With exams over and the summer approaching, many of us are planning trips abroad to make the most of our hard-earned free time. If, like many, you are travelling on a budget, Ryanair’s £13.99 flights are the most appealing option. As a Ryanair veteran, I have discovered several methods to avoid additional baggage charges, without even spending £14 on the viral Ryanair bag.

“Be careful to pack cohesive outfits rather than individual pieces. Using a capsule wardrobe will assist you in your space-saving journey”

A popular Ryanair ‘hack’ is to layer your way to the airport. For the winter, this works perfectly, particularly when you are able to wear your thickest articles of clothing as a means of comfort rather than just pragmatically. In the summer, however, layering is a painful chore, particularly during a heatwave. An alternative to layering is wearing clothes that do not fold down easily. Some dresses, although light in fabric, take up the most space in a bag, although jeans are also guilty of this. If you fancy a y2k throwback, you could even layer a dress over jeans - this is less painful than wearing three t-shirts, and saves plenty of bag space. Wear the same outfit to the airport on your outbound and return journeys; although planes use a runway, there is no pressure to dress for a catwalk.

If you do wear jeans, try to bring a pair that has pockets. This way, once you have passed security, you can put some of your liquids on your person to free up some extra bag space. Remember that you are only allowed ten 100ml items with a carry on. See if you can buy some disposable (small bottle) toiletries at your destination if you exceed the limit. I would also recommend bringing a small (concealable) bag for your passport, boarding pass and valuables. This could take the form of a crossbody handbag or a waist bag, ideally in a colour which blends in with your airport outfit. Make sure that you can fit this second bag into your main bag just in case, but Ryanair will usually allow you to board with a small cross-body bag in addition to your small carry-on: especially if you hide it under a jacket.

Choosing what to pack is essential when trying to keep everything within one small carry-on. There is no shame in re-wearing outfits when travelling on a budget. Pick neutrals and comfortable pieces, and rely on jackets rather than bulky jumpers for warmth . Unless you are travelling for a formal event, do not feel the need to bring an evening change of clothes. If you are travelling to the beach, see if you can use the hotel towels (or see if you can get something cheap out there) and stick to one swimsuit. Bring an oversized t-shirt to stand in for pyjamas. For low fares, keep the accessorising simple. Try to go for non-crease items to avoid stress upon arrival and make the most of the space you have available.

“There is no shame in re-wearing outfits when travelling on a budget”

Linen or linen-look outfits are perfect for a Ryanair budget. You do not need to worry about creases and you will not overheat like you would in polyester-based clothing. Try not to bring polyester at all if you can help it, since it tends to make you overheat the most. Lightweight cotton also works, and is what many of Primark’s summer range is made from, but be wary of the fact that your clothes may wrinkle in your bag. Check to see if your hostel or hotel has a free ironing board for you to use if this is a concern. If you require new outfits for budget travel, Primark has plenty of cheap t-shirts and shorts, and so do charity shops, T.K.Maxx, Matalan and the major supermarkets. Primark has a very large range of basic pieces, so try to target them for your initial shop.

Be careful to pack cohesive outfits rather than individual pieces. Using a capsule wardrobe will assist you in your space-saving journey. Consider bringing some navy, black or white vests, a plain t-shirt and a couple pairs of shorts that complement the above. Try to bring some base pieces in the colours you like (ideally neutral, like beige, navy, white and black) and wear accessories to the airport. Be careful with jewellery, as you do not want to spend ages going through security, but save space in your bag by wearing any jackets, scarves or hats.

Of course, minimising your options does not magically create more space in a 40×20×25 cm bag. The key to packing your budget flight bag is in the folding. Often overlooked as a menial task, folding clothes is an art that I have mastered and refined after working in retail for a year. You may be tempted to roll clothes up, but this fills more space than necessary. The trick is to fold a vest vertically, then fold up the bottom until you have a square shape. Your clothes might crease (if you have not followed the advice above), but you can fit quite a lot more into your bag. It may be worth investing in some small packing cubes for your rucksack or overnight bag. This way, you can keep your clothes organised and separated from your essentials like your passport and wallet: because you (officially) only have one small bag in your baggage allowance, you need to be careful not to allow your bag to descend into disorganised chaos. Also, if you separate clothes using toiletries or water bottles, you can maximise your space further. Try to keep the biggest items at the bottom; it gives you more space to layer on top. If you have the viral Ryanair bag, you could get away with folding clothes so that they do not crease. The art of folding allows you to make the most out of Ryanair’s low fares.

Flying with Ryanair teaches us to dress sustainably, since limiting our wardrobe is the key to unlocking their value fares. Although wearing ten layers of t-shirts is unlikely to become a 2023 fashion trend, the capsule wardrobe and minimalist packing style might land into people’s shopping mindsets.