I have an upcoming trip to Europe and plan to pack light. I am going to carry one very small 18" rolling hardside bag plus my eBag Weekender Convertible backpack/daypack. The backpack has a slot for my laptop and will have all of my cords and such, but it will also have a fair amount of clothes (it's a great little travel bag for short trips).

I'd like to just carry these on the plane with me so I can hit the ground running. And for some reason I don't like the idea of trying to check a tiny little bag as I worry it may get lost in the shuffle (the 18" hardside bag came nested inside a bag that would ordinarily be used as a carry on, to give you an idea of size).

I'm going to be traveling on USAir to Europe, then on Vueling, then on TAP Portugal.

Also, I am a little worried about the weight of my "personal item," in that my computer weighs more than nine pounds. Add in power cords, video camera, some clothes and toiletries and I'm sure to be over 20 pounds. Is there a maximum weight on the personal item.

This all may be for naught in that my daughter will be attempting to carry a slightly smaller "day" pack as her personal item, but it will not have a laptop. So they may make her check her small hardside.

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

I don't think Vueling or TAP allows two pieces of carryon. Vueling allows 10kg for the one item and TAP 8kg.

http://www.vueling.com/en/vueling-se...r-trip/luggage
http://www.flytap.com/UnitedKingdom/...e/hand-luggage

I do this all the time ON US FLAGGED CARRIERS. Often, on foreign carriers, I have to let them check my roll-aboard so I can keep the backpack with camera gear and laptop with me. The cameras will not be checked even if I have to walk home.

You should be aware of the fact that some European LCCs interpret the 1 cabin bag as just that,1 bag,no personal item,I have travelled on TAP with 1 cabin roler+1 daypack,(with laptop slot),thats OK,Vueling is a LCC,they might practice the real 1 bag rule,I have no experience with them.The maximum weight is for both items,if indeed you are alolowed 2.European LCCs are generally fairly strict on weight,I cannot imagine any LCC alowing a 20 pound "personal item"+probably an equaly heavy roller,-sorry.

I have been using the 22" Mother Lode TLS Weekender, with a small Timbuk2 messenger (which stored flat, light & waterproof) inside as a pull-out cabin bag with all the essentials, including medications & first aid items. It's a beast and can pack a heck lot of items for a week, un-expanded and I loved it.

Do you really to "drag" along a "big" laptop & accessories of 10 lbs+ unless it's work-related? I would downsize & get a laptop that's smaller & lighter as your shoulders & back will "thank you" for it. It doesn't sound like you are doing this run for business as work-related ?

For travel purposes over the past 4 years, I reluctantly take my Dell 14" notebook with the DVD Media Bay but very happily taking the Sony Viao at 11.6" with a smaller power brick as during long haul flights - I use onboard IFE and/or the "old" iPad2 or Nexus 7 tablet. All of my gadgets, electronics, cables & whatever fit in a half-sized eBag packing tube that slip easily into a small backpack (sized for a 14" notebook & compliant with UA's new sizer specs for a personal bag) along with other items, if I take one along - taken onboard unless it's a ERJ/CRJ, which I try to avoid.

For TATL flights, you should be fine on most carriers unless they start weighting them at the counter while checking-in or do boarding gate enforcement, LOL. For intra-Euro flights, you could & will run into issues as others noted already.

The hardside roller itself is likely in the 6 to 8 lbs. range and can easily tip the scale & exceed the weight limits lightly packed for a personal bag, while you are holding a 22" MLC on the jetway & get flagged unless you have top dog elite status with the airline & flying J or F.

Or, you might want to consider getting & switching to eBag's 21" roller plus a nice messenger bag that doesn't draw attention for the big laptop or contents, and, if necessary - Scott Vest it ?? Or, put the laptop itself in a sleeve & just carry that 10 lbs. during the boarding process.

There will not be a problem on TAP. I routinely carry on a wheelie and a backpack (a bit smaller than what you have there).

Vueling - no clue - haven't flown them in a few years, but I imagine they won't allow it.

I have been flying both Vueling and TAP quite regularly with my Travelite Delite and my Longchamp flight bag with no issue. The smallest TAP flights however are an issue ie the Beech.

Vueling at ORY does check and sometimes weigh though from what I see.

"Personal item" is open to interpretation. If a plane has small storage bins and is full, I can see an airline turning it down. You probably won't know for sure until you try it. Weight isn't the issue so much as the size. Check your other bag and you won't have to worry about it.