Luggage for young children (not Trunki please!)

[flupcake]

Hi we are off to Spain soon with DCs 10, 7 and 4.
The 10 year old has her own wheely cabin suitcase, so that is sorted, but I am wondering what is best to take for the 7 and 4 year olds.

Last year the 7 and 4 year olds took their Trunkis but to be honest I do find them a real pain - you just end up carrying them a lot, and 7 year old is a liability on his and I spend half my time apologising to people. Also they are a pain to open on the plane so I end up putting their stuff in a separate bag inside the Trunki anyway.

I can see the use of the Trunki for the 4 yr old because her legs do get tired and there's a lot of walking at the airport. However I will have to do a very good sell on the 7 year to persuade him to give his Trunki up if the 4 yr old is taking hers!

The main benefit of the Trunkis last year was that they sat on them in the long passport queue, which was quite handy actually.
I guess I could take one of the mini wheelie bags but will I just end up carrying that too?

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Hello, this thread is a little old and some of the recommendations might be out of date.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.

My 3.5 year olds have LittleLife wheely suitcases (one is a ladybird and one is a bee) and they absolutely love pulling them. I think it makes them feel grown up. We sometimes have to carry them, but not often. They have a lovely flat back which makes them easy to stack up on our own cabin suitcases.

My two always take a backpack/rucksack which leaves hands free

I would say a back pack or small wheelie case for your 7 year old - if you go with the back pack take them shopping and let them pick it! That way they've got something they want and will hopefully be happy to carry it and not worry about not having a trunkie!
Good luck!

I never gave my young DC their own case - there problems lie! Pack their clothes in with yours for the hold then give them their own rucksack for their bits and bobs for the plane.

Just get a small backpack for them. One they like.
Personally I question the need for all this cabin baggage (if in addition to full sized checked bags) , does your (or any) family really need 5 cabin sized wheely bags of cabin baggage for a short flight?

I agree with you: Trunkis are as much menace as use. Just tell the 7 year old they are too babyish for him now.

Does everyone need their own bag for the plane. We take 2 rucksacks which the adults carry in which we have snacks, jumpers, wipes, tissues, tablets, headphones, a book for me, phones, camera, money, passports, tickets. What else do you realistically need on the actual plane?

Hi it's not that we need it all on the flight - we take cabin baggage because the hold baggage is so expensive! It's about £20 per hold bag each way. (Actually I checked yesterday and it's gone up to £30 per hold bag each way). We can get away with two hold bags if everyone takes a rucksack or cabin bag. The flights (to Spain) have already cost nearly £2k for the whole family (of 5) so I don't feel I am being a cheapskate .... Or maybe I am.

Also in addition to what you have listed above I do like to have a change of clothes for each child on the flight in case of any accidents/spillages. (Yes it's been known to happen).We also take a magazine for each.

Yes we suggested to DS that the Trunki case was too babyish now and he agreed without complaint. Phew! Instead we got him the a car seat backpack which he can carry comfortably and saves taking his booster seat, and will fit in his jumper, magazines and tablet.

In our hand luggage is also all the cuddly toys DD insist on taking, her books, pens and paper, 2 tablets, camera and lenses, headphones, 2 phones and 1 ipod, some medication, chargers.

None of this goes into the hold luggage. DD travels a lot for work and had to survive with the content of his hand luggage for a day or two more than once as the suitcase got lost.

DD got this last Christmas as a replacement for her old Thomas the Tank Engine trolley (she was 8.5)

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WE6ADIW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Expensive but it is great. Holds lots and lots of items, suitable to take into the cabin and wheels like a dream. I still use DD's Kipling changing bag as her swim bag 9 years after we bought it and it is in great condition.

Take a big case and pay the £20/£25 and check it in. Ultimately it is cheaper than buying them new cases and it's also easier than faffing about keeping an eye on kids and multiple bags

We paid for one big case. But I hate lugging stuff about. Plus too much stuff to be minding plus children = lots of stress.

My two only had small rucksacks then with entertainment items.

Even then they were initially too heavy and had to be weeded down to carryable with out complaint size

My kids are 5 and 7 btw

Just give mine small rucksack each.
Then Dh and I take a small cabin bag each with everyone's clothes in. I take a handbag, Dh a laptop bag. No checked in luggage.