10 days villa - with four 10kg carry-on bags only??

[Tansie]

We are considering taking no hold-luggage with us at all this summer for our 10 day private villa holiday in Andalusia.

We are a family of 4 with 2 DSs, 13 and 15.

To me the issue is really the inability to take more then 100mls of fluid per bottle with us! I can imagine having to buy 'normal' size bottles of stuff in Spain that we use a third of before binning! And, of course, we'd have to be careful with some extra stuff like scissors etc.

I'm told 15kg of hold luggage would cost £20 each way but DH is as ever very keen to avoid mucking around at the carousel!

Anyone else done this?

We did last year and are again this year (2 boys, 11yo & 8yo). In fact 1 bag was pretty much dp's camera!
Brought toiletries there, used vast majority.
Did have washing machine, so didn't take many clothes and only wore tshirts, shorts and swimmers anyway?

Yes we've done it no prob. Is there a washing machine at the villa?, would be tricky without. You can buy all your liquids at the airport, boots have the same offers on as they do in the town. Get a suncream, shower gel and shampoo that everyone will use. You can use your liquid allowance for personal favourites then.

Which airline is it?.

TBH for the sake of £40 I'd take a suitcase to put in the hold. Those planes are not anywhere near the size of a 747 so you would not necessarily have to wait an age at the carousel anyway. Also many airlines have both weight and size limits on cabin baggage and they are strict about same as well.

For example Ryanair have this as their cabin bag requirement:-
One cabin bag weighing up to 10 kg with maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, plus 1 small bag up to 35 x 20 x 20 cms may be carried per passenger*.

There is no cabin bag allowance for an infant (aged 8 days to 23 months) travelling on an adult’s lap; however a baby bag up to 5kg may be carried by the accompanying adult in addition to their own cabin bag allowance

Due to cabin space limitations only 90 large cabin bags (55 x 40 x 20 cms) can be carried in the cabin, any remainder will be carried free of charge in the aircraft hold.

Oversized cabin baggage will be refused at the boarding gate, or where available, placed in the hold of the aircraft for a fee of £50/€50 (fee subject to VAT on domestic flights at applicable government rates). If you are unsure, check at the Bag Drop desk before going through security.

Flybe. We carefully measured the bags when we bought them too!

The villa is well equipped, too.

I think we'll be OK.

I think you'll be okay too.

yes go for it! As long as there is a washing machine you can do it.

Surely the time you save by not doing the carousel you will use faffing around at the chemist buying toiletries and sun tan cream.

There is that- but I imagine we'll be buying all that stuff in the first Big Shop at a supermarket, anyway (self-catering villa).

Now I have to consider issues like nail scissors which I imagine are banned!

Most supermarkets sell everything you get at home, even nail scissors and you're going to the shops anyway so you're not making 'special' trips.

I think it's doable too, especially if you have a washing machine.

Enjoy your holiday!,

Nail clippers?

Nail scissors are fine, as long as blades are under 6cm.

Gosh yes, you;ll be fine.

When we go somewhere with a washing machine we only take about 3 outfits each - as it is easy to wash items and dry them in the sun. Even when we go to France in the car (so could take my whole wardrobe) we pack very lightly.

We had a villa in Lanzarote one year with a washing machine and managed fine with hand luggage.

Agree with not wasting time hanging around at the luggage carousel after the flight too. Get off the plane and go!

Have a good trip.

I see it's currently getting up to 34 degrees during the day! Woohoo! Won't need a cardy even! (Though I always take one!).

Where do you get the info re being able to take < 6cm scissor blades-, and, say safety pins? Sewing needles?

TIA!

www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/personal-items

Here you go.

How are you getting from the airport to your destination? If it is a coach transfer you will have to wait for everyone who has hold luggage anyway.

I agree with your husband.

You'll be fine especially if the villa has a washing machine. The formula potentially wasted at the end of the holiday won't cost as much as checking in a bag. If you're not going anywhere posh you will literally just need a change of clothes, pants, 2 or 3 swimsuits each, sunhats and flipflops. Wear your proper shoes on the plane. Take a bit of washing powder just in case the villa is lacking. Have a great holiday!

Why on earth would you want to take sewing needles and safety pins with you?

When you're doing your first supermarket shop, head to a Chenese bazarre shop and get pack of stuff for 75c each. Also, if there is a Schlecker (it's a chain, although might only be in Catalunya), they are a bit like Superdrug and sell all that kind of stuff. And cheap bottles of water if you're out and about. And better priced suncream.than most supermarkets.

Yes, Andalucia is fricking boiling at the moment, you might need your cardi only for the plane!

Tansie, you can definitely take 3cm scissor blades, the security chap at Heathrow told me on Sunday.

You'll be fine. We've only been travelling with hand luggage for ages and have managed two holidays now with a toddler who doesn't get her own allowance, both 14 night holidays. One was to a destination where we couldn't easily buy nappies so out of our two carry on bags one just had nappies and photography equipment.

Both times we took nail scissors, it wasn't a problem.

We ALWAYS do hand luggage only!

Toiletries are bought at the airport and go into my handbag.

Everyone take their own clothes and books and the rest is split between us. It's fine, esp.eically on a beact-type holiday where you only where small clothes

Guessing you're flying from Southampton.

We usually check in one bag just for towels, toiletries and other problem items. But each one of us has a carry on bag for our own clothes & shoes. If it wasn't for the beach towels, we'd probably get away with 4 small cases. But I like knowing I have a bag I can check in and not have to worry about. I can save £40 in other areas, so it works out ok.

And then I can take extra shoes.

10kg isn't much.

You'll be surprised at how quickly you'll hit that, even with light clothes and no toiletries.

I took a very lightweight cabin bag only for a week in Tenerife (just swimmers, light sundresses, shorts etc with minimal toiletries and footwear) and still had to sweet talk the gate crew as my hand baggage weighed 11kg!

The only other ishoo I can see is the sheer weight of the tech 2 teenage boys and a techie DH will want to take- DS's laptop weighs a ton! And yes, the deal was 'villa with wifi' (as long as mummy gets her pool and cheap vino...). Thankfully the villa comes with all necessary towels, not that actually we'll use 'beach towels' as we tend to stick around the pool.

I am far more relaxed about it all now, thanks for all the advice and encouragement.

I rarely heavily over-pack so I confess I do smile inwardly at the poor wee gels and lads at Cheap Med Holiday check-in who've obviously opened a suitcase, hungover, that morning, raided the laundry bin, have evidently had no plan in place thus have 26 pairs of pants, in various states of 'use', but no shoes- and the bag's overweight so they have to open it and rummage through it to try and redistribute it. I remember all that! But 2 years backpacking taught me a lot about keeping it light! However, of course I want a precious 10 day family holiday to be fun not an endurance test of 'how little can we get away with?'.