AIBU to worry about taking enough sunscreen in cabin luggage?

[MissingPiecess]

I've never been overseas before.
Going to Greece in 2 days with 2 little DC.
Easyjet.
We are taking cabin luggage only.
100mls restriction for any lotions.
I am really worried about sunscreen for DC.
What do people do?? I00mls sunscreen wont last 2 weeks for both DC, as I'm planning on smothering them in it every couple of hours and every time they get out of sea.
I've been told it's twice the price or poor quality to buy in Crete.
Can i buy it at Gatwick or will they ban me from taking it on the plane?

Greek babies do not get smothered in suntan lotion - they are kept in the shade or inside during the hottest part of the day. (I lived there with babies)

The day bag you have to put under the seat in front is small but if you get the 10kg bigger cabin baggage (i.e. a CabinMax Metz 44L), there's loads of space!

All very good (but not the subject of this thread) until you are left scratching your head as the last bag comes off the conveyer at your destination airport and your bag is in a different country; yes I've been there.

Toiletries bought locally in a supermarket as opposed to a tourist shop are not a lot more expensive anyway.

they have the same brands in greece that they have here. is there a specific brand you want then you can just check, just go to a bigger supermarket or shopping centre.

otherwise just get it once through security, what toiletries are you buying, depending on the hotel they will probably have it in your room.

It's happened to me once in dozens of flights and never on a direct flight. The risk is so low it's not a reason to avoid checking a bag.

Yes, you can get calpol! It’s Crete she’s going to not joining an Amazonian Tribe.

Also, I’ve seen in mentioned that it’ll cost €30 for suntan cream in Crete. No it doesn’t.

I always buy sunscreen when I get there. The one I like is usually cheaper abroad anyway.

You think it's irrelevant because you haven't been overseas before.

Toiletries in Greece as a whole are not more expensive than toiletries in the UK.

Toiletries- including suncream- easy to access for tourists in Crete will be sold at an incredible mark-up because they know that anyone who has forgotten to bring shower gel or toothpaste has no choice but to pay 7 euros for a small bottle.

You think you'll only need a few swimsuits but what about if there's an excursion you want to go on or you want to visit one of the orthodox churches and have nothing to cover your head/shoulders? Or a nice restaurant, do you have suitable clothes? If you don't have 14 outfits for each person, how are you washing the clothes? Hotels won't allow you to use their towels round the pool so how are you packing enough beach towels in hand luggage?

People who have visited the same area a few times and know the lay of the land might be able to pack very light but as someone very new to going abroad at all, it would be advisable to add a checked bag to your booking or risk being stung by tourist prices or even nothing available when you arrive.

Yes, and with some airlines (eg Ryanair) automatically give you priority boarding so that everyone with a larger cabin bag can fit theirs in the overhead locker

Take some spf rash vests for the kids - much more reliable sun protection than sun cream alone

I do a boots order for collection at the airport, just to ensure they have the one I want

Get it at Boots after security at the airport. You can click and collect ie buy it in advance and pick up on the day. I do this.
This means you can buy full-sized bottles/multiple bottles, as even budget airlines allow you a bag of things bought after security.

I've had it happen twice on direct flights. I've also had a bag damaged. I prefer carry on because I often have a ferry to catch the other end and Brexit passport delays are bad enough without then bringing hold bag waits into the equation.

But this is not what the OP is asking about.

I have flown approx 150 times in my life (I used to commute to Milan!) and have never had a suitcase lost or damaged. I must be lucky!

We are flying from Manchester to France (well, via Geneva) and we will definitely be taking our own suncream:
DS only uses powder mineral suncream on his face and only uses solid suncream on his body.
I can only use about 3 brands on my face (which does include the powder version) and need all-day suncream or I burn like crazy (even if I reapply).
DH and DD prefer all-day suncream and P20 or Ultrasun are crazily expensive unless you buy them on offer or in TK Maxx.
We are taking hold luggage, and this will mean we can put larger bottles of P20/Ultrasun in these (Manchester is still 100ml).

I have yet to find any of the brands DS and I use on our faces in another country (though France I know is good for facial skincare, I have also had a reaction to at least one French brand of so-called sensitive facial suncream).

I have also never seen the all-day versions in any European country, other types are very expensive in resorts (we won't have a car so won't be able to go to Lidl/Aldi/out of town supermarkets), and last I checked the all day versions were actually banned in the US (supposedly because they don't last the number of hours stated on the bottle, but they could easily just say "4 hour" instead of "8 hour").

