Hand luggage only-realistic for family of 4?

A snowHead

Is it realistic to travel for a week long ski holiday with a hand luggage only? We are a family of 4 (kids are 8 and 4) and we are going to Clubmed La plagne for Xmas week, coming back new year eve. Last time when we flew back at the same time of the year there was reduced ground crew in heathrow so we had to wait for hours for our checked in luggage, which led my hubby to have this genius idea of travelling with hand luggage only.. but I think with all the heavy clothing and kids needed a few bits of everything , it is not realistic, right?

A snowHead

@Bella2015, tricky one. I'd say you could do it, but are you taking Christmas presents with you for the kids, or is Santa leaving them at home for when you return?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I doubt its doable for a weeks holiday especially with kids.

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Bella2015,

It's all down to personal taste and how bothered you are about lots of outfits on holiday. We ski from dawn til dusk and, by the time we've showered and spruced up, realise that we wear non ski gear for only a relatively short proportion of the trip - so don't need much. We therefore can manage with hand luggage only - including ski boots. If you are hiring boots it should be easily manageable.

Just take the maximum size permitted bag and Bob could be your uncle. wink

However, I wouldn't let one adverse experience put you off checking in luggage if that is all that is stopping you. Can Santa get by with hand luggage only? Puzzled

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Bella2015, I’d say not, in midwinter, in a high altitude area.

Late March onwards you might manage, without the need for so many layers and warm clothing.

Hopefully baggage handling times will be more normal next time.

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Bella2015,
Simples:
No.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I don't have the particular hassle of kids, but I suspect it would be a struggle and lead to stress, discomfort and arguments. Depends what are you taking? I have my own boots & helmet so it's pretty much a non-starter for me.

After all it is free

I'm not qualified to comment on kids, but their carry-on allowance is the same as everyone else's and they are smaller, so what applies for adults ought to apply for them.

I always travel with hard-boots plus helmet in my carry-on and wear my jacket anyway. In addition to that you'd need to fit your pants and other stuff in the bag.. that would certainly fit for me.
That said, I'm always amazed at both how much other people carry around the world.

Two kids - done it many times taking 2 pairs of boots. Just plan it properly. Ladies will be allowed a handbag on most flights...there are no dimensions for an allowable handbag so a six year old carrying boots qualifies. I did have to wear my boots on a Ryanair flight once...they objected that it wasn't safe so I offered to race the oldest person on the plane back to the terminal. The captain was a top bloke. He agreed that I was complying with the letter of company policy but was destroying the spirit of the policy. I offered to get off and take it to court....so I wore my boots for the duration. Laughing

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whats with the double posts???

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It's a nice thought, but I honestly don't think it's really practical, kids need much more in clothes to keep warm.
What I would do is make sure that both ski and ordinary clothing is split between hold bags so that if one should go missing on the way out then every still has clothes for the start of the holiday.

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I don’t think I could do a weekend handluggage only ...

Thanks all. Just to clarify we will not be taking any boots or helmets or skis , and also no Christmas presents... oh and we are flying BA, so hopefully they are a bit more forgiving than low cost airlines...so opinions seem to be split so far
@Thornyhill, loved your story about Ryanair and ski boot racing Smile

You know it makes sense.

Thanks all. Just to clarify we will not be taking any boots or helmets or skis , and also no Christmas presents... oh and we are flying BA, so hopefully they are a bit more forgiving than low cost airlines...so opinions seem to be split so far
@Thornyhill, loved your story about Ryanair and ski boot racing Smile

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I've always been surprised at the size of hand luggage that BA allow on board, are you sure that it wouldn't be cheaper to have 2 hold luggage and pack your children in the hand luggage saving their fares?

A snowHead

Just post yoyr luggage to the hotel a week before your arrival and arrange for it to be posted back once you leave. Don't know the price or how easy it would be, but i know that people have done it.

This site below claims to do it for free (can't see how), but it's just one of a few.

https://www.luggagefree.com/send-suitcases-ahead/

A snowHead

@Bella2015, I think you could do it, but you need to think carefully about what to take. Wear ski jacket (with stuff in the pockets) on the plane. Take minimal non-ski clothing, e.g. use tops you will ski in later in the week as evening wear earlier in the week. Wash socks, underwear & base layers during the week - ski accommodation is usually warm enough that they dry in 24 hours, or even overnight. For adults just two sets of footwear: walking/outdoor boots that you wear on the plane and out in resort, and an indoor set in your luggage. Probably an extra set for the children. The children get the same sized allowance as adults, which means you can take more clothing for them, and a few items to keep them amused.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

marodo2712,

That "Luggage free" website means that you travel free of luggage- not that they deliver it free of charge! Their website states that they charge shipping fees.

And they operate only in the USA... rolling eyes

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Timc, your idea did sound somewhat interesting ( as my kids can be quite annoying to fly with...)
@marodo2712, thanks for the link, and @Bergmeister, looks like they do operate in Europe also not for free...
@ecureuil, ok sounds doable,but a bit of an added hassle..although my husband probably wants us to do just what you said.

