How to Travel with Carry on Only: Packing Tips and Tricks to Avoid Extra Fees!

Baggage is something we have to seriously consider when booking flights. The days of checked luggage being included in our airfare price are long gone. For us, the solution is easy – travel with carry-on only.

If you find yourself frustrated having to navigate a wide and complex range of baggage options and high fees it’s time for change. Imagine eliminating tricky airlines weight and checked baggage rules from your travel plans.

After we figured out how to streamline our packing, we rarely travel with hold bags preferring to pack light even for longer trips.

There are so many advantages to this and honestly once you have packed this way, we are sure you’ll wish you’d done this earlier. It’s much easier than you think!

In this post, we share tips on packing, ideas on how to reduce cabin baggage and thus save money and time by travelling with carry-on only.

Tips to Get Around Airline Luggage Rules

When ‘cheap’ or ‘bargain’ fares are quoted by airlines, we get excited thinking ‘what a great deal’. However, upon proceeding to ‘Add Your Bags’ to the reservation, we face the dreaded baggage charges.

Suddenly, the cost of taking checked luggage is now more expensive than the seat itself! Does this sound familiar?

However, you typically book your hold case in anyway because it’s what you’ve always done. STOP adding this weight and cost! Let’s look at the carry-on only option and pack smarter.

1. Change your Hold Bag to Carry- on

Many airlines have a free bag allowance (or reduced costs) if you travel with 10kg/22lbs on board as cabin or hand baggage.  In other words – a ‘10kg allowance and no fees‘ policy. 

British Airways are particularly generous with the option of also bringing a small bag onboard as hand luggage as long as it fits under your seat. Just select their BASIC fare when you book the flight and there is nothing else to pay.

In Europe, Ryanair offer low cost fares but only one small bag (40x20x25cm) is allowed on their BASIC LIGHT fare.

This is very limiting but rather than opt for the full checked case or REGULAR fare at this stage, continue with the BASIC and add your baggage in at the next steps.

It is generally cheaper to do this but you get the same allowance of a cabin bag (55x40x20cm) and the small bag and Priority Boarding for around $25 each way.

Try these steps with any airline and compare each fare group offer.

To make sure your baggage fits with airline dimensions, measure carefully. We love the Cabin Max Metz BackPack . Take a look to see if it works for you.

2. Consider WANTS vs NEEDS!

Now, you might be thinking – 10kg/22lbs – I can’t survive on that!

Is it worth the hassle to get to a 10kg allowance & no fees? Let me tell you, we used to feel the same way but now it’s our preferred method and it’s very rare that we check in a hold bag. So what’s our secret?

Well, picture it now. You lay out everything you want to take with you – shoes, bags, dresses, tops, swimsuits, toiletries. You pack it, pay your extortionate baggage charges and lug half your wardrobe in your 20kg case.  

BUT, how often do you come back with only half of it used!  Yep, that used to be us too!

Try this: Sort everything lying on your bed into 2 piles.  It doesn’t take long! You’ll be amazed how much you can reduce your load by.  Also don’t forget that HOW you pack your clothes matters – we swear by rolling them and using packing cubes.  

If we’re honest it’s all about NEEDS vs WANTS. Now we Ask: What do we NEED to take and what do we WANT to take?

Set a Vacation Clothing Allowance

Destinations, seasons and holiday types vary of course for each trip.  But we’ve happily travelled with 10kg hand baggage allowance and no fees ‘suitcase’ to many places from:

• A 2 week train trip through Italy;
• A 8 day Road Trip In Montenegro & Albania;
• 4 days in Iceland in December;
• Weekend girls trip to Nashville, Tennessee;
• A 10 day trip to St Lucia.

Using packing cubes, my 10kg case for a 7 day trip to Crete, Greece contained:

• beach skirts; beach shoes (x3)
• pairs of shorts (x3)
• vest tops/beach tops (x8)
• bikini (x4)
• 1 beach towel
• 2 pairs of evening sandals
• dresses (x6)
• 1 skirt
• 2 evening tops
• sun hats (x2)
• a hairbrush
• a couple paperback books
• a beach bag
• hair accessories, toiletries that are not liquids

It’s easy to pop our beloved Max Metz rucksack in the small ‘under the seat’ area of the plane. Place 100ml toiletries allowance in a plastic bag along with adapters, headphones, travel documents etc.

Some airports are phasing out the need to remove liquids for security checks so they can stay in your luggage. But you will still need to stick to the 100ml allowance.

3. Pack Toiletries Smartly

Can’t travel without your favourite products? This is always a tricky one. Shampoos, conditions, sun cream weigh a lot and take up valuable space.  

You’ll notice in our list we didn’t pack any of these in cabin baggage due to strict 100ml regulations. You can pack a lot of your liquids in your plastic bag allowance if you follow our tips below:

1. Always use a clear zip-up plastic hold all bag (see photo above). They are stronger and it’s easy to stack items.
2. Use 100ml plastic bottles to fill up with shampoo & essentials or buy miniature ones.
3. How much make-up? Do Needs vs Wants  check again; we try to stick to 1 lipstick; 1 mascara, little blusher and a tinted SPF moisturizer.
4. Stick deodorants, stick/powder blush, makeup-up pencils, soap & shampoo bars aren’t classed liquids so can go in cabin bags.
5. Most hotels, B&Bs, Air B&B supply shampoos, shower gel but check ahead. If you do need a full size of the products keep reading for a solution and a top tip of ours.
6. If you NEED full size items and are travelling from the UK BUY THESE TOILETRIES AIRSIDE! 
7. Most UK airports have a toiletry store called Boots. You can pre-order full size products through ‘Click and Collect’ and pick them up in store at the airport once you clear Security!  Use your loyalty Boots Advantage Card to receive points and make savings!  Leave enough room in your carry on to squeeze them in. Do remember you won’t be able to bring full size home!
8.  Store all liquids in a smaller bag just in case there are any spillages. Don’t want to ruin your fabulous outfits all neatly rolled up! 

4. Final Hand Baggage Tips!

• A small liquid sachet of travel wash is worth packing and takes up very little room in your zipped liquid bag.
• Books. We love audibles and paper books. Hotels often have libraries so consider this before bringing with you. Kindles are a huge space saver.
• Invest in a compact adapter to charge several appliances at once:- I-phone/I-Pad headphones, smart-watch etc.
• Wear bulkier items like a jacket or coat and travel in your heaviest shoes.
• If you don’t need a coat, take a thin long sleeved top to wear as planes can get chilly. A scarf doubles as a beach wrap!

If you’re not quite sure you an do this, start by going carry on only for a shorter trip. Then, extend it for a week, then a longer trip and we are sure you will be hooked after that!

Practice Carry-on Only Travel

So, there you have it!  Less stressful packing. Avoid lines/queues at airport check-in. No more worrying about checked luggage going missing.

Avoid injuries by not having to lift heavy cases and once you’re at your destination, you will love the experience of less internal debate about what to wear.  

Even if you’re driving on a road trip, try to keep your luggage to a minimum.

The best part of all this new mindset is spending more time relaxing and exploring. Carry-on only means more money to spend and less to unpack, re-pack etc.

When we turf everything out of our suitcase back home, there’s less laundry too:)  Now, that’s an incentive!

Happy Packing!