What size bag to take?

[ICriedAllTheWayToTheChipShop]

Yes, it's another packing one! I'm off to Peru for three weeks in October and I can't decide whether to take a cabin-sized bag and go to a launderette at the halfway point, or to have a checked bag so I can fit some full-sized suncream and insect repellent and take a spare pair of shoes. I was leaning towards the latter but on the way there I'm flying via Amsterdam and I only have 1hr 40mins transfer time. I'm just paranoid that my bag somehow won't make it from the first plane to the second - both legs are KLM and I know they're pretty efficient but I won't know if it "worked" until I get to the other end. That's a long flight to be worrying about stray bags! I have always managed with a small bag in the past but that was for somewhat shorter trips. WWYD?

I'd take hold luggage, but with perhaps 2 days of clothes in a cabin bag.

KLM are good, but the airports are responsible for baggage handling, not the airlines.

We went to Peru & Ecuador recently, Air France outbound, KLM inbound & Latam in between. No luggage problems with 9-10 (?) flights.
Enjoy your trip.

Depends what you’re doing when you’re there. Will you be lugging a big case from hotel to hotel? Do you need any nice outfits or more than one pair of shoes? Will you be in one place long enough to get laundry done?

I’d do both. I hate hauling a bag around the airport if I can avoid it, it means I can just take a personal item size with stuff for the plane (PJs, skincare for the flight, book, passport etc) plus an extra outfit or two. My preference is a backpack or handbag with shoulder strap so I’m hands free. Then I check a bag with enough for 2/3s of the time I’m there and do laundry. The bag may be small enough to class as hand luggage but I’d rather check it, particularly if luggage is included with the fare.

Take what you need for the first 24 hours in your cabin luggage, everything else check, I’ve done a 55 minute transfer at schiopol!

Stray bags are incredibly rare btw. Less than 1% get delayed and even fewer are actually, permanently lost (less than 1 in 1000)

It's a tour around the country with a few internal flights and some coach journeys, so travelling light would be sensible and I do tend to do that anyway. But ideally I would like to have two pairs of shoes -trainers for city tours and sturdier walking type trainers for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. And yes, I do have two free days in Cusco right at the halfway point, so I could definitely do laundry there - I've checked and there are loads of launderettes.

My usual bag is a large, cabin bag-sized rucksack, which goes in the overhead locker, and then I have a small sling bag for my passport, purse, camera etc.

We did a two week trip to Costa Rica with cabin luggage sized bags and were very pleased we didn’t have bigger bags as like you we did a bit of travelling around with transfers and it was so handy being able to carry them easily and also meant it was a lot quicker to pack up at each location.
I bought some hand wash lotion at the airport and did a bit of washing at most locations- changed pants 2-3 times a day due to the hot weather, and things would get sweaty quickly. There was never a point where I had no clothes or wished I had different things with me.

You can definitely fit hiking trainers in a cabin bag. I would maybe compromise and rather than bringing a rucksack bring the biggest cabin bag you are allowed. I think I managed to squeeze in hiking trainers, sandals, flip flops for the pool and then wore my normal trainers for traveling.

My usual cabin bag is a soft-sided suitcase with rucksack straps so it can be carried on my back. It's been brilliant for my purposes in the past but just not sure that I could get the second pair of shoes in there without having to leave some other things out. I will have an experimental packing session at the weekend and see where I get to. Of course I'll want a bit of space for souvenirs - I don't want to see an alpaca shawl and not be able to buy it because there's no room.

There must be an “Alpaca my things” joke in there somewhere! . You could always buy a cheap holdall over there if you end up wanting a lot lof souvenirs. Then check the original bag on the way back and take your bag of alpaca goodies in the cabin.

So long as you can check bag for the internal flights I’d check a bag and go fully prepared tbh.

I’ve travelled quite a bit in C/S America and a)laundry is easy so don’t overpack basics b) having a supply of basic medicines/first aid kit/bug spray/sun screen removes a whole lot of stress from your trip so you can just enjoy! Also you don’t want to skimp on important things like decent walking shoes, a change of shoes eg sandals/flip flops to let feet breathe, raincoat and wind breaker etc so pack those and be confident in being able to wash the T-shirts/underwear etc, so don’t need to overpack them.

Oh and always need room for souvenirs! That’s why I take stuff going out (so i know I’ll have room coming back!!)

