Need help packing for family of 6 for this trip

[gatorsmom]

I tried to post this in the Lounge for more traffic but for some reason, I can't login on the Lounge page from my laptop. So if this post doesn't get many responses, I may repost there later. Please bear with me.

In May our family of 6 people (2 adults, 15yo DS1, 13yo Ds2 and our 11yo twins) will be going on a pilgrimage in May for 8 days followed by 8 days in Paris. For the first 8 days we will be traveling by plane and coach bus. We will be switching hotels every 2 days going to different areas of France. At the end of the pilgrimage, we will split off from the group and stay in an apartment we rented with washer and dryer. We don't plan on renting a car so I suppose we will have to take 2 taxis to get to this apartment in the Latin Quarter once the pilgrimage is finished.

We travel internationally each year. Normally we rent a large car or minivan and bring 6 large, soft sided LLBean duffel bags which we check and each kid brings a backpack of snacks and an iPad with games and snacks for the flight. We tend to bring beach toys and scooters but if we cut all that out and focused on necessities, we could bring 4 duffel bags and I can probably even narrow that down since we won't be swimming or doing anything other than touring.

Once we land from the international flight over there, we will have to find the small connecting flight the tour company has organized. Once we land from that smaller flight, we will board a coach bus and head to our first hotel. I'm thinking we should purchase easier suitcases to use. DH travels for business frequently and has his favorite suitcase and backpack setup but other than the duffel bags, we don't really have any suitcases anymore. So it wouldn't hurt us to buy some new luggage. I'm just not sure what would work best for this trip. I wouldn't trust the twins to carry anything other than their small back packs. The older 2 boys can help with luggage if they are easy to maneuver. Neither boy is very large and have struggled in the past with the duffel bags. But something with smooth roller wheels they could easily help with. So, do I get 4 large suitcases (for our family to share) to check at the airport or should I get each person a large carryon? (We will be flying first class to France so we should be able to find overhead room). That way, we are sure to have our luggage with us when we land in Paris and try to find our connecting flight. And what brand of luggage is best? The New York Times' travel website, wire cutter.com, recommended the Travelpro Platinum Magna 25" expandable spinner suitcase for checked bags and the Travelpro Platinum Magna 22" Expandable Rollaboard Suiter for a carry-on. https://www.ebags.com/product/travel...uctid=10377638 and https://www.ebags.com/product/travel...uctid=10377649

Does anyone have either of these suitcases? Do you have others that you recommend? Any suggestions on how best to pack for this trip? I appreciate your help with this!

[cheme]

We (2 adults, 15yo, 13yo, 9yo) went to Europe last year for 3 weeks and went to several places - Paris, train to Germany where we had a rental car, then flight to London. I bought 4 large backpacks with waist straps for the adults and oldest 2 kids and our youngest just had a school backpack. The school backpack actually fit most of her things, but I did have some in my backpack. The backpacks had to be kind of small for the flight and couldn’t be over 20 pounds. It forced us to pack light, but I honestly didn’t miss anything! I also stuck a small drawstring bag in each backpack so that the kids could fill that with snacks, journal, etc for the flights. I don’t have a recommendation on brands, because I just bought fairly inexpensive (~$25) ones off amazon, but they held up and worked well.

ETA - In your case, I think I’d do 4 large carryons, probably roller ones since you don’t have to worry about size or weight (and fitting in a rental car!) like we did. It is nice not to have to check bags though. I also liked everyone having their own bag, so they aren’t digging through one we are sharing. Packing cubes helped to keep things organized too.

[smiles33]

I would not buy 4 large "checked-luggage size" suitcases because you may have issues transporting those gigantic suitcases (e.g., fitting them into your taxi trunk, squeezing them past crowds of people as you walk into your lodging, carrying them up a flight of stairs if there's no elevator or stairs outside the building). Plus it requires you, your DH, and your older 2 kids to each manage a giant heavy suitcase.

I would not use your duffle bags because they aren't easy to maneuver up 3 flights of stairs (many older buildings don't have elevators) and the straps will dig into your shoulders. You don't know how far you will have to walk from the bus to your hotel room or through the airport until you get to your transport.

I agree with cheme: buy carry-on size bags so each family member is responsible for his/her own bag. We did our trip to Italy with each person assigned a carry-on sized roller bag and a personal item (e.g., a backpack or tote bag that fit iPad, headphones, snacks, etc.). My kids have had their own roller carry-on suitcases since age 7 and have been perfectly fine with them. Thus, unless your 11 year olds have other issues, I'm sure they could roll a carry-on sized roller suitcase. And if you're up in the front of the plane, you won't have to worry about getting overhead space. DH and I have Travelpro carry-on rollers while DDs have cheaper Samsonite rollers.

