Hardcase luggage recommendation

[valkyrie_xx02]

Hi, i am looking for a hard case luggage for my trips. Any recommendations on what brands are good and durable?

I am looking at the samsonite range of hardcase luggage, aeris comfort/ S'cure series. Any idea if these luggages would be cheaper in Europe?

 

[holidayforever]

You can try to go to Samsonite outlet at IMM see got better deal or not

 

[patryn33]

Samsonite is American will cost more in Europe.

Try a briggs and rily torq the warranty on it is great but cost a lot.
What's your budget? There is a luggage thread with loads if info already

 

[thewiseone]

Not true. Samsonite is cheaper in Europe, even in Paris. Take their latest hard case ultra light series launched a few months back. If i recalled correctly, the largest model was only selling for 199 Euros in Printemps/Lafayette (Paris) before VAT refund. Compare with what u'll have to pay for in Singapore, the difference is significant. If u dont mind some off season models, u can find them at factory outlets like La Valee and the difference is even more!!!


If u do intend to get a new luggage bag during your Europe trip, i'd suggest u use a cheap (to be disposed luggage) for the trip. Get the new luggage in Europe and dump the old one there.

Samsonite is American will cost more in Europe.

Try a briggs and rily torq the warranty on it is great but cost a lot.
What's your budget? There is a luggage thread with loads if info already

 

[patryn33]

Sorry I was thinking costing more than states.

Cosmolite so cheap meh? On the site not €199
http://www.samsonite.fr/cosmolite/collection-fr.htm

Rimowa is German you can get it cheaper there.
http://www.outletdeutschland.com/rimowa-outlet/
http://www.koffer-direkt.de/hersteller/rimowa/salsa-air/

 

[valkyrie_xx02]

Thanks everyone for the valuable inputs! Budget wise i'm looking at about $350. I did a search and found the thread on luggages, it was very useful.

I'm going to germany for a business trip. I might use my free time to hunt for a good luggage there.

 

[patryn33]

$350 cannot get a rimowa around €300-€350 can get 1 after VAT.
A rimowa here is over $1k easy
http://singapore.gumtree.sg/c-Stuff-for-Sale-Other-FS-Rimowa-Topas-82-l-Multiwheel-920-70-00-4-W0QQAdIdZ497185891

 

[trd2970]

I was thinking of getting the latest series as well. At 100 plus euros. It's a good deal. The same one selling 600 plus in sg. Really cut throat pricing.

Not true. Samsonite is cheaper in Europe, even in Paris. Take their latest hard case ultra light series launched a few months back. If i recalled correctly, the largest model was only selling for 199 Euros in Printemps/Lafayette (Paris) before VAT refund. Compare with what u'll have to pay for in Singapore, the difference is significant. If u dont mind some off season models, u can find them at factory outlets like La Valee and the difference is even more!!!

If u do intend to get a new luggage bag during your Europe trip, i'd suggest u use a cheap (to be disposed luggage) for the trip. Get the new luggage in Europe and dump the old one there.

 

[valkyrie_xx02]

Are you refering to the S'Cure series? I checked the samsonite Germany site it was listed as 199Eur for the 75cm S'Cure DLX model. I believe the model selling in singapore is the normal S'cure model without the compartment separators.

 

[thewiseone]

It should be the S'Cure DLX model that i saw in Paris. I was there in May 2013 and i believe it was not even launched in Singapore at that time. Stood at the counter for quite a while...trying out the case and i was very impressed. Its almost unbelievably light and it seems to be well made. I knew it will be much cheaper than what i'll have to pay in Singapore (bought another Samsonite model in Paris last year). Unfortunately, i have no more space to lug another big case back.

Are you refering to the S'Cure series? I checked the samsonite Germany site it was listed as 199Eur for the 75cm S'Cure DLX model. I believe the model selling in singapore is the normal S'cure model without the compartment separators.

 

[thewiseone]

Its not just luggage bags that we are paying more on this tiny island. We pay more for watches, shoes, ladies hand bags, etc. etc... especially for branded labels. Believe it or not, we also pay more for food here as compared to some parts of Europe.

Case in point... i was at a buffet restaurant in Milan that serves western food, italian food, chinese food and japanese food. Its a big establishment and the selection is pretty good, including some seafood. They have a different counter for grilling, wok frying, etc.

Price for a lunch buffet: 12 Euros! Find me a restaurant in Singapore that serves a similar selection for this price.

I was thinking of getting the latest series as well. At 100 plus euros. It's a good deal. The same one selling 600 plus in sg. Really cut throat pricing.

 

[swatchie]

Its not just luggage bags that we are paying more on this tiny island. We pay more for watches, shoes, ladies hand bags, etc. etc... especially for branded labels. Believe it or not, we also pay more for food here as compared to some parts of Europe.

Case in point... i was at a buffet restaurant in Milan that serves western food, italian food, chinese food and japanese food. Its a big establishment and the selection is pretty good, including some seafood. They have a different counter for grilling, wok frying, etc.

Price for a lunch buffet: 12 Euros! Find me a restaurant in Singapore that serves a similar selection for this price.

Watches are not always cheaper in Europe, especially big brand names like PP, FM, AP and the likes. First hand experience when I went to Geneva to try and buy a couple of my watches.

While its true that 12 EUR is a steal for a buffet, you have to consider the mentality behind the pricing. The mindset of westerners and asians are quite different generally. Westerners will eat until they are full and stop. Asians will continue piling and some might even try to tarpow. If they charged 12 bucks in Singapore, it would be a losing business. IMHO, I think a better gauge of food prices would be the informal big mac index or the price of an average meal.

 

[thewiseone]

The watches are not cheaper because u shopped in the wrong country within EU. Switzerland is by far one of the MOST expensive place to buy yr watches and branded items. Even more expensive than Singapore!!!

