To think it can't be done (holiday packing)

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

Argh. Dh has just looked at my pile(s) of packing for one week in France. He has just informed me that he has not booked us any luggage allowance (flying Ryanair).

So I have to pack for two adults, dd (3) and ds (8 months) using only two carry on cases and dd's trunkii (sp?)

Never mind that they both have emollient creams and suncreams that is easily bigger than 100ml

Is he being overly optimistic or am I being a bit high maintenance

[SarcyMare]

he is being stupid, send him back to get at least 1 suitcase

[PandasRock]

The creams bit could be tricky. You can get sun cream in France, though.

I have packed for 3 weeks in California in just carry on bags before now. And one of those bags had to be food, snacks and drinks for the flight, as dd1 had multiple allergies.

It is possible, as long as you can get the emollient creqms sorted.

Or look I to booking hold luggage now?

[TheAbominableWoman]

He's being overly optimistic. Even if you decant creams/toiletries, will you have enough to last the duration of the holiday?

You can still book hold luggage at this stage, surely?

[CMOTDibbler]

You need to book a hold bag. Actually, he needs to book one

[Brabra]

Are the emollient creams prescription? Because they will be allowed at any size. Get your sun cream there. Is the trunki as large as a regular carry-on case? I think it is easy to do, it is only one week and children's clothes are tiny!

[kslatts]

We have been for a week in Spain with only hand luggage before, but there were 4 of us and we were all able to take a case.

With your dc's being so young, it would be less stressful to just book a case to check in.

[meganorks]

You are dreaming! Or rather that is a nightmare! Book a suitcase now.

[HermioneWeasley]

Is it too late to book a hold bag (or 2?)

What you will save by taking your own sun cream (which otherwise you'll have to buy at the airport or resort and chuck on the way back due to liquid limits) will pay for the cost of a bag

[maddy68]

I never ever take a case. Just a cabin sized one that goes as hand luggage. The trick is rolling not lying flat. Roll them quite tightly and they don't crease either! Buy sun creams when you get there

[Lottiedoubtie]

Book a case or two. I just wouldn't do this not worth the stress.

[Tweetinat]

Just book a case in the hold - much less stressful, especially trying to get through security with three cases and two kids. We went away a few weeks ago to Portugal with one DS, one hold baggage, two carry on-s and a trunki and I wish I'd just booked one extra case in the hold.

[Shakirasma]

Those vacuum bags you can get are brilliant so you would be able to fit your stuff in the flight bags, the problem then though would be the weight. Get DH to book a hold bag.

[dexter73]

You can only take 10kg as hand luggage. That isn't very much. I would book an extra bag on.

[KokoLoko]

We recently had 10 days in Switzerland with the 4 of us (me, DH, DS1 3yo and DS2 20mo) and had 12kg of luggage so I'd say it was easily doable. We bought toiletries out there and took enough clothes for 5 days and washed them out as needed. None of us are very 'dressy' on holiday so we didn't take any particularly nice clothes so they might take up more room. We were travelling round by train so didn't want to carry too much stuff. If that's not a consideration though I'd see if you could book a bag just in case. I wouldn't worry if you can't though.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Packing cubes changed my life. Google them.

[specialsubject]

why are you packing for an adult?

[BerniceBroadside]

Fuck that shit.

Book hold luggage. It will save you spending half of the holiday hissing at dh, 'I told you we needed to pack xxx item'. And from paying £900 for sun cream and nappies in a resort.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I just went to China for three weeks with a carry-on sized backpack. And, I brought souvenirs back. However, I also spent far more than a bag in the hold of money on an expensive backpack and packing cubes. If it's a one-off, pay for an extra bag.

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

He still thinks this is doable. As we have a baby booked on we get can take on a 5kg nappy bag for him.

This will fix all our problems. We have access to a washing machine so his clothes will be jeans (wearing them), 3 x pairs of underpants, 3 x shirt (casual), 3 x socks and the footwear he wears onto the plane.

I know what he's like though he will want to take a ton of electrical crap too.

special I meant the packing is for two adults (me & dh) and two kids. Dh will pack his own bag though.

I'm not so much worried about the clothes it's all the extra crap you need with kids

[OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat]

Make your DH wear all the clothes he wants to take, with his shoes and other bits in his pockets.

The carry on bags allowed by Ryanair are a lot smaller than some of the other airlines, especially those which fly to the US.

And you have a baby with no luggage allowance that presumably needs nappies and feeding equipment etc etc etc. I bet you could fill all three 'allowed' cases with the baby stuff alone.

If you're used to shopping around here to get your suncream and other bits from cheap shops and supermarkets, the price difference in buying everything in a resort will mean that it is likely to be cheaper to pay for a case and take them with you. You can also bring things back, whereas if you don't have a hold case, you'll end up dumping half used bottles of shower gel, suncream etc, so more waste.

You need at least one hold case, or two if you like to take a choice of clothes/shoes etc and bring back souveniers or cheap alcohol.

[mummymeister]

why are you doing the packing then? If he thinks he can do it, get all the stuff out you need to take and say "there you are darling, now you get it to fit" and walk away. simple solution really. if he has never had to do it then he doesn't know how much you need so you are really doing him a favour by showing him/

[GirlOverboard]

Yeah I think the weight allowance might be your biggest problem. I'm doing hand luggage only for Ibiza this summer, but luckily I'm going with Easyjet who I don't think(?) have any weight restrictions on hand luggage.

I'm planning on wearing plenty of layers for the airport. And wearing a mac with lots of pockets to put stuff in. Stuff like sunscreen, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner I'll buy from Boots once I'm through security.

[paulapantsdown]

Why are you even discussing this? Just go online and book a bag if you think you need one (which you do). If your husband is being daft about the 20 quid or whatever then leave the bags for him to pack!

[MrsJossNaylor]

Really easily doable. Clothes weigh almost nothing and summer clothes roll up very small. Just buy suncream, nappies, shampoo etc when you get there. Far better than paying £70 or so for a hold bag. Wear your largest and heaviest clothes to fly in, and you're sorted.

(unless, of course, the cost of a hold bag is small change to you - if so, pay it. I speak as someone who could not afford to fly if I paid for baggage, so have had no option).

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

We are not doing a resort so will just be using the locals supermarket for essentials.

The fool refuses to be moved on this, combination of bloody mindedness, him being too right to pay of the bag and thinking I over pack everywhere we go (he may have a point on this one).

I'm going to take mummys advice put together everything we need and let him figure out how to get it on a plane. We are flying with MIL and FIL - I bet he has to ask them to pack extra items.