@WanderingGiraffe that sounds pretty sensible actually. I still only plan to take about 12 days of underwear and tops and will do a bit of laundry, but I do want to be able to have full-sized sun cream etc in case I can't find any there that's strong enough (I need factor 50!). I guess I'll just have to trust the baggage handlers at Schiphol not to screw it up!

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@ICriedAllTheWayToTheChipShopI would just take a suitcase with 4 wheels. I have a mid sized Samsonite bag with 4 wheels and it is the best! I don’t lug anything anywhere! I’m beyond retirement age and it’s not going to happen! Make life easy on yourself.

Do be aware internal flights might be lower weight limits than the international flights. You must read the small print. The airlines will often honour larger luggage allowances if flights follow on and connect. Separate flights can have lower limits. They can look closely at carry on luggage.

My advice is to get a mid sized spinner suitcase and a bag that sits on top of it. I use that for some spare clothes, book, glasses etc. Cross body bag is useful too. I’ve never looked for a laundrette in South America! Just cannot be bothered to spend the time! Taking clothes you can wash out in a hotel room!

if it puts your mind at rest, we missed a connecting flight with KLM at Amsterdam due to a delay to our inbound one, spent ages trying to get rebooked on the next leg, didn't have time to try and sort out the hold bag as well which had been checked in straight through to our final destination, had to make an additional connection on the rebooked leg and the hold bag miraculously arrived with us!! Invest in an airtag for peace of mind.

40 mins transfer? What? That’s not enough! Get an earlier flight - 2 hours! My DD had 1 hour in Qatar recently and missed onward flight. KLM won’t be flying again that day to Peru surely? Flights are often 30 mins late leaving Heathrow. You will have heart failure. Your bag is the least of your worries. Schiphol always says leave plenty of time as they get busy. 40 mins is not enough. It’s a big airport!

Also October is approaching the rainy season, particularly in land. Are you packing for possible rain?

It's 1hr 40 @TizerorFizz

I'd take hold luggage, but put the essentials in hand luggage. I always do this even if I'm not transiting. If you have an iPhone put an airtag in your case, then you'll know it's on the plane (although not much you can do if it isn't!)

@MiddleAgedDread oops!! Did I misread that? Should be ok as long as Heathrow not delayed. I’d still want well in excess of 2 hours! They just send luggage all the way through and no need for security.

Check carry on weight in Peru though. Some are 8 kg. We’ve had similar issues in Argentina. Lots of airlines are 10kg carry on but internal ones can be less. Some tickets have small bag carry on only. Getting a spinner for the hold is better.

I did 3 months in Thailand and Vietnam on a cabin bag. I took laundry sheets to launder clothes and used some of my partners liquid allowance. I can't lug a heavy bag around on and off boats and trains and tbh I think it looks a bit stupid.

@PrincessofWells Mostly Peru is flying. There’s help if you go on a train. Bag with wheels isn’t much heavier than a back pack and you aren’t the equivalent of a donkey. Mostly Peru is dropping the bag at bag drop in an airport.

Yes, it's 1hr 40 and I'm going from Manchester, not Heathrow. It's an early morning flight so hopefully not too busy around then, but I can't really plan for that as I'll have to have made a luggage decision long before I'll know whether the flights are on time.

I'm taking a lightweight cagoule, yes, and the hiking trainers are waterproof.

As for the transfer time, I'm aware it's tight but both legs are on KLM and I won't have to go through passport control at Schiphol. Hopefully even with a potential delay I'll still be alright.

It looks like about a 50/50 split for hold or cabin luggage so far... I'm still going to have a go at packing a cabin bag this weekend and see what happens.

My caveat on bag size is it definitely helps if you are able to lug it round yourself.
One of our transfers in Costa Rica involved the luggage being transferred on a separate boat - it was quite exciting watching it float away and wondering if we would ever see it again- and then having to pick it up from the river bank up a steep incline in boiling heat. There were a fair number of frail looking elderly people with these huge heavy cases, who were of course reliant on the help of others. I did wonder what on earth they filled the cases with as it would have been so much more sensible to pack light.

My back doesn’t stand a huge back pack! I pack fairly light but often people help each other when they are old. It’s usual that you take a duffel bag with wheels but I think light weight spinners are pretty good and versatile. Most people get help if a bag needs to be manhandled up a river bank. When we’ve had that sort of holiday, there have been lodge or boat staff helping. Around 15 kg is fine and provides enough knickers!