We just got back from Portugal where we had a 7-night family holiday in Salema and flew with Ryanair to Faro, from Newquay. We wanted to keep the holiday as budget-friendly as possible and were pretty surprised upon booking to discover we couldn’t take a cabin suitcase for free! The only free luggage included in the standard ticket rate was an under-seat bag with maximum dimensions of 40x25x20cm, so we took on the challenge!

If you’re wondering how much can you fit in a 40x20x25 bag then read on as I share photos of what me and my husband managed to pack in our Ecohub bags, which we each used as our Ryanair small bag for a whole week’s holiday, and descriptive packing lists for us and our two children.

One Week’s Worth of Packing in a Personal Ryanair 40x25x20cm Bag!

Not wanting to spend potentially hundreds more on a suitcase each, we decided to only travel with the free Ryanair under-seat allowance, each, for one week… in February!

It was quite a tall challenge as we had no idea what the weather would be like and if it would be warm enough for summer clothes, or if we needed some winter or spring clothing too with many extra layers!

Read on as I share exactly what we packed for a 7-night stay abroad using 40x20x25cm under-seat Ryanair bags.

I’ll share the bags we each chose, what we packed, links to some of the items we purchased for minimal packing and space-saving packing, what we forgot, and what we’d pack differently next time!

Table of Contents:

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Why we decided to take free Ryanair under-seat luggage only

As a family of four, we have a set budget annually for holidays which we save for each month. We like to stretch this budget as far as possible for trips away and family hols, so we didn’t want to spend (or rather waste) loads of money just paying for suitcases.

To take a hold suitcase each, or even just a cabin suitcase each, would have added hundreds more onto our flight ticket prices! Even if we just took a couple of suitcases between us, the costs were really stacking up. It just seemed like such a waste of money.

We wanted to visit Salema Portugal on a budget and looked to cut costs wherever possible so we could enjoy some luxury accommodation for less.

This was money we would rather put towards another trip away, or even to use as extra spending money on our holiday to Salema Beach to have an even better time, or more meals out, or whatever we wanted to spend it on that brought us joy rather than essentially paying hundreds of pounds to take more clothes with us, that we might not even wear.

We had recently been to Portugal to visit my brother-in-law for a few days in mid-December and we did take a couple of suitcases. We begrudged paying the extra money and found we didn’t even wear all the clothes we took.

So we thought we could pack much lighter this time for our family holiday to the southwest coast of Portugal, staying in a place called NAU Salema Beach Village resort in Salema, part of the Algarve, but not in the hustle and bustle of it.

We thought it would be a great challenge. As we live in Newquay, Ryanair flies to Spain and Portugal, among other destinations in the winter, so we could reuse whatever bags we purchased in the future for other flights from our hometown, and have some more budget-friendly trips away with our new Ryanair small bags.

Another great reason to attempt this challenge was the timesaving aspect. There would be no waiting around for the luggage carousels at each end of our trip, which sometimes added one hour or more to our time at the airport as we waited for the luggage to get into the airport and to the right carousel.

We’ve even had luggage lost before, as well as being made to check in our on-flight cabin suitcase to the hold before because too many people had them.

So by taking under-seat luggage only in a suitable small Ryanair bag, there was no chance of any of this happening as our belongings would be with us at all times. We could simply exit the plane, go through passport control and leave the airport with no additional hanging around. It sounded great!

There are many options on Amazon, eBay and independent luggage websites. Just make sure you choose the right size, as Ryanair changed their under-seat size in recent years, reducing it, so it must be no larger than 40x25x20cm.

When we were searching, we did notice some listings had larger bag dimensions, even though they said they were for Ryanair, so these must have been the older dimensions they used to allow.

You can search online for Ryanair small bag or Ryanair underseat bag and then simply make sure the dimensions are accurate and not outdated. As of February 2024, Ryanair’s underseat bag size is 40x25x20cm. But it’s worth checking their website to make sure this hasn’t changed whenever you book your Ryanair flight.

Different airlines have different under-seat size allowances, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all if you’ve already taken an underseat bag on a different plane – it might not be the right size.

My husband and I opted for an Ecohub bag each. We liked that the bags were made from recycled bottles and the material looked a lot tougher and longer lasting than some of the other cheaper bags which had very thin material.

I chose a 9-pocket version, mainly because I really liked the teal blue colour! My husband went for a 13-pocket version which was a lot more sensible as it had a laptop pocket. We both work when on holiday, squeezing in several hours of remote work in the morning and evening, so our laptops always come with us.

