Love all my electronic goodies, but I had to go with my roller bag. My first trip to Europe with my Mom when I was 19 included too many clothes and an unwieldy large suitcase without wheels. Now I travel light, almost always carry-on only, (even for a month in Italy!) and can't live without my roller bags.

Posted By Janine on February 22, 2008, 2:19 AM

The euro, while highly regarded by bankers and industry, has been a disaster for travelers. Prices in formerly low cost countries, like Greece, are now as high as anywhere else. Before the euro, we spent 2 weeks in Spain and 2 weeks in Greece for the same number of dollars it cost to fly from here to there. Now the prices on the Greek islands are almost up to Athens's outrageous levels.

Our cost prevents us from enjoying many things that are available, all because a bunch of bankers trade currency for a living and have jacked up the price. Perhaps we will vacation in central or south America instead.

Posted By Mike on February 22, 2008, 2:47 AM

While rollers on luggage has been helpful, I found that cell phones that can be used overseas, extremely helpful. We have used it to find our way to a hotel in Czech Republic to changing a reservation in Bath, England. Plus, I was able to use its Internet capability to check on flights.

Posted By David Hofman on February 22, 2008, 8:02 AM

In case readers hadn't noticed, the top-ranked "innovation" of the last 10 years has been around much longer than that. The "rolling bag" has, in its modern version, been around at least 20 years. Just because it took most people a long time to catch on doesn't mean it's an innovation. The real innovation is when I glide my bag past all of the dopes waiting in line to check in with their rolling bags while I've printed my boarding pass at home.

Posted By Adrian on February 22, 2008, 8:16 AM

Scene: My first outside sales job. I packed matching outfits for day, afternoon and evening meetings. Matching shoes for all. Jewelry. You name it. Took a cab from my house to JFK landed in O'Hare. Flights changes. I had to lug my two heavy suitcases "miles" to get to the next flight. When bags with wheels became available I thanked my lucky stars. At an even 5 feet you can imagine how my arms felt after the O'Hare incident. I will never forget it, so of course, I had to vote for wheels.
Best, Clara

Posted By Clara Galvano on February 22, 2008, 10:38 AM

I think cell phone have become such a part of our lives that we don't remember what life was like just ten years ago when we didn't have them.
My husband is an oceanographer. He can often call home from offshore Hawaii or the west coast. When he started working, emergency contact was difficult, and calls cost $10 per minute!

Posted By ME on February 22, 2008, 10:46 AM

Even though travel bags with wheels have been around longer than 10 years, they are my number one choice. My question is, what took someone so long to figure out that you could put wheels on a suitcase? It is such a simple concept - sometimes the best solutions are the most basic ones.

Posted By Bonnie on February 22, 2008, 10:59 AM

Obviously, not many people get lost as often as I do. My GPS makes me feel secure and also gives me the the certainity that I will arrive where I had planned to.

Posted By Barbara Farrell on February 22, 2008, 11:00 AM

Quite aside from the fact that rolling bags have been around for much longer than 10 years, they are (in my opinion) a decidedly poor travel innovation. They encourage overpacking, add unnecessary weight, are less space efficient, have more parts to break, and aren't of much use away from airport and hotel corridors anyway (you will find them more a hindrance than a help in, say, the Madrid Metro or the London tube).

Most people can travel for an indefinite period of time with only a small, light carryon, if only they'd take the time to learn how to do so, instead of approaching each trip as if it were their first!

Posted By Doug Dyment on February 22, 2008, 11:02 AM

Even with the long list of electronic innovations to choose from, roller bags win my vote. I can always find a phone or read a map, but being able to deal with my suitcase on my own makes travel so much easier. Now if they could only invent a way for them to get up several flights of stairs by themselves....

Posted By Cindy on February 22, 2008, 11:07 AM

I see others realize roller bags have been around longer than ten years so it shouldn't count on this survey. And just as I suspected, roller bags was chosen number one mainly by women. Being able to sit at home and get detailed maps to a particular street address anywhere in the USA has to rank up there pretty high. Ron

Posted By Ronald B. Kellar on February 22, 2008, 11:13 AM

Roller bags! My first trip to Europe in 1982 was 2 weeks and even a carry-on size bag was hard to lug between train stations and B&B's. My shoulders and back were sore for a week! That said, the internet has made planning overseas trips SO easy.

