Sometimes, I go to Italy for a six month sojourn. I've never checked a bag. The last time I checked a bag was a trip to Varenna on Lake Como, circa 2004. Bags never arrived, and finally made it back home to where I was living in the USA. Never again. You don't need that much stuff. I've gone to Italy for six months then to India for a month. I just bring old stuff that I'm OK with leaving behind as the seasons change, and buy new stuff as I go. Some things, I go to the post office and mail it back to the USA. No reason to bring a lot of stuff. I can't imagine why someone would need a suitcase for a 1-2 week trip. I'm talking about traveling professionally. A navy blue blazer, two pairs of pants, a couple of shirts and ties, ready for throw away and buy new ones as you go.

The only problem is shoes. I was teaching in Torino. Lots of walking in Italy. The sole started to separate. I brought them to the shoemaker, and I said, this is all I have, I need them by Monday, I only have the sneakers i'm wearing. He took out a liquid and sprayed it on the shoe, and I thought he was going to polish them. It was lighter fluid. Then he took out a cigarette lighter and tried to set the shoe on fire. I said what the hell are you doing!

I had told him that these were very good, expensive shoes. It turns out that real leather won't get on fire. That was the standard way in Italy to test whether or not your shoes are junk, or worthy of a reconstruction, and he was just doing his job. My shoes did not catch on fire, and he fixed them for my class on Monday.

For me, no luggage, no matter how long. Go with a half empty suitcase, and bring it back home full from what you will buy over there.