Essence of Japan overnight bag/carry-on 2026
Past posts on this forum regarding overnight bags typically recommend duffel bag for the overnight portion of the essence of Japan trip rather than standard carry-on suitcase. Tauck no longer provides duffel bags for this trip and now specifically recommends a rollaboard carry-on suitcase. Tauck guidelines allow for one suitcase per traveler (ie, tauck will handle/transfer one suitcase), which suggests that travelers must be responsible for their carry-on rollaboard suitcase during the trip.
For portions of the trip that use transportation via motor coach, will Tauck allow carry-on bags to go in the luggage compartment of the bus (overhead bins on motor coaches typically do not accommodate standard carry-on bags)?
For train travel, will standard size (22”) carry-on bags fit in the overhead bins? I am not concerned about lifting a bag into an overhead bin or having to carry a carry-on bag up/down stairs, only wonder whether a regular carry-on bag will fit in the overhead bin.
Comments
When we took this trip (which was wonderful), Tauck was not recommending or providing duffel bags. Most of the group had rolling carry on bags for the train travel. My husband and I used our carry on back packs. One couple had very large duffel bags and they really struggled with them. The carry on bags fit in the overhead compartment on the trains, although some people kept their bag at their feet.
The rolling carry on bags are too large for the overhead storage on the buses. They were loaded under the bus and taken out upon arrival at the next hotel.