues with spinners are that they seem to have less packing space for their external dimensions, and in my experience the smooth glide disappears long before the wheels totally fail, so you may be disappointed in the maneuverability of the bag on smooth surfaces after you've trundled it around Europe for a while. But again, a quality bag's wheels should last a lot longer than mine did.
Posted by
Tucson
4183 posts
That's lots of places to go in only a month. Lots of train stations to go through and trains to get on. Not to mention boats and buses and maybe a plane. I wouldn't want to be lugging a big bag on and off any of them.
Are you planning to stay in all those places?
A boat between Spain and Tangier is obvious.
Buses will be the best, and maybe only, option between many of your listed locations. Trains may not go to all your destinations conveniently or at all.
How are you getting between Portugal and Spain? This is typically a loooong, 13.5 hours or more, overnight train ride and you have to go through Madrid. The ALSA bus can get you to Lisbon from Sevilla in about 8.5 hours, and you can see something along the way.
Forgive me if you've already worked your ground transportation out. We're planning to spend a month in Spain next spring, so this was a good research exercise for me!
Posted by
73 posts
My daughter and I each brought carry-on sized 2-wheel/Pullman bags to Spain and they worked well over cobble-stones, carried up and down subway stairs, on and off metros and trains, up and down hills, etc. I don't have experience with spinner wheels, which I suspect might get caught more and tend to be more fragile, but the 2-wheeled bag was perfect.
Ours were LL Bean, purchased specifically because of the reputation for quality and not wanting to be stuck mid trip with broken bags. Good luck finding the best solution for you!