Go visit Milan, France, Amsterdam and check out their prices.

Watches are not always cheaper in Europe, especially big brand names like PP, FM, AP and the likes. First hand experience when I went to Geneva to try and buy a couple of my watches.

While its true that 12 EUR is a steal for a buffet, you have to consider the mentality behind the pricing. The mindset of westerners and asians are quite different generally. Westerners will eat until they are full and stop. Asians will continue piling and some might even try to tarpow. If they charged 12 bucks in Singapore, it would be a losing business. IMHO, I think a better gauge of food prices would be the informal big mac index or the price of an average meal.

 

[thewiseone]

Thats not the real reason why a 12 euro buffet works over there and not in Singapore. Have u seen how much food the Europeans eat at a buffet? I have, definitely not less than typical Singaporeans! In addition, food is not the major cost component. The wages and in particular rental are the biggest components. U can expect higher wages over there but the rental is MUCH lower than Singapore. When i went there for lunch on a weekday, the restaurant is already fully packed. With lower rental and a big crowd, the 12 Eur lunch buffet becomes viable business model. With our ridiculous property prices here, this business model will never survive in Singapore.

While its true that 12 EUR is a steal for a buffet, you have to consider the mentality behind the pricing. The mindset of westerners and asians are quite different generally. Westerners will eat until they are full and stop. Asians will continue piling and some might even try to tarpow. If they charged 12 bucks in Singapore, it would be a losing business. IMHO, I think a better gauge of food prices would be the informal big mac index or the price of an average meal.

 

[swatchie]

The watches are not cheaper because u shopped in the wrong country within EU. Switzerland is by far one of the MOST expensive place to buy yr watches and branded items. Even more expensive than Singapore!!!

Go visit Milan, France, Amsterdam and check out their prices.

I actually have been to Milan a couple of times but I don't really find the watches cheaper there. But that could be due to me visiting when the EUR was at a high of 2 - 2.1.

 

[swatchie]

Thats not the real reason why a 12 euro buffet works over there and not in Singapore. Have u seen how much food the Europeans eat at a buffet? I have, definitely not less than typical Singaporeans! In addition, food is not the major cost component. The wages and in particular rental are the biggest components. U can expect higher wages over there but the rental is MUCH lower than Singapore. When i went there for lunch on a weekday, the restaurant is already fully packed. With lower rental and a big crowd, the 12 Eur lunch buffet becomes viable business model. With our ridiculous property prices here, this business model will never survive in Singapore.

You example seems to be specific to buffets? Why not compare cafes or throw in hawker centres?

 

[trd2970]

Its not just luggage bags that we are paying more on this tiny island. We pay more for watches, shoes, ladies hand bags, etc. etc... especially for branded labels. Believe it or not, we also pay more for food here as compared to some parts of Europe.

Case in point... i was at a buffet restaurant in Milan that serves western food, italian food, chinese food and japanese food. Its a big establishment and the selection is pretty good, including some seafood. They have a different counter for grilling, wok frying, etc.

Price for a lunch buffet: 12 Euros! Find me a restaurant in Singapore that serves a similar selection for this price.

+ 10,000 to your post. Agree 1100%. In another thread in this sub-forum where TS asked about what is cheaper in frankfurt compared to SG, i posted a reply to mention quite a number of things... then when i thought about it again, it's almost everything that is cheaper than SG lol

Check out supermarkets in europe, prices of most european produce are cheap. They even display the $ per unit measurement e.g. EUR1/kg of beer, so consumers can easily determine which product gives the best deal.

Big ticket items like cars, houses are also cheaper.

 

[thewiseone]

Well, we need to compare apples to apples. U cant compare a pizza to a fried carrot cake can u? An international buffet restaurant is the closest i can think of for comparison. I'm not saying every type of meal is cheaper in Europe.

You example seems to be specific to buffets? Why not compare cafes or throw in hawker centres?

 

[thewiseone]

I had a conversation with a French cab driver while traveling in Paris. He was telling me how expensive it is to live in Paris and when i did a comparison of a property in the heart of Paris vs that of Singapore, its not even anywhere near (in terms of psf) u'll need to pay for one at Scotts/Orchard prime district.


Grocery shopping can be cheaper than Singapore too. I bought a big box of strawberries for only 3 Euros at a Carrefour outlet. Big and nice. In Belgium, i bought 500g of cherries for only 4 Euros.

As for cars.. well the cab driver was driving a relatively new model Renault Scenic (with a moon roof and idle engine stop feature). I asked him how much will a private car of the same model cost in France. He told me its 19,000 Euros. I told him he cant even get one in Singapore for 3 times that price. His eyes almost popped.

+ 10,000 to your post. Agree 1100%. In another thread in this sub-forum where TS asked about what is cheaper in frankfurt compared to SG, i posted a reply to mention quite a number of things... then when i thought about it again, it's almost everything that is cheaper than SG lol

Check out supermarkets in europe, prices of most european produce are cheap. They even display the $ per unit measurement e.g. EUR1/kg of beer, so consumers can easily determine which product gives the best deal.

Big ticket items like cars, houses are also cheaper.

 

[thewiseone]

I agree. Back then, i didnt find watches in general to be cheaper than Singapore. However, i believe from last year onwards, u'll find even watches selling in the supposedly expensive Paris to be cheaper than Singapore, after the VAT refund.

If watches arent cheaper in Milan, we wouldnt have done this: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/fashion-grooming-235/watch-thread-part-3-a-3983255-259.html#post76544933. In Milan, unlike Paris, u can get most of the VAT back... there's where the big savings comes from!

I actually have been to Milan a couple of times but I don't really find the watches cheaper there. But that could be due to me visiting when the EUR was at a high of 2 - 2.1.