Travelling light!

Old_Fogie_2

Last year I decided to only take hand luggage on a budget flight for convenience more than anything.
I bought a FLYLITE wheeled bag on line which is a sort of soft canvas like a holdall, it's about the size of the hand luggage limit. It is very light as the name suggests, I think it was about £40.I managed to fit enough clothes etc. in for a 10 day holiday in Spain.
Since then I've used it for another holiday with no problem and will be using it for a 2 week holiday later this year.
Not having to queue to check luggage in and getting out of the airport quickly on arrival is brilliant.
I can highly recommend it.

Bob_the_Saver

If you're going somewhere warm/hot hand baggage is plenty for 6 month.

ixia

I seem to be able to manage on 10kg now, as I've got older i pac more sensibly instead of taking everything but the kitchen sink with me. Just have to convince DD now as before she even has any clothes packed she wants to pack about 10 pairs of shoes.

zzzLazyDaisy

I agree, hand luggage only is the way forward, and the most convenient way to travel. But it only works if the handluggage allowance is sufficient (eg ryanair and easyjet).

However some budget airlines such as flythomascook limit the handluggage to 5kg, thus effectively forcing you to check a bag into the hold at extra cost. It is annoying but sometimes unavoidable (unless you can get your total luggage requirement down to under 5 kg, which I can't!!).

Pollycat

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

I agree, hand luggage only is the way forward, and the most convenient way to travel. But it only works if the handluggage allowance is sufficient (eg ryanair and easyjet).

However some budget airlines such as flythomascook limit the handluggage to 5kg, thus effectively forcing you to check a bag into the hold at extra cost. It is annoying but sometimes unavoidable (unless you can get your total luggage requirement down to under 5 kg, which I can't!!).

I do pack sensibly, plan my outfits so I don't take anything that I won't wear so I could probably do hand luggage only.

The problem to me is the stuff that you can't take in hand luggage.
I only use a certain type of suncream that isn't available abroad.
My OH has senstive skin so needs a certain type of shower gel.
I wouldn't want to arrive in a place and the first thing I need to do is shop for toiletries.

I like to take enough books for me to read - I know some places do have a library of old books but some are in disgusting condition and I certainly wouldn't want to spend 2 weeks reading Mills & Boon romances. I know buying a Kindle would solve that but I usually buy mine from charity shops at 50p each.

As LazyDaisy says, a limit of 5kg is not that great for a 2 week holiday.

Not only that, the dimensions for Thomas Cook hand luggage are incredibly small:
no bigger than 43cm x 28cm x 23cm :eek:

and you're limited to one piece so your handbag and laptop must fit into that tiny bag which doesn't leave a lot of room for clothes and shoes.

zzzLazyDaisy

Just on the subject of toiletries, I always get them from Boots, airside. Provided the hand luggage bag has been passed through check-in and has room to take the extras, I've never been stopped or weighed again before boarding.

This stuff can be heavy and take you over your allowance at check-in, so it is worth considering.

Re books - I invested in a kindle this year and it has been amazing. The biggest downside for me is when I read a book that I really enjoy, I can't pass it round my friends. The upside is that I can always find that elusive book that I want to read again!

Pollycat

It's the price of the ebooks that puts me off buying a Kindle.
For example, I recently bought Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol in a charity shop (decent clean copy) for 50p. ebook on Amazon is £4.75 :eek:

Similarly, ebooks by another of my favourite authors David Baldacci are around £3.99 with some being £5+ - I usually pick them up for less than £1.

Me & OH usually take 6 books for a 3 week holiday, my price £3.00, downloading to a Kindle approx £24.

I'm never usually near my hold luggage allowance so it's easier for me to buy suncream in my local Boots (especially when it's BOGOF) and pack it than having to lug it in my hand luggage (which isn't wheeled).

It also gives me space and spare weight for shopping on holiday.

Bronnie

Lush do a solid shampoo and conditioner bar, which you could also use as body wash and for washing through smalls! It costs around £6, but lasts for ages if you put it somewhere dry after use. I have had mine for at least 2 years and bring it out for holidays numerous times a year! I keep it in an empty small body butter tub. A small tablet of a lovely soap is easier than lugging shower gel.

Dramatically reduces weight and liquids capacity when travelling with hand luggage only.

Agree with OP, skipping past the check-in queue and heading straight off without having to hang around at baggage reclaim is ace!

lurkylurky

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Just on the subject of toiletries, I always get them from Boots, airside. Provided the hand luggage bag has been passed through check-in and has room to take the extras, I've never been stopped or weighed again before boarding.


At East Midlands Airport you can take an extra bag of shopping from any of the airside stores as well as your cabin baggage. I flew with Ryanair at Easter and took a bag from Boots containing 3 meal deals and some toiletries. The sales assistant very helpfully found a larger carrier bag for me.

ferf1223

Pollycat wrote: »

It's the price of the ebooks that puts me off buying a Kindle.
For example, I recently bought Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol in a charity shop (decent clean copy) for 50p. ebook on Amazon is £4.75 :eek:

I was the same as you, and still am to some extent...but I do love my Kindle...but it does gall me to pay that much for the e-books...sometimes the Kindle edition is more than the actual physical book...that's crazy. My hubby bought me a Kindle as a 'Royal Wedding gift' though.

But I can check email on my Kindle (it's not very fast, and not terribly user-friendly - but still, it can be done)...so that is a bonus, right?

nearlyrich

I rarely pay for books for my Kindle, they have many freebies every day I have spend a lot less on Kindle books than I normally would have spent on real books. Ironically my next holiday is a cruise that leaves from the UK so I could theoretically take real books LOL