The Best Luggage for Europe Travel

Believe me when I say: I have dragged a suitcase through enough European train stations to have very strong opinions about luggage.

And if you’re coming to Europe, I’m begging you to think about your suitcase for approximately five minutes longer than you normally would.

Because the airport is the easy part.

It’s when you land and realize your hotel is a 12-minute walk from the train station.

Or you get to Paris and discover that the Metro station you need has approximately 47 flights of stairs and not an elevator in sight.

Or Google Maps sends you bouncing your suitcase down a cobblestone street while everyone eating outside at a café watches you struggle.

European travel has a way of making you very aware of every bad luggage decision you’ve ever made.

I’ve lived in Paris for seven years now, and between weekend trips, month-long trips, trains, planes, metros and an unreasonable amount of cobblestone, I’ve figured out what I actually care about in a suitcase.

I need good wheels, enough space without being ridiculously huge, something I can maneuver by myself, and (most importantly) something that can take a beating and live to tell the story.

So if you’re planning a trip to Europe, let’s talk about what actually makes a good suitcase for European travel—and the luggage I’ve found myself reaching for again and again.

🧳 My top pick: Level8 Adventure Expandable Luggage Set

This article is sponsored by LEVEL8, but all opinions (and luggage-related trauma) are very much my own.

What Makes Good Luggage for Europe?

Hot take: the best luggage for a trip to Europe probably isn’t the biggest suitcase you can find.

In fact, I would argue the opposite.

European travel tends to involve a lot more moving than people anticipate. You might be flying into one city, taking a train to another, hopping on the Metro, walking to your hotel and then doing the whole thing again three days later.

Suddenly, that massive suitcase you managed to fit your entire closet into doesn’t feel like such a genius idea.

So when I’m choosing luggage for a Europe trip, these are the 7 things I actually care about.

1. Wheels. GOOD ones.

If I could only choose one thing to be picky about, it would probably be the wheels.

A suitcase can have all the fancy compartments and USB chargers in the world, but if I have to fight for my life dragging it through Gare du Nord, I don’t want it.

And European cities are basically the Olympics for suitcase wheels.

You’re dealing with cobblestones, uneven sidewalks, curbs, train platforms, Metro stations and sometimes a suspicious amount of walking between Point A and Point B.

I personally prefer four-wheel spinner luggage because I want to be able to roll my suitcase beside me when I’m navigating a crowded station or airport, but still tilt it and pull it behind me when the sidewalk gets rough.

And if you’re deciding where to spend a little more money on luggage, this is one of those areas where I think you notice the difference.

Bad wheels are annoying in an airport.

Bad wheels on cobblestones with a train leaving in eight minutes? That’ll humble you quick.

2. Bigger is NOT always better

I know it’s tempting.

You see the giant checked suitcase and immediately start thinking about all the outfits you could bring.

Don’t do it to yourself.

If you’re taking a two-week cruise or staying in the same resort the entire time, fine. But if you’re planning a multi-city Europe trip, you need to remember one very important thing:

At some point, you are going to have to carry that thing.

And I don’t just mean rolling it.

You may need to lift it onto a train. Carry it up a flight of stairs. Get it onto the luggage rack. Drag it through a Metro station. Fit it into a tiny elevator. Or haul it up three floors because the charming European apartment you booked was apparently built 400 years before anyone thought elevators might be useful.

For most of my trips, I prefer either a carry-on or a medium-sized checked bag. I want enough room that I’m not sitting on my suitcase to close it, but not so much room that I physically cannot move it by myself.

My personal rule: if I can’t comfortably pick it up myself, I’ve packed too much.

3. Pay attention to the weight BEFORE you pack it

This is especially important if you’re flying within Europe.

A suitcase that already weighs a ton while completely empty is just stealing kilos from the clothes, shoes and 14 skincare products you’re obviously going to convince yourself you need while on your trip.

And European airlines, especially low-cost carriers (looking at you, Ryanair), can be a lot stricter about baggage allowances than many travelers are used to.

There’s also no single “European carry-on size.” Every airline gets to make its own rules about dimensions and weight, which means a bag that works perfectly as a carry-on for one flight might need to be checked on another.

So before flying, always check the baggage dimensions and weight allowance for your specific airline and fare.

Especially before expanding an expandable carry-on.

Ask me how I know.

4. Durability matters more than looking cute

Do I want cute luggage?

Obviously.