As my bag didn’t have a dedicated laptop pocket, I simply put my laptop in the main compartment on top of my clothes and belongings, in a protective ultralight water-resistant laptop case I purchased from Pipetto.

For the kids, we decided to buy the Cabin Max hybrid backpacks with wheels and pull-along handles. Simply because it would be easier for them to carry their own luggage through the airport if they could pull it along!

They were 11 years old and 8 years old for this trip, and carrying a whole week’s worth of holiday clothing, stuffed into a backpack, was reasonably heavy and they would have complained a lot about carrying it on their backs the whole time!

Cabin Max offers various styles of their Ryanair under-seat version, including backpacks without wheels, but if you have kids or find it hard to carry a backpack, then the pullalongs are perfect.

The bags we chose are actually hybrid versions, so you can unzip the back and hide the wheels with a velcro flap, where there are hidden straps so you can use the bag as a backpack too.

Mine and my family’s 7-night Ryanair under-seat bag packing list

So, what did we pack for a whole 7-night holiday abroad?! Well, I made a packing list and then I spent around four hours refining my selection as it simply didn’t all fit! Now I will be much quicker next time as I know what I can take and what isn’t needed.

While packing for a family of four in under-seat bags may seem like a challenge, it’s actually a great way to travel light and avoid any unnecessary luggage fees. This mindset works just as well for romantic getaways too, including honeymoon packing lists! Whether you’re heading to a cosy cabin, a beachside resort, or even Disney, learning how to pack light and efficiently can leave you more room for experiences and memories. So next time you’re planning a trip, use this approach to pack your essentials without overstuffing your bag!

Here’s my packing list, along with what I sacrificed, and what I’ll get for next time…

LIQUID TOILETRIES PACKING LIST FOR FAMILY OF FOUR

Firstly, I sorted our liquid toiletries for the week. I had already purchased some travel-sized toiletries as the maximum any one person can take is 10x 100ml containers. However, this is pretty impossible per person, as they can only be in a maximum 20x20cm clear zipped pouch, which we found you could fit around 4-5 toiletries of this size max per pouch.

As there were four of us, we were able to split the toiletries any which way they fit best, and it didn’t matter who carried which pouch. If you’re travelling alone, however, you can only take 1x 20x20cm clear zipped pouch and the liquids must fit comfortably in the pouch.

Next time I would take an actual mouthwash, but I didn’t have a small bottle I could transfer it to from home, so I took some mouth freshener spray instead. I really missed my mouthwash, so I’ll be more prepared next time, save a small bottle that’s 100ml or less so I can take the specific mouthwash I use with me, as they don’t offer a readymade travel-sized version.

We were self-catering, but the holiday home had shampoo, body wash and hand soap, so we could pack even lighter next time if we knew things like this were provided and we’re happy to use them. So, always check the details of what’s available at your holiday accommodation!

All our under-seat bags had a large front zip pocket where we put these clear pouches for easy access. This is because, at airport security, you have to take these pouches out of your bag so they can be scanned separately from the rest of your belongings. On our departure, they opened a couple of our liquid toiletries and swabbed them to confirm they were toiletries and we weren’t carrying anything illegal or dangerous.

Here’s our 100ml liquid containers packing list (remember: max 10 per person, must fit comfortably in 20x20cm clear zipped pouch).

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Cleanser
• Suncream
• Toothpaste
• Mouth freshener spray
• Shower gel
• Lip gloss
• Lash serum
• Supplement spray
• Clear mascara

Here are the pouches we purchased from eBay for our liquids:

NON-LIQUID TOILETRIES &  COSMETICS PACKING LIST

Solid balms such as solid deodorant or solid lip balm, do not count as liquid toiletries. Nor do wipes! This can make things easier, especially if you aren’t travelling as part of a group and struggle with the liquid allowance and space for your toiletries. You can get many things as wipes or solids for your travels.

Many of these items were for more than one of us, so we split the packing of these, using the inner pockets of our bags. To save space, I took a few plasters, a handful of cotton buds, a few toothpicks and a few portions of paracetamol. This saved space instead of packing the entire boxes/packs of these things.

Here’s the rest of our family toiletries and cosmetics packing list that didn’t have any restrictions.

