Help me pack ten days in ryan air under Seat

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To do a ten day holiday in europe with ryan air under Seat hand luggage only. I think I can do it but I have been met with FURIOUS resistance from people saying it’s impossible. Please tell me your best packing hacks for the smallest hand luggage. I can wash clothes six days in so that feels inmediately like only a six day holiday…. Help!

We do this regularly as Ryanair can bore off with their ridiculous charges. I use those vacuum packing cubes which are brilliant if you are just going to one destination.

You don't need as many shoes as you think.

I buy all bulky toiletries (shampoo/shower stuff/sun cream etc) either airside in departures or in local supermarkets when I get there. I wear anything bulky I want to take with me such as denim jackets/chunky sandals/hats etc to save space.

Check to see what is at your accommodation such as hairdryers etc. We have 'approved' sized backpacks from Amazon and they have straps on to compress it once you've zipped it up - they are actually surprisingly spacious and I honestly don't struggle for a hot weather trip now.

I hate to advertise Reddit but this is what the forum Her One Bag is great for.

I did 5 days in Malaga with Wizzair, hand luggage only and it was stressful. I wouldn't do it again. It was Jan/Feb so had to take more than we would have done had it been summer.

They were very very strict at the gate about checking and putting the bag in the measure thing. I don't think my bag would have got through it ... although it was the right dimensions originally, it had bulked out too much.

We were lucky though .. they pulled over the woman in front of me so they were concentrating on her whilst I skimmed past. On our return the guy on the speedy boarding couldn't give a toss about bags ... the lady on our queue was super strict but then the speedy boarding ended and we skirted over to him. Result. But not worth the stress IMO.

This.

I find one of the bonuses of being on holiday is no cooking, cleaning or laundry. Why on earth does anyone want to be hand washing clothes in a sink? I also don’t get the whole rewearing dresses/skirts/shorts multiple times. If you don’t normally handwash or wear the same handful of clothes all week at home, why do it on holiday??

This. Pay for a bag rather than not wearing things that bring you joy

I'll chuck in the vinted hack. Post a pile of stuff to a locker at your destination for a few quid, then post it back to yourself at the end.

Do you have to sell it to yourself on Vinted first to do that?

It’s not difficult if you’re careful which bag. I’ve seen some chunky looking bags on eBay recently which claim to be Ryanair approved. Also this one https://eu.eastpak.com/en-gb/products/cabin-pak-r-ek0a5bkd5v8

That bag is 40x25 x20, whereas you are allowed 40x30x20.

Wear one outfit, pack for 3 other days, wash tops and underwear twice instead of just the once. I cannot bring myself to care about trying to wear different outfits on different days. Who's counting? Just rewear.

It sounds like you are going somewhere hot. If you favour long dresses, maybe travel in one, packing a light pair of trousers and a pair of shorts. The default is to travel in jeans but all too often I find I only wear them on the plane, so better not to bring them at all. I also always overpack socks - if you're going to live in sandals most of the week, you don't need many socks.

My daughter is a supreme light packer, so many of her hot weather clothes are little dresses and vest tops that fold up to nothing at all. Oh to be 18.

I don't see the point of buying toiletries out there either, but hand washing is no big deal and only takes what, 10 mins max? It seems so much easier to me than lugging 10 days worth of clothes around. It's different if you are travelling with kids and having to find multiple clean outfits every day, but for one person washing a top, vest top, pair of knickers and a bra is trivial.

The ryanair bag really is tiny though. As PP said, think of it as a very short holiday on repeat.

I've just done 5 days with a small bag , didn't bother packing toiletries just one lipstick . Had my eyelashes dyed before I went away. I bought one sun cream at the airport which I made sure to use up. I used hotel toiletries and hotel beach towel .

Is thrifty and light packing the new MN chicken?

There is no way this lot is fitting in an underseat/ overhead bag.

You can have s duty free bag as well

This! Why add so much stress to what’s meant to be a break away? When I go away, I want to wear my nice clothes and feel good, not be miserably re-wearing a top I’ve spilt coffee on or washing my knickers in the sink every night.

I don't buy new knickers only to chuck after one wear... But this reminds me that I do sometimes deliberately pack old knickers that were earmarked for the bin, wear those and then throw them away. Because I was going to throw them away anyway so may as well get one last wear out of them.

I mean this definitely is, it’s a very small amount of clothes.
I’ve used the free bags to do 4 day and I’ve included fresh clothes for every day including evening outfits, spare shoes, a pair of heel sandals and an air wrap.

I’ve done a week with a hand luggage back pack, it’s so much easier than lugging cases around and waiting for baggage etc. I don’t recall having to wash pants but did wash leggings and thin T-shirts. You need to travel in your thickest clothes so I would travel in a hoody and coat if taking. There are toiletries in hotels so I don’t bother with those, I take samples and travel pots of skin care and make up, primark do travel sets for a £1. Just need phone and a charger, passport and any meds all of which can go in your coat pockets. I think the thing that would be a struggle is suncream because of the 100ml limit for hand luggage through security so you’d have to buy that in the airport or at your destination.

I only do suitcases now if it’s a package and it’s included and I’ll be waiting around anyway, but then I take loads of crap I don’t need.

Yes, but they don't let you shove a load of packing in it as it won't fit under the seat next to your under seat bag. I flew last week and they were checking what was in the carrier bags as they say it must only contain Duty Free items. You can be unlucky and get a jobsworth.

To the person who corrected me on weight - I meant don't take bulky toiletries rather than heavy as such.

I just wouldn't want to do this for such a long trip. We flew to Eindhoven last week (only choice was Ryanair from Stansted or Manchester) and we just paid for the family upgrade to get small hold suitcases and a large hold bag. We only used 2 of the bags but it was so much less stressful. The flight itself was cheap.

Which airline?

I also because easyJet lets you have a full on suitcase with 30ltr capacity.

Link

I've done 4 days with one of those. The Ryanair ones are max 24ltr.

I’d like to know what people do with the stuff they buy in duty free or Boots at the airport, or at the resort, when it comes to the flight home? Do you leave it behind?

Ryanair.

Oooh thanks for this thread OP as we’re doing Ryanair later in year and DH reckons he can do 4 nights either for Berlin in his free under seat case.

If you achieve this OP then you are a friggin goddess and my hero of all time 😁

But can you then buy bits airside and carry as extra or does literally everything even a sandwich you buy in boots, have to fit in the bag?

Goddess is far from my mind when picturing someone stood at a hotel sink scrubbing their knickers.