Posted By Susan Athey on February 22, 2008, 11:19 AM

As good as roller bags and online booking services are, my vote goes to Trip Advisor. The rating system and honest comments from actual travelers are invaluable tools when booking a trip. Using this service takes most of the guesswork out of where to stay and/or eat in foreign locations and the resulting peace of mind makes for a better trip all around.

Posted By Maggie Uitz on February 22, 2008, 12:56 PM

IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME THAT ONLINE BOOKING AND WIDESPREAD INTERNET SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE QUESTION THUS COMBINE THE VOTE RESULTS

Posted By ROBERT A MILLER on February 22, 2008, 2:04 PM

Carry on used to mean you had to carry it on. Now Granny tows a refridgerator on wheels down the aisle. Roller bags are as much a bane as a blessing.

Posted By Sean Twomey on February 22, 2008, 2:06 PM

Roller bags! But there are roller bags and roller bags. Just got a Great new carryon with big wheels and long curved handle (Delsey). Works better than any other bag I've had. Choose your bag carefully, they are not all the same. One carryon is enough. Plus 20 pounds of camera gear. I know, I have extensions in my passports.

Posted By Sharon Huneycutt on February 22, 2008, 5:23 PM

The thing I love about online booking is not the big sites, but the little ones. These days every Hotel and B&B has their own. With a little research you can get to great out-of-the-way places.

Posted By Paul Travis on February 22, 2008, 7:51 PM

Worldwide ATMs have had the greatest impact. Gone are the days of waiting 3+ hours in a bank in Istanbul while they look in a binder to see if your foreign cash matches their picture of it before they change your money. One can manage without gps, phones, even maps, but quick access to cash in the local currency is key.

Posted By Sarah on February 22, 2008, 8:20 PM

Vague, uncomfortable memories of dragging a luggage trolley all over the world - hooking it over my luggage to drag it wherever - breaking nails, and trying to keep it from wobbling. Rolling bags are the answer to easing travel stress and enabling a woman to travel alone comfortably, avoiding the need for a fistfull of money for tips!

Posted By Karen Ormond on February 22, 2008, 9:45 PM

rolling wheels came out more than 20 years ago!!!

Posted By k. on February 23, 2008, 1:29 AM

The list was wonderful and made me realize how much traveling has changed. But luggage with wheels wins. When the model T and the steam engine came out they changed America but not as much as the invention of the bicycle. ATM, e-mails, computers, cell phones are all wonderful and life changing but for many are intimidating or too expensive, like the early automobile. Roller luggage, like the bicycle, is affordable. When the bicycle came out it liberated women from having to have men take them places or of having to have the funds and expertise of maintaining a horse and buggy, or a car. The same is true of roller luggage. As someone wrote even a granny can manage her luggage. It has liberated traveling women.

Posted By Karen on February 23, 2008, 6:23 PM

Definately Roller-bags, it is low tech like men's greatest invention! Since it is already well on it's way to being most voted than second place should go to the GPS system! It shows one the shortest route and save gas and the enviro!

Posted By John Goh on February 23, 2008, 10:31 PM

Everyone should be voting for the widespread availability of the Internet. That's where most of us have found out about new exciting destinations, tourist attractions, the latest electronic gadgets, the modes of transportation and, of course, that's how many of us make our reservations now. BT is even available on-line for quick and easy access. We can communicate from just about anywhere in the world now with a laptop and have access to places we might never have ben able to reach in our lifetimes. If the world seems like it's getting smaller, it because of the Internet!

Posted By TMD on February 24, 2008, 9:14 AM

I, too, voted for the roller bags. It's funny. After all these years and all our evolution, we have finally, once again, invented the WHEEL!

Posted By Toby on February 24, 2008, 10:14 AM

It was very hard to choose between roller bags and online travel booking. Being single and usually traveling overseas I do often have more than one piece of luggage & it's hard to lug those things around what w/ changing planes and waiting in lines. But online travel booking is so convenient for me as I am very limited in what I can do abt my travel plans at work and not having to wait on the phone.

