Carry-on all the way. Packing cubes are not necessary (and add unnecessary weight to a bag you may need to lift). The trick is to wear your heaviest shoes and pack only one other pair of small light weight shoes, and only if necessary.

We always do a backpack and Carry-on on the way there and bring a packable duffel for the way home so we don’t have to worry about packing so compactly on the way back and have a place for purchases along the way. Doubles as a laundry bag on trips where we have the option to do laundry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leaving tomorrow and can't decide whether to take a carry-on or check. I will only have to trim a couple of items to take a carry-on. I don't want to spend the extra money to check, but more importantly, I don't want to risk lost luggage. Vs. carrying my carry-on for hours, including a domestic stop to change planes, and not being able to purchase anything other than the smallest souvenir. Help!

For 1 week trip, carry on
For longer trip, I carry on backpack with essentials + 2 outfits, remainder in checked bag. Never lost a luggage in 30 years traveling.

Amazing! Lost a bag for 6 months during the post-covid crazy travel baggage issues. Didn't think I'd see it again. In the last year, 2 family members had their checked bags delayed weeks during a connection or mixed connection. So I now only check as the last resort. And if I do check I make sure I have carried on a change of clothes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not do a carry-on and a backpack?

+1 we did this to Europe a few months ago. We were there for a week.

Packing cubes
rolled up socks, panties into extra pair of shoes
smaller toiletry bottles - I used contact lense cases
layer on the plane with a sweater and coat or whatever outwear you have

OP, here. I will have a backpack as my personal item. I've done all of the above, except packing cubes. How do they help? I have a couple of packing cubes, but I'm not sure how to utilize them in the best way. Thank you, everyone, for your responses!

Packing cubes - with clothes rolled inside the cubes - helps me keep things organized. It doesn't always make more space - sometimes if I'm really struggling to fit things - everything rolled and not in a packing cube I can fit things in weird spaces. However, as I learned recently on a trip - when security wanted to look in my bag - I had to take each and every piece of clothing out and re-pack it. With the cubes - I keep my shirts together, my underwear in another. Then wherever I am its easy to just grab a cube to get dressed.

DP, but this is my issue with packing cubes... You end up having to take out every single cube out, open them all and then repack everything just to get dressed. Otherwise I'd just open my suitcase, select a shirt/pant/socks/underwear and.. its fine.

I normally take all of my packing cubes out - organized by type - in whatever space I have available. THey are different colors if they are the same size so I can easily determine shirts from something else. Its really so much easier than rifling thru all the clothes looking for that one pair of pants that is at the bottom of the suitcase.

Anonymous wrote:Leaving tomorrow and can't decide whether to take a carry-on or check. I will only have to trim a couple of items to take a carry-on. I don't want to spend the extra money to check, but more importantly, I don't want to risk lost luggage. Vs. carrying my carry-on for hours, including a domestic stop to change planes, and not being able to purchase anything other than the smallest souvenir. Help!

For 1 week trip, carry on
For longer trip, I carry on backpack with essentials + 2 outfits, remainder in checked bag. Never lost a luggage in 30 years traveling.

I always do carry on. If I need something, I can purchase and donate or ship back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not do a carry-on and a backpack?

+1 we did this to Europe a few months ago. We were there for a week.

Packing cubes
rolled up socks, panties into extra pair of shoes
smaller toiletry bottles - I used contact lense cases
layer on the plane with a sweater and coat or whatever outwear you have

OP, here. I will have a backpack as my personal item. I've done all of the above, except packing cubes. How do they help? I have a couple of packing cubes, but I'm not sure how to utilize them in the best way. Thank you, everyone, for your responses!

Packing cubes - with clothes rolled inside the cubes - helps me keep things organized. It doesn't always make more space - sometimes if I'm really struggling to fit things - everything rolled and not in a packing cube I can fit things in weird spaces. However, as I learned recently on a trip - when security wanted to look in my bag - I had to take each and every piece of clothing out and re-pack it. With the cubes - I keep my shirts together, my underwear in another. Then wherever I am its easy to just grab a cube to get dressed.

DP, but this is my issue with packing cubes... You end up having to take out every single cube out, open them all and then repack everything just to get dressed. Otherwise I'd just open my suitcase, select a shirt/pant/socks/underwear and.. its fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not do a carry-on and a backpack?

This is what I do. Toiletries and technology in the backpack. Bulkiest shoes in the bottom. Clothes in the carry on

And +1 in pp packing cubes.

Anonymous wrote:Why not do a carry-on and a backpack?

This is what I do. Toiletries and technology in the backpack. Bulkiest shoes in the bottom. Clothes in the carry on

I went to Alaska for 2 weeks with a carryon. Packing cubes just make everything neater and therefore better able to fit in your luggage. Also, get rid of extra shoes as they take up a lot of space.

My parents fo carryon gor 6 weeks abroad.
Carryon always!!

Carry on

I always check luggage because I like options.

I hate being limited outfit wise.

It depends on your destination though. Is luggage going to be a burden? Then carry on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not do a carry-on and a backpack?

+1 we did this to Europe a few months ago. We were there for a week.

Packing cubes
rolled up socks, panties into extra pair of shoes
smaller toiletry bottles - I used contact lense cases
layer on the plane with a sweater and coat or whatever outwear you have

OP, here. I will have a backpack as my personal item. I've done all of the above, except packing cubes. How do they help? I have a couple of packing cubes, but I'm not sure how to utilize them in the best way. Thank you, everyone, for your responses!

Packing cubes - with clothes rolled inside the cubes - helps me keep things organized. It doesn't always make more space - sometimes if I'm really struggling to fit things - everything rolled and not in a packing cube I can fit things in weird spaces. However, as I learned recently on a trip - when security wanted to look in my bag - I had to take each and every piece of clothing out and re-pack it. With the cubes - I keep my shirts together, my underwear in another. Then wherever I am its easy to just grab a cube to get dressed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not do a carry-on and a backpack?

+1 we did this to Europe a few months ago. We were there for a week.

Packing cubes
rolled up socks, panties into extra pair of shoes
smaller toiletry bottles - I used contact lense cases
layer on the plane with a sweater and coat or whatever outwear you have

OP, here. I will have a backpack as my personal item. I've done all of the above, except packing cubes. How do they help? I have a couple of packing cubes, but I'm not sure how to utilize them in the best way. Thank you, everyone, for your responses!