But I would also like that cute luggage to still have four wheels when I arrive.

If you’re moving between several destinations, your suitcase is going to take a beating. It’s getting pulled over uneven streets, shoved into train luggage racks, thrown onto baggage belts and handled by approximately 73 people who do not care about it nearly as much as you do.

This is why I personally prefer a hard-shell suitcase for most of my travel.

I want something sturdy enough that I don’t have to baby it. Scratches and scuffs don’t really bother me—I actually expect them after enough trips—but broken handles, cracked shells, stuck wheels and busted zippers absolutely do.

I’m buying luggage to travel with it, not to keep it pristine in my closet.

5. You need more organization than you think

This one becomes especially important if you’re doing a multi-city trip.

There is a huge difference between packing your suitcase beautifully at home when you have two hours, a perfectly made bed and all of your belongings laid out in front of you…

…and repacking it at 6:30 a.m. in a hotel room because you have a train to catch.

I like having some kind of compression system or internal organization that keeps everything from becoming one giant pile by day four.

I’m also a packing cube girl forever, especially on longer trips. If I’m traveling through several cities, I don’t necessarily want to completely unpack every time I arrive somewhere. I want to be able to open my suitcase, grab what I need and move on with my life.

6. Expandability is a VERY nice bonus

I don’t necessarily need my suitcase expanded when I leave home.

But coming back?

That’s a completely different story.

Europe has a funny way of sending you home with considerably more stuff than you arrived with.

Maybe you went shopping in Paris. Maybe you bought leather in Italy. Maybe you discovered a grocery store snack that has inexplicably become the most important thing in your life and now you need to bring six bags home.

Whatever happened, suddenly you need more space.

That’s why I’ve become a big fan of expandable luggage. You can keep the suitcase more compact when you don’t need the extra room, then unzip the expansion when you’ve inevitably acquired more things along the way.

Just remember that expanding a carry-on can change its dimensions, so check your airline’s baggage limits before showing up at the airport with it fully expanded and hoping for the best.

7. And finally: Can I actually maneuver it by myself?

This is really what all of these things come down to.

When I’m traveling, I never want my suitcase to dictate how I get around.

I don’t want to have to take a taxi because my bag is too heavy for the Metro. I don’t want to dread taking a train because I can’t lift my suitcase. And I don’t want to need someone else’s help every time I encounter stairs.

The best luggage for Europe isn’t necessarily the luggage that can hold the most stuff.

It’s the luggage that can hold what you need without making the actual traveling part miserable.

And after seven years of living in Europe, that’s become my biggest test when deciding whether a suitcase is actually worth keeping.

The Luggage I Actually Use for Europe

Okay, so now that you know I have an unnecessarily long list of requirements for my luggage, let me introduce you to the brand that has slowly taken over my luggage collection: LEVEL8.

And this isn’t one of those situations where a brand sent me a suitcase last week, I rolled it around my apartment a few times and suddenly it’s “the only luggage I’ll ever use!!!”

I’ve actually been traveling with LEVEL8 for years.

My first set from them was the Grace 3-Piece Luggage Set, which comes with a 20-inch carry-on, a 24-inch checked bag and a larger 28-inch checked bag.

And when I say these suitcases have been through it with me, I mean it.

The Grace carry-on and checked bag have gotten me through months of traveling around Asia. They’ve been rolled through more European airports and train stations than I could possibly count.

They’ve survived cobblestones, baggage claim, long-haul flights, budget airlines, trains, metros and me chronically packing more than I said I was going to.

One of them even got LOST while I was on safari in Tanzania.

As in: I made it to Tanzania. My suitcase did not.

Thankfully, we were eventually reunited.

We’ve been through some things.

And honestly, I think long-term use is one of the best ways to judge luggage. Almost every suitcase feels great when it’s brand new. I care about what happens after you’ve checked it over and over again, dragged it across multiple countries and generally stopped treating it like a precious object.

My Grace set has held up through all of that, which is why LEVEL8 has become one of those brands I genuinely reach for when I’m packing for a trip. At this point, most of the luggage I own is from them.

Enter: the LEVEL8 Adventure Expandable Set

So when LEVEL8 sent me their Adventure Expandable Set to try, they didn’t exactly have to introduce themselves.

The set I have is the 20-inch carry-on and 24-inch checked suitcase in Yellow Black.

And yes, it is YELLOW yellow.