Posted By Kim Hartgrove on February 24, 2008, 11:27 AM

I really believe Online Booking and the internet has improved my travel. I find more unique travel options (local professional Hand Ball league games in Europe) that I would never find information about in books. Also it helps with pre-planning, never was it easier to get from the airport to the hotel. I stopped using roller bags with the invention of light weight back packs that can be carried on planes.

Posted By Steve Piersol on February 24, 2008, 1:19 PM

No questions here, the roll-on-board changes the way we travelled. I remembered the days of carrying my carry on and trying to stuff it under the seats. I believe that the bag was invented by a AA pilot who eventually left the airline and started up Travelpro. The rest they say, is history.

Posted By Alex on February 25, 2008, 9:59 AM

The digital camera has changed my life and my finances!! No more paying a heap of money for photos that didn't turn out and no having to budget the number of shots I want to take! My best shots have been done on the fly (literally through plane window) or from a moving car window. Easy double a batteries and a stash of sim cards lets me take 1-2,000 photos a trip! (and on site photo sharing sites gets everything organized in a snap (sorry about the pun). I like shutterfly.com

Posted By Lynn Fero on February 25, 2008, 1:02 PM

Roller bags and GPS go hand in hand - for the lazy and clueless in body and mind. But roller bags are the worst, as their owners dawdle along through airports, blocking the passage of others.

Posted By JC on February 28, 2008, 2:00 PM

In an interview with a female celebrity she was asked why she was not yet married & her response was that with luggage roller bags she felt no need to look for a husband.....oh well

Posted By lucille humair on February 29, 2008, 4:26 AM

SO many great innovations are listed here! But I have to say that "rollies" are the greatest, in my opinion. My husband is from Romania, and anyone else who has lugged a 75-pound suitcase through the streets of Europe and hoisted it up and down those itty-bitty train steps during that 30-second window when the train is actually stoppped will understand how fantastic it is to have a rolling suitcase.

My husband and I have an intercultural marriage ministry, and I am also a Christian author. Our ministry website is Leap of Faith at www.marriageleap.com. Please check it out! We are giving away 15 free new fiction books this month! Blessings!

Marla Alupoaicei

Posted By Marla Alupoaicei on March 6, 2008, 12:18 PM

I think the Kindle should be one of the choices. If I traveled a lot for business, I would have one of them. It would be great to several books on the device.

Posted By Marlene on March 6, 2008, 12:39 PM

Leave it to fat, lazy Americans to be happiest about rolling bags!

Posted By Westy on March 6, 2008, 4:07 PM

To travel without consulting TripAdvisor is courting disaster. But be wary of commercial posts.

Posted By Travel Woman on March 6, 2008, 6:15 PM

Roller bags were a great invention... but I have had one for at least 20 years! Why hasn't anyone mentioned disposable travel underwear (you can handwash them in the sink, and get several wears out of them, plus a pack of 5 fits easily in a small carry-on.) That's my personal unlisted favorite. I wish they came in children's sizes also. I order them from DNA Products, and they ship quickly.

Posted By Laurie K. on March 6, 2008, 7:24 PM

I remember our first trip to Europe in the mid-80's and having to make all arrangements through a travel agent. The experience was similar to having teeth pulled. I had to make four visits to the agent to complete all the reservations through a telex system and being limited to hotels (or groups of hotels) that had access to a telex number. Don't get me wrong--agents are a great resource and I continue to use them, but there's just no comparison to the ease of on-line travel arrangements available today. I'm old enough also to remember pre-wheeled luggage, but that was easily taken care of by getting a porter to do the "heavy lifting". No wheel luggage also forced you to have a little discipline with how much you packed. Now its stuffed checked baggage to the max. All of these innovations, however, are squeezing the romance and mystique out of the travel experience, which is a pity. People are now treated more like cattle than travellers and there's nearly an offence a minute laid on us in the name of "security".

Posted By infinity on March 6, 2008, 7:52 PM

When I found this poll, I looked immediately for "rollaboard luggage". I am an "extreme" (business and leisure = 140,000 miles per year since the early '80s). Hands down, these changed my life. Carrying a "suiter" and briefcase for over 10 years, colleagues and I used to joke that we'd die with one arm longer than the other.

I would add that the arms on the earlier versions of the rollaboards (no special brand) were weak and bendable. Much better today.

Oh, and it's nice that a dignified laptop backpack is an acceptable substitute for a briefcase, today. (And I am a senior executive.)

