Help me pack ten days in ryan air under Seat

[Inheritednamechanged]

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!

I would not call it a stealth boast. If someone chooses not to fly, or not to support Ryanair because of their charges or another reason, their choice.

Christ alive there's some competitive superiority on this thread, whether about lightness of packing or the horrors of hand-washing 😂

We all have different holiday priorities and perceptions of what makes a holiday worthwhile. It feels as though a lot of people here have perhaps never had to scrimp and save money on a holiday - great for you guys, but some people genuinely do have to cut potentially cut-able costs in order to get to where they want to go. Personally I think it's a bit mean to have a go or take the piss out of them for that.

Coming on to a thread about how to fit items in Ryanair under seat and saying ‘I would never for Ryanair’ is a stealth boast and dull. Who cares? Fly another airline.

Buy toiletries there rather than taking with you

I don’t think the “I travel for six weeks with one pair of pants and pound them with my feet in the shower” people are poor at all. They sound like those tiresome cheapskate frequent travellers (and they’re always “travellers” not plain old holidaymakers) impacting normal flyers with their poor hygiene and silly packing tricks (“take spare Duty Free bag filled with clothes to dupe them!”).

I was once buttonholed in Bangkok airport by a pair of world-travelling retirees. They boasted of having one pair of drip-dry trousers each and how they were staying with friends and relatives all over the world. I can only imagine the glee of the hosts when Paul and Pat turn up, not to mention finding the trousers dripping away in the bathroom…

This

DP and I had the misfortune to go on holiday with one of them a few years ago.

We were part of a group of friends sharing an apartment and while we were in no way spendthrifts, it was clear there was a huge gap in expectations about what we'd do on holiday, eating out etc. For clarity, most Mumsnetters would consider our holiday basic and parsimous, but he was another level down.

He'd trawl round multiple bureau de change looking for better exchange rates that would have got him an extra euro, buy the cheapest food in the supermarket (sin queso is still an in joke for the cheapest available cheese slices, that can't legally be called cheese) and apparently didn't have any money available for the activities we'd agreed to do and we ended up paying the insurance excess and fuel on the car he wanted to hire because he just refused to pay it (a 'loan' that was never paid back).

I'm sure he was a 'won't pay' rather than a 'can't pay' because he'd willingly said he wanted to come on the holiday and take part in a couple of paid activities and his parents were far more well off than most in our social circle and despite working part time in a low paid job, he always seemed to be able to support himself and generally land on his feet - I strongly suggest he had a trust fund/parental support despite living away from home and in his 40s. I can only think that he was the type of 'traveller' referred to by @MaturingCheeseball - he definitely went 'travelling' a lot or possibly that there'd been some sort of fall out with his DPs and perhaps cut off his allowance.

What is a “coverup”? A cardigan?

The poster is probably referring to Primark’s cases with detachable wheels that are designed to fit under the seat. I have one (from another manufacturer). It measures 40x30x20 with the wheels removed so fits perfectly into the Ryanair sizer. I can fit everything in it I need to travel from one home to another. I’d struggle on a holiday where I needed to carry everything I needed with me, but kudos to those who can manage it, I wish I was that economical a packer!

The very first bit of this video might be an idea for you 😂
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2167586037358601

Haven't RTFT so not sure if anyone has shared this but it feels like it could be up your street!
holidayexpert.com/how-i-packed-for-a-3-day-holiday-in-a-tiny-uniqlo-sling-bag/

A lot of posters sound like they're not very used to flights or packing.

An underseat bag is fine for a 4 days or so if you pack smartly and don't have dc etc to worry about. Great to not have to wheel a case about the airport imo. And when I do take a cabin bag for longer trips (never take a hold bag unless I want to buy certain things) it feels like loads of room!

If you stay somewhere with a washing machine then even longer is doable with an underseat, surely. Washing and pegging out some clothes takes no time and unless you refuse to spend a second of your trip not relaxing I fail to see the issue. Not everyone goes away to waft around a resort in a series of outfits. Lovely if you want to, of course, but you can be low maintenance without being dirty.

I don't get what's so hard about doing ax wash when you're self catering.

Get up
Put wash on
Have breakfast and get ready
Sit on balcony with coffee
Hang up washing
Go out for the day
Come back and it's dry.
Why is that such a chore?

Don't take toiletries unless there is something you must have, get minis when at the destination.

Layers.

Honestly for 10 days I think I would take the extra hand luggage and cut the worry/have space to bring back something/not damage favourite clothes trying to compress them - managed to get a charger make holes in a favourite top this way.

But you can’t go out for the day as your one dress and pair of knickers are hanging up to dry 😂. Unless you’re in a naturist resort…

How does underseat packing work for men? Obviously boxer shorts are bigger than women’s pants…. I don’t want to imagine seven days of posing pouches… or perhaps like in films where men just put on their trousers after a night of passion; no hopping about struggling with socks and pants…

Just did one month in France with under seat backpack. Wearing: trousers, long sleeved t-shirt, hoodie, denim jacket, trainers. In bag: underwear, swimsuit, kaftan, t-shirt, travel skirt, cotton dress, sandals, scarf, sunhat, rain poncho. washing at end of each week. phone, kindle, sunglasses, make-up bag, toothbrush, phone charger. Can't see the problem - pack for one week and repeat outfits!

I suppose it depends where you are going but the toiletries in Spain at Mercadona, Spar,Aldi and Lidl are the same prices as at home. If we have a villa or an apartment we are going in for bread and milk etc anyways so it’s no problem to get toiletries. I decant any special branded stuff I need into tiny pots. Ive not yet done a week with just the underseat bag but recently did for the two of us, 2 underseat bags and 1x10kg to share and brought back unused stuff so I bet I could do it if I tried. Especially if I get two new underseat cases in the new bigger Ryanair size

@Socialclimber12 I didn't realise the Ryanair bag's got bigger. Thanks, good spot.

Would it help to book an extra " comfort seat",?
Can you do that with a basic charge?
Would you then be allowed another under seat bag ?
Would this be cheaper then hold luggage?
Don't all shout at me , I'm just thinking aloud.

@Derecho

Yes it’s supposed to give you 20% more packing space.
Dimensions
40 cm × 25 cm × 20 cm old allowance
40 cm × 30 cm × 20 cm new allowance

trouble is my cabin max old size are still in good condition so I can’t justify upgrading the bag just yet

Also, wear a coat with pockets even if it’s a warm day in the UK and you’re going to a warm country. It will give you a few extra pockets. Check whether your hotel provides things like shampoo etc and don’t take it if it does. If you’re taking a hat, wear it. Wear all your heaviest clothes. Consider buying some of those plastic packing cubes where you can suck the air out of them to save space in your case. I’ve heard some people buy something cheap in duty free before they leave and then put a few things in it but I’m not sure about that because our local one seals them after you purchase 🤔 🤔

There are quite a few bargainous ones on Vinted.

I may have spoken too soon - apologies - they're mostly the old size. I'll slink off with my tail between my legs.

I can easily pack for for a few days, including a couple of books, into the Ryan Air bag., if it's a hot destination. I invested in a bag from Amazon with the right dimensions and it's amazing how much you can fit in it. I also took one of those uniqlo cross body bags to put my passport/phone/book etc in and nobody challenged me on it, and even if they had it can be squeezed into the main bag. Then you have a handbag for use on holiday too.

But actually, I packed loads into their previous size, so I think I'll still use mine. T