• Stick deodorant (x4)
• Lip balm solid
• Face wipes
• Hygienic hand wipes
• Eyelash curlers
• Eyelash/eyebrow brush
• Plasters
• Paracetamol 
• Tweezers
• Nail scissors
• Toothbrush (x4)
• Brush (x2)
• Hairbands
• Headband
• Razor (x2)
• Cotton buds
• Toothpicks
• Pocket tissues (x4)

CHARGERS PACKING LIST

Here are all the chargers I packed in my bag. I slotted them in around my clothing once everything else was packed. There wasn’t a toothbrush charger socket in the bathroom, so I had to buy a converter from a supermarket in Portugal on the first day as my electric toothbrush only lasts a few days without any charge.

My husband also packed a laptop charger, adapter and iPhone charger in his suitcase. With three phones to charge, an iPad and two laptops, we’ll definitely take two more adapters next time, or a small extension lead, as we struggled to charge everything efficiently with only two.

• Laptop charger
• iPhone charger
• Fitbit charger
• Toothbrush charger (and adapter)
• Plug adapter 

CLOTHING PACKING LIST

This was probably the hardest part to pack! As mentioned above, I took four hours to successfully pack my under-seat bag, and my clothing packing list is probably why! I had to refine it and ditch loads of items I had planned to take.

We were going to the southwest of Portugal in mid-February, so the weather was a hard one to predict. Although it said between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius each day of our holiday, we knew, as we live by the coast, if it’s cloudy or windy then it could feel much cooler. However, we had minimal packing space each, so we couldn’t take a bunch of cardigans and jumpers just in case. So I had to be ruthless. I had to plan to wear the same clothes on several days and hope they didn’t get wet or stinky!

I also wore denim shorts over my leggings at the airport, a long vest, a long-sleeve top, a cardigan and rain mac, so I saved space on having to otherwise pack the shorts, vest and coat! Once through airport security, I put my coat and shorts into one of my foldable shopping bags, along with the water and food I purchased at the airport. Layering up is not only great for being able to take more clothing with you without using your precious suitcase space or weight, but also for helping to stay warm on a plane if you feel cold when flying.

We mainly hike along the Portuguese coasts and explore on foot, so I mainly wear water shoes during the day so I can climb rocks, walk Salema coastal paths and splash in the sea with ease. Some days I wore my trainers, such as for our walk around the Land’s End of Portugal as it was really rocky and spiky and then take them off for bare feet when on the sand.

Clothing had to be super minimal, and if it was cold I had vests and a fluffy cardigan to keep me warm.

Luckily it was pretty warm every day, with up to 20 degrees of sunshine, and only one day it rained slightly. Phew!

We also didn’t realise we’d have a washer-dryer in our holiday home! Bonus! So we could wash and dry our clothes and underwear which was a big help. If we knew this next time, we would take slightly less clothing and underwear and make use of the machine a few times.

Another thing to mention here is that I first rolled all my clothes as is often recommended to save space and prevent creases, but I ended up repacking the bag a few times and found folding the clothes flat was much better for my packing and organisation of the bag.

Here’s exactly what clothing I packed and what I was wearing for the travelling. This was to last me 7 nights (8 days in total).

• Pants, bras, socks (enough for 7 nights and days)
• PJs / Thermals
• 1x leggings
• 1x summer trousers
• 1x long vest
• 1x short vest
• 1x lightweight cardigan 
• 1x sunglasses
• 4x t-shirts
• Water shoes
• 1x leggings (wearing)
• Trainers (wearing)
• Shorts (wearing)
• 1x fluffy warm cardigan (wearing)
• 1x long long-sleeved top (wearing)
• 1x long vest (wearing)
• Waterproof jacket (wearing)

RANDOM ITEMS PACKING LIST

We took some flat Eco Chic shoppers like these from eBay with us so we had some bags for food shopping at the supermarket. These fold into a small pocket, or they can be packed flat and take up virtually no space at all. They were also handy for packing our watershoes on our return which were very sandy and wet still when we travelled back.

We purchased one foldable/flat backpack from Moutain Warehouse to try too. My daughter nabbed this off us once she saw it and used it as her day bag. We’ll buy another for our son next holiday as he likes it too. My husband and I unpacked and emptied our under-seat Ecohub bags on arrival to the accommodation, and used these for our days out to pack towels for the beach, picnic lunches, water, and used them as shopping bags at the supermarket when our foldable shoppers weren’t enough space.

I took a beach towel with me. I use a large travel one from Mountain Warehouse which is super lightweight and small to pack. The kids and my husband packed a travel towel from Mountain Warehouse which is small and could be used to dry off feet on the beach.

