Dublin Travel Forum

We managed to get cheap flights from BHX to Dublin for 2 nights in October but wondered if we could get-away with taking only hand luggage since it is only a short break?
They charge £30 or so for a suitcase which is OK seeing as I paid so little for the flight but I thought I might investigate how practical it would be without one!

I am guessing at two rucksacks or small bags for us both.

I note that there are restrictions regarding fluids - soaps, creams etc. which must be in clear plastic bags (re-sealable?) - and of course to the size of the bags themselves. Also, my wife's handbag (purse) must be INSIDE one of these rucksacks.

How have other VT-ers faired with this sort of thing? Have you tried to travel light in this way? Any tips or tricks or warnings would be very gratefully received! We won't be dressing-up particularly for meals etc. and the room has tea/coffee and a hairdryer.
Thank you!

Hi Tango.
My piece of advice would be "Just follow the rules". They are clearly written in the ryanair website. Sometimes they are very strict on everything. I have seen in Sicily how they made women to go to the check-in line because they couldn't put their handbag into the rucksack.

Sometimes they were more flexible. I don´t know who decide their mood. Anyway, if you "obey" their rules...you won´t have problems.
I use to defend that company as I have traveled and visited several place for little money, and that is what it counts to me. I know there has been bad experiencies for others....check your id document too. Again, they explain everything clearly on their website.

Good luck.

hiya john
you should be ok with a small bag each for two days- just make sure the liquids are in small bottles ( asda sell both smaller versions of well known hair & shower/bath stuff and aslo a "travel pack" with is a clear wallet with small bottles for you to fill with your regular stuff) - i brought a small holdall through ryanir - girona last October and wasn't questioned - (if i remember i will measure this at some point and let you have the dimesions to give you an idea)
Off point I know but well you may as well have this info too:

we stayed in Cassidys Hotel when we went - we booked it through "priceline" which is an auction type site - and paid a decent price ( aug bank holiday weekend) - its a good base and looks as though it has had a makeover since we were there - if you choose this hotel look at the difference in price between RO and BB if the price is a lot different ( as it was for us) don't bother with the breakfast - you can get better - cheaper down the road - the attached restuarant was a tad on the epensive site too

I've travelled for a weekend away without hold luggage - even a 3 night weekend. With the money you have saved, you might consider a hotel that is 3* and upwards, thereby negating all but toothpaste from your toiletries liquids.

As previous poster has said, be sure to stay in the rules, having to book in hold luggage at the airport is the most expensive way of having to do it!

If you pack a couple of outfits that interchange, its very easy.

You might wish to visit: (www.onebag.com). Gary

Travelling with just a small bag for a weekend is very easy. What do you need? Toothbrush and toothpaste (travel size), three changes of tops, one spare pair of trousers. Underwear. Done.

Thanks to all of you! I think we might "go for it" and try a small-ish bag each.
Hmm -October in Dublin - I'll have a suitable coat with me anyway and I am pleased to hear about the toiletry items that are available. Actually I can collect a couple of things from the hotels I visit on business (things like little bottles of shampoo etc!) and by booking a three-star or higher hotel, I can get-away with certain other things.
Interesting what was said about costs of breakfasts included in hotel rate or not. Are there plenty of breakfast options around the Temple Bar area then? (That is where I aplan to stay)
Good advice all of you - thanks!

john
plenty of cafes,bars and accomodation etc around temple bar- upper o'connell street( cassidys hotel at the top of upper o'connell street ) -

100 ml of soap, shampoo, shower gel, cream are far more than you will need for two days, so you can easily pack enough cosmetics. I keep a few of those little hotel bottles and refill them, each holds a supply for two or three days. I just checked, each of them holds 20 ml!
If you don't have such bottles at home, check drug stores for travel-size packs of all these items, they exist. Then pack all the little bottles into a clear ziploc bag, the kind that is used in deep-freezers, and you'll be fine.

Great - thanks!
I always wonder why they want a ziplog bag - you would have thought they would want the bag to be completely sealed wouldn't you?

Otherwise I may just as well put the little bottles loose in my case!

Ah well - rules is rules.

And useful to know about other possibiliies for breakfast although I would prefer to be in the hotel so we can pop-back to th eroom before setting off for the day.
I could do with a pint of Guinness now to be honest..........

The liquid and bag thing is not Ryanair....it is UK airport security (as is the one-bag rule).

You can easily transfer shampoo etc into smaller containers (Boots etc sell empty ones), and you can buy water for the flight(grossly over-priced) once you are through security.

Asda do a range of less-than-100ml deodorants/shampoos etc etc if you have an Asda nearby.

I went to Nimes last year for 3 nights with only hand baggage....was very proud of myself. It was fine..but it was also very warm, so I didn't need to take many clothes. Not sure about Ireland in October.....wear layers,perhaps?

Underclothes etc will dry overnight in your hotel room if you wash them around 5pm ...or put them on the radiator. If they are still damp in the morning, and you are embarrassed to leave them visible, put them on hangers in the wardrobe. Ordinary soap/shower gel/shamppo works perfectly well for washing clothes.

Just make sure your bag fits the Ryanair size/weight limits (Easyjet no longer have hand baggage weight limits, which is useful) and you'll be fine.

I estimate that I have recently taken my 60 flight with Ryanair and have yet to experience any of the horror stories you hear about the airline. They are strict, they are money grabbing on things like weight, baggage charges, food etc. but for they are also responsible for opening up trans european air travel...God bless Ryanair!

