Best kind of luggage for family of 5

[MerryMarigold]

Going away in summer,it's been a while and haven't been with kids since they were older. We need new luggage as old suitcase broken so thought I would get advice from you more experienced travellers.

I have 5yo twins and an 8yo. I am thinking a small rucksack for each of them as hand luggage. Or should I get them a small wheelie each? Should dh and I have a medium wheelie bag each? Or one of us have a large ruck? I think the restriction on luggage is that no single bag should be more than 30kg so massive bags are a no no. Any good brands which last? Any of you who do this a lot, and can benefit from your experience, I'd be very grateful.

Oh, whilst there we will be travelling to 4 different locations so portable is good.

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Hello, this thread is a little old and some of the recommendations might be out of date. Whether you’re looking for cheap and cheerful family luggage or you’d like to invest in a quality cabin bag, take a look at our round-up of the best suitcases (according to Mumsnetters) for more up-to-date advice. MNHQ.

I think at 5 a hand luggage size wheelie is still quite hard at some points in the airport -fine between car and airport bus stop, but not for the long stretches. There's 5 of us including twins and same age gap. By 8 they had a wheelie, but before that they had hand luggage rucksack (usually allowed between 5 and 10 kg? We still used their luggage allowance, but dh and I carried 2 cases each and ds1 had one-we all had a rucksack too. At 5 they won't run off so you can have your hands full. As for brands - I just get whatever looks strong and light!

I now try to pack very light-trying to do it all on 10 kg each hand luggage-think I can do it as we're going to a hot place!

Thanks define. They won't run off, one twin very sensible, the other quite clingy (esp in strange places). But yes, maybe the wheelie would be hard work for them. So a wheelie for the 8yo and rucksacks for the 5yo? Or wheelie and rucksack for the 8yo?

Yes, I don't think we need to use 30kg allowance each, that would be a nightmare. I don't want to carry more than one case. 10kg each hand luggage - wow! Yes, we're going hot, but we need to take a lot of prezzies too.

It is very unusual to get 30kg luggage allowance these days. Which airline has such generous allowance? Budget airlines tend to have 15 - 20 kg allowance for hold luggage and 5 - 10kg for hand luggage.

Many airlines won't let you "share" the allowance so you couldn't have one 30kg case between two people for example, but, again, it depends on the airline.

I bought a World's Lightest Suitcase a couple of years ago and it was well worth the money. They are widely available.

I would be inclined to take as much hold luggage as you need and rucksacks for each of the children. Also, make sure that the hand luggage meets the size requirements as well as the weight ones. Some airlines (Ryanair) are very strict about hand luggage size.

Jet Airways is 30K, as is Qatar.

30kg!

World's lightest luggage sounds good. Off to google.

Don't take hand luggage wheelies - because of the internal frame and wheels they fit far less in them than soft rucksacks. They also hugely piss off other passengers when you wheel them through the plane

I woukd recommend something like the Patagonia MLC (Maximum Legal Carry-on) for the adults.

usual max for a bag is 32kg, but this REALLY pisses off baggage handlers and your luggage will be really badly treated. Also unless you have staff YOU will be moving it outside the airport.

even 20kg bags are hard work. Wheels are a PITA outside airports, where there are always trolleys. They just add weight.

think rucksacks, and a big soft bag that you and your partner carry between you (if you are roughly the same height). The other hands hold a child, and the third child holds on to one of the others.

Where are you travelling to and with which airline?. That will have some bearing.

Many longhaul carriers now only have a max case limit weight of 23kg and may refuse a bag that weighs much over 23kg.

(Jet Airways and suitcase bag weight is very much dependent on which class you travel in. First class get far more in terms of bag weight than those in economy)

Ok, we are going to Sri Lanka, definitely economy class. I will check. 20kg should be fine anyway as we will not need it per child.

So no wheels. Really??

Jet airways.

We are seasoned travellers and our DC are now teenagers so move their own cases.
I will only use a hard case that protects the contents and has wheels so I can move it around easily. We now take 4 cases when the girls were smaller we only neede 2-3,
For hand luggage I prefer backpacks as they leave your hands free to pull your case and hold onto the DC, not too big so they will squash by your feet so you can access them inflight. For the DC we had small wheeled cases for a couple of flights but they are a pain because tired children don't want to be bothered to pull them. Small backpacks are better.

Small backpacks for everyone in flight, wheeled lightweight suitcases (or wheeled soft bags) in appropriate sizes for everyone as hold baggage - or at least that's what works for me, and has done for the past decade or so. Anything fragile (eg cameras, ipads, computers) goes in my inflight bag, because I don't trust baggage handlers not to break or steal things.

I've done lots of travel (long and short flights, lots of train travel around Europe, Japan etc) with two DCs, mostly as a solo parent. They have been pulling their own wheeled suitcases since the younger one was 4.

For Sri Lanka you should be able to keep check-in baggage fairly minimal, as you won't need warm clothing, so you might be able to get away with fitting the youngest children's clothes etc into the adult suitcases (are there two adults?).

Wheelies for hold luggage, sure. But not for carry on.

I go against the flow - wheels don't work on pavements with gaps, have tried and the things catch and twist, pissed me off in seconds. I much prefer a backpack and would definitely recommend for Sri Lanka. Haven't been there but well remember finding out that in parts of SE Asia, pavements are not standard fit!

second the important point above; if it is valuable or fragile, it doesn't go in the hold.

you need one fleece jumper each for aircon places; wear it on the plane, less to pack.

Definitely something warm for the aircon. OH shivers indoors when he goes to India and always takes a sweatshirt.

Never had aircon problems before in S-L. Mostly outside. Prefer to get hotels with fans not air con. But you do need socks and something warmish for the plane. Yes, all kids' clothes will go in our luggage, but maybe I will get a small bag for the hold for ds1 (8) as he will feel very important! I think the biggest thing we need to take is plenty of towels. The kind of places we tend to stay don't do towels.

Quick qu. Can you take an asthma pump in hand luggage?

Just checked. It is 30kg each and 5kg for hand luggage. Blimey! That'll be 205kg. Not carrying that.

I really recommend Trunkis for the little ones. Our 7yo and 5yo still use theirs, it makes travelling through airports a breeze and they love packing them.
It does mean you can't really have another wheeled bag for an adult to pull, but rucksacks can work, or I have a huge over the shoulder handbag.

Yes asthma inhaler with spacer fine in hand luggage, if that is what you meant.

Yes, meant the inhaler as it is aerosol (I think) and wasn't sure if they're funny about that, but assumed you would need to let someone off. Ds1 didn't have it last time we went.

I would pack x2 medium suitcases between you all. Roughly x1 between you and dh, x1 between all the kids. Don't get large as the get way too heavy and nightmare if you need to carry up stairs etc. aim for max 20kg in each. 12-15kg is our usual. Then each adult can pull one or one ailt can pull both if you want to hold younger twos hands in busy areas

Then just get each child a small rucksack ie the mini Nike/ Adidas ones. Perfect for handluggage book/ kindle/ water/ music/ and to use web away on day trips

You and dh use either regular rucksack or normal large handbag

Ps asthma stuff fine if in packaging. Ie take the asthma pump in box given from doctor rather than loose

Ah, ok thanks for the tip. I usually just take the whole shebang - spacer, with pump already in it. Will need to make sure I have a new one in the box.

Spacer is fine. Just try and get new pump and put that inside spacer in box.

Tbh usually fine anyway as can see what it is but saves hassle at foreign airports

Got tons of new ones...would have packed a spare anyway in the hold luggage, but this is good to know.