If I set you the challenge of travelling hand-luggage only for your summer vacation – no exceptions – would you take it?
I recently solo travelled to Palma for the first time, and that was exactly the challenge I set myself. I wouldn’t spend any extra money on luggage – just the free 40cm x 20xm x 25cm bag Ryanair gave me. How hard could it be?
Well… It wasn’t difficult, per se, but it wasn’t as easy as I’d expected, either. Because, as it turned out, I didn’t have a 40cm x 20cm x 25cm bag – but, once I’d fixed that, everything fell into place. It’s official: I’m a hand-luggage only girl now. And I’m going to convert you, too!
So, let’s get into it – exactly why you need to try travelling hand-luggage only on your next summer holiday!
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1. Money, money, money
Jessie J was wrong – it is all about the money, money, money. Especially in the current cost of living crisis. So why should you fork out extra just to take a slightly bigger bag? Flights are expensive enough without all the extra costs on top of them!
Seriously, though, if it meant you could save an extra £50 or so – would you really not consider just sticking with the free bag airlines automatically give you? It might be a bit of a squeeze, but that’s an extra £50 spending money – or towards your next holiday.
2. It saves you time
Because travelling hand-luggage only actually gives you so much extra time. First of all, most airlines will let you check in online, saving you the hassle of having to queue for an hour to check in suitcases for the hold and meaning more time shopping in duty free (kidding… kind of!).
Most importantly, though, you don’t have to wait by the carousel for ages waiting for your suitcase to come back out. No, you can whiz right past the hundreds of passengers waiting for their luggage and head straight to your destination! How awesome is that? Even better? You don’t have to go the hotel first to drop off an enormous suitcase!
3. It’s more convenient
Because, let’s face it, those 15kg suitcases are a real pain to wheel around – particularly when you’ve got a late night flight back and you have to check out of your hotel by 10am. What are you supposed to do until your flight?!
When you travel hand-luggage only, all of that falls away – because all you’ve got is your backpack, meaning you can just carry it around with you if it you need to. And the best part? Everything you need is in one place!
4. It forces you to think about what you actually need
Has anyone ever told you to lay everything you think you’ll need out on your bed and then half it? Because it really does work!
Let’s face it: one 40cm x 20cm x 25cm backpack is not a lot to work with. But you’re going to make it work. It’s possible – you just need to ask yourself whether you really need seven dresses for two days, or five pairs of shoes. If it doesn’t fit, it’s got to go.
Something which really helped on my trip was actually buying a bag which was the maximum size allowed for my airline (which seems counter-intuitive when saving money, but was a long-term investment). It ended up having a lot more space than I’d envisioned and I even had a little left over! If you’d like to buy it for yourself, you can purchase it here*.
So, there you have it – why you should travel hand-luggage only on your next trip. If I haven’t convinced you yet, I don’t know what will!
Do you travel hand-luggage only? Would you ever try it? Let me know in the comments!
Until the next adventure,
Ceri x
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Across the Great Planes 
I’ve travelled hand luggage only in the past! Last time I went away, I shared a suitcase with my husband. I’d need one next time we go because I have a child now and they need so much stuff.
Corinne x
https://skinnedcartree.com
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Oh definitely, a lot of it does depend on circumstances and I can imagine how difficult packing must be with children! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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Very interesting and true. I think my friend said similar things using this type of bag. Thank you for sharing!
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I’m glad your friend agrees! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I’ve been on small ‘staycations’ with only a backpack or small holdall, but I’ve never travelled abroad with hand luggage only. This post definitely convinces me that it is possible and has a lot of advantages! I would have to resist buying things on vacation though because I wouldn’t have space to bring them home (but at least this would save money too!).
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I’ve only done it the once so far but I would definitely do it again! If it makes you feel better I’m a sucker for buying ridiculous amounts of souvenirs and I managed to still bring back plenty – although if I’d been away for longer I would’ve struggled! Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts.
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If it were only me, if I was only going for a few days, and it was a city trip rather than a beach holiday, I think this would work. But it’s not practical for a family, sadly, so I’ll have to wait until my daughter is older and then we can all get one of these bags!
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Oh I completely agree, I think it’s perfect for solo travelling but when you’re going on a family holiday for an extended period it can be really tricky. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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I’m definitely someone that packs way more than they need to so honestly, the thought of hand luggage only makes me sweat haha!
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Haha it can be a challenge! My mum’s like that too and I don’t think I’ll ever convert her. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Wow! This would be hard for me! Lol. I usually carry pretty large bags on the regular, so imagine me having to travel! I think this is a good idea though. I love the idea of figuring out what you really need, and this is a good idea even for regular purses and bags. Do you really need to carry five lipsticks? Lol. Figuring out out I really need would help me with putting less into my purse. Then I can walk around with smaller bags! Thanks for the insightful post!
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Haha it can seem daunting but it’s actually so rewarding! I completely agree, there’s no point taking things you don’t need. Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts.
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Now I want to try this! I want to curb the habit of taking ten outfits when I really just need three. I think this may be good for a 2-day travel. I love this!
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I’m so glad I inspired you! I’ve definitely been guilty of that in the past but I find limiting your space really helps. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Love this post! In the past, I never would have thought it was possible to travel (especially internationally) without suitcases full of clothes & supplies. How wrong I was! We’ve been traveling since 2017 with hand luggage only – just a small backpack. We can fit about 10 days to 2 weeks worth of clothing in our carry-on backpacks. If necessary, we will seek out a place to do our laundry in town. Or, if staying in an Airbnb or housesitting, we make sure to pick a place with a washer and dryer. This has saved us time & money. We no longer buy souvenirs when traveling, because they won’t fit in our backpacks and it’s just clutter anyway.
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I’m so glad you liked it! Yeah it honestly is crazy, I think once you start there’s no going back. I haven’t tried it for a longer trip yet but I’m excited to see how I manage! I wish I could skip on the souvenirs but I’m still addicted, haha. Thank you so much for reading and sharing your experience.
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I’ve always liked the idea of hand luggage only but I’m such an overpacker. The thought of not having to wait for luggage is very appealing though.
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Oh it definitely is, it’s the best feeling just flying past everyone else waiting for their suitcases haha! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I think for very short stays I would try to just do hand luggage as it’s considerably less hassle. If you can make it work then it’s well worth doing. Good reminders here!
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I definitely recommend giving it a go! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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This would definitely be hard for me! I would probably be able to just about manage…as long as there are washing machines available haha
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Haha it can be a struggle! Definitely would need washing machines for longer stays. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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It’s definitely worth a try. I imagine I would have alot more peace of mind also. Thank you for sharing your tips!
Lauren //www.cko-coolkidsonly.blogspot.com
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It definitely is! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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This comes with practice but honestly it is so liberating
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Oh definitely! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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This was an interesting read. I haven’t travelled on a plane before but it sounds like travelling like this has positive advantages.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
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Thank you! It definitely does, I think it’s definitely the way forward. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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