Posted By FirewindII on March 7, 2008, 7:20 AM

Also, in looking at the results, the discrepancy between the second most chosen item, "Online Travel Booking", and the negligible response to price comparison sites, makes me wonder if Online Booking got a large boost from travel industry voters voting early and often. (Yes, it happens.)

From the consumer's end, the reason Online Booking is a great innovation is the ability to compare (and the travel industry competition that this leads to). Orbitz, Expedia, Kayak, I don't care. Prices for flights, hotels, cars vary WIDELY.

Posted By FirewindII on March 7, 2008, 7:33 AM

I can't even begin to calculate how much more FUN has been added to our travel planning with the Internet ... the on-line booking sites, Google Maps and searches that gives us ideas and information on places we would enjoy (or not!). Somehow it seems easier to slow down and enjoy the trip (and leave space for the spontaneous!) when you have a little more knowledge about what is ahead of you.

Posted By Teresa Evans on March 7, 2008, 12:18 PM

I voted for the most basic and primary innovation: widespread internet access. Without it, how the hell could you make on-line booking while on the road? post your pics on Flcker? keep in touch rapidly with your friends and family?

As for roller bags, I would rule it out since they were existing way before 10 years ago, so it should not count as a so-called "innovation".

Posted By Gen on March 13, 2008, 1:11 PM

I love the rollerbags but if it weren't for travel guides, tips, and forums, there would be no need for roller bags. I had to go with TripAdvisor.

Posted By Kristi Snider on March 14, 2008, 1:27 AM

Even though the rollor bags are marvelous, for us it is HomeExchange that is the best innovation. We had six swaps since 2005 and for long periods. We saw countries we could not have seen otherwise as the euro is so high. Also, we made friends (internationally), who enriched our culture.
We have another one summer 08. Looking forward to the next one. The most economical innovation in the travel business and enrichement experience.
Louise
Québec

Posted By Louise on March 20, 2008, 10:59 AM

While I can see how the internet and TripAdvisor can help you plan and efficiently budget, most of the innovations listed really don't have an impact on budget.

Using budget as my most significant criteria in evaluating the list, I cast my vote for home exchanging.

My husband and I have traded our two vacation rental properties on Sanibel Island, Florida for fabulous "free" accomodations world wide. You can't get better than "free"!

Posted By Sylvia on March 20, 2008, 11:32 AM

Roller-bags ?!?! Yeah they're great, but there must be a LOT of OLD people voting here.

Posted By Rob on March 20, 2008, 12:41 PM

Home exchange is the global village come true! All at once we belong to a very friendly, understanding and helpful community of {mainly] teachers, artists and professionals, who are quite happy to give us a peek into their private life. After three fabulous French exchanges we are about to go for the Big Apple next summer [Park Avenue no less]. A very exciting and inviting innnovation, this home exchange, using the net as it should be used.

Gustaaf Stuiveling, Amsterdam

Posted By gustaaf stuiveling on March 20, 2008, 1:19 PM

Actually, most of the points are pretty terrific!
Thanks.

Posted By Bryna Weiss on March 20, 2008, 1:53 PM

We have done 71 exchanges in the past 16 years (HomeExchange.com and HomeLink.com) and Gustaaf in Amsterdam is correct: 'truly a global village come true.' And we had the same caution when we started exchanging as everyone does, i.e. "You mean you are going to let people you don't know into your home?" The answer is: "Yes, we are" and...after all those exchanges nothing broken, nothing stolen and many of our closest friends now are those we have exchanged with.
Joe Stevens
(PS: Gustaaf, we've got an Amsterdam exchange coming up in 3 months!)

Posted By Joe Stevens on March 20, 2008, 2:41 PM

Home Exchange.com is the greatest boon to travel since the invention of flight itself. A much superior holiday option that gives you all the comfort of home and the way to affordable travel whilst having someone else in your home to guard against the empty house problem. It gets my vote over all else.

Posted By Anne Ragan on March 20, 2008, 6:12 PM

I vote for HomeExchange.com. We have belonged since 1999. We have been able to travel further, stay longer, and have very comfortable homes to stay in. No need to take a lot of clothes as there is always a washer/dryer. We are looking forward to more home exchanges.

