Hand Luggage Only: How to Pack for a Wizz Air or Ryanair Flight from Cyprus

The €19 fare you spotted from Paphos is real — right up until you add a bag. On Wizz Air, Ryanair and easyJet, the cheap ticket buys you a seat and one small bag that fits under the seat in front; anything bigger is a paid extra, and the boarding gate is the worst possible place to discover that. Pack to the free allowance and a flight out of Larnaca can genuinely cost less than the taxi to the airport. Here is exactly how, airline by airline.

Rules, sizes and fees change often, so treat the figures below as a 2026 snapshot and always confirm on the airline's own baggage page (linked) before you fly.

What actually counts as "hand luggage"

Airlines split cabin baggage into two things, and the difference is the whole game:

• Personal item (the underseat bag) — a backpack or small holdall that slides under the seat in front. It is free on almost every fare, including the very cheapest.
• Cabin trolley (the overhead bag) — the larger wheelie case that goes in the overhead locker. On budget fares this is now a paid add-on, typically €25–45 if you add it online and considerably more if you are caught with it at the gate.

The single most important sentence in this guide: the cheapest Wizz Air, Ryanair and easyJet fares include only the free underseat bag. If you can live out of that bag, you fly for the headline price.

Hand luggage allowances from Cyprus, airline by airline

These are the carriers that actually matter out of Larnaca and Paphos.

Wizz Air — Free: a small bag up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm. Add WIZZ Priority and you also get a cabin trolley up to 55 × 40 × 23 cm and 10 kg. Along with Ryanair, Wizz has among the strictest free allowances in Europe.

Ryanair — Free: a small bag up to 40 × 20 × 25 cm with no weight limit, which must fit under the seat. Add Priority and you also get a 55 × 40 × 20 cm, 10 kg trolley. The 20 cm depth is the number that catches people out — plenty of "cabin size" cases are 23–25 cm deep and will not fit the Ryanair gate sizer.

easyJet — Free: a genuinely generous 45 × 36 × 20 cm bag, up to 15 kg — one of the highest free underseat weight limits going. An Up Front or Extra Legroom seat adds a large 56 × 45 × 25 cm cabin bag.

Flying long-haul via a hub? Legacy carriers are more generous — British Airways, for instance, allows a 56 × 45 × 25 cm cabin bag up to 23 kg plus a personal item. But beware: Lufthansa, Eurowings and others now sell "Basic" economy fares that include only the personal item — exactly the same trap as the low-cost airlines. Your fare, not the airline's name, decides what you get.

Cabin-baggage sizes at a glance (2026)

All figures are the exterior size including wheels, handles and outer pockets — that is what the gate sizer measures.

Check the airline's official page before every flight — this changes.

What you can't bring, and what must stay in the cabin

Liquids: 100 ml per container, all inside one transparent, resealable 1-litre bag. Prescription medication and baby food are exempt but must be declared at security. Some airports now use CT scanners with relaxed rules — check your departure airport, because Larnaca and your return airport may differ. Full EU guidance: your rights and restrictions on what you can carry.

Not allowed in the cabin at all: knives of any kind, scissors with a blade over 6 cm, and any pressurised or flammable item (camping gas, petrol lighters, spray paint).

Must go in the cabin — never in a checked bag: power banks, spare lithium batteries, and e-cigarettes or vapes. The battery is a fire risk in the hold, so this applies worldwide. If your trolley gets checked at the gate, take these out first.

New for 2026: power bank rules

Since 15 January 2026, the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines) has tightened the rules on power banks: a maximum of two per person, kept on you or under the seat — not in the overhead bin, with no charging on board. Up to 100 Wh is fine; 100–160 Wh needs prior approval; over 160 Wh is banned outright. Expect other airlines to follow, so it is worth packing this way as a habit.

How to pack for hand luggage only

• Roll, don't fold. Rolling clothes into tight sausages saves space and creases less. Keep folding for bulky items like jeans.
• Wear the bulky stuff. Put your heaviest coat and boots on for the flight rather than spending your allowance on them — planes are cold anyway.
• Use the dead space. Stuff socks and a charger inside your shoes; nothing should travel empty.
• Pack for the sizer. Soft bags squish into the gauge, but keep chunky items (chargers, plugs) toward the centre, not in outer pockets that make the bag bulge past the limit.
• Pack security-friendly. Keep your liquids bag and any laptop near the top so you are not unpacking the whole bag in front of the queue.
• Weigh it at home. An empty cabin case is already 1.8–3.5 kg, so an 8 kg limit leaves you far less than it sounds.

Common mistakes that cost money at the gate

• Measuring without the wheels and handles. The stated size includes every protruding part.
• Booking a Basic/Light fare assuming a trolley is included. It usually is not — you pay at the gate, at the highest price.
• Forgetting the outbound and return airlines differ. Fly out on Ryanair and back on a legacy carrier and you must pack to Ryanair's stricter limit either way.
• Not weighing at home. The empty case eats 2–3 kg before you pack a thing.
• Putting a power bank or vape in a checked bag. Banned in the hold worldwide.

FAQ

How big can my hand luggage be?

It depends entirely on the airline and fare. The safe universal size is 55 × 40 × 20 cm — it meets Ryanair's trolley limit and is accepted almost everywhere. For the free underseat bag, aim at 40 × 20 × 25 cm and it will pass on any of the Cyprus low-cost carriers.

Can I bring a case and a backpack?

Only if your fare includes the cabin trolley — that means Wizz Priority, Ryanair Priority, an easyJet Up Front/Extra Legroom seat, or a higher legacy fare. On the cheapest fare you get just the one underseat bag.

What happens if my bag is too big or too heavy at the gate?

It is taken from you and checked into the hold for a gate fee — the single most expensive way to pay for a bag, often €45–70. Adding a bag online in advance is always cheaper.

Can I bring power banks and vapes?

Yes, but only in the cabin, never in a checked bag. On the Lufthansa Group you may carry a maximum of two power banks, kept under the seat rather than in the overhead bin.

Does the 100 ml liquid rule still apply?

At most airports, yes. A growing number have CT scanners that relax it, but the rules are not uniform — check both your departure and return airports before you fly.

Do I need to measure my bag at home?

Yes — measure it including wheels and handles, and weigh it too. The gate sizer is unforgiving, and the empty case already uses 2–3 kg of your allowance.

Related reading

• Larnaca or Paphos: How to Choose the Cheaper Airport
• When to Book Cheap Flights from Cyprus (and When to Fly)
• Is Travel Insurance Worth It for a €40 Flight?