Weight Limits and Size - Europe

Last Updated: Sep. 30, 2008

Tags: europe, luggage, tours, travel and tour advice, what to pack

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1. I am going on the Simply Italy tour.. I got a note about luggage restriction in my contiki package that duffle bags weren’t allowed. I could understand that since duffle bags would be too soft and get crushed under suitcases. Could it be used as a carry on though?

   Explorer1111907 posted on Sep. 04, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

2. Yes, these luggage restrictions apply to all tours in Europe, I have never seen anyone luggage being weighed on a Greek Island Hopping tour though so if you’re a little over for a Greek Island Hopping tour you’re not going to have to leave anything behind….I wouldn’t take a great deal of luggage to Greece anyway because you really don’t need that much stuff down there and you’ll have to carry your own luggage on and off ferries.

   mattyvcontiki posted on Aug. 28, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

3. Do the luggage restrictions, weight and size, apply for trips starting from Athens, such as the Greek Island Hopping ?

   Explorer1111216 posted on Aug. 27, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

4. i will be taking a suitcase on the european experience tour, but i was wondering if a hard shell suitcase would be better than a soft top??

   Chloe posted on Aug. 20, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

5. The airline I’m flying with has a 15kg weight limit, for checked baggage. I’m going to do a lot of shuffling to try and only check one bag. If not I’ll check a small duffle bag and then put everything in one suitcase once I get to London… damn checked baggage restrictons.

   Alouise posted on Aug. 14, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

6. oh dear, my bag measures 66×48x31(+7.6)... will this be too big or unaccepted??

   Explorer1103766 posted on Aug. 12, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

7. i have on of those hard case expandable suitcases, its a little smaller than the allowed suitcase but it can expand by 8cm… will this type of bag be allowed?

   Explorer1103766 posted on Aug. 12, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

8. Ya, no worries, the issue, again, with size is that if everyone brought huge suitcases with them, they wouldn’t all fit in the luggage hold of the coach…20kg/44lbs really doesn’t take up that much room, even with buying souviners, etc along the way you certainly don’t need a massive suitcase – you’ll be fine.

   mattyvcontiki posted on Aug. 12, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

9. Ya, take a suitcase and a school-sized backpack…something about up to about 5kg (12 lb) is good (as opposed to a huge traveling-style/luggage size backpack)....Your luggage will either be in your room at your accommodation or in the luggage hold of th coach while you’re out exploring.

   mattyvcontiki posted on Aug. 05, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

10. Hey Matt, can I take a suitcase that meets the requirements and a backpack, but where can I leave the suitcase when we are exploring? In the bus storage compartment, will it be fine there?

    Explorer1109065 posted on Aug. 05, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

11. As long as the metal frame is not external, it’s all good…..the concern is that an external metal frame in a backpack can damage (ie pierce, rip, dig into) other’s luggage. Internal metal frames are cool.

    mattyvcontiki posted on Aug. 04, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

12. I heard that backpacks shouldn’t have metal frames is that true?? I can’t find it anywhere on the site. I’m travelling 2-3 weeks after my tour and could use the extra space that those bags offer.

    Heather - European Discovery posted on Aug. 03, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

13. Bec….I wouldn’t get any bigger than that, the concern over baggage size is room to fit the bags in the luggage hold of the coach….JohnYYC..you’ll be fine with a camera bag too, just remember that you’ll be carrying it around with you a bit.

    mattyvcontiki posted on Jul. 27, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

14. I have a suitcase that meats the size requirements. Now can I also bring a backpack and camera bag for my SLR camera?

    Thanks

    JohnYYC posted on Jul. 26, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

15. I have borrowed a suitcase and started packing things but then actually decided to measure it!! It is 80×40 x 30..
    Is it too big?? Should i go buy a new one?

    Bec posted on Jul. 24, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

16. Matty V
    I am going on the European Whirl in August and my suitcase is 72cm X 50cm X 29cm (just over the 73X50X25 limit) should this be ok or should I get a new one/try and return this one.