Posted By Carol Lahser on March 20, 2008, 7:37 PM

Most of the comments are valid, BUT ,if you cant afford to travel because of accomodation costs, and are past backpacking,everything else is irrelevant.HOME EXCHANGE is the greatest incentive to explore the Globe,share cultures,and enjoy a high standard while doing so. Freindships are made, its the BEST. Franma.

Posted By Fran Rabbitts on March 20, 2008, 8:24 PM

Just to prove us right about home exchange and the global village it represents, JOE STEVENS, come over for a coffee when you have your Amsterdam exchange. ID 68616.
Roller bags never share local knowledge over a cup of coffee.
But I won't vote twice.

Gustaaf Stuiveling, Amsterdam

Posted By Gustaaf W. Stuiveling on March 21, 2008, 5:17 PM

Nothing beats free accommodation and free vehicles. I'm exchanging homes (it can be done with apartments and rented accommodation as well) with a family in Europe. I get a free house, unlimited use of a campervan and car and mountain bikes. They get mine whilst at my place. It means that instead of a quick tour of Europe I can extend to a long term stay and use up the full 90 day allowance in Schengen States. As well, I get to become a 'local' and mix in with the local community.
Home exchange wins it for me.

Posted By RGA Australia on March 21, 2008, 6:25 PM

Home exchange via the Internet has totally expanded our travel options. Since joining HomeExchange.com 3 years ago, we have stayed in 10 exchange properties throughout Europe, South America and Australia for between 2 weeks and a month apiece, experienced these places in depth, and become friends with some of our exchange partners. It has immeasurably enriched our lives and we even judge a prospective real estate purhase partly by how good a home exchange vehicle it would be. Home exchangers take better care of one's property than a tenant would and, to quote a lady pictured on the web site sitting by her swimming pool with her magnificent mansion looming in the background, "Someone is not going to travel 35,000 miles to steal your silver."

Posted By William M. Reynolds on March 22, 2008, 12:05 AM

I think that HOME EXCHANGE is a marvellous programme, for those who really want to travel and see the places from inside. I have travelled widely all over the world, and when I exchanged homes, the trip was much better, in every sense. Thanks!

Posted By carlos facello on March 22, 2008, 6:13 PM

We are currently spending 5 months in San Francisco thanks to a Home exchange with our house in France - a superb - and cheap - way of seeing the world and stepping into somebody else's life. Can't recommend it highly enough.
Will be doing this every year when we retire!

Posted By Bente EVANS on March 23, 2008, 11:54 PM

since many years we travel with home exchange and are very happy by this way of discovering peolple and country in the world

Posted By le berre on March 24, 2008, 5:00 AM

Home exchange . Knowing the world is great, the world and the people is better . Exchanging homes is the way to discover , and find one's place anywhere and build strong relationship . Children love it who find new friends : they can speak any language and find new games...
Home exchange is a window opened on the world with friends all around .

Posted By michele et jean-francois catelin on March 24, 2008, 7:29 AM

I voted before looking at the results. It was a tough choice between rolling baggage and Home exchange. I see that the majority agrees! And those suitcases have been around for at least 28 years. I got my first one the year my daughter was born, when I realized the best way to trek the baby around to the relatives abroad was a baby carrier (you forgot those!) and rolling suitcase. I don't know about disposable underwear, but disposable diapers, definitely!

Posted By Mimi Expat on March 24, 2008, 9:00 AM

I am amazed at the people who voted for roller bags. Your poll said 'last 10 years' so they don't count.
Home exchanging is by far the best thing to happen, although they have been around for more than 10 years too.
What other travel gimic can save you enormous amounts of money? It allows you to stay in homes that would cost $300 to $2,000 or more per day....free. It is the only way to travel.

Posted By Jill Lewis on March 26, 2008, 1:38 PM

I take exception to the reader who said that it must be "fat, lazy Americans" who would vote for the roller bags. I know they are used universally except by those who seem to delight in knocking people down with the huge backpacks they swing around without regard to whomever is standing nearby. Those travellers are all over, too.

Posted By E Jackson on March 28, 2008, 2:29 PM

Near global internet access gets my vote. I can and do, check work and personal email, using Skype make cheap phone calls, pay my bills (makes no difference if I am at home or around the world it is equally painful), log on to travel sites to get information and change reservations, upload photos along the way, login to my bank account to transfer money from savings to checking when I spend to much, get help with language translation and local customs, and using a couple of wireless webcams on my home computer can check the house while I am away.