Which, as someone whose suitcase has literally gone missing on another continent before, I consider a feature.

There will be no standing at baggage claim staring at 37 identical black suitcases wondering which one is mine.

If bright yellow isn’t exactly your thing, though, the Adventure set also comes in a mint green and gray colorway and a more neutral beige and tan colorway if you prefer something a little more understated.

But the color isn’t what made this set particularly interesting to me.

The Adventure has a lot of the things I already look for when I’m choosing luggage for Europe: a durable polycarbonate hard shell, 360-degree spinner wheels, an interior compression system and two sizes that are actually manageable when you’re moving around.

But it also has a few features that my other luggage doesn’t.

Both suitcases are expandable, giving you extra room when you need it. Instead of the traditional narrow telescopic handle, the Adventure has a wide handle that sits around the outside of the suitcase rather than cutting through the middle of your packing space.

And probably the feature I was most curious about: it opens from the top.

If you’ve only ever owned traditional clamshell luggage, this might not sound particularly exciting.

Then you’ve clearly never tried opening a suitcase in a Paris hotel room where there are approximately six inches between the bed and the wall.

With a traditional suitcase, you need enough floor space to lay the entire thing flat and open both sides. The Adventure opens more like a trunk, giving you one deep main compartment instead.

It’s one of those features I probably wouldn’t have specifically gone looking for in a suitcase—but after using it, it makes SO much sense for European travel.

🧳 My top pick: Level8 Adventure Expandable Luggage Set

The two sizes I have

The 20-inch Adventure Carry-On has 45 liters of capacity normally and expands to 50 liters, so this is the one I’d reach for when I’m doing a shorter trip or really don’t want to deal with a checked bag.

The 24-inch Adventure Checked Bag goes from 74 liters to 81 liters when expanded, which gives me considerably more room without jumping all the way up to one of those gigantic checked suitcases that I know I’m going to regret the second I encounter stairs.

For me, 20 and 24 inches are kind of the sweet spot for Europe.

The carry-on is small enough for trips where I’m moving around a lot, while the 24-inch gives me the extra space I need for longer trips without becoming impossible to maneuver by myself.

One important caveat here: always check your airline’s baggage rules before flying, particularly if you’re using the 20-inch as a carry-on. European airlines don’t all follow the same size or weight restrictions, and expanding the suitcase obviously makes it bigger.

But having both sizes means I can choose based on the trip instead of trying to make one suitcase work for everything.

And after traveling with the Adventure set, there are a few features in particular that I think make it VERY well suited to Europe.

🧳 My top pick: Level8 Adventure Expandable Luggage Set

Why I Think the LEVEL8 Adventure Is One of the Best Luggage Sets for Europe

Okay, specs are nice. But I don’t choose luggage because a product page tells me it has “premium spinner wheels.”

I care about what happens when I’m running late for a train and dragging it behind me through Paris.

And after using the LEVEL8 Adventure set, there are a few features that I think make it particularly well suited to the realities of traveling around Europe.

The wheels can actually handle being used

I said earlier that wheels are probably the number one thing I care about in a suitcase, and I stand by that.

The Adventure has dual 360-degree spinner wheels with precision ball bearings, which basically means they roll in every direction and don’t require you to wrestle the suitcase into position every time you want to change direction.

On a perfectly smooth airport floor, almost every suitcase feels easy to roll.

Europe is where you find out what your wheels are really made of.

You’re going from the airport floor to a train platform, then over a curb, across a sidewalk, through a Metro station and eventually onto the cobblestone street where your hotel is located because apparently we haven’t updated the pavement since 1742.

What I like about having four spinner wheels is that I can push the suitcase next to me through an airport or crowded train station, then tilt it onto two wheels and pull it behind me when the ground gets rough.

That might sound like such a small thing, but when you’re traveling between multiple cities and moving your luggage every few days, maneuverability becomes one of those things you appreciate VERY quickly.

The wide handle is one of those features I didn’t know I wanted

This was probably one of the first things I noticed about the Adventure because the handle looks completely different from most suitcases.

Instead of having two narrow bars running through the middle of the suitcase, the Adventure has an adjustable four-stage wide aluminum trolley handle that runs along the outside edges.

At first I mostly thought it looked cool.

Then I packed it.

Traditional suitcase handles take up space inside the actual suitcase, which usually leaves you with those two annoying bumps running down the bottom of your packing area.

Because the Adventure’s handle sits wider, you get a much flatter interior packing space.