The issue is whether you're going to small towns in France that may have uneven paths or cobblestone roads. If so, then getting backpacks make more sense than struggling with roller suitcases. I'm partial to North Face backpacks from when I was a student, but I'm sure other people will have good recs.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I hate duffle bags so I’d go with 2 full sized wheeled suitcases and 2 carry on sized ones plus personal backpacks. Pack to make those work. That should be enough.


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[Neatfreak]

I like having wheels on my luggage, whether it's a suitcase or a duffle, even for cobblestone! One thing to be aware of if you're going the wheeled carry-on route is that US-based airlines allow a slightly bigger bag than what the international standard is. If you're flying to Europe on a European carrier, check the size requirements because I've seen a lot of people having to check the bag they hoped to carry on because it's two inches too big!

[gatorsmom]

I would not buy 4 large "checked-luggage size" suitcases because you may have issues transporting those gigantic suitcases (e.g., fitting them into your taxi trunk, squeezing them past crowds of people as you walk into your lodging, carrying them up a flight of stairs if there's no elevator or stairs outside the building). Plus it requires you, your DH, and your older 2 kids to each manage a giant heavy suitcase.

I would not use your duffle bags because they aren't easy to maneuver up 3 flights of stairs (many older buildings don't have elevators) and the straps will dig into your shoulders. You don't know how far you will have to walk from the bus to your hotel room or through the airport until you get to your transport.

I agree with cheme: buy carry-on size bags so each family member is responsible for his/her own bag. We did our trip to Italy with each person assigned a carry-on sized roller bag and a personal item (e.g., a backpack or tote bag that fit iPad, headphones, snacks, etc.). My kids have had their own roller carry-on suitcases since age 7 and have been perfectly fine with them. Thus, unless your 11 year olds have other issues, I'm sure they could roll a carry-on sized roller suitcase. And if you're up in the front of the plane, you won't have to worry about getting overhead space. DH and I have Travelpro carry-on rollers while DDs have cheaper Samsonite rollers.

The issue is whether you're going to small towns in France that may have uneven paths or cobblestone roads. If so, then getting backpacks make more sense than struggling with roller suitcases. I'm partial to North Face backpacks from when I was a student, but I'm sure other people will have good recs.

This makes a lot of sense. If we did carryon- size luggage exclusively, we would absolutely need 6 carryons. I don’t know if there will be paved walkways- it’s definitely possible since some of the pilgrimage sites will be small villages. However, I’m thinking that it couldn’t be too difficult since a lot of seniors go on these trips. Besides, if I did get backpacks for everyone, then they can’t bring their personal backpack (the one filled with snacks, headphones, and iPads).

Do you think your Travel Pro carryons are small enough for 11yo’s to maneuver? I’m thinking escalators might be tricky. Maybe something smaller?

[gatorsmom]

I like having wheels on my luggage, whether it's a suitcase or a duffle, even for cobblestone! One thing to be aware of if you're going the wheeled carry-on route is that US-based airlines allow a slightly bigger bag than what the international standard is. If you're flying to Europe on a European carrier, check the size requirements because I've seen a lot of people having to check the bag they hoped to carry on because it's two inches too big!

This is an excellent point. We are flying Delta to France but if I’m buying new luggage, I want to be able to use it as a carryon on future flights.

[georgiegirl]

Do you think your Travel Pro carryons are small enough for 11yo’s to maneuver? I’m thinking escalators might be tricky. Maybe something smaller?

Your kids will be fine. 11 year olds should be able to handle any size suitcase on their own. Heck, my 5 year old has insisted on pulling the carry on size around for at least 2 years. My petite 9 year old who is a huge complainer can handle a carry on roller board. And my 12 year old can pull two plus carry her back pack is necessary.

[smiles33]

Yes, my kids' Samsonite rollers are the same size as our Travelpros (but heavier as they're made of cheaper material!). I didn't want to indulge in nicer luggage for kids as they have been known to knock them over, sit on them, run them into the wall, etc.

[keh602]

I'm no expert on packing for Europe, but I can say that we have had two of the 25" suitcases (for which I paid twice as much ) almost two years ago, and we love them. Very roomy, very smooth, and still look like new. We are a family of 5, and we have packed for a week away in just the two--though we are starting to see the need for a third when we need bulky clothes.. Even my 9-year-old can manage one though.