<p>Hi, My daughter is going to Luxembourg this May and UK in the Fall…the luggage for the UK trip is easy, they allow pretty good size carry-on pieces and checked luggage.
Lufthansa though, the carryon has to be 21.7" x 15.7" x 7.8 which ruled out a Mother Lode we were looking at…an inch too big and I don’t want her to take the chance. </p>
<p>Anyone have any suggestions? I told her TJ Maxx had nice carry-on bags that size, but she wanted a backpack to carry her laptop and clothes for easier toting.</p>
<p>Thanks…and I’m thankful to TJMaxx…both daughter’s needed luggage and it saved me $$ overall.</p>
<p>I agree that TJ Maxx has great deals on luggage - the secret is to check once a week. I use a Small rolling duffle that has a strap allowing me to hook it on my checked bag. Sometimes I use a crazy floral Jansport backpack loaded with pockets (the one I have is a bit deeper that typical kis backpack and I got it at Sports Authority. I figure that the print is so wild that it would deter theives as I would be able to spot it in a crowd if it wandered off.</p>
<p>Another thing you need to check on those international flights is the WEIGHT restrictions for carry on bags. We recently travelled and the weight restriction for international was, I believe 8 pounds (might have been 8 kilos…but regardless ours exceeded that weight). Even though our carry on bags were small enough, they weighed more than that and were checked (we knew that would happen and each had a small…regular Jansport size backpack with essentials in it). SO…check your airline. AND they DID weigh our carry on bags…both ways.</p>
<p>One great site to check for luggage is Overstock. $2.95 shipping for any size order; or free if the order is over $50. If you search for backpack or rolling backpack (my personal favorite) they have a ton of options, excellent pricing, and customer reviews. They give a lot of details as well (weight, dimensions, etc.).</p>
<p>I guess 8kg is 17 pounds…another thing to keep in mind if computer was going in also.
I will check overstock…I like the wheels on the backpack, but would think it would add weight.
Thanks for the suggestions.</p>
<p>OP, I’m going through the same exercise for our D who will leave for London in early May for 2 months. The last place she will visit will be Lyon, France, so there will be a wide range of temperatures/weather to pack for.</p>
<p>Is there a reason your D isn’t checking her suitcase? Other than the hassle of a potentially lost bag? I don’t see how your D can carry everything she needs with a 17 pound weight restriction. I just weighed our carry-on suitcase, and it weighs 8 pounds alone!</p>
<p>(I’m trying to understand weight restrictions and dimensions for D’s Germany to France leg on AirBerlin, and don’t see how she can do carry-on given the fact that she will be gone for 2 months.)</p>
<p>Oh no, she’s checking her larger luggage…I bought her a 29 inch spinner from Samsonite at TJMaxx (just made the restrictions) but she wanted something to carry-on that was totable, would fit her laptop and some clothes, medicine, etc. and she didn’t have to pull along with her other bag.
For London, looking at a few airlines, they had more accomodating size restrictions. It’s just weight you have to worry about.</p>
<p>She was told with Lufthansa it was cheaper to check 2 smaller bags than get a fine for the one bag being too large. Not traveling abroad before, it’s a learning process.</p>
<p>Ah, I see. Will she be shlepping her bags around on trains and such once she gets there, or will she stay housed in one spot?</p>
<p>I just got back from Paris with my 25-inch mother lode. It weighed in right under the 50 pound limit, but as an exercise we used the train system to get ourselves to the airport (instead of using a cab.) I honestly couldn’t handle my suitcase on the stairs in the train station. Had to trade bags with my husband’s, which was of course much smaller and lighter.</p>
<p>Maybe I’ll have her downsize to a 21 or 22 inch, and look for a backpack similar to what you’re doing.</p>
<p>In Luxembourg she’ll be in one spot for 5 wks and traveling on the weekends. (another reason she liked the backpack) In the UK, she’ll be there a long time so she’ll be using trains, etc. I’m also emphasizing safety in what she carry’s also…sometimes I see women with backpack/purses and they aren’t careful about keeping it zipped or closed and find themselves without money, cards, etc. You can never be too careful.
