We had booked three Insight tours this year, and two of them were cancelled. There weren't any 'definite departure' Insight tours that we could consider as alternatives, so now have one Insight and one Trafalgar Tour. We picked up our tour documents yesterday, and I'm disappointed to note that the luggage limit for Trafalgar is 23kg compared with Insight's 30g.

I do hope not to have 30kg in my suitcase, but I also don't want to be anxious about the 23 kg limit. I would be interested in fellow travellers' opinions. Should I expect to be an exception to the rule because of our original bookings with Insight, or should I just accept that I agreed to Trafalgar, 23 kg limit and all?

Thanks
Nelligan

Hi Nelligan,
What is your actual luggage limit on the plane?
That is usually less than the amount given by TT or Insight anyway. I think ours in November was only 20kg.

Cheers Denise

Denise, our luggage limit for the flight is 20kg, but we also have hand luggage up to 7kg. We will have to combine the contents for the tours, which is likely to take us over the 23kg limit. Our hand luggage is more substantial than the size made to fit in the overhead locker on a tour bus. I would be happy to take the hand luggage backwards and forwards to the bus each day (as has been an option on all Insight tours we have taken), but it is not offered by Trafalgar.

As I'm typing I'm realising that my problem is I'm a rule follower! Thanks for your response.

Nelligan

Hi Nelligan,
We have toured with Trafalgar also and had hand luggage which we put under the coach seat they will allow you to put it under the coach if there is enough room but it depends on how full the tour is. The Insight tour we did in November we ended up with 2 extra carry on bags and because there was only 26 of us most of us who had bought goodies from the xmas markets would just put them under the coach and collect them when we got off at the Hotels.

Hi Nelligan, we travelled with Trafalgar last year and even though the bus was full, was able to put a small carryon in the storage area under the bus. We had to bring it down ourselves each day and reclaim it each evening at the hotel. I quess it depends on how full the storage area is.

Happy Travels, Maggie

Thanks Maggie and Denise. Our departure is Thursday, and I'm resisting the temptation to pack and weigh today! I have been in contact with Insight, and they have been very helpful with my concern.

Because we have done all our organised tours with Insight in the past, the Trafalgar world is unfamiliar to me. From your experiences, what should I expect to be different?

Thanks again
Nelligan

Hi Nelligan143,
Ausipeet here, when i came home from Egypt last year i was pooping my self with my hand and other luggage for i knew i was way over my allowed limit of 25kg, it had a heavy sticker on it straightaway and 7 KG for carry on or overhead luggage. I was travelling with a 28 kg suitcase from egypt on Singapore Airlines and for my carry on luggage i had a 12 kg Camera bag YES 12 KG of camera Equipment LOL, a Laptop bag which was not only carrying my laptop but I had also cramed in about an extra 2 or three kilos of books and trinkets bought in cairo and as well as all that i had two plastic shopping bags full of stuff i had bought in the Airport in Ciaro and again when i had my stop over in Singapore. So in total i was carrying at least an extra ten kilos well over the allowed limit i have found out since and yet no one at either Ciaro Airport or at Singapore Airport made me pay for the extra weight, i dont know whether i was lucky or what but it didnt cost me anything extra at all in traveeleing to or from Egypt via Singapore from Australia, i guess it all depends on what sort of weight the air craft has in freight as to whether they will allow passnegers the extra weight in Luggage and carry on stuff.
I dont know whether this will help you but thought that sharing this with you and others might help ease your mind as to what wieght to take i guess it also depends on where you are travelling to even back in 2000 when i went back to Holland i brought back way more then what i left with and that time i flew with Cathy pacific both ways and as i recall they were pretty slack to as far as carry on and suitcase wieght was concerned.
Hope this helps you a little bit.
lastly if you are travelling soon and if you are going to a destination where the weather is hot then all i can say is pack lightly. and dont take to many thick heavy clothes.

Regards Peter AKA Ausipeet

Ausipeter

Thanks for sharing your luggage limit experience and advice. I have been working on the packing list to try to minimise the load. Hopefully when I eventually weigh the luggage, I'll have room to spare for the things we will pick up along the way. We will be away for twelve weeks, but won't need too much in the way of warm clothing. Last trip included both Egypt and the Arctic Circle, so that was more of a challenge.

I'm not as brave or lucky as you. In 2007 we were refused entry to a plane because the attendant claimed my hand luggage was 15kg and my husband's 14kg - fortunately a fellow passenger came to our assistance and pointed out that the scales were showing lbs not kgs. This time I will know exactly how much the hand luggage weighs before we leave home!

Thanks again Peter.

Nelligan

My Daughter and I had way more luggage coming home from the Winter wonderland/xmas market tour in December. We had managed to fill another duffle bag and 2 back packs plus jackets hand luggage and handbags.At Frankfurt Airport we asked if it was possible to check in the duffle bag which the nice assistant said sure and no charge.The trip to Europe in 2005 my bag was given the heavy sticker but no extra charge.
Think Singapore Airlines must just be very accomodating.

Cheers Denise

Hi Nelligan ~ We did a Trafalgar tour last year and our carry on bag did not fit in the coach's overhead compartment but it did fit nicely under our seat without any lessening of our seating comfort (which is like being on an econpmy class flight )

As Niece57 has already stated, large carryons may be stored in the baggage compartment of the coach.

Have you considered posting home any extras that you purchase? I posted home some things that I had bought which I wrapped up on clothes that I did not need. The cost was reasonable and we received the parcel in good order and in good time.