And I LOVE this.

It sounds insignificant until you’re trying to neatly fit packing cubes, shoes and clothes into a suitcase and realize you aren’t playing Tetris around two metal bars.

The wider grip also gives you a lot of control when you’re moving the suitcase, which is useful when you’re weaving through busy airports and train stations or trying not to take out someone’s ankles on the Paris Metro.

Which I have definitely never done.

Obviously.

The top-opening design makes SO much sense in Europe

This might actually be my favorite feature.

Most hard-shell luggage has a clamshell design: you lay the suitcase flat, unzip it around the middle and open both halves.

Which is perfectly fine…

until you arrive at your adorable European hotel and discover there is approximately enough floor space for one human foot.

The Adventure opens from the top, so instead of needing enough space to lay out two full halves of your suitcase, you’re working with one deep main compartment.

If you’re staying in smaller European hotel rooms, apartments or Airbnbs, this is genuinely useful.

And I’m not exaggerating about the size of some hotel rooms here.

I’ve stayed in places in Paris where opening a traditional checked suitcase basically means choosing between having access to my clothes or having access to the bathroom.

We cannot have both.

With the Adventure, I can put the suitcase on a luggage rack, bench or small section of floor, open the top and actually access my things without completely rearranging the room.

It also makes the suitcase feel more like a trunk than a traditional clamshell bag, which I’ve found surprisingly convenient when I’m living out of my suitcase instead of completely unpacking.

🧳 My top pick: Level8 Adventure Expandable Luggage Set

It expands for the version of you who comes home

There are two versions of me on every trip.

The person leaving home:

“I’m going to pack light this time.”

And the person coming home who has somehow acquired three new outfits, gifts, snacks and an object I absolutely did not need but decided was culturally significant.

They are not the same woman.

Which is why I really like that both Adventure suitcases are expandable.

The 20-inch goes from 45 liters to 50 liters, while the 24-inch goes from 74 liters to 81 liters when expanded.

Five or seven extra liters might not sound life-changing until you’re sitting on top of your suitcase trying to get the zipper closed.

I like being able to travel with the suitcase at its normal size and essentially have that extra space in my back pocket if I need it later.

And Europe is particularly dangerous for this.

You went to Paris and bought clothes.

You went to Italy and bought leather.

You went to a French pharmacy “just to look.”

Now we have a situation.

The only thing to remember is that expanding the carry-on changes its dimensions, so don’t assume an expanded suitcase will still meet your airline’s cabin baggage allowance. Always check your specific airline before flying.

The hard shell can take a beating

I am not gentle with my luggage.

Not intentionally. I just travel a lot.

And if I’m buying a suitcase specifically for frequent travel, I don’t want something I have to treat like a Fabergé egg every time I leave the house.

The Adventure has a German-made Makrolon polycarbonate hard shell, which gives you that combination I look for in luggage: it feels sturdy without being an enormous, rigid box that becomes miserable to maneuver.

Hard-shell luggage is generally my preference because of the way I travel. My suitcase gets checked on flights, pushed into luggage racks, rolled over questionable sidewalks and moved between destinations constantly.

And yes, eventually luggage gets scratched.

I’m okay with that.

To me, a suitcase with a few battle scars means it has actually gone somewhere.

What matters much more is whether the things that actually affect how the suitcase functions—the shell, handle, wheels and zippers—hold up over time.

LEVEL8 also backs the Adventure with a lifetime warranty covering functional damage to the shell, wheels, handles and zippers, which I think is especially worth considering if you travel frequently.

The compression system keeps everything from becoming chaos

I start every trip with good intentions.

My packing cubes organized, my shoes are strategically placed, my outfits are folded neatly and everything looks beautiful.

By day six? We’re hanging on by a thread.

This is why I appreciate having an actual compression system inside the suitcase.

The Adventure has an interior compression panel that helps hold everything down instead of relying on those sad little elastic straps that seem to exist purely for decoration.

This is especially helpful when I’m doing a multi-city trip because I’m often not completely unpacking.

If I’m somewhere for two or three nights, I’m probably opening my suitcase, taking out what I need and keeping most of my things inside.

Being able to compress everything back down makes repacking much easier—and gives me a fighting chance of keeping my suitcase organized beyond the first 48 hours.

I still use packing cubes because you will have to pry them from my cold, dead hands, but having both makes the whole system work even better.

