While cool, learning to pack light can also do wonders. I'm not suggesting to onebag a 50L backpack, but to just travel with a wheeled suitcase carry-on and a day-bag that slides onto the handles.
Low Cost Carriers (LCC) sometimes weigh your carry-on bags, and I was so proud of the day that happened to me. My suitcase + laptop bag weighed in at exactly 7.0 KG, and the check-in agent kinda looked at it in shock.
While American Immigration & Customs is a breeze thanks to Global Entry, other countries can have long immigration lines (and elite status may not help you there), which is when I see people carrying their backpack for an hour or having to slide it across the immigration hall for an hour. The wheeled suitcase carry on saves your back while still being able to store plenty. Don't get a hardshell, get a fabric based suitcase as that will be lighter. I also often travel with airlines that I have elite status with, which affords me either less scrutiny or extra carry-on weight allowance.
Just need to plan when to book a suite that has a laundry machine, a hotel that has self-serve laundry, or a long stay where you can send your clothes to be cleaned overnight.
Some Japanese trains only stop very briefly at intermediate stations, so having less luggage also makes it easier to get off quickly. We had a close call when alighting at a tiny station and were glad our large case had been sent on ahead! (Turning around at the next stop would have been painful, since it only had one train per hour).
I had to do the latter once in Germany; there was plenty of time to alight, but everyone had piled up their luggage and were picking it out via an O(n^2) algorithm :(
Carrying a backpack will make your back stronger, you don't "save" it by using a wheeled suitcase unless you already have a health condition. Ideally the backpack will have a strap to go along your chest for stability.
Pretty much every hotel in Japan has a laundry machine, although I don't know of any suites that include one, unless you're going for a managed apartment.
Hmm, I thought students could develop back problems from carrying textbook laden backpacks? Is that just an old wives tale?
The Holiday Inn Shin Osaka has a washing machine in the suites. Not sure why, but that was just my experience. You’re right that hostels and ”budget” chains like Dormy Inn will also have them.
I’ve also stayed at a resort on Sentosa Island that only had 1 self service washer/dryer machine, and I had to set a 2AM alarm clock to put our clothes in because it was busy otherwise. Usually hotels with self service laundry machines have a whole row of them. Probably by design so I’d give up and pay $10 per shirt washed.
> Pretty much every hotel in Japan has a laundry machine, although I don't know of any suites that include one, unless you're going for a managed apartment.
Which is insanely expensive compared to just going down the street to a normal coin laundromat. They are pretty much anywhere (at least in most big cities) and very quick and cheap. You can pay 500 yen at a laundromat, or 5000 yen at your hotel laundry room.
You may be thinking of a hotel's laundry service at those prices. The most I've ever paid to do my own laundry is 600¥ and I've had as low as 200¥, all at 3-4 star hotels.
Good tips, although I prefer the hard case carry-on trolley because it will survive the occasional situation where you want to use it as check-in luggage (eg bringing bottles or extra weight) or when it’s forced to be checked in at boarding (happened few times and a cloth trolley does not come out unharmed).
Huh, I've had a fabric carry-on trolley that I frequently check in, just to not carry it around if I don't have to. Had it for close to 10 years and it traveled all over Europe, North Africa and Asia (about 30 countries all in all) Recently noticed the handle being a bit wobbly but still workable. I think they are quire sturdy as they flex and bend more easily, and seem a lot harder to "rapture" than thin plastic ones.
The problem with hard shell cases is that they’ll have the side punched in instead of just bending. Maybe there are some really strong ones that aren’t heavy, but I don’t know. I usually try to travel on widebody planes which usually don’t run out of overhead space unlike narrow bodies or regional planes.
If on a small route in a small plane then it usually isn’t full.
The only time I had to gate check my bag was when I flew on a 9 seater Cessna which required all carry ons to be loaded into the nose. There was trouble confirming the landing gear was down so I was worried my laptops were going to serve as the crumple zone.
Low Cost Carriers (LCC) sometimes weigh your carry-on bags, and I was so proud of the day that happened to me. My suitcase + laptop bag weighed in at exactly 7.0 KG, and the check-in agent kinda looked at it in shock.
While American Immigration & Customs is a breeze thanks to Global Entry, other countries can have long immigration lines (and elite status may not help you there), which is when I see people carrying their backpack for an hour or having to slide it across the immigration hall for an hour. The wheeled suitcase carry on saves your back while still being able to store plenty. Don't get a hardshell, get a fabric based suitcase as that will be lighter. I also often travel with airlines that I have elite status with, which affords me either less scrutiny or extra carry-on weight allowance.
Just need to plan when to book a suite that has a laundry machine, a hotel that has self-serve laundry, or a long stay where you can send your clothes to be cleaned overnight.