    Explorer1097692 posted on Jun. 22, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

17. yeah, a duffel bag would be fine, you don’t want to have too much stuff in it though – there is less storage room on a bus than there is on an airplane. There is no official size restriction but anything bigger than a high school sized backpack is going to be too big. The whole idea of a ‘day bag’ is to carry around the stuff you need during the day while you’re out and about sightseeing – but if you want to leave stuff on the coach during the day, usually this isn’t a problem.

    mattyvcontiki posted on Jun. 04, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

18. Hey MattyV, Can we bring a rolling duffel bag on the bus as our “day bag” as long as it falls under the weight restriction? Basically, what I’m wondering is..is there a SIZE restriction for the bag we bring on the coach? Also, can we leave our daybag on the coach during the day when we’re exploring?

    Thanks!
    Beka

    Explorer1098145 posted on Jun. 04, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

19. No jtrip, your luggage will be fine, don’t return it. The overall size (ie volume/space you bag takes up) is the main issue rather than the exact dimensions so if it’s a little bigger in one direction and a little smaller in another it’s cool….Surprisingly I think luggage is a pretty personal item – I love my suitcase and it’s hard work finding one you like, so when you do get that bit of luggage that suits you, don’t let go!

    mattyvcontiki posted on May. 28, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

20. I was so excited for my first ever Euro Discovery trip this July that I already bought my luggage. Lo and behold, I found this weight and size restrictions. Yikes. No problem with the weight since I can always adjust that. But the size is 29×21 x 12—slightly bigger than the restriction. MattyV, should I return this? thanks!!!

    jtrip posted on May. 26, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

21. I am going on the European explorer followed by the egypt tour. The suitcase I have is a duffle bag style with dimensions of 28”x18”x15.3” (71.1cm x 45.7cm x 38.7cm)... will they allow my bag? Also do I need a day bag for either of these tours?

    crzy cdn newlyweds posted on May. 26, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

22. I purchased an Eddie Bauer extra large duffel bag with dimensions 17” x 34” x 15 1/4”. Does this bag fit within the required size limit?

    Rudi posted on May. 21, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

23. You’ll be fine with a purse bag and a backpack – no problems.

    mattyvcontiki posted on May. 05, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

24. Does the one carry-on restriction include women’s purses? I want to bring a regular size backpack as my carry-on, but I also want to bring my purse. Will that be okay?

    Explorer1098750 posted on May. 04, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

25. Ya, it’s just at the start of your trip that your luggage has to be 44bs….you can pick up all the souvenirs you want along the way. You should however also take into consideration the weight restrictions your airline has (every airline is different so you’ll have to check your specific airlines site) as you don’t want to fly home over your airlines weight limit.

    mattyvcontiki posted on Apr. 28, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

26. I understand that at the beginning of the trip our luggage can only be 44 lbs. But as we buy souvenirs and such on our trip, are we going to have to just ship items back if the bag then goes over limit?

    Explorer1098145 posted on Apr. 28, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

27. So, I have a suitcase that meets the size requirements, but I’m going to be spending a month studying in Madrid before going on the Mediterranean Highlights tour, and I’m worried about weight. Any suggestions?

    Explorer1097898 posted on Apr. 26, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

28. You’ll be fine Casey, weight is the main consideration.

    mattyvcontiki posted on Apr. 17, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

29. I have a similar problem. My suitcase is 67cm x 47cm x 33cm as opposed to the required 73cm x 50cm x 25cm. Am I likely to have a problem as long as it is the correct weight?

    Casey posted on Apr. 17, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

30. Do you use a total of lengths for luggage that doesnt fit within the standard limits? For example 29”+20”+10”=59” verse my inteded bag which is 29”+14”+14”=58”.

    Antho posted on Feb. 20, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

31. If it’s a duffel it should be fine. Size restrictions exist because there is only a limited amount of room in the luggage hold of the bus and if a lot of people brought huge suitcases then everyones luggage simply wouldn’t fit on the bus. Weight restrictions exist in Europe because they are a European Union regulation.

    There is loads more info on this topic in the Trip Forums – just use the ‘find’ feature to search through them. You can also post a new question in the advice forums, meet people who are taking the tours and read what other have had to say in their travelogues and reviews.

    mattyvcontiki posted on Jan. 16, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate

32. I have a duffel bag which is 76×39.4×35.5 cm… its only slightly bigger than the restriction – will it be allowed??

    Explorer1086274 posted on Jan. 16, 2008 Flag as Inappropriate