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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I’ve got all these holiday toiletries but still somehow have nothing!

256 replies

everylittlethingis · 03/08/2026 12:42

I go away in three weeks. I like to take everything away with me because the last thing I want to be doing is running to a pharmacy to grab paracetamol or something.

I have somehow accumulated all of this during the last couple of months but also somehow have nothing. No meds or anything like that.

Both airports have the 2L rule as opposed to the 100ml.

AIBU to still feel entirely lost?!

I’ve got all these holiday toiletries but still somehow have nothing!
OP posts:
Original poster
everylittlethingis · 04/08/2026 15:39

Bjorkdidit · 04/08/2026 15:32

Plus in 10 days, apart from the suncream, you'll use hardly any of it so most of it will get wasted.

Bollocks.

It all lasts, but I use most of it twice a day!

OP posts:
Sakura7 · 04/08/2026 16:42

Imightbeinthewronghere · 04/08/2026 13:50

A fever is just the bodies way of responding, so take it it will bring your temp down, it won't cure what is causing the temp

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It will take the temp down and make you feel better. That's the whole point. I don't know why you have an issue with people bringing completely normal medication away.

I got a nasty cold when I was on holiday in Greece recently. It came on late on the Saturday and the pharmacies were closed on Sunday. Supermarkets didn't sell medication. I was glad I had some basic stuff I could take to feel better. There's really no virtue in suffering.

The main issue here is OP's toiletries. Basic medication doesn't take up much space at all unless she's bringing large quantities. A sleeve of each item is fine.

Shinyhappyapple · 04/08/2026 18:12

catmothertes1 · 03/08/2026 17:02

I'm French,so go to France for our main holiday as we need to visit my elderly mother. I take supermarket bought painkillers which cost 40p in Aldi but are only available at the chemist in France (supermarkets are not allowed to sell medicines),antihistamines (again not sold cheaply) and cold/flu powders which seem to not be sold,even at the chemists.

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yes, a lot cheaper and easier to buy in the UK and don’t take up a lot of room. Also sometimes things such as ibuprofen are a different strength - ours are normally 200mg per tablet and we take 2. DH bought some in Spain and they were 600mg per tablet.

Original poster
everylittlethingis · 04/08/2026 19:44

Sakura7 · 04/08/2026 16:42

It will take the temp down and make you feel better. That's the whole point. I don't know why you have an issue with people bringing completely normal medication away.

I got a nasty cold when I was on holiday in Greece recently. It came on late on the Saturday and the pharmacies were closed on Sunday. Supermarkets didn't sell medication. I was glad I had some basic stuff I could take to feel better. There's really no virtue in suffering.

The main issue here is OP's toiletries. Basic medication doesn't take up much space at all unless she's bringing large quantities. A sleeve of each item is fine.

Show quote history

The thing is I can genuinely justify most of the toiletries I’m bringing.

I have ordered some squeezy bottles, I need just one (tried to find them on Vinted but I couldn’t!), for my aveeno body wash. It’s infuriating that it comes in such a big bottle, and they don’t do a travel sized one!

OP posts:
cardibach · 04/08/2026 20:05

@everylittlethingis you don’t have to justify anything. It’s your holiday and your packing. People are just pointing out that you are stressing when you ckearly have loads. A simplified version of your normal routine (if it’s complicated enough to need simplifying) and a rew basic medications (painkillers, antihistamine, Imodium if you are going somewhere likely to cause digestive issues or if you have a delicate stomach). It doesn’t need hundreds of bottles as in your picture, which you say is still ‘nothing’.

iamnotalemon · 05/08/2026 07:36

Annocrates · 04/08/2026 09:24

I flew from an airport with no 100ml restrictions but as I used most of the items up, the rest fit easily in the 100ml clear bag on the way back. The vast majority of what I packed was mini/travel size or half empty/running out products. All of this fit into two large cosmetic pouches that I ended up filling with Italian food on the way back 🤷‍♀️

Edited
Show quote history

That makes sense then. Fitting everything into the little bags is such a pain, but I prefer to travel light if I can so manage.

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