Travelling to Croatia with the right luggage can make or break your trip. If your luggage is unmanageable, your whole Croatian vacation can become a sweaty struggle to get from one place to the other. Consider the kind of vacation you're planning. Will you be in a car? Then, you'll want sturdy luggage that won't be bouncing around in the trunk. Travelling Croatia by public transport? You'll want to get up and down ferry stairs with a minimum of fuss.

Wheeled Suitcases

To wheel or not to wheel, that is the question. Wheeled luggage has undeniable advantages on city streets and any other smooth surfaces. Yet it's a nightmare to drag up stairs and can be most cumbersome along cobbled streets. Croatia has a lot of cobbled streets. From the smooth marble paving stones of Dubrovnik and Hvar to the bumpy stones of Rovinj and other ancient towns, your wheeled suitcase can take quite a beating.

In fact, if your suitcase is of the bargain basement variety, it may not survive the beating. If you lose a wheel on your trip you may not be able to replace it right away. What good does that "lifetime guarantee" do if your luggage breaks down halfway across the world? What are you supposed to do? Mail it in for a quick replacement?

I recommend that you take a hard look at your wheeled suitcase. Your wheels should be sturdy and inset, not on a hinge. Also look at the zippers. Flimsy plastic zippers can split apart if you tend to overstuff your bag (and who doesn't?) Quality luggage closes with indestructible metal zippers.

Backpacks

Backpacks can be a great choice at any age even though it's usually associated with young travellers on a budget. The advantage of travelling Croatia with a backpack is that you can easily navigate cobblestone streets, stairs, rural roads and the pedestrian only town centres of Dubrovnik and Hvar. The disadvantage of backpack travel is that trudging for more than a kilometre with a heavy pack buckled to your back can be quite a workout.

Duffle Bags

If your upper body strength is rock hard and/or you pack extra-light, go for it, but I prefer a duffle bag on wheels as my major pack. Otherwise, a small duffle bag can be perfect as carry-on luggage.