Luggage strategy for European trip

[brett]

No fun if you are in a hurry to board your train and you have to down to a subway and up to the other track. You can be assured that the elevator is very slow and you only have an even chance that it is actually in service.

 

[grasshopper]

Ms G will have her work cut out on our safari in the fall, a couple of puddle jumpers where no luggage with frames or handles or wheels all soft bags are allowed. Even the tour company recommends two or 3 shirts only as they have laundry service. I have read that it is important that clothes are washed daily to remove parasites. I have a 30 yo Lands End bag that I can pack for 2 weeks no problem.

 

[davebarnes]

like taking an umbrella to a destination where rain is possible but unlikely I say to myself: "They have stores there."

That is so funny.
We "rented" an umbrella in España for 50¢/minute.
Actually we bought one (€6) in a small store as it started raining, a lot, while walking down the street. This was on day 20 of our trip. The rain stopped 8 minutes later. My wife used the umbrella on our last day for 4 minutes. We left it in the lounge at BCN.

For what it is worth: €6/14000 is a very small number.

 

[brett]

We never pack an umbrella on the premise that we can always buy one.

It is amazing. Every time we have been in Europe and it starts to rain, umbrella vendors seem to come out of the woodwork. Especially.

We to go by the maxim pack the minimum. You can always buy something if you need it.

 

[Lsbcal]

We never pack an umbrella on the premise that we can always buy one.

It is amazing. Every time we have been in Europe and it starts to rain, umbrella vendors seem to come out of the woodwork. Especially.

We to go by the maxim pack the minimum. You can always buy something if you need it.

So you buy the umbrella rather than take the one you previously bought. That’s fine. I’m going to take the one I previously bought in Amsterdam so as not to repeat this again. Maybe I’m just too frugal?

 

[NW-Bound]

Always one carry-on and a backpack for each of us. It's so that we can hop on/off trains, buses, metros, and ferries.

 

[gerntz]

Depends on what you mean by Europe trip. If it's cruise/tour/drive yourself around, then size can be large as you're not constantly hauling/dragging/carrying it around. If it's trains/walking/hiking, then need to be compact.

 

[Nemo2]

Umbrellas? Someone pointed at me on our last jaunt and said "Is that Drip dry?" I replied that I had been a little damp but I was OK now.

 

[Milton]

Regarding shoes, I have (1) running type shoes, (2) light leather shoes, (3) compact sandals. I generally use the running shoes unless it's raining. So basically 2 pairs in the luggage.

You know best what works for you, but I don't see the point in lugging stuff that is rarely if ever needed.

In your shoes (pun intended), I would ditch the two pairs in the luggage wear and just stick to the running shoes. If rain is a real concern, waterproof running shoes are readily available.

 

[Scuba]

For a six week trip to Greece and Amsterdam, we each had one checked bag (on wheels) and a carry-on backpack (Eagle Creek). Airlines we flew only allowed a 17” carry-on and we decided that was just too tight for us. We like to allow room in luggage to bring home a few things, plus we needed coats and warm clothes for Amsterdam but swimsuits and shorts for Greece.

If we had to, we could have condensed to one checked bag and the backpacks, but I don’t see any way we could go to Europe for six weeks with just two 17” backpacks, limited to 8” depth. If you can, more power to you!

 

[Lsbcal]

As we see here, there is not just one luggage strategy. Depends on individual needs, time of stay, location traveling to, climate expected, etc.

I'm very sympathetic to the Rick Steves approach. Not everyone can carry a back pack and some of us have other physical requirements.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and keep them coming.

 

[Lsbcal]

You know best what works for you, but I don't see the point in lugging stuff that is rarely if ever needed.

In your shoes (pun intended), I would ditch the two pairs in the luggage wear and just stick to the running shoes. If rain is a real concern, waterproof running shoes are readily available.

Some thoughts on shoes. First, the running shoes are for most situations. But what if one is hiking in Northern Italy? Might need sturdier leather shoes. Plus those shoes could avoid carrying an umbrella when rain threatens but is not necessarily going to happen. I find the stuff in my daypack can hurt my back if it gets too heavy (getting older, sigh) hence the desire to avoid the umbrella. The probability of rain in Italy in September is around 25%.

Sandals are a must for me for warm climates like Italy. I have some light Tevas that have great arch support and used for slippers in hotel rooms. I never walk around on hard surfaces in bare feet because of potential for plantar fasciitis. ... individual requirement. I run about 20 miles per week and know my feet.

 

[Bestwifeever]

As we see here, there is not just one luggage strategy. Depends on individual needs, time of stay, location traveling to, climate expected, etc.

I'm very sympathetic to the Rick Steves approach. Not everyone can carry a back pack and some of us have other physical requirements.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and keep them coming.

We travel a lot but not longer than two weeks as that’s my threshhold for enjoying being away plus I run out of clean undies at that point. Although I always pack a carry-on size, I also always check it if checking a bag is free because I hate shlepping a suitcase around if I don’t have to. Once in a blue moon it gets lost for a day or so but I’m pretty flexible on dealing with the unexpected. Even in Central America we easily just dealt with it. DH takes more than I do on trips and will use a larger suitcase for longer trips. It is not any more difficult imo to pull a larger wheeled bag than a smaller wheeled bag, in my experience, whether or not you check it. So just take whatever size or combination of sizes works for you.