The 20″ and 24″ sizes are actually practical for moving around

I think this is one of the most important things about this particular set.

You could absolutely buy an enormous checked suitcase and fit more inside.

But then you have to move it.

The 20-inch carry-on is what I’d choose for a weekend trip, shorter city break or itinerary where I’m moving around frequently and want to keep things as simple as possible.

The 24-inch checked bag is what I’d choose when I need more space—longer trips, winter travel, more shoes, more outfits—but still want something I can realistically maneuver by myself.

And that distinction is very important in Europe.

A suitcase doesn’t just need to fit everything you want to bring, but it also needs to fit onto the train.

Into the elevator.

Through the Metro turnstile.

Inside your hotel room.

And, at some unfortunate point during your trip, probably up a flight of stairs.

That’s why I think the Adventure set works so well for this kind of travel.

🧳 My top pick: Level8 Adventure Expandable Luggage Set

Carry-On vs. Checked Luggage: Which Should You Take to Europe?

Now, time for the age-old debate: carry-on only or check a bag?

And unfortunately, I’m not going to tell you that one is always better.

Because a three-day trip to Barcelona and two weeks traveling around Italy are two VERY different packing situations.

For Europe specifically, I think the better question is: how much are you going to be moving around once you get here?

The more trains, metros, hotel changes and city hopping on your itinerary, the more you’ll appreciate having less luggage. If you’re flying into one city and staying there for a week? Give yourself a little more room.

Here’s how I’d choose between the two Adventure sizes.

Choose the 20″ Carry-On If…

If I’m doing a weekend city break or a shorter trip of around three to five days, I’m reaching for the 20-inch Adventure Carry-On.

It has 45 liters of packing space normally and expands to 50 liters, which is plenty for me for a shorter trip—especially if I’m packing for warmer weather and don’t have to account for bulky coats and sweaters.

I’d also choose the carry-on if I knew my itinerary involved a lot of movement.

If you’re taking trains between several cities, changing hotels every two or three nights or relying heavily on public transportation, you will probably never regret having less stuff to drag around.

There’s also something deeply satisfying about landing, walking directly past baggage claim and starting your trip.

No waiting around the carousel.

No wondering if your suitcase decided to spend an extra night in Frankfurt without you.

Just grab your bag and GO.

The 20-inch is probably your best bet if you’re a lighter packer, taking a shorter trip, doing a train-heavy itinerary or simply value mobility more than having seven different outfit options.

Just remember: carry-on restrictions vary by airline, especially in Europe. Always check your specific airline’s size and weight limits before your trip rather than assuming that “20-inch carry-on” automatically means it can go in the cabin.

Choose the 24″ Checked Bag If…

Now, if I’m going away for a week or longer?

I’m probably checking a bag.

The 24-inch Adventure Checked Bag has 74 liters of space and expands to 81 liters, so you get significantly more room without entering enormous-suitcase territory.

I’d especially choose this one for winter travel.

Packing for Europe in July when half your suitcase is little dresses and tank tops is one thing.

But packing for January when you need sweaters, boots, jackets and approximately 17 layers because you underestimated Paris winter is a completely different ballgame.

The 24-inch also makes more sense if you’re someone who wants multiple shoe options, doesn’t particularly enjoy minimalist packing or already knows that shopping will be part of the trip.

And if you’re flying into Paris, staying there for eight days and flying home from Paris, there’s really no prize for forcing yourself to fit everything into a carry-on.

You aren’t moving that suitcase every two days.

Take the extra space.

Why I Like Having Both

This is why I personally like having the set instead of trying to make one suitcase work for every trip.

My luggage needs change constantly.

Three nights in Barcelona? Give me the carry-on.

Ten days somewhere in the winter? Checked bag.

A train-heavy trip where I’m changing cities every two days? I’m going to do everything in my power to pack light.

A longer trip where I’m staying mostly in one place and know I’m going shopping?

We are bringing the 24-inch.

Having both the 20-inch and 24-inch Adventure means I can choose based on the trip instead of choosing my trip around how much luggage I brought.

And if there’s one piece of advice I can give you after years of traveling around Europe, it’s this:

Bring the smallest suitcase that comfortably fits what you actually need.

Not the smallest suitcase you can technically force everything into while sitting on top of it.

And definitely not the biggest suitcase you own just because the airline lets you check it.

Your future self standing at the bottom of a staircase in a European train station will thank you.