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Original poster

To take 5kg of hand luggage only on beach holiday?

150 replies

Contactlass · 04/08/2017 00:22

Admit I'm rather tight but I love getting a bargain flight and feel a bit duped (never flown with this one before..just assumed 10kg). £75 to add in hold now.

Anyway I also love a challenge. Is it do-able?

OP posts:
LoniceraJaponica · 04/08/2017 13:31

I don't think I have seen foundation in bottles larger than 100 ml. Do you really need it if you are mainly cycling and swimming? People won't be looking at your face anyway.

People querying the Thomsons 5kg limit - it really is 5kg. We flew with them this week.

youarenotkiddingme · 04/08/2017 13:31

This thread has just made something dawn on me!

I take 20kg between ds and I including toiletries.

With 10kg hand luggage allowance I should be able to avoid the whole hold luggage thing!

JustDanceAddict · 04/08/2017 13:33

True re Kindle. I used to take so many books.

altiara · 04/08/2017 13:33

Went to Greece in June and our hand luggage was weighed just before we got on the plane. Because we were about to get on the plane we literally took coats/laptops out of hand luggage, had bag reweighed (8kg allowance) and then put it all back in 3 steps away, so was very strange! (Was for work and raining in Athens if you're wondering about the coat and laptop!) (and it was agean airlines flying from Heathrow).
Good luck!

JustDanceAddict · 04/08/2017 13:34

Remind me never to fly w Thomson.

fluffydogs · 04/08/2017 13:55

I've just got one of these, should be perfect
I always buy my toiletries on holiday anyway so you'll be fine!

To take 5kg of hand luggage only on beach holiday?
LoniceraJaponica · 04/08/2017 13:56

We take hold luggage anyway, so the 5kg limit isn't an issue. OH has a CPAP machine that uses up his hand luggage allowance, so we might as well just go the whole hog and use our hold luggage allowance of 15kg. DD was asking me what people took on holiday to go over 15kg. Our 3 cases totalled 34kg together and we weren't being careful.

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 04/08/2017 14:12

We only travel with hand luggage amount (although slightly odd DH then puts it in the hold). If you roll everything in one roll (commando roll?) and press down to compress as you go, you can get loads in.

No idea why we travel so light as DH invariably buys a hold allowance. It seems some (insane) badge of honour.....

Socksey · 04/08/2017 14:13

Yup.... I only ever travel with cabin baggage.... even with baby/small children. It's cheaper to buy toiletries and if necessary a towel at destination than to check a bag in. Wear any jacket or heavy shoes.... easy to then pack a second pair of shoes... 5 pants, t-shirts, dress or two etc... rolling stuff helps. Makeup etc is usually in less than 100ml containers so pack into a clear bag (easy access).... some airline require your handbag to be put into your handbaggage, so take that into account.. .. if not it's a good place to put your clear bag etc... a book can go in your coat pocket (as could your clear bag of stuff)... don't forget your phone charger and converter

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 04/08/2017 14:16

With left over toiletries e.g. Shampoo I would think best to leave them in your hotel bathroom. I bet it's seen as one of the perks of the cleaning staff (and their friends and family). Better than pouring it down the drain.

LittleWingSoul · 04/08/2017 14:19

Sarong/Pareo/hippie sheet for the beach... so much lighter than even a camping towel and actually a lot more practical for the beach as dry out really quickly when you're in and out of the sea and when you air it at the end of the day.

flickertee · 04/08/2017 14:29

I was literally about to post this....

"I'm a regular flyer and have flown many airlines. They don't weigh hand luggage really, the only time this has happened to me is when I flew Thomson"

Then I read your update! Grin

They are very strict but IIRC they only weighed it at check in (I had to do the awkward shuffle things from hand luggage to hold luggage on the floor of check in Angry) and didn't weigh it again so you should be able to sneak some duty free in once past security etc.
I don't think they have weigh scales at the actual gates (? Maybe someone will correct me on this)

Am never flying thompson again btw 🙄

Minkyfluffster · 04/08/2017 15:10

During the Terminal 5 luggage drama I went to Thailand for 2 weeks with just hand luggage, you can do it.

Don't take any bottles or product that you can buy there, just basic makeup in your handbag. Don't take towels, don't take outfits for every day, you can rinse in the sink in the hotel and iron.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/08/2017 15:22

I did round the world for a year once and our challenge was for bags to weigh less each airport. I ended up with, I think, about 15kg and that was including an old school heavy rucksack. And I carried a first aid kit.

As others have said, a sarong is your friend. Scarf, towel, sheet, sunshade, dress and skirt all in one. I have a couple of really pretty ones in different sizes.

You can be like my frankly obsessed Navy uncle who drills holes in toothbrushes.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/08/2017 15:23

Oh and I've had hand luggage weighed. But only on a sea plane, which I think is fair enough!

anothermalteserplease · 04/08/2017 16:13

It's definitely possible. I only take hand luggage now. When I look back I always took way too much. Now I really think about what I want to wear and pack that. Plus spare pants. I always take spare pants!

WaxOnFeckOff · 04/08/2017 16:18

Coat with big pockets? Flip flops in pocket, heavier shoes on.

TroubleinDaFamily · 04/08/2017 16:58

I feel like such a failure........... Grin

Our hold allowance was 138 kg.

We have barely hit 60.

#epicfail.

Gibble1 · 04/08/2017 17:44

We've just flown with Thomson. Hand luggage was weighed in the way back but not on the way out. No clue how kids got passed it as DS had a bag full of books and I didn't realise there was a limit.
We had less than 60kg though from an allowance of 80kg. We were mindful of the tiny hire car we were getting!

AndNowItIsSeven · 04/08/2017 17:48

You can take a handbag in addition to hand luggage, mine weighed 3.5 kilos Grin

AndNowItIsSeven · 04/08/2017 17:51

LoniceraJaponica Medical equipment does not count as hand luggage. What airline told you it did?

LoniceraJaponica · 04/08/2017 20:27

No-one did. I just assumed. TBH I have never flown with an airline that has charged extra for hold luggage, so we have always taken it, but never reached the maximum limit.

ForalltheSaints · 04/08/2017 20:38

No problem if you are going to sunbathe with little or nothing on and are prepared to buy towel and toiletries there. Better the local economy jas your business than the tight fisted airline.

user1497997754 · 04/08/2017 20:40

When I book flight only always just do hand luggage...easy...just use common sense with what you take...great when you arrive as no waiting for luggage and its just easier less choice of what to wear etc

AndNowItIsSeven · 04/08/2017 20:40

Lonicera ahh that's good , was getting annoyed on your behalf.