Is it possible to do a 2 week holiday with just hand luggage.

[catweasel44]

DH booked the flights. He hasn't booked any hold luggage.

There are 4 of us and we can take one piece of hand luggage each with no weight limit. So one of those tiny cases.

I'm really tempted to call his bluff.

I think hand luggage is the new MN chicken

"Well, I went to the Arctic circle for seventeen years with just a sarong, a pair of flip flops and a copy of Bear Grylls' "Living Wild" and I was fine."

No toiletries as in liquids pastes gels and creams over 100ml allowed but take some travel size for starters and buy at airport once through security or when you arrive.

Buy the suncream etc after security, most airports have Boots and/or WHSmiths.

I went round the world for a year with only a knotted hanky on a stick...

A hanky AND a stick? Luxury I tell thee....

the miniature travel shampoo and conditioner are more than you need for two weeks

Really?

If we're talking hotel minis, I get 2 washes out of those. I wash my hair daily, sometimes twice daily on holiday in hot places (wash the pool & sweat out). DH & I get through a 200ml shampoo and conditioner set during a 2 week holiday.

(I take a massive case on holiday, obvs)

"I think hand luggage is the new MN chicken"

I agree

Aye @Titchy lol

Suggest check what the weight is for hand luggage on your flight and size if bag. I've seen some airlines weigh bags before boarding and charged people for excess weight. Wear heavy clothes and shoes. If you are not travelling to the middle of nowhere, you can buy anything that you need extra there. If going to a hot country you can hand wash clothes and dry overnight or pay for laundry. So yes you can.

NomDePlume, the travel miniatures are 75-100ml. I have just done 2 weeks in a sticky tropical place, pool, sea, mucky outdoor activities, and my shampoo and conditioner bottles were 75ml. Neither were empty when I came home, though the conditioner very nearly was.

Fair enough, testtube. I can't.

Well to answer the original question, of course it is possible, it's just whether or not you want to.

I'm happy to rewear clothes for a day or two and might be able to manage the clothes aspect, but I do not want to be doing washing or sitting round in laundrettes for half a day on holiday.

I have all the toiletries and suncream that I need at home, that have generally been bought in supermarkets/discount stores. Boots and most shops overseas, seeing as I also don't want to go trailing round looking for reasonably priced versions, are generally extortionate in comparison.

I have loads of 100 ml bottles to dispense shampoo, shower gel and conditioner into, but I'd use 2 or 3 bottles of suncream in a fortnight, just for me, so not possible to take that amount. A family would expect to use 10? bottles? Even with the price difference between supermarket own brand and Boots own brand, that's £30 there.

For the family in the OP, that's why I thought that the best solution would be to take one hold case, which is likely to cost £50/70, not £100+, so they can take all the toiletries they need and have a bit extra space too.

Which if there are men and teens in the party, might be needed, given the size of their shoes, and the fact that most men and teen boys use a lot more clothes than a lot of women as they are more sweaty so cannot rewear things.

Oh god I couldn't be faffed with squishing everything into hand luggage. And won't the kids want gadgets / toys / books / comics / snacks / drinks in theirs for the flight rather than their pants, t shirts etc? Can't conceive of going to a laundry on holiday either - drudge work when you could be enjoying your wine and book in the sunshine. Just book hold luggage.

But I think the point that lots of people are trying to make is that (a) you don't have to squash everything into hand luggage, (b) you absolutely don't have to do any laundry on holiday (I wouldnt dream of it) and (c) we still have one piece of hand luggage dedicated to kids' stuff for the journey / books / tablets / soft toys / snacks etc.

I think people are stuck in a mindset sometimes and don't know what's possible until they try it

Thanks for all your replies.

We're going to book one hold bag.

I worked out that it would technically be possible but would be a faff on the flight with gadgets, books etc.

And we've already bought suncream etc so that would be a bit of a waste.

Also, what swung it for DH was that we wouldn't be able to bring wine etc back with us.

But I agree - if I'm paying an extra £40 there's no way I'm doing laundry.

Doing laundry on holiday is a doddle if you've a house with a washing machine. It dries in about 30 mins in the sun. I prefer doing it there than at home.

It isn't if you don't

I agree with Barbara that while it might be possible, I certainly would not want to.

Clothes that are rolled don't actually take up any less space than if they are folded.

Rolling does not change the laws of physics.

This is advice for how to not have creases on the fold lines, not advice for fitting more in.