Ryanair have recently gotten very strict on hand luggage...due mainly to the fact that some people were really taking the p*** and trying to board the plane with carry on 'suitcases' which could hold a small family, to avoid luggae check in charges. This is what has led to the stricter regulations by Ryanair on one piece of luggage...and they really do mean one piece. Laptops, handbags and camerabags are all included now whereas before thye weren't too strict on these 'supplementary' items.
I frequently manage to fly for four to five days on a single piece of carry on luggage...and that includes a change of clothes every day before you ask ;) The 10kgs weight allowance is more than sufficeient for this lenght of time. (A lot of airlines allow only 7kg of carry on weight) Wear all your larger and heavier items of clothing as you travel. Also if you a have a large SLR camera a trick is to wear it around your neck with the lenses detached and stored in your jacket pockets when boarding. I do this when traveling with hand luggage and when I board I just take empty camera bag out of my rucksack and repack everything on board. There are ways around everything ;)

Ryanair get stick for these regualtions but to be perfectly honest I can't see what the problem is. All their terms and conditions regarding luggage is clearly indicated on their website and on bnooking conformation so if people don't like it they should book with some one-else. You get what you pay for with this airline and they make no secret of this.

Enjoy your trip.
Brian

Absolutely agree.

I am no apologist for Ryanair but it really annoys me when people whinge (not in this thread!).

Purses and wallets, btw, and the contents of your pockets, can be put into a separate tray for scanning (along with your coat and your plastic bag of bottles). It's amazing what you can carry in your pockets.........:-)

Ryanair's cabin luggage allowance isn't too bad really (for now!). At 10kg and not exceeding the maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm - this equates to a small 'wheely' case. If you plan to take advantage of other cheap Ryan air flights in the future you might find it worth buying a couple - shop around and you should find something for under £15. Luggage shops clearly mark them up as meeting cabin luggage size, although always check the actual measurements against the airline allowance.

Sorry Leics, at the moment the one bag carry-on is RYANAIR policy. London airports allow more than one now if the Airline will. And it is also EASYJET policy for only one. London Airports specify 56 X 45 X 25 Cm. they do not give a weight limit, but Ryanair does at 10 Kg.

Sorry, but that it not the case.

It is only some UK airports which allow now more than one cabin bag put through security. The maximum bag size is actually set by the government (relating to the size of the sanning machines, I suspect) although airlines may require smaller bags.

http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow^General^Airport+information^Security+control^Security+FAQs/76bb00df152dd010VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

The more-than-one-bag-allowed policy has been introduced in some airports, but it is still not the norm...and it has been retained by many airlines. You are only allowed one cabin bag at London Luton and Stansted as well as at other large airports around the country.

As the rule was not relaxed for all airports at the same time, a degree of confusion may have occurred.

In April I flew to Dublin with hand luggage only and spent three days there. We flew Air Lingus which allows 6 kg only, as opposed to the 10 kg Ryan Air allows. We had no problem, except for one member of our group who had 6.4 kg and was made to repack. They're really strict.

You'll need a jacket in October anyway, so wear one with lots of pockets. Your camera, book for the flight and a small umbrella can all be stuffed into the pockets,also heavy batteries.

If you plan to fly more often with hand luggage only, get some travel pants and travel shirts out of a very light material. They're more expensive when you buy them, but if you pack them in the carry-on and don't need checked luggage, you'll have got back the money soon.

Many thanks all - great advice as usual!
(I am not whingeing by the way - I am happy to stick to rules so long as I know what they are!)

We plan to visit BHX before we go (I only live 5 miles away) and try our bags in the size thingy they have there to check they are OK. Then we will check the weight etc at home.
Great advice about coats and pockets! And I am OK with the change of clothes etc as I ALWAYS take too many when travelling!

Leics, I am really sorry you cannot get the last word in with a accurate statement. If you look up all the major UK airports, you will find ONLY Luton has a stated one bag policy. ALL the others, including Stansted, allow the Airline policy to prevail. As I said before, it is Ryanair Policy that sets the rule, not the Airport, (Except Luton). All others include London City, Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick, Liverpool, Stansted, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, & Southampton. Look it up !!!

Calm down everyone!
I have some great advice for which I am very grateful and will certainly check the Ryanair-soecific rules and regulations for travel bags etc.

I have a collection of hotel "goodies" which I have saved from business trips, and a roll of freezer bags. I also have links to a few cabin luggage bags which look perfect for our needs.

Thanks everyone!

1. The one-bag policy was in force with some airlines before security was tightened up.

2. In 2006 the government made it a rule for all UK airports.

3. In early 2008 UK airports were given permission
(by the government) to relax this rule, if their security procedures and equipment met required standards.

4. Some airports have not yet been able to relax the retstriction because their equipment is not yet suitable. The allowing of more than one bag has been a grdual process, with airports moving towards this as their own proicedures and equipemnt allow.

5. Some airlines have subsequently chosen to retain the one-bag policy as a general policy.

The 'blanket' one-bag policy was a government security measure. Some airlines only allowed one bag before that, some continue to only allow one bag.

Thus one needs to check not only the specific airport but also the individual carrier's rules when flying from the UK. Airports are gradually upgrading to allow more than one piece of hand luggage, but it cannot as yet be assumed that all will do so.

I do hope this makes things a little clearer.

Just back from Dublin - ho hold-ups or hassles - all very easy.
Thanks again to all who responded and set my mind at rest.
Great trip (albeit horrendously expensive over there right now)
Cheers!

Goodo! :-))

Think it was expensive over there even before the euro/GBP near-equivalency.

we went a few years ago and found it expensive even then - think its always been so

glad you enjoyed it though

I'm glad you had a good time. I also found Dublin expensive and I'm from a Euro country, but at least I got lots of nice-looking Irish Euro coins.
However, walking around was great and completely free.