Travelling with hand luggage only

Oh dear, no I don't, and I admire everyone who manages it! Good luck, loopy! It will be interesting to hear how you get on....

I try and stick with few colours, say... black or navy, plus white and taupe.
Everything goes with everything else.
One pair comfy shoes that I wear while travelling and one pair pretty but comfy, both flat. Only light trousers and longish tops which roll up for packing. Buy toiletries to share with dh when you get there. Nivea does a shower gel that has a 24 hour moisturiser. Just use the jewellery that you wear while travelling, perhaps one change of earrings. Pearl studs go with everything.
Travel size hairdryer and straighteners (M & S)
Lightweight cross body bag.
Wear when travelling any cardi or jacket. I use a big wrap pashmina instead.
Roll up sun hat or buy a cheapie when you get there.
Have a great time.

That all sounds good! It's amazing how little you actually need, and quite liberating once you get onboard (no pun intended) with it! I'd just add that if you're flying with Easyjet or Ryanair they usually make you put your handbag in the case for boarding, so make sure you leave a little bit of room.

One thing to remember loopylou, is that no one but you will remember if you wear exactly the same thing every night when eating out. ( and maybe DD of course but she won't mind anyway. )

When DD1 and family stay with us, she manages with one carry one bag. So do SiL and DGS. I can do washing for them which makes a difference.

DGD however needs a proper suitcase even for only three or fourvdays. I think she might take after me.

When you pack your toiletries, remember that they all have to fit into a 1 litre see-through plastic bag, including your cosmetics like lipstick. There isn't much that you can't buy at your destination, though I often go to the airside branch of Boots to pick up some toothpaste.

My bottle of lactulose would take up the whole luggage allowance!

You are usually allowed a 'handbag/laptop bag when it says hand luggage only ,then make it a rucksack you'll be amazed how much you can get in them. I put my handbag inside the rucksack when I travel with just hand luggage .

Wear as much as you can, with as many pockets as you can, so you can stuff pack as much as you can in pockets

Oh gosh, I'd have to do without my DSLR camera and just take my small one instead

I made a 'sod off Ryanair jacket', sleeveless but with zipped pockets on the inside. I put as many of my clothes (in zipped plastic bags squeezed flat) as I can in the pockets. This leaves space in the carry-on case for all the things the DGS's have asked me for. On my last flight I managed a few more kilos in the pockets - made me look a little larger but it was worth it ! It is a good idea to take non-crease clothes though !
Ryanair no longer make you put your handbag in the case as long as it conforms to their 'extra bag' size. A small rucsac (mine is from Decathlon) is the right size and can be packed pretty full !

As far as I know, prescription medicines - such as inhalers - don't count among the permitted liquids. My big bottle of Gaviscon would make a big hole in my allowance! I usually decant some into a smaller bottle if I'm going away for a short period.

On sunday I'm flying away for 2 weeks with just hand luggage. The reason? It was going to cost 50% more than the flight cost to add a hold bag for the 3 separate flights involved (Easyjet)
I have been practising packing for the last week and have, I think, got it taped. I had planned on a jacket with pockets, as above, but think I can manage without. You never need as much as you think : apart from what I will be wearing, I have 2 bras, 3 pants, 2 pr shorts, 3 trousers, 4 t shirts, one dress, 1 dressy top, 1 jumper, flip flops, 1 pr shoes, wash stuff, pills and potions in plastic bag, camera, iPad, plugs, small handbag, purse, specs x2, pashmina and I still have a tiny space left for whatever it is I may have forgotten {phew} I roll most of it, stuff things in shoes and in the corners of the bag. The only downside is that I won't be able to bring anything home with me, which perhaps, is no bad thing.....

.... and a swimsuit

Have a lovely time

Thank you so much everyone!
I'm going to have to have a practice session or two I think!

Have a lovely holiday Marmight
I like the idea of a jacket with big pockets too - I might look like a Michelin man but I never was a fashion guru, hey ho!

I travelled to South Africa for 3 weeks recently with hand luggage only - in a hot country you can "wash and wear" My tip is to take stuff that you can roll up.

I did also take a back pack.

Mind you, husband, who took a large bag, had to bring all my purchases back!

I have just come back from Majorca after 6 days and I managed quite well with hand luggage bag only,I was't convinced at first when DS2 told me that was the allowance or pay £30.00 per suitcase
I took 1 pair of linen pants 3/4/4 floaty light tops/1 x maxi dress/a pashmina and wore my light weight jacket & 3/4 jeans,I decided I was not sunbathing so did not bother with swim suit etc,just remember to put all liquids in your case together in a see through bag,we found on the flight back Ryan Air checked in all our cabin bags at no extra charge as they had loads of space on the return flight not often you get anything for free off them.Hubby took a small flight bag but he could pack his stuff in a plastic bag and have enough he's easily pleased.

Make sure you have a padlock on your hand luggage. Ryanair took our hand luggage off us and put it in the hold as the overhead lockers were full so they said. We had paid for hold luggage as well; they seemed to pick people at random.
We had no padlocks on our hand luggage, I panicked as it had medication, jewellery, a kindle in mine. It was fine but it made us very anxious to start off our holiday.

We paid £60 for one piece of hold luggage!

The only problem will coming back, with your shopping.

Good idea rosequartz
I need to measure my small suitcase as flying out with Monarch and back with Iberia so might have different regulations re:size.
10kgs weight allowed (DH says I usually take double that in hold luggage, he's waiting to see if I survive with one small bag!)

We'll buy toiletries etc when we get there I think.
It would be great if all the airlines agreed on the same

I thought about that jingl, DD will keep me in check

Thanks everyone, really helpful x

My stuff is all over the spare bed, I will have to go and prune it I think!

grannyknot I am so impressed, please come and help me

We often got four a few nights and we take one small case each as hand luggage. I am a 'just in case' person too but it's surprising how much you can cram into those small cases.

DH is just as bad as me, he's just said he couldn't do it

I'm staggered at how much stuff he thinks he'll need for a week in Spain, the last time we went away ...he packed a big case and a small one just for him.
Perhaps over-packing is contagious