When we go for 2 weeks we sometimes order things from local Amazon that have broken/we've forgotten, to a dropbox, but for a week or 10 days it's not worth it.

Also, don't mock the OP for not understanding what airlines vs. airports can allow. Airlines and airports have, for example, different policies on sharps, and you can have things taken off you by the airline if it doesn't meet their stricter rules.

We are in France at the moment and will use 1-2 bottle of 50+ over 2 weeks with 2 adults and 2 children.

We aren't relying on suncream for sun protection however. Both children have shorts and top factor 50+ swimsuits with matching hats. My daughter has some suncream on her face and the bits of her arms and legs that are exposed. My 10 month old gets a little bit of suncream on his ears and head as he's not a fan of hats. If he is not in the pool he is sat in the shade. We keep my daughter to the shade as much as possible too.

It's been between 32 and 40 degrees every day and we are 9 days in and both children are still very pale despite being outdoors or in the swimming pool for most of the day every day.

I'm a redhead with very pale skin that is prone to burning. I had horrific sunburn as a child and on several occasions got sunstroke. About 10 years ago I decided to stop the reliance on suncream and switch to behaviour based sun protection I haven't had sun burn or any heat related issues. My tolerance of the heat has improved massively and it's because I'm much more mindful about what I am wearing, where I am sitting and what I am doing. For me suncream is the final protection, we put it on thickly, we go from 50+/5* SPF suncreams, water proof, applied 30 minutes before going out/in water and ensure we drip dry rather than rub dry and that keeps more of the suncream protection after being in water.

We did have a look in the supermarket the other day and it's €14 a bottle here. We were considering getting another just in case but have decided not too.

It's not that much of a derail though, is it! For the sake of, what, £30 each way (often cheaper if you add it on after choosing the seat rather than picking the luggage option at the start), you could have shoved as much suncream as you wanted in a hold bag and saved yourself the faff of carting around cabin suitcases through the airport.

If it's stressing you out to this extent despite the fact that multiple people had already assured you that you can buy suncream both after security and in Greece itself, I don't really see how more people telling you the same will be of use. Whereas adding on hold luggage would solve the issue, or at least be something to take into consideration next time.

With all due respect, if you had hold luggage then you could fill it full of suncream so technically the question about hold luggage is relevant.

I am awe though, we are away for 2 weeks (SC and no access to a washing machine) and we are taking 4 suitcases for 5 of us.

Do you not want a change of shoes? A few bits for the evening?

I am 100% a chronic overpacker but my mind is blown that someone with multiple kids is able to do a 2 week trip with hand luggage only. Maybe you are the next Marie Kondo 😂

Ha! i am not a big over packer but for a hot active holiday you do need a fair amount of clothes changes, the one or two pairs of shorts and tops and a dress for the week people make me laugh.

I went to France at the beginning of July for 10 days, part city break, part seaside holiday. It was at least 27 degrees or higher each day. I took linen trousers, two pairs of shorts - one denim and one linen and a couple of light day skirts, plus enough tops for each day. And then enough dresses and/or skirts and tops for each evening (plus underwear of course).

I wore my denim shorts for a good few days in the sight seeing days of our holiday and over my swimming costume when we went to and from the beach for that part of the holiday. Not gonna lie, by about halfway through they began smelling a little less than fresh and I was glad to have a second pair of shorts and a couple of skirts to choose from for the day.

I suppose if you were having villa holiday with self catering and mainly swimming/lounging you could get away without so many evening clothes,

Although not a relevant story to this as we went by Eurostar so paid nothing extra for my duffle bag and 10l backpack with all my cosmetics, towel and books in.

In summer weather it is possible to handwash things on holiday. It dries quickly. Summer clothes take up dar less room in a case as well.

Nonsense they do have these things called washing machines abroad

Not generally in hotel rooms, though, where OP is staying. You can pay to get laundry done but that's probably more than adding a hold bag would be.

Some people don't want to spend their holiday doing laundry. Or paying for laundry.

Too right - i am absolutely not spending a single moment of my holiday doing laundry just to save a few quid on a bag. Rinsing out my swimming costume, hanging up beach towels and perhaps running an iron over a dress for the evening is the limit of it.

Also we generally stay in hotels and i have yet to see a hotel room with a washing machine.