What Size Backpack Is Carry-On Legal in Europe?
The first surprise for many visitors is that Europe has no single carry-on rule. Each airline sets its own size, and the low-cost carriers that connect most cities are the strictest. Pick a backpack by the toughest airline on your route, not the most generous.
The two tiers of cabin bag
Most European airlines now split cabin baggage into two tiers:
- A small bag that fits under the seat. This is often the only bag included in a basic fare on budget carriers. Typical limits are around 40 x 20 x 25 cm or 45 x 36 x 20 cm, which is a daypack or a large handbag, not a travel backpack.
- A larger bag for the overhead bin. Included on most full-service fares and sold as an add-on or priority option on budget fares. Common limits sit around 55 x 40 x 20 cm to 55 x 40 x 23 cm, with a weight cap on some airlines of 8 to 12 kg.
A 35 to 45 litre travel backpack is designed for the second tier. Budget accordingly: on a cheap fare you may need to buy the overhead-bin allowance.
How to read a backpack's dimensions
Makers list height, width and depth. The two that cause trouble are:
- Depth. Many travel packs are 23 to 25 cm deep. That passes a 55 x 40 x 23 cm limit and fails a 55 x 40 x 20 cm one. If your route includes an airline with the 20 cm rule, pack the bag so it is not bulging and compress the straps.
- Height. 55 cm is the common ceiling. Packs listed at 56 cm usually pass, but do not stuff the top pocket.
Width is rarely the problem; most packs are 30 to 35 cm wide against a 40 cm limit.
Dimensions of common packs
From the listings we compared: the Osprey Farpoint 40 is listed at 55 x 35 x 23 cm; the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L at about 56 x 30 x 25 cm; the tomtoc Navigator 40L at about 52 x 33 x 23 cm; the Osprey Daylite Carry-On 44 at about 55 x 36 x 23 cm; and the Matein expandable bag at about 48 x 33 x 20 cm unexpanded. Every one of them fits the 55 x 40 x 23 cm tier when packed sensibly; only the smallest fit the 20 cm depth rule without care.
Practical rules
- Look up the cabin-bag size for each airline you will fly, not just the first one.
- Choose a pack that fits the strictest, or plan to buy the larger allowance on that leg.
- Pack to the shape of the bag: soft bags pass sizers when they are not overfilled.
- Keep heavy items near your back and in the under-seat bag if there is a weight limit.
- Weigh the packed bag at home. A full 40 litre pack can pass 10 kg quickly.
Do that, and the backpack goes in the bin and you walk off the plane and straight to the train.