Luggage with wheels: help or hindrance?

[soyabean]

I am usually a rucksack user and very rarely use suitcases but will be travelling alone with 4 and 8 year old and have a bit of a bad back sometimes so am thinking about getting something with wheels, maybe a big holdall or soft suitcase. But when I see people with them they often look quite stooped and the bags seem to topple over. Do you find them helpful? Does anyone have any specific recommendations? Not too expensive please!
Thanks in advance

We find ours very useful and we used to be rucksack luggage people too. I've used mine both times I've flown alone with ds. We have a hard suitcase which is brilliant as it can't be cut or damaged too severely but weighs a little more than the softer ones. I tend to find however when travelling with ds that I always use a trolley and tend to push the trolley with one hand while pushing ds in his buggy with the other. Not too unmanageable. Ask for assistance from the airline crew as they will often be of great assistance and once they even pushed the trolley all the way out to where I met my family which made it very easy.

If cost is an issue then you might want to just use your rucksack and put it on a trolley when you get to the airport. Will you be doing much hiking/walking in your journey or is it literally flights to and from and then the luggage will be left at one place.

As far as i'm concerned , I'd rather be pulling something and a bit stooped, than actually having to carry it by myself. Personally I think they're great - my Sainsburys does some very reasonably priced ones.

Get the sort that roll on the short edge with the long edges vertical, rather than the ones with the wheels on a corner IYSWIM! like the little cases you see all the Air Crew using but bigger! You don't stoop at all with them.

soyabean, check out TJ Hughes and Matalan for wheelie cases. Agree with meanmum that the rigid ones are probably safest - your 8-yr-old could easily deal with one too, if you got 2 small-medium sized ones you could pack a lot of stuff and they wouldn't be too heavy for your back when you need to lift them.

(I am 6' tall and never felt stooped pushing/pulling our medium-sized ones!)

Suitcases with wheels are a necessity!!! They are so much easier to get around. I would recommend a soft one. The hard ones are way heavier and it'll already be heavy enough with your clothes. I have travelled all over the world with soft suitcases and have never had anything inside damaged. In fact, they are so well designed nowadays that your 8 year old will probably be able to manage it on his/her own for short distances.

I have the biggest pull along suitcase in the world, because I often travel with the baby and the eight year old. Even though it's a bloody bore dragging along baby, pushchair, suitcase and eight year old, I'm sure it has to be better than a rucksack! (I got mine from one of those cheap luggage shops it was about 45 quid a couple of years ago)

we got a big holdall with wheels from a camping shop and is excellent i went home for three weeks and i put all my clothes and the children`s in it i managed really well on my own,pushchair and all!

They are definitley a help! We travel long distance on the train quite regularly and until last time we have used a big old suitcase (with no wheels) and a copy of small holdalls..... add to that a toddler and buggy and it spells carnage!!

I bought 2 trolley suitcases from Woolworths, they have a half-price offer on just now on all luggage. A huge one and a smaller long-weekend-sized one. The 2 came to £40. I was told to go to Matalan, but couldn't get to one in time for our trip.... but I went later to sicken myself with the price I could've got them for but they were the same as Woolies.

Ooops.... I meant a 'couple' of small holdalls!

Copy??? I need a coffee.

Thanks everyone.We wont be doing any hiking Meanmum, but a lot of getting on and off trains, planes, buses and boats!
Whymummy a holdall sounds good so I might check out some camping shops and Woollies, no Matalan near here.
All your ideas are really helpful, what a wonderful system this is!

I love our wheely suitcases - we found our brilliant. I have one with the handle out the top and it has a clip to attach other bags.. made life easy with dd when we last travelled. With the handle coming out the top - no stooping. A medium size one would be fine for your children and no stooping with them either.