What kind of luggage is best for European travel?

For flexible and lightweight options, softside luggage suits best. However, if durability, protection, and water resistance are your primary concerns, hardside luggage is the way to go for seamless travels to Europe. NOTE: Some budget airlines have smaller carry-on sizing allocations.



When navigating Europe in 2026, the "best" luggage is a medium-sized hardside spinner (24–26 inches) or a convertible carry-on backpack. Europe is famous for cobblestone streets, narrow staircases in historic hotels, and small train overhead bins. A massive "check-in" suitcase is often a liability. Brands like Travelpro (Platinum Elite) and Samsonite (Freeform) are highly rated for their durability on uneven pavement. However, if your itinerary involves frequent train travel or budget airlines like Ryanair, a high-quality travel backpack like the Osprey Farpoint 40 or Cotopaxi Allpa is superior. These allow for "hands-free" mobility when rushing between platforms. For 2026, ensure your wheels are "double-spinners" for better stability on old world stone and that your bag fits the strict "personal item" dimensions if you want to avoid the increasing fees of European low-cost carriers.

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For flexible and lightweight options, softside luggage suits best. However, if durability, protection, and water resistance are your primary concerns, hardside luggage is the way to go for seamless travels to Europe. NOTE: Some budget airlines have smaller carry-on sizing allocations.

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In general, spaces are a lot smaller, the infrastructure isn't very suitcase friendly and if you're backpacking, you'll probably be flying with a lot of low-cost airlines or taking the train or a bus. All this is what makes travel backpacks the ideal packing method for a European vacation.

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For business and frequent travelers: Go with polycarbonate luggage, as it's the strongest luggage plastic. It's sturdy enough, very resistant to cracks, and it isn't too heavy. For airline crews and extra-frequent travelers: Go with aluminum as it's the most durable material used in luggage.

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What is the size of 23kg luggage bag? A suitcase of size M (50 – 80 liters) or L (80 – 100 liters) is suitable for 23 kg of luggage. Choosing the right suitcase size depends on whether you want to pack a lot of light items or a few heavy ones.

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Typically, a 23kg suitcase size will have the following measurements: Length: 71-81 cm (28-32 inches ) Width: 43-51 cm (17-20 inches) Depth: 26-30 cm (10-12 inches)

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Because softshell luggage has more give, a hard shell suitcase can be better at protecting fragile contents, assuming you cushion it well inside. On the other hand, that rigid exterior makes hardshell bags unable to be compressed to squeeze into tight spaces like softsided bags are more apt to allow.

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Hard-shell luggage is the way to go for durability and maneuverability, but soft-shells often pack more easily.

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Hard-Shell Luggage The most durable, but also the heaviest, is aluminum. Hard-shell luggage often features a 50/50-split opening, allowing you to pack two sides equally and stabilize the contents with an interior strap or a middle divider.

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Use Packing Organizers Roll your clothes and use packing cubes, stuff sacks, compression bags or cheap zip-top bags to maximize space and keep your things organized. Packing organizers make it easier to find what you need quickly without having to rummage through everything in your bag.

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Bright red, bright green, bright blue, and even bright yellow are good luggage colors. They are striking enough that you can easily spot them on the luggage carousel, but they aren't light enough that they will show all the wear and tear of having been used for several trips.

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The main drawback is that hard-shell luggage can't be twisted to fit into a small space. Hard-shell suitcases also require a lot of room to store at home, making them less convenient in this sense.

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Hard-shell luggage is the way to go for durability and maneuverability, but soft-shells often pack more easily.

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Hard shell suitcases can crack, which causes them to fall apart more rapidly than soft luggage. To avoid this concern choose a suitcase made from polycarbonate ABS that stands up to the rigors of travel. The FERGE brand makes a TSA-lockable suitcase on wheels using polycarbonate ABS.

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A hardshell suitcase is typically better than a softside bag for protection (as long as your items are packed safely inside, too). However, all hardshell materials are prone to getting scuffed, scratched, or possibly cracked more so than with fabric suitcases.

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Swedish pilot Maria Pettersson prefers “half soft-sided” luggage, which offers a bit more support than the typical soft-sided luggage, but provides more flexibility than hard-sided luggage.

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A suitcase of size M (50 – 80 liters) or L (80 – 100 liters) is suitable for 23 kg of luggage.

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However, sometimes you simply can't travel only with a carry-on. If you go on a 2-week trip to Europe, there is a good chance you'll need at least a 25” suitcase, and perhaps even bigger 28” luggage will be more suitable. Still, within these suitcases, you want to choose one that weighs the least.

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50-75 liters: For a trip that lasts one to two weeks, many people jump up to a bag in this range. 75 liters-100+ liters: For big expeditions, travelers typically need several large bags that can hold 75 liters or more each.

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