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I didn't really read it, just did a search. I thought it was unlikely to be free. Another quick search threw up the following, but it's also possible to package it well and just take it to the post office, not going to be cheap though...

https://www.luggagedeliverycompany.com

https://www.sendmybag.com

https://www.luggagemule.co.uk

Another thought, could be used instead of checking in ski bags?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Ladies allowed handbags on most flights?

Not the Easyjet or Ryanair I fly on (I do not fly on Ryanair)

Cost aside and its relative small impact on a holiday, surely the wait for luggage delivery isn’t that much of an issue?

I fly most weeks on usually have my hand luggage checked in for carousel delivery and it is rarely a problem...

My weekend ski gear would not fit in hand luggage.

After all it is free

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Update. Luggage delivery not cheap - at all!

£100 per 20kg bag.

Though, www.sendmybag.com does it for £56 per 20kg bag.

I think shopping around might be worth it, you never know.

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@marodo2712, interesting... I suppose something to consider, although for £100, I think I will rather just tolerate some waiting for luggage at the airport. Although maybe useful for another occasion..

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@Bella2015, if your ticket already includes a checked baggage allowance, I would use it.

BA allows one big bag and one small one in the cabin, with the largest compliant big one being about 50L, and small one about 20L. It’s thus theoretically perfectly doable, particularly if you wear your ski jacket and snow boots. I’ve done week+ US business trips with a ski weekend in the middle and taken my ski boots with just hand luggage.

However... a) that’s a lot of luggage to drag round the airport, b) unless you’re flying club or are a gold card holder, after all that effort you’ll likely get them taken off you at the gate on a busy flight, c) it will probably require buying a new set of bags to optimise the allowance, and d) it makes everything (security, boarding, disembarking etc.) take that bit longer.

You know it makes sense.

You could definitely do it and a find a way to squeeze everything in. But it would be much more effort and hassle than the typical 10 minute wait for baggage.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

There is absolutely not a chance I could get a week's worth of ski gear and apres clothes in hand luggage!! I take skis, boots and helmet but even if I didn't, I still take tons of sh*t on ski holidays.

Also what about toiletries? I couldn't face a week with no make up or hair conditioner Shocked

A snowHead

[quote="under a new name"]Ladies allowed handbags on most flights?

...../quote]

Haven't done a ski trip with them for ages but Ryanair used to have a policy that a handbag was fine if you could carry it on your lap for the duration of the flight.

My translation of that?

A snowHead

could possibly get away with it.
Are you able to use vacuum bags? Maybe buy bits like toiletries out there?
layer up the kids with the heavy/thickest clothing for the flight?

Maybe even rent some skiwear out there?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Yes, of course you can - easier with kids. BA allowances are generous and kids are small. Wear your ski jackets, walking boots (or whatever chunky footwear you will walk round the resort in) and one of your "apres ski" outfits. Bags only need to contain another set of tops and bottoms for apres ski, your ski trousers (too hot on a plane - my brother in law made that mistake once and nearly expired) a mid ski layer, a couple of base layers and gloves, ski socks, neck warmers etc stuffed in your helmets. Simple toiletries - and you're done. If space is tight ski base and mid layers will wash and dry overnight in the average super-heated ski accommodation so you don't really need a second set.

It astonishes me, when I meet people at Geneva airport, how much stuff people stagger out into arrivals with.

You'll be so glad, when you get home at the end of your holiday, not to have to unpack mounds of washing and several garments you've not worn all week.

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surely the wait for luggage delivery isn’t that much of an issue?
It's not for everyone, and some of the advantages depend on other people choosing to wait for hold baggage, so please keep on doing that as it lets me get ahead wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Without helmets and boots, if you all had decent size cabin bags I reckon you could do it easily. I've travelled to Spain in the summer when my two were small toddlers for 10 days with just one cabin bag and that included washable nappies and we usually only have about 65kg in winter including helmets, boots, skis and board (We had everything inc hand luggage weighed one trip!)

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I think the crucial point here is whether you all have suitable cabin bags. With a 23kg allowance weight is not an issue for packing but don't forget you need to lift them into overhead locker. And yiull need suitably sized toiletries .

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@HoneyBunny, I get what you saying.. which is why my initial reaction was , that this is a totally mad idea.
The way we usually pack - I prepare everything I want to take , including all the “just in case” and “nice to haves” and my husband reviews and halves the amount.
However on our previous trips, we ended up taking so much stuff like extra apres clothes and games and toiletries that we never ever used.
So perhaps if we tried this hand luggage only just this once, we would learn to pack more efficiently and as @pam w points out , the unpacking will be a lot easier..

After all it is free

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TBH i dont see it being a problem, BA have a very generous carry on policy (between my two carry on bags i have 80L+ of capacity). I would not bother with toiletries going out, pick up airside in the airport or in resort.

But is it worth the hassle???

Help!!

Hand luggage only-realistic for family of 4?

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