Packing Light: Why We Never Check Luggage
When traveling, either domestically or internationally, we always advise to avoid checking a bag. We want to show you how you can take some practical packing tips to gain the benefit of carry-on-only travel for your family.
Imagine This…
You are coming home after an exhausting travel day and a wonderful vacation. If you’re like us, you’ve packed in every last second of your trip and you’re arriving home at midnight on a Sunday night when you have to get to work again on Monday morning!
Now, instead of heading straight to your car… you have to waaaaaiiiiittttttt for your luggage at the carousel?! NOOOO
Or, even worse…. your bag is lost! NO!
We avoid these potential mishaps by only traveling with carry on luggage
Our Travel Setup
When we travel, we are very thoughtful with our luggage setup to be as efficient as possible. All of our gear is linked in our recommendations page as well, if you want the same setup!
Each person gets: 1 rolly bag (20″) and 1 backpack or duffle. Something like this:
These bags are super efficient. They offer expandable luggage, have nice organization inside and have a ton of space!
Usually, all of our clothes and any extra shoes will go in the suitcases, and in our backpacks we carry all toiletries, electronics, miscellaneous items like water bottles, medicine, picnic blankets etc.
Why Carry-On-Only is the Way To Go
Here are some super practical reasons to go carry on only:
1. Cost
Checking a bag typically costs money. If you’re going somewhere internationally, it may cost you as much as $75 per bag, one way! That adds up fast. Avoiding that cost is really nice when you’re trying to save money to travel more!
2. Time Savings
Honestly, waiting at the luggage carousel for your bag is exhausting. Especially after a long flight, or a long travel day. Although most of the time, the bags come out quick – sometimes we’ve had to wait 30+ minutes for our bags. No thank you! With just a checked bag, as soon as you get off the plane, you’re ready to head to your destination. Also – when you arrive at the airport, head straight for security vs waiting in a sometime very long line to check a bag.
3. Convenience
When traveling places in Europe, often you have to walk from the train station to your Airbnb along cobbled streets. Having a heavy bag that you have to awkwardly drag along the roads isn’t exactly fun.
4. Size Matters
There are many times I was happy I had a smaller and lighter bag when traveling.
- When we ran through the train station which included up and down stairs where we had to pickup our bag
- When I enter any elevator in Europe and its almost too small for me to fit in alone, let alone with a giant bag
- When our airbnb didn’t have an elevator and we had to carry our bag up multiple flights of stairs
- When the train we took charged extra for big bags, and mostly had storage for small bags only
- When we put our luggage in luggage storage for the day while we explored and there were only 2 options for people with large bags and everything else was for smaller bags – plus the bigger storage options cost more
5. Storage Space
Sometimes the rental cars you get aren’t that big. I remember, not super fondly, the time that we rented a small SUV when doing a 2 week road trip from San Francisco to Seattle and we packed 1 large suitcase and 3 smaller ones. We didn’t have enough room for everything and I spent the entire 2 week road trip with a duffle bag under my feet in the front seat to make room. We’ve also had rental cars where we just barely fit our smaller suit cases and still had no room to buy anything along the way, or pickup groceries to put in the trunk.
6. Pack Smarter
One of my favorite benefits is that it makes me pack smarter. I’m no longer just throwing in dozens of outfits just in case, or packing 5 pairs of shoes. I’m instead being very thoughtful about what I pack and making sure that I use every single thing.
7. Peace of Mind
Can’t forget the possibility of losing luggage. While we do use Apple Airtags to track our bags, it still doesn’t eliminate the possibility that a bag could get lost. I like knowing that my bag is with me at all times and won’t get lost or damaged
How To Travel Carry On Only
OK – you want to give this a try… here are some tips:
- Make a very specific packing list that does not overpack! Ask yourself if you really need each item
- See if you can possibly do laundry along the way for a longer trip
- Make sure you pack small liquids that fit the airlines liquid requirements. If you need more shampoo while you’re on the trip, just grab some at a store
- Use packing cubes! I swear by these. They make me so much more efficient with my packing and also help me limit what I pack as well
- Wear your bulky clothes. I usually wear my biggest shoes and my biggest jacket which saves space in my luggage
- Make sure you check airlines requirements on size of luggage and weight restrictions, as it may vary by airline
- If you’re looking to bring home things like wine as a souvenir, remember you won’t be able to bring that in your carry on luggage!
- If you think you may need more space on your way home after you buy souvenirs, consider bringing a super small duffle in one of your suitcases that you can unpack and use as another bag. You may end up having to check one back on the way home, but you’re still saving money in the long run.
Give it a try!
While there may be times you need to check a bag (e.g. ski trip, or a month long trip around the world), most times I believe you would be able to fit everything you need in a carry on and backpack.
We’ve done this for 2 week trips around Europe, or a week in Switzerland where we needed lots of layers of clothes and hiking gear. It can be done!
Traveling with carry-on-only helps make trips easier by saving money, making getting around the city easier and faster and gives you peace of mind that you always have all of your stuff with you.
I encourage you to give it a try the next time you head out on a trip!
Check out the gear we bring on our trips if you need some recommendations.
