Never pay for a luggage

Numerous articles and videos online offer advice on minimising luggage. However, most provide generic tips that are obvious to frequent travellers. This article aims to offer specific advice that will genuinely enable you to holiday without incurring luggage fees while feeling completely comfortable with the items packed in your small cabin bag.

Not all bags of the same dimensions have equal capacity. For instance, many backpacks have padding on the back for comfort, which reduces space for actual luggage. A simple duffle bag often maximises your packing capacity. If you can't find a travel bag that precisely matches the maximum size allowed without extra charges, consider using a slightly larger bag made of thin material. Don't fill it to the brim, allowing you to easily compress it if asked to demonstrate it fits within the airline's size restrictions.

Every woman flying with Ryanair knows that one of the biggest challenges of travelling with only the free cabin bag (40cm x 25cm x 20cm) is fitting her handbag into it. The most obvious solution—taking a small handbag intended for use throughout the trip and attempting to fit it in the cabin bag—is far from ideal. Struggling to push one's handbag into a small cabin bag whilst holding a passport and boarding pass or mobile phone, all while queueing for boarding, is terribly inconvenient. Moreover, fitting the handbag in a way that doesn't distort the cabin bag and render it non-compliant with size restrictions adds an additional level of complexity.

A far more convenient solution, which may seem counterintuitive, is to take two handbags. Choose one as your main bag for use at your final destination, ensuring it has a regular shape and takes up minimal space—for example, a flat handbag or a small, rectangular one that can be used as a packing cube. For travelling, use a mini handbag that's just large enough for your passport, mobile and bank cards. At the gate, even though you'll have two bags (the mini handbag and the cabin bag), there's a very low chance that staff will ask you to place your handbag in the cabin bag, provided it's genuinely miniature and your cabin bag isn't visibly stuffed to the brim. They typically have enough common sense not to delay boarding, which operates on a tight schedule, when they can clearly see a passenger would be able to fit their handbag in the cabin bag if needed.

And no—this won't cost you a fortune. Mini handbags ideal for non-priority travel can be found for less than £2 on Temu.

It's also wise to carry a light, foldable zip bag inside your luggage as a backup cabin bag in case the handle of your main one breaks or a zip fails (naturally, it's best to opt for a bag with two zips). Whilst their size mightn't precisely match Ryanair's non-priority cabin bag dimensions, they're made of thin material, allowing the shape to be easily modified depending on how it's packed.

Another challenge many travellers face when flying with cabin luggage only is adhering to liquid limits. However, seasoned travellers know that the permitted small, clear bag for liquids (20cm x 20cm) can accommodate a surprising variety of products. With careful planning, the contents of this bag can suffice for a one- or even two-week holiday, even for women who traditionally require more personal care items.

Bear in mind that just because a container is well under 100ml, it doesn't automatically mean packing it in your liquids bag is efficient. For instance, there's no need to take your 50ml foundation when a 10ml pot would be more than adequate. Also, avoid fancy, asymmetrical shapes for your toiletry containers—many travel-sized containers are designed rather impractically. Reusable tubes and pouches are excellent choices, as the more of their contents you use, the less space they occupy. By freeing up some space for the return journey, you can even accommodate small souvenirs.

To make the most of your liquid bag, always keep such bags at home and practise rearranging your toiletries several times to find the optimal way to fit the most items. Attempting to organise your toiletries at the airport is a highly inefficient packing method when you wish to take more than a handful of personal care items.

This approach allows you to make the most of the limited space while staying within airline regulations. Remember, the key is to pack smartly and efficiently, focusing on versatile items that serve multiple purposes during your trip.