Do I need a travel backpack or a suitcase?

The deciding factor is terrain, not general preference. A wheeled suitcase is more comfortable on smooth terminal floors and pavement, since it carries its own weight. A backpack wins on stairs without a lift, cobblestones, unpaved ground, or any stretch where wheeling simply isn’t an option.

Suitcase-style travel backpacks — with a full front panel that opens flat rather than a top-loading design — bridge the gap reasonably well: they can be carried by their top handle like a case on flat ground, and worn properly the moment the terrain stops cooperating.

If most of a trip involves smooth airport floors, city pavements and hotel lobbies, a suitcase is the more comfortable default. If the itinerary includes older towns with cobblestones, hiking-adjacent activities, or transport that involves real walking with the bag, a backpack — ideally a suitcase-style one — is the safer choice.

For a first hand-luggage-only trip without a clear sense of the terrain involved, a suitcase-style backpack is the more flexible option of the two.