6 day holiday for 5 month old and 2 parents - handluggage only; is it possible?!

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So, I'm hoping we can fit all the baby stuff and all mine and my partners stuff into 2 44 litre bags that are to hand luggage sizes.

Is this impossible? Is there a way to travel light with a baby? I do BF so that saves on bottles!

Thanks.

Honestly, I would check a bag in - it will be worth the £30 or so.

Hand luggage - depends where you are going. Some places disposable nappies are eye watering (Mallorca for example) so you would want to bring all you need with you. By that age you may be doing a bit of food too so may want extra stuff.

If you're bf-ing, all you need is clothes for the baby and poss a sleeping bag, if that's what s/he uses. You can always hand wash things and dry them overnight. Agree it depends on where you're going: you can get anything you'd possibly need in lots of destinations. If it will be warm, your clothes will take up less volume. Definitely doable, you just need to prepare carefully.

It really depends where you are going - city break doable, beach holiday less so.

When I went away on hot beach hol with a 5mth DC I took a blow up ring activity thing and sun tent for the beach. Was brilliant DS contented to sit in his ring and watch all the beach stuff and safe from the sun.

None of which would have fitted in hand luggage!

pants. It's a beach holiday. In Spain - it's 20 degrees there at the moment.

I've just added one suitcase to the booking after your unanimous decision. Are the any tips at all to travelling light?

What don't I need? Do I need a car seat? We will be getting a bus from airport to resort (40 min drive)?

Sorry, first time away - feeling a bit scared!

I think you could have managed with hand luggage! It depends what you 'need', the baby only needs a lightweight sleeping bag for eg, not a thick one.

Travel towels, rather than proper thick ones for the beach?

For six days you won't need much more than one pack of nappies will you? Don't pack them as a pack, iyswim, take them out of the pack and pack them separately in your rucksack.

If you're only travelling by public transport you don't need a carseat, if you'll hire a car then you do, you can also hire them from the car company, if you would trust that (i have done...).

remember you will need suncream and if the bottles are bigger than 100mls then they would need to go in the hold anyway

Um. No. I'm going for 5 days, with 4 month old. We have 3 cases (3 of us plus baby) 3 hand luggage bags and a buggy bag for pushchair/car seat and extra shit i'll be squeezing in it.

It's a holiday. I don't want to be washing and ironing when away.

For the baby I have made a list. We are taking 15 vests, 15 babygrows, 4 cardigans, coat, 5 blankets. Swaddle wrap, nappies, wipes, bottles, formula, eczema cream, reflux meds, travel steriliser, buggy, car seat, muslin cloths (x15) bibs. There are a few toys to pack too.

My baby has reflux, and voms a lot. So we need lots of clothes. I'd still take 2 changes a day even if he didn't.

Realises doesn't have 15 babygrows. May buy more!

I'd rather pay for luggage than have a stress over not having things, or having to find, then buy things when on holiday.

Or you could buy suncream in boots once you're through security, or once you get there. I presume your baby doesn't vomit a lot, otherwise you wouldn't even be considering this, so i would say that an outfit per day for the baby and much less for you would be fine.

That's a lot of stuff for 5 days TheDetective, my baby used to be a vomit-er but grew out of it thankfully, although your sounds more medical :(

I was hoping to take 3 pjs, 3 shorts, 3 thin trousers and 9 tops & 9 vests, 2 sun hats, 1 swim shorts, 2 muslins, 1 muslin swaddle and a 1tog sleeping bag, 4 dummies, goodnight moon book, travel play mat, travel sun brolly and 2 lamaze toys.

I was planning on taking 1 pack of my own wipes and a handful of nappies then buying them & swim nappies there. He'll have his cardigan, coat and blanket on him as our flight is v early morning.

I had a trail run and got all his and his dads stuff in one 44l bag which is the exact dimensions of Ryanairs hand luggage.

I have also paid for a suitcase after the initial replies, I don't think we will really need it but it will make things easier and weirdly it only cost £28 whereas when I was making the booking they said it would cost £64?!

I can't understand why people would take a whole pack of nappies on holiday to Spain - it's not Outer Mongolia, they do have babies in Spain!

5 months is perfect age, no need to worry about solid food and if you are bf then its just clothes you need and if its hot you don't need that many. I think you would have been fine with your hand luggage only. Beach towels are the only big item you might need to think about - if your hotel/accommodation supplies them then no problem.

People take nappies to Spain because they are expensive to buy when you get there. I would also buy suncream here, the stuff I buy is about £10 here, last year the same stuff was £24 in Spain, when it's for little ones you tend to really get through it!

it is cheaper to buy suncream, nappies, etc in the UK as we found when we ran out of nappies when ds was a baby. I have found suncream to be extortionately priced abroad compared to what we buy here.

I think it is worth another £28 easily not to have to keep doing washing on holiday! I feel you've made the right choice. Plus you have room to bring stuff back with you.

Last time I looked nappies were E12 for a small pack of nappies,wet wipes were about e2.50. Just pay the extra and have a break.

I think that sounds like plenty of stuff, if needs be you can rinse something through, but you probably won't need to.

And i always think that nobody knows that it's yesterday's weetabix down their front and not this morning's! Also, i kind of missed the 5-months-old, still-breastfed aspect. You hardly need anything! It's the perfect age to travel!

When I went to Mallorca in September, supermarket own brand nappies and wipes were same price as in UK. Huggies/pampers etc were admittedly pricey. Having 2 in nappies means I couldn't have fitted in nappies for the whole week even if I had wanted to!

I'm a bit worried about the evenings. He will sleep in his buggy some nights and he usually has a sleeping bag. I have a 1tog one for warmer weather, but what should I put on him pjs wise? It'll be too warm for vest, pjs and a sleeping bag? But then people always say it gets chilly in the evenings?

I looked at the weather forecast and if it's to be believed it's going to be 25 degrees at it's hottest, 19 degrees at 7pm and 17 degrees at 10pm with 50% humidity. He is quite a hot baby too.

Just a long sleeve vest, his sleeping bag and a medium cotton blanket incase it gets cold?

25 degrees isnt that hot imo. so i would pack regular clothes for spring weather. 17 degrees is cold (our flat is 23 degrees right now and we are all in winter clothes). at 5 months just short sleeve vests and cotton babygros should be fine. take babygro off if warm, leave on if cold. they can be worn day/night.

i would take just hand luggage tbh. we travelled for 2 months summer 2010. with 16 month old and 2 month old. just a rucksack each and a sling for each child. (in vietnam)

it really just depends on what your happy to take. we co slept with both children whilst away, brought nappies as we went, breastfed. toys were just a small comforter and two small books for eldest and nothing for youngest. he was happy and entertained from things we found along the way. it was far easier for us as we usually only stayed 3/4 days in one area, and public transport/trains etc would have been a pain/impossible with large suitcases and prams etc

in comparison we met some friends half way and they travelled with everything except the kitchen sink. several suitcases, hand luggage, prams, beach tents, travel cots, sterilizers, playroom of toys etc. the difference being they went for 2 weeks to just one hotel. but they had to use taxis everywhere as couldnt use a train/ bus etc with prams, and had to hire help at both ends to help move it all with two small children in tow.

as your off to spain, first time with baby i would say take the suitcase, and then just small hand luggage. see how much you actually use/ what you didnt really need etc, and it will help you for future travel. its better you are happy and confident on first trip, than worried about finding something . (we are/were experienced hand luggage travellers before children also)