The accommodation actually offered beach towels to borrow from reception, which we didn’t realise before we went. So this is another feature to check for any resort and accommodation you are staying at, as it can help to save more space when minimally packing!

We usually have a lot of natural supplements each day, such as spirulina, turmeric, CBD, aloe vera, algae omega and more. However, rather than take all of these, we purchased some Floradix vegan-friendly tablets instead for the week and took one strip with us. My son skipped his vitamins for a week as we forgot to take his and my daughter took a BetterYou vitamin spray in the liquid toiletries.

I was hoping to take two books, but there wasn’t enough room so I took one. I only managed half anyway as I sat with the kids on the plane on the way out so could barely read at all! On the way back I read more, but it’s a book with a lot of history and facts so I couldn’t read it as quickly as I usually read books.

We took a couple of Trek bars each as snacks as we had limited space and thought these may be quite filling if there were delays or nothing vegan-friendly that the kids liked while travelling.

Here’s are random items packing list:

• Shopping bags flat/foldable
• Flat backpack/day bag
• Picnic/beach towel
• Snacks
• Vitamins/Supplements
• Book

EXTRA ITEMS MY HUSBAND PACKED IN HIS BAG

My husband packed a couple of items that I didn’t; a JBL speaker which we used every day to play music in the accommodation. JBL make a lot of portable Bluetooth speakers in all different sizes which are great for travel or taking to the beach, some styles are even waterproof! You can check out the range of JBL speakers on eBay here!

My husband packed a travel towel rather than the large beach towel I took. He also packed a power bank for some extra charge while we were out and about if needed.

The extra items or different items he packed to me were:

• Bluetooth speaker
• Towel (lightweight, fast drying)
• Power bank 

EXTRA ITEMS MY KIDS PACKED IN THEIR BAGS

Aside from carrying a bag of toiletries each, the kids mainly packed their clothes, minimally, and also a beach towel in each of their bags.

Here’s the clothing my kids packed:

• 3 t-shirts
• 2x shorts
• 2x trousers
• Warm top (e.g hoody or cardigan)
• Underwear
• Pyjamas
• Water shoes

This was essentially it. They also had a pair of trousers, a T-shirt and a jumper or hoody on them at the airport, along with a coat. They knew the same t-shirt or shorts had to be worn for a couple of days at a time, so to be mindful when eating to avoid spills! At 11 years old and 8 years old on this trip, they were able to be more careful with things like this. Just a few years ago, we’d never have made such minimal clothing last a whole week as they were much messier as younger children and toddlers with food and when playing outdoors.

They then packed these kid-friendly items that they needed for the trip away for comfort and entertainment:

• Notebook, pens and pencils
• Teddy
• Dobble
• Headphones

ITEMS I SACRIFICED PACKING

There were quite a few items I had planned to pack, but had to sacrifice as I simply didn’t have enough space. I also coped without them, although I would take my swimming costume next time as it was warm enough for a quick dip in the sea which I was surprised by!

Instead of taking a water bottle, we bought water after security at the airport and reused the bottles during our trip. This makes sense to save space as you have to pour away any water before security anyway.

I thought packing cubes would be easier, but I ended up packing without them as they gave me less flexibility when trying to maximise the space in my backpack.

Good job I didn’t take extra jumpers as I didn’t need them at all! I was fine with one long jumper and cardigan that I wore on the plane.

We purchased coffee and toilet rolls there, so didn’t really need to pack these. I’m just quite fussy with the coffee I like!

Luckily I wasn’t due on my period, so I could sacrifice taking my feminine products this time.

Here are the items I had planned to pack, but sacrificed taking:

• Slim filter water bottle 
• Coffee flask
• My favourite coffee
• Sandals 
• Packing cubes
• Hair towel 
• Swimsuit
• 2x long jumpers 
• Slippers 
• Toilet roll 
• Soap
• Tampons and pantyliners 

THINGS WE FORGOT AND THINGS WE’LL TAKE NEXT TIME

Here’s what we’ll take next time, mainly for better charging of devices and entertainment. We’ll likely buy the kids’ puzzle books and magazines at the airport so they have some extra travel entertainment.

Things we’ll take next time:

• Small extension lead
• Kids’ magazines and puzzle books
• I’ll take my swimsuit as it was warm enough for the sea!

Also… oops! We did forget to pack some things for the kids! Here’s what we forgot to pack and we will remember to pack these items next time:

• Uno cards
• Playing cards
• Kids hats
• Kids shades