Shothaul 2 adults, 2 kids, 1 week - carry on luggage only. Tips?

[Glowlamp]

We are heading to Spain for a week in September and I'd like to take carry on luggage only (ATM that's all I have booked). We have a villa with washing facilities, but does anyone have and great tips on what to bring/leave at home?
Ages since I've left the country and first time for ds 8 and dd 6. I feel very unprepared! Thanks in advance.

We always book one or two suitcases for the hold between the four of us, so that favourite shampoos etc (teenage girls are involved ) can be carried over and all the souvenirs etc can be carried back.

Actually I didn't consider souvenirs! Thankfully I don't have teenagers.... Yet!

We did two weeks in France last year with just one checked in bag. Then everyone else took a small carry on suitcase. The checked in bag only cost £10 each way I think & was useful for all the toiletries, sunscreen & beach towels. I did a couple of loads of washing while I was there but generally we are good at travelling light

It's totally doable if you are a light packer and/or are happy to do lots of washing and if the kids won't insist on bulky toys/games. Think enough underwear and light tops to change daily, one spare set of shorts/trousers, one spare jumper, no spare shoes (may be flip flops) and certainly no towels. However, given that you're not a frequent flyer, you may find it less stressful to just pay for one check in bag.
If you do decide to stick with hand luggage, check your airline's rules carefully. Ryanair and the rest of the budget gang are very strict about sizes and often don't let you have even a small hand bag on top of your main hand luggage bag. BA is much more lenient.
May be assign everyone a bag and do a dry run on the packing, then if nothing fits you still have time to pre-book the check in bag.
Oh, and you can buy sun screen and other toilets at the Boots in the airport after security - or indeed in a local supermarket once you arrive.

I can light pack for the kids and my dh survives on virtually nothing on holiday - he's the ultimate light packer. I think me and towels might be the problem! I have considered a dry run too, good idea. I've managed a weekend in London with one carry on case but a week might be pushing it! Appreciate the help and the sun cream tip.

I'm another one that prefers at least one checked bag, because it seems a small price to pay to avoid all the liquid restrictions and DP feels lost if he doesn't have his Swiss Army knife.

With hand luggage only, we would need to buy a mini contact lens solution and suncream at the airport or when you get there, which is always a lot more expensive than my stash of last year's end of season supermarket sell offs (got about ten bottles last September from Asda at a pound a bottle and no, it doesn't go off in the 2/3 years it will take me to use it).

So you spend half of what you save on rebuying things you already have at home at a much higher price and have all the hassle of finding what you need when you get there.

I have been looking at small bottles of sunscreen and thinking 'HOW MUCH!?'. I'm Scottish and fulfilling the stereotype on that one!
Think I'd better investigate prices of checked luggage... And I might be lost if I can't take a handbag!

Ryanair do allow a hand back in addition to your hand luggage now.
Re towels, we just needed beach towels (others were provided) so I bought some cheap hammam style ones - thin cotton so take up less room & dried quickly

you all need one of these rucksacks, you could easily fit in a towel each with your other stuff. The only problem it doesn't get around is the sunscreen.

Pay for checked luggage this time and record what you don't use for next time. My tween girl will want to take at least 10 books!

The cabin max bags are great, but we have sub zero cases at max ryan air size.

Actually it's pretty easy hand baggage only to spain. Be brave , buy toiletries there - it's easy and they are good. We share everything ( the girls take precious face stuff in their own wet things bag, mine is full of contact lenses!). Eg cheap neutral scented shower gel and shampoo/ conditioner, spray deodorant we can all use ( mercadona do a bril aloe Vera one - teen daughter didn't stink for all the holiday!). Own brand sunscreen in mercadona lidl or aldi in Spain is great too.

We also have microfibre towels- left over from our camping days that are tiny and good.