I also carry a totebag with a small purse inside on my shoulder, while DH wears a backpack as a carryon. I am always steering him around so that he is not unintentionally whacking other people with it. Large fully extended backpacks take up a lot of space and their wearers sometimes seem oblivious to their intrusion on others.

 

[Bamaman]

As mentioned previously, we're light travelers. But on our April trip to France, England and Ireland, my wife was in a wheelchair.

I bought a lightweight aluminum travel wheelchair. I switched to a backpack carry on bag. So I pushed her in the wheelchair, towed her 21" swivel wheel Travel Pro ultralight bag and had my bag on my back.

We went to the front of every security line and were first into the airplanes. We also got priority seating in the plane for free. Every restaurant we went in, we were the first seated.

My wife loved being treated so well that she wants to keep using the wheelchair on future trips. But she's since had a knee replacement and walking so well now.

 

[Lsbcal]

Bamaman, have you considered 2 wheelchairs?

 

[Nemo2]

As Mick said:

"You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need"

 

[Milton]

We went to the front of every security line and were first into the airplanes. We also got priority seating in the plane for free. Every restaurant we went in, we were the first seated.... My wife loved being treated so well that she wants to keep using the wheelchair on future trips.

I have travelled many, many times to a certain Caribbean country (that I will not name as I have no desire to stereotype). On every flight to or from that country, a large number of passengers - easily identifiable as its citizens by their language, accent and physical characteristics - have been wheeled up to the head of the queue by airline staff. Then once the flight landed they all miraculously became able-bodied and hustled off the aircraft as fast as possible, with no further assistance needed!

 

[Scrapr]

As mentioned previously, we're light travelers. But on our April trip to France, England and Ireland, my wife was in a wheelchair.

I bought a lightweight aluminum travel wheelchair. I switched to a backpack carry on bag. So I pushed her in the wheelchair, towed her 21" swivel wheel Travel Pro ultralight bag and had my bag on my back.

We went to the front of every security line and were first into the airplanes. We also got priority seating in the plane for free. Every restaurant we went in, we were the first seated.

My wife loved being treated so well that she wants to keep using the wheelchair on future trips. But she's since had a knee replacement and walking so well now.

You know what this means @bamaman. Business Class!

 

[Sunset]

I have travelled many, many times to a certain Caribbean country (that I will not name as I have no desire to stereotype). On every flight to or from that country, a large number of passengers - easily identifiable as its citizens by their language, accent and physical characteristics - have been wheeled up to the head of the queue by airline staff. Then once the flight landed they all miraculously became able-bodied and hustled off the aircraft as fast as possible, with no further assistance needed!

+1
We must have been in the same Country, lady wheeled up to the waiting area by an airline porter. Later she got up and walked 500 steps to get a coffee, and of course stood up to get on the plane first when it started boarding.
Ones who didn't have wheelchairs, had canes but had no trouble walking around to look out the windows.
I told DW, next time we fly to bring some canes

 

[Clone]

I always try to have a second pair of shoes. Had an experience one time where my shoes got soaked, and I did not have a backup. The insoles and uppers reshaped themselves a bit such that they killed my feet. I hobbled around for a long time. Now, a second pair of shoes will allow me to let one pair dry out if they get soaked. The second pair is usually a light slip-on.
I have done a Europe business trip for two weeks out of a large backpack. That means sending clothes out for laundry a couple times. We are headed to warm weather for 30 days with 2 carry-on size suitcases, plus one backpack and one large purse.

 

[Ronstar]

We always have one large checked bag (usually very close to weight limit), DW a carryon, me a backpack. This doesn’t get us far without the need to do laundry though. I think we did laundry twice on a 2 week trip to England/Ireland.

 

[Winemaker]

DW has to pack a suitcase to bring some gluten free food. Breakfast bars in hotels don't always have fruit, and a tub of yogurt and a cheese stic doesn't cut it. Yes, choice is much better than it was in 1983 when she got diagnosed, but not always available.

 

[Lsbcal]

Our next trip is on British Airways and I found out my smaller luggage piece meets the carry-on requirements of 22 x 18 x 10. So we are buying an Eagle Creek 4 wheeler (on sale now) for her as a check it in: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EZEPYEI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[bclover]

I am absolutely no help. traveling with me is akin to traveling on Cleopatra's barge. Nope I'm not even trying to go to Europe for two weeks with 2 pairs of
serviceable shoes.
I factor in the extra cost into my budget. that's why God invented porters. lol. I'm heading to Greece next year for a week. I'll take a carryon and check a 24 incher

 

[Lsbcal]

Regarding luggage size, yesterday I brought in one of our old Rick Steves pieces to compare it with some other ones at a local luggage store. It is probably 15 to 20 years old and a two wheeler. I believe it was considered to be quite the thing back then before airlines started charging for checking in luggage and before carry-on sizing rules shrunk.

Anyway that old RS piece had almost as much room as the 26 inch Eagle Creek 4 wheeler that we are buying. Now the RS site has very small pieces that are considered trendy by the travel lite set. I like the travel lite idea but sometimes it seems a bit impractical. And neither of us can handle a back pack. To each his own.