How many suitcases are you taking ?

[Mumishappy]

I'm curious how many suitcases people typically take on long overseas trips. Our family of four adults is heading to Japan for three weeks, but we're only packing three days' worth of clothes into one large suitcase. The other large suitcase is entirely dedicated to souvenirs for family back in Japan, with a smaller bag nested inside the clothing suitcase. We often see people with many bags and wonder why they need so much! How many suitcases are you bringing ?

Thanks for answering my question 😃

I feel like my point has been proven with it though. Two days of washing! I know the two sides of this lovely non-violent washing war will never agree, but I’m as convinced as ever that my holiday washing ways are the only way to be.

For pp saying about hotel washing costing a fortune, totally agree and that’s never happening. As an example, though, the hotel we’re staying in in August has a laundry room with free detergent on every floor of the hotel. I’ll be chucking a load or two in while everyone’s showering for the evening or chilling after a long day exploring. The place we stayed last year had quite literally a full on launderette right next to the pool, so every time my kids had a suncream top up and were waiting to go back in the pool I was moving laundry from washer to dryer. By the time we’d finished round the pool we had x4 people’s clean and dry clothes folded and ready to go. Most hotels probably have them, but I guess I’m specifically going looking for them.

When we stayed in New York for about five days, before a road trip, there was a launderette over the road that did pick up and drop off to the hotel front desk. Was I think $25 but still cheaper than paying for checked baggage, or hotel laundry.

For 2 weeks in US with younger DC, DH and I took 2
big cases and we each had a small backpack as carry on (DDs was her trunki booster car seat one).

Going over, 1 large was relatively empty and had some specific snacks for dd but we wanted space to buy clothes and some
souvenirs

Anyone else on this thread never buy souvenirs? I don’t think I’ve bought any for years, maybe a few foodie bits from Thailand although I then realised they sell the same exact ones in my local shop!

My mum came from a poor background and cleanliness was her and others go to . I know it's not for everyone. Different standards are to be expected but the idea of two weeks of dirty underwear makes me heave. If that makes me judgemental then so be it . There's nothing wrong with having standards.

l’m a cabin bag girl, on the basis of 2 bags lost in the past, plus l have to carry/wheel it. But if you are doing the outbound with 2 hold bags, one of which is almost empty, it can work out better to put one case inside another.

Cleanliness isn’t the only standard worth having. Manners are a good one too.

A suitcase per person flying

Our first overseas holiday we took 2 cases between 6 for 2 weeks. Most recent was 1x small Ryanair free hand luggage size for 2 nights, or 1x 10kg for 4 nights between the 2 adults.

Looking at 10 days soon for 2 of us and planning just one 10kg cabin bag between us.

I couldn't do a 3 week trip with 4 adults on one case. What on earth are you planning to bring back with you that can't be sourced from home?

One suitcase per person, one bag for the cabin between us, plus my handbag. Same whether one week or two. Any less than a week, we would probably manage with hand luggage.

She did have as do I. It's an opinion which happened to be expressed on this topic . I'm sorry that you seem to be so offended by it .

This just feels so strange to me. Dirty laundry, in a closed plastic bag. Not all mixed in with clean clothes, not scattered everywhere. Just sitting nicely in the corner awaiting being put in the washing machine. It doesn’t make anything smell bad, it’s in a closed bag. Everything we’re wearing is clean. We are still perfectly ok with cleanliness.

Only on MN would this devolve into an argument about how person A has obviously far higher standards and cleanliness than person B because of their preferred packing on holiday 🤦‍♀️ Some people just can’t help themselves.

Assuming you aren’t routinely shitting your pants and then keeping them in a bag for a week, I don’t really see what’s horrible about some worn clothes in a sealed laundry bag. They just go in the wash when back home.

Personally I’ll sometimes do a wash on holiday, sometimes I won’t, depends on where we are, length of time, type of holiday. If I’m not doing one the stuff just comes home in a laundry bag and gets chucked in wash as normal.

I approve of this reply.

You are all able to keep your pants stored up for two weeks. I'm allowed to say that it makes me heave. 🤷‍♀️

We designate a case for dirty laundry while we're away. We'll probably take three cases for a week's beach holiday this summer. The hotel has an extremely expensive laundry service that charges per item so no chance I'm doing any washing while away. We'll unpack, then at the end of the day everyone puts their dirty stuff in the chosen case, like it's a laundry hamper. That case goes straight into the utility room on arrival home and a load will go immediately into the washing machine, repeat as necessary.

I like to take plenty of stuff - a few pairs of sandals, beach cover ups, swim things, inflatables, nice outfits for the evening, plenty of books.

I don't like to think of how dirty some people's underwear must get if the thought of having it stored for a fortnight makes them heave? Nothing ever looks visibly dirty when I unpack into the machine! Nor does the case smell when I open it, except maybe of suncream and perfume. We all shower every day and wear the clean clothes for a few hours; how bad can they be?!

When my kids were very small, if there was some truly heinous washing situation like a toilet accident, I definitely threw pants away rather than bring them home - that would be gross. But we're all old enough now that no one has shit themselves on holiday; in the event of illness causing that to happen then I would bin items rather than bring them home. So all the washing we bring back is pretty inoffensive.

My underwear is never ‘dirty’. Even after wearing for a whole day.

Of course you can. And I can say that in doing so you haven’t any manners.

You are the one who brought standards and upbringing into it.

Maybe it's hitting a sore spot with you. Anyway my conversation with you stops here.

Not really - as others have said, not everyone’s underwear smells after a wearing. Mine doesn’t. So I’m perfectly happy spending minimal time on household chores when I’m on holiday, and more than happy to sling everything in the laundry once I’m home.

You and others like to do things differently. Great, we’re all different. But you’re the one being rude. Own it.

We always take the maximum amout allowed. Typically 23kg checked in luggage x 4 and 5-8 kg cabin luggage x4 (2 adults and 2 kids). We have family abroad and we take gifts when we go there ( luggage usually not full) and fill in with loads of supply ( food, snacks, clothing, books etc) when we fly back ususally very very full.

Why is it hilarious? It's very normal.

We take a suitcase each. Our baggage allowances are either 20 or 25 kg each. I do usually do some hand washing of underwear and a few t-shirts while we are away but not a lot really and it doesn't bother me.

We are going away for 3 weeks in September so will need a good sized suitcase each. Hilarious I suppose. 🙄

People who take loads of stuff. Do you have servants to carry it for you? Do you never stay in more than one location? Do you never have an onward journey on a connecting flight or a ferry?

Just a bit! We take hand luggage only for 3 months including toiletries, but then we travel

Family of four and we take one large and one medium sized suitcase (plus my daughter’s travel cot). It would be less but one of our children is a baby and is still in her cloth nappies which take up space. Hoping to be nappy free by next summer and go back to one big suitcase!

I don't take loads of stuff. I have one wheeled suitcase that goes in the hold and a carry on cabin case. Same for DH. We each manage our own stuff pretty easily.