I know one college-age girl that kept money in special sock when traveling with a zipper compartment…she still had a bag, but made sure she had most of her money/cards there. Not for everyone, but at least she thought about it. : )</p>
<p>Her study abroad office also emphasized the weight and that they will be alone carrying it, make sure you can handle it yourself. </p>
<p>I hope she has a lot of fun, once you do it, you fine-tune it for later trips.</p>
<p>My D is also leaving mid-May for 3 months in Europe. I’m sending her with the same thing I’ve always used–a money belt. It’s not the most comfortable, but it sure beats the alternative!</p>
<p>I also saw a gadget last week that kids were using over there to secure their suitcases once they boarded they train. Sort of like a little bicycle lock that they used to secure the bag onto one of the rails holding the suitcases. I hadn’t considered that someone might steal her suitcase from the train, so I’ll definitely look around for something like that. One more layer of security!</p>
<p>And yes, the money belts are a pain (and kind of gross after you’ve been wearing them around for a week) but I’ve known so many people who were pickpocketed. </p>
<p>3 months seems like a long time to live out of a suitcase.</p>
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<p>I think my daughter would rather die then wear one of those vests!</p>
<p>I bought my husband one of those years ago, re the jacket. Loved the pockets!</p>
<p>I work with a few people that travel a lot and one gentleman who has a daughter livng in England, couldn’t emphasize more, security end of it.He said the pick-pockets put ours to shame and his daughter even had her phone card numbers copied by a person with binoculars while using it at a pay phone years ago…had a zero balance the next day.
He said, don’t carry a lot of cash, use cards, don’t leave them out of your site, even with a waiter, no backpacks with just flaps or snaps, wear purses in front turned in, etc.
When we started talking at lunch, it surprised me the number of people chiming in with stories or friends stories, being too trusting when traveling. Sometimes there is nothing you can do, but always have your c card numbers on hand and their numbers to call if stolen.</p>
<p>One coworker wore a necklace pouch while traveling and another had a bra with a pouch…(how she got the money out I didn’t ask) My daughter said the belts remind her of my outdated fanny pack but I told her fashion isn’t always the most important thing.</p>
<p>I was just looking at those Puzzeled88…but I thought they would be best for her trip in the Fall…I know it’s only an inch, but it’s an inch in all directions, height and width.
I sent her the link to look at either way.</p>
<p>I don’t know about today, but in the very recent past most major European airlines limited your checked bag to 20kg which is 44 lbs for flights BETWEEN Euro countries. We got caught on this twice and both times it was on flights heading to Amsterdam and then back to the states. It is no fun at check in to open up your suitcase and try to remove the extra weight. Besides, 50 lbs is too darn heavy for a woman to lug around. I limit myself to a manageable checked bag weight of 35 lbs (this also leaves a bit of room for purchases)</p>
<p>Just in case her carryon is overweight, my sister sticks has a nylon shopping bag that looks more like a purse. It is then very easy to pull the bag out of her backpack, put her purse and some some heavy stuff in it and claim that it is her purse. Plus the bag comes in handy for shopping.</p>
<p>Both Ryanair and AirBerlin restrict carry-on bags to be no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, which translates to 21.6in x 15.7in x 7.8in. Both the Weekender etech and Mother Lode Convertible measure more like 22in x 14in x 9in so technically they’re too big for carry-on.</p>
<p>I’ve read conflicting information about the enforcement of carry-on sizes, but I don’t think I want my D to test the waters and find out the hard way that her bag is too big. Puzzled, which airlines did she fly?</p>
<p>And since the Weekender weighs 3lbs. 10 oz., wouldn’t it be hard to keep the weight under the 6 pound max? (8 pounds with laptop.)</p>