Why we stopped checking luggage

The biggest mistake many first-time visitors make isn’t choosing the wrong hotel or missing a train—it’s bringing too much luggage. After years of traveling throughout Europe, we’ve discovered that packing light has made every part of our trips easier. We no longer check bags, even for vacations lasting two or three weeks. Here’s why.

Is checking luggage really the right idea?

Should you check your luggage or just use a carrry on and a personal item? This is a difficult question. It depends on how much time and effort are you willing to spend hauling around large, heavy bags AND is there an alternative?

Check Airline Carry-On Sizes Before You Fly

If part of your journey includes flying a European airlines

European carriers often have stricter size limits.
Weight limits can also differ.
Budget airlines are usually stricter.
Buy luggage that fits the most restrictive airline on your itinerary.

Many European airlines have smaller carry-on size and weight limits than North American airlines. We have occasionally had to gate-check bags that fit perfectly on flights leaving home. If your itinerary includes multiple airlines, buy luggage that meets the smallest size requirement rather than the largest. The only goods news is that the bag is checked at the gate and you at least avoided the time it takes to check in when you arrived.

Airlines have started charging for checked luggage. They may also charge you at the gate if you have to check your luggage. This is particularly true if you are violating their ticket policy for size limits. If they are forcing you to check your luggage because of overhead bin space there probably won’t be any charge.

Although weight restrictions are also tighter they tend to be less enforced. This is within reason of course.

The only real way to avoid the risk is the purchase carry-on luggage that meets the European requirements. While smaller, they are not a great deal smaller and may still be manageable.

What surprises people most

Train stations often have stairs.
Hotel elevators can be tiny.
Cobblestones destroy cheap luggage wheels.
You’ll walk far more than you expect.
You’ll move luggage much more often than in North America.

By the time you arrive at your destination dealing with extensive luggage may be a significant burden. Figuring out how to get from the airport to your hotel by navigating the train and bus system when you are jet lagged is not fun. If your itinerary includes multiple hotels it may be an even greater problem.

Checking Bags	Carry-on Only
Wait at baggage claim	Walk straight out
Risk of lost luggage	Bags stay with you
Heavy on trains	Easy to carry
Hard on cobblestones	Much easier
Customs connections	Faster
Extra baggage fees	Usually avoided
Tiny hotel elevators	Fits easily
Subway turnstiles	Less hassle
Laundry required	Yes—but simple

Why we stopped checking bags at the Airport

No long lines at check in
No baggage claim.
No waiting.
No lost luggage.

A carry-on lets you leave the airport immediately and start your vacation.

Trains

Limited Storage space
Risk of theft
Steep, narrow steps onto train
Narrow, crowded platforms.
Increase fall risk

European trains were designed for passengers, not oversized suitcases.

Hotels

Tiny elevators – if they have them
Narrow, steep staircases
Small rooms.

Rooms in the older European hotel have limited space for placing luggage anywhere except on the floor. With two people moving around each other and the luggage on the floor it gets tiresome.

Streets

Cobblestones.
Rain, snow, icey conditions
Uneven sidewalks
Bicycle traffic

The quaint charm of European cobblestones is quickly dissolved when you are trying to find your hotel, dodge other tourists, exhausted from a long flight and dragging an over-sized piece of luggage up two flights of stairs because you booked your room on the first floor.

Connections at a US or Canadian airport on the return trip

Waiting for luggage to go through Customs
Changing Terminals
Rechecking luggage
Passing through security

Make sure that your layover is long enough to go through Customs and the whole change terminals/recheck luggage/clear security process.

Trains, Metro/Underground

Many subway/metro/underground stations utilize turnstiles at the exits. These are cumbersome to get through with smaller luggage. Larger, heavier luggage, strollers, wheelchairs, etc. may require the staff to open a special gate to allow you through. During early or late hours the exits may not have an attendant to open the gate.

Trains have limited storage for large luggage
Select seats near the end of the train car or the center storage section to keep an eye on them.
Steps up into a train car can be very steep and narrow
cobble stones possibly break a heavy luggage wheel.

If an escalator is available it may be a single one thereby assisting travelers in one direction only. Also, as with any government facility, one cannot assume an escalator will be functional (we saw several non-functional escalators on our last trip).

🧳 Don’t Be Surprised

If, on your return trip home you have to make a connection at a US based airport you will have to gather your luggage, clear customs, possibly change terminals, recheck your luggage, and clear security before you can proceed to your gate.

To lessen the risk of having your carry on checked at the gate sign up for the Frequent Flyer Club app for your airlines. Many airlines assign members of their club to earlier boarding groups than those who are not members. On crowded flights earlier boarding is not only more convenient, it also increases the chance for finding an overhead bin for your luggage.

Ok, but what is the better way?

We generally pack enough clothes for 1/2 of the trip and have a planned day for doing laundry in our schedule. We pack enough clothing for about half of our trip, then plan one morning doing laundry into our itinerary. Two weeks in Europe doesn’t require twice as many clothes—it simply requires one load of laundry.

Only pack a carry on and a personal item even if you are staying for two or three weeks. Most people assume this isn’t possible until they actually try it. We thought the same thing.
Strategically locate a hotel near a laundry
Spend a couple of hours in the morning sipping coffee and eating a pastry while your clothes are washing.

How? The laundromat is all in German!

Sitting quietly enjoying the morning is what a vacation is all about. Also, many people don’t take the time to plan their day. This is a perfect time to review your scheduled events, dinner plans, send pictures home, just sit and do nothing for a bit. Take a minute to look out the window and people watch. Relax and enjoy the peacefulness.

🧳 Don’t be Surprised

Laundromat machine controls are in the local language. This is easy to solve with a translation app.

Process:

Find the general directions. In the picture it is all diagrams — no text. If it is in the local language use a translation app with a camera option to take a picture of the directions so that it will translate it for you.
Load the machine.
Add money to the central pay station — some require coins, some will take a credit card.
Select the machine number you are using
This laundromat provides soap in a cup.
Go back to your machine and use your translation app to translate the machine controls. Then choose the settings desired and the press the start button

What we pack

If the weather is a bit cold we wear a heavier sweater on the plane and carry our jacket with us rather than pack them. We also wear our walking shoes and try to avoid packing another pair. In winter or if heavy rain is expected we will wear water resistant shoes. We also take a backpack or similar bag.

Clothing
- 5 shirts
- 2 pants
- sweater
- pajamas
- underwear
- socks
Footwear
- One pair walking shoes
- Water-resistant shoes if needed
Toiletries
- Travel-size items
- Medication
Miscellaneous
- Laundry bag
- Backpack
- Umbrella if forecast requires it

What we don't pack

Fancy outfits
Extra shoes
Laptops
Full sized shampoo or soap
Hair dryer/curling irons
Sweater or jacket that can only be worn once

For years we packed huge suitcases because that’s what everyone does. Then one trip we decided to try carry-on only. We were skeptical. By the end of the trip we realized we had walked past baggage claim, climbed train station stairs more easily, fit into small hotel elevators, and never worried about lost luggage. We’ve never gone back.

Carry-on-only travel isn’t right for everyone. If you’re traveling with infants, specialized medical equipment, formal clothing, or staying in one location for an extended period, checking a bag may make more sense. For our style of travel—moving between cities by train—it has been a game changer.