Very very few places I have been do not have an internet connection.

Posted By D Halverson on May 22, 2008, 12:46 PM

The internet is the best addition to traveling EVER. I know so few people that travel as much as I do, so being able to find numerous sources of information, chat rooms and the ability to book everything from hotel rooms, rental cars, airline and even entertainment and tours makes planning a great vacation so much easier. I am now traveling excessively around Central and South America and there is so much information available...and every where I go in South America there are Internet Cafe's so I don't even have to carry a computer with me to stay up to the minute on all my travel pans and information.

Posted By Jackie Butts on May 22, 2008, 4:54 PM

We just bought new rolling suitcases because the 10 year warranty on ours ran out. And we are not great at innovating. While the internet is available everywhere, it is not free/cheap nor fast in many places (northern Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand),etc. International cell phones are convenient if you travel overseas, but costs have made that nearly prohibitive in the past year. For me, a regular Joe who likes to travel, TripAdvisor has been invaluable in feeling confident enough to plan our own interaries, across the country or across the world. We have traveled to places far and near based on those reviews (from down the road to Orlando to down under in NZ). I am using it now to plan our driving trip through Utah and Colorado this summer. Thanks, TripAdvisor!!

Posted By Monica on May 22, 2008, 8:32 PM

The best travel innovation for me is a small CPAP machine. Trust me, if you need one, the new small ones make a huge difference.

Posted by Roger on May 22, 2008,7:35PM

Posted By Roger on May 22, 2008, 8:33 PM

Roller bags are the worst travel invention. People don't store them in their "own" space directly above them or under the seat in front. They encourage overpacking. And in response to the person who has a problem with backpacks (and I'm talking an Eastpack or Jansport you would send your kid to school with, not something you can put a body in)I've been taken down or blocked by many more rollies who don't remember that they suddenly have a trailer behind them. If you're not fit enough to carry your own stuff you have a problem packing. A 120 lb female can travel trans-atlantic for 2 weeks with a school kid's backpack, I've done it and I could carry it witout inconveniencing anyone else.

Posted By Ness on May 23, 2008, 12:11 PM

E Jackson criticizes backpack users for swinging them around with little disregard for those around them. It seems to me the bigger problem I face in airports (and my daily commute in the City in general) are people towing their wheelie bags several feet behind them into crowds. Can't count how many times I've been clipped, or almost tripped on a bag that didn't seem to have an owner anywhere near it.

Posted By Anthony F on May 28, 2008, 4:05 PM

Geez, you would think an article about travel innovations would be harmless, right? No, there have to be posts offensive to women, fat people, the elderly, lazy people, and everyone's favorite whipping boy, Americans. Rollaboards are an innovation that will be used by everyone at some point in our lives. Give it a rest. You'll get old, too, hopefully. But then I guess, you'll just stay home, right, because you can't carry a backpack anymore?

People are inconsiderate whether they are carrying backpacks and don't take them off or they wheel their luggage when other people aren't looking where they're walking. Stop stereotyping and acting like pompous, self-important jerks.

Posted By jennifer on May 30, 2008, 1:33 AM

Quick drying nylon or polypro fabrics make traveling for months a breeze. A wind shell, a fleece layer for warmth, three pairs of polypro undies, three pairs of socks, one pair of dark slacks and one pair of gray slacks, four shirts -- nylon or whatever ... and a toothbrush. Wear a blazer and your walking shoes ... What else would one need, save a digital camera. You could even skip the roller bag. Don't forget a sink stopper and a length of clothesline.
After all, you're not leaving civilization ... you're searching for it.
Happy trails!!!

Posted By GR on June 3, 2008, 12:30 PM

I have to say, regrettably, that some idiots will use even this innocent survey to be nasty and critical. What has happened to people? Or were they always that way? They are only able to do it because they can hide behind their computers. What happened to kindness and courtesy? Replaced by get out of my way, I guess.

Anyway, I vote for the roller bag as I have two hip replacements and even I can "carry" my suitcase, like when I go to Germany this Fall.

Posted By Suzanne on June 7, 2008, 1:16 PM