Backpack vs suitcase, to wich team do you belong during a city trip? And still after reading this blog?
Here I list the pros and cons of both and let you know my preference.
By the way, in this article I assume that you can make it with only hand luggage…
Checking in at the airport
Backpack vs suitcase: The backpack emerges as the winner here.
The rules for hand luggage are increasingly tightened. The dimensions are also getting smaller. With some companies this results in checking in your suitcaseand with others you even have to check it in and pay for it! So pay attention to this when you book your ticket.
A spacious backpack often still meets the dimensions that the hand luggage can be.
Another advantage of not having to check in your hand luggage is that you can walk right off the airport when you arrive at your destination without a stop at the baggage claim.
Luggage
Backpack vs suitcase: The suitcase wins here.
A suitcase can do just that little bit more, it is clearer and less prone to wrinkling in a suitcase.
If you do go for the backpack, make sure to bring clothes that are not too wrinkle-sensitive and not to stuff the backpack completely.
And if you take fragile items with you or take them back as a souvenir, that is of course also more protected in a suitcase. But if you bring a backpack, you can of course keep an eye on this yourself.
To and from your accommodation
Backpack vs suitcase: There is no winner here.
There are situations where a backpack is nicer, but there are also plenty where the suitcase is nicer.
If you are waiting in line, it is nice to be able to lean on your suitcase every now and then, to take a seat. But if you have to go up and down stairs, you are super happy with that backpack on your back.
If you go by bus from the airport to your destination, it is better to be able to take your backpack on your lap than to have to stuff yourself with the suitcase and all into a full bus.
In a train or metro it is often nicer to put the suitcase in front of you than a constantly falling backpack.
And when it rains, the suitcase provides just a bit more protection than a backpack. Although there are special covers for this. But hey, we don’t order rain on a city trip anyway, right ?!
Your accommodation
Backpack vs suitcase: Depends on which accommodation.
If you go to a hostel, the backpack wins as far as I’m concerned. You can store these more easily in the limited, safe storage space you have there.
If you opt for a hotel room or apartment and you don’t feel like unpacking completely for such a short time, packing in and out of your suitcase is easier.
Before checking in at your accommodation and after checking out
Backpack vs suitcase: The backpack wins here.
Do you know that? You only go away for 2 or 3 nights during your city trip, so you prefer to book a flight that arrives as early as possible and departs from your destination as late as possible.
If you choose a backpack (and do not make it too heavy), you can easily get through the time you have left before checking in or after checking out with the backpack on your back. The suitcase is then less handy or you can store it at your accommodation for so long, but is that really in the route to the airport?
The results
Backpack vs suitcase: 4-3 for the backpack.
But it just depends on what weighs more heavily on you. So I think there will be a different winner for everyone.
My winner
I prefer to travel with a backpack. I often take very little with me on a city trip. Some underwear, socks, a clean shirt a day, a dress, slippers and my toiletries. I already have the rest on. I always find out in advance what kind of toiletries and towels are available at my accommodation. And the great thing is that sneakers can be worn under dresses nowadays, so one pair of sneakers is often enough. Even in my backpack I often have room left (on the way there).
I just think a backpack is a bit more manageable and I don’t have much trouble carrying my backpack on my back for a long time.
I always make sure that my backpack has an extra clip on the shoulder straps. Which you can attach to your chest. This way you can move the weight when it starts “whining”.
Are you a team backpack or team suitcase? And why?