Skipping across the pond to Italy for a two week escape is no small feat—not only do you need to save money for the big trip (and for all of the wine you’re about to consume), but many hours go to booking hotels, tours, train tickets—and all this happens before you can just get on the plane and relax! Thankfully, due to my Type A personality and obsession with to-do lists, my husband and I were just a week away from our big trip with nearly everything on our list complete…Except for one small thing.
“We need new bags,” My husband casually said.
But wait…this was not on the list! I supposed our luggage had become beat up by weekend trips, long holidays and one too many rough throws on the baggage carousel. Ugh, he was right.
A good friend of ours, a fellow frequent traveler, strongly recommended the brand Briggs & Riley for luggage. Now, we were warned that Briggs & Riley won’t necessarily be the cheapest of choices, but the benefits of the investment would pay off: they make extremely durable products, offer simple and stylish designs, and everything comes with a lifetime warranty should there be damage or something break. This brand was for us.
We chose the following products for our trip to Italy to cover all aspects of the journey.
To Carry-On: Briggs & Riley BRX Explore 22″ Upright
Briggs & Riley BRX Explore 22" Upright
This carry-on is all about being easy and convenient. It’s rugged, gray and lightweight. We likes the fact that it’s a soft bag yet still well protected-easy to expand and to squeeze into an overhead compartment. Arrays of compartments inside the bag were used on our trip for clean versus dirty laundry and smaller itmes like phone charges and toiletries. In the outside pocket, we stuffed low profile shoes and flip flops.
To Check: Briggs & Riley Baseline Medium Exp. Spinner
Briggs & Riley Baseline Medium Exp. Spinner
My husband and I shared this medium-sized black bag as our one checked bag for the trip (note: we planned to do laundry at some point during the two week trip. If you were to stay longer and not have access to laundry, you may consider a larger size.) We liked that it was even sturdier than our carry-on, to withstand a heavier weight and possibly being handled roughly. The fact that it could expand a few inches was a big seller for us, as was the garment panels, for suits and dress. SOLD!
To Explore: The North Face Women’s Borealis
The North Face Women's Borealis
Once in Italy, it was time to ditch the luggage at the villa and trek around Italy’s gorgeous, rolling countryside. A backpack offered comfort, flexibility and style. I loved this North Face backpack—cute, simple and a medium size form factor. We packed it for our hike in Cinque Terre, threw it in the back of the car when we explored hill towns and also brought it to the occasional museum. Best yet, if my shoulders ever tired, my husband didn’t mind sporting taking it for a while, despite the pink color!
Joanna Brinjak Furlong is the marketing manager at CheapAir.com. She loves to travel and is a self-proclaimed foodie and wine aficionado. When she’s not in the office or dreaming of her next trip, Joanna can be found hiking in Los Angeles’ hills, whipping up a homemade meal or hitting a pilates class.
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