Hi Helen
We have travelled with 15kg hold luggage for a few years now - proud of myself.
I suppose all depends where and type of holiday.
In the hand luggage I put books, hairdryer, games and chargers etc any shoes that may be a bit heavy? Inflatables - can't think of anything else right now.
Where are you off to? - we are still trying to book our holiday.
Irene

Hey
we have paid an extra £70 for the extra 5kgs so we now have 20kg, but we're still planning on getting our sunblock at the airport after security (there's a boots after security in Manchester Airport) but we're going to have to phone the store beforehand to check that they're open and that obviously they're selling sunblocks

I'm a huge fan of lush solid shampoo, same consistancy as a bar of soap, and 1 bar lasts the 2 weeks! Weighing a lot less!

I got my hand luggage from Primark, it's a large bag (loads of styles available) and cost £6!

Hi Irene & dramaqueen.We're going AI tot he Dom Rep, so at least we won't have to carry towels. I had my hand luggage from Primark as well - there was a great choice there. I've also invested in one of those shampoo bars. I'm thinking of buying all my toiletries at Gatwick airport so that should save quite a bit. I wasn't sure whether I could put my hairdryer in the hand luggage.

We`re on a Thomson holiday and restrictions for hand luggage are 5kg and a size of 55x45x25cm. Our hand luggage , the wife`s handbag, was put on the scales with the cases last year to check the overall weight did not exceed the limit. This happened at Malaga Airport on a Thomson flight.

Surely if you're staying in a hotel, your room will have a hairdryer and toiletries provided.

Hi Helen
I'm pretty sure you can take your hairdryer, we've never had any trouble taking our travel iron, but you need to be sure about the voltage, or it may not work also, as someone said you may have one provided at the hotel

May save you some space

There will probably be a hairdryer there, but I never like the toiletries that hotels provide. I will use them if I'm away for a weekend but not a fortnight. My hair always ends up like straw & I can never get any wobble from the shower gel, so I like to use stuff I know works for me

I have just bought some packs of travel bottles and tubs which come in a zip up clear bag
to put toiletries in.

In each pack is 2 x 100ml bottles and two very small tubs (like what you put contact lenses in)
They are really good! And only £1.46 per pack from Bodycare!

I'm going to use them to put my toiletries in my hand luggage on my next holiday (whenever that
might be! )

I also use these little travel bottles and pots to decant all of our toiletries into. We each use differant shampoos/conditioners etc and these bottles really weigh very little and save on space in the suitcase. I tend to take shower gel that we can all use. Also Boots often do 'free' offers on their No7 range that include trial sizes of moisturisers, mascaras, foundations etc and as an ardent No7 fan I keep these for my hols to. As others have already said put some of your heavier items like chargers and books into your hand luggage, haven't had my hand luggage weighed for years. I paid for 5kg extra for each of us this year because we're going to Florida, I'm not worried about the weight going out (have got this down to a fine art now) it's the weight coming back that worried me after hitting the Orlando shopping malls! I also do not take items 'just in case I need them', remember you can buy most items at Boots when you've cleared customs or in the resort unless you're going to Outer Mongolia or similar.

Well, those "Bargains" from Bodycare weren't that good after all peeps.

I am reliably told that when you squeeze them to get the contents out (yes it's a squeezy top thingie in them)
the bottles crack. Hahaa!

So then you no longer have to squeeze them, just use the product that's oozing out of the sides!

I'll have to look for some "softer" plastic ones.
I'm sure I've seen them in Boots or Home Bargains....

Hi Milly

The bottles can be bought in loads of shops. I have some from Boots, M&S and Tesco. As you have found the cheap ones are abit to brittle and break easy. I dropped one and it disintegrated all over the floor and this was before we went away. I just went shopping for more and went around squeezing bottles to find the best ones, did get some funny looks though.

My (wheeled) hand luggage now consists of heavier items such as costume jewellery, make up bag, chargers, iPod speakers, hair straightners (sometimes) books and that's about it. Works perfectly for me as this easily hits the 5kg limit but saves that amount in my hold luggage. I did invest in a wheeled backpack though as I hated carrying 5kg around the airport and onto the plane.

This topic has been a great help to me! Thanks guys

Could someone tell me a few more "household items" you could put in your hand luggage?. My daughter is moving away and she only has 20kgs so we were hoping we could fill the hand luggage up as much as we can which is only 5kgs i think!.
Thanks for any info
CourtneeLouisex.