Ryanair's Terms and Conditions-Baggage/Rucksacks

[Former member 12499]

Hello Folks,

Well i'm now in the lucky position where I can book my flight from Stansted (London) to Biarritz for April 19th 2012.

The only problem(s) that I have, apart from Ryanair's ever increasing price increase for add ons is reading their Terms and Conditions.

The part that is doing my head in is whether to check my rucksack into the hold or whether to carry it on board and stow it as overhead luggage.

If I have read their T&C correctly, you can carry cabin baggage on board.

It must not weigh more than 10Kg and the dimensions are 55cm x 40cm x 20 cm.

Now it seems to me that you just might be able to get away with stowing your rucksack on board in the cabin.

QUESTION Has anyone ever carried their rucksack on board and stowed it overhead in the cabin lockers?

Did you get away with it or did they make you pay extra?

I appreciate that some rucksacks are larger and so will be over the limit.

Thanks in anticipation of some advice or an answer because at the moment I cannot seem to press the 'buy' button and something is holding me back.

Regards
Charlie

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hello Folks,


It must not weigh more than 10Kg and the dimensions are 55cm x 40cm x 20 cm.

Now it seems to me that you just might be able to get away with stowing your rucksack on board in the cabin.

QUESTION Has anyone ever carried their rucksack on board and stowed it overhead in the cabin lockers?

Hi Charlie,
I think the crux of the matter is"you just might be able to get away with stowing your rucksack". And that is it. You might and you might not.

I have seen people bring on board bags that might have held their granny and granddad. On the other hand I have seen them just as we are about to board putting little cases into the metal bars and if they don't fit hey presto €40.00. I have seen youngsters in tears because what they thought they might get away with was so heavy that ryanair wanted over €90.00.

What does it depend on. I don't know for sure. Maybe what phase the moon is in or how the date went last night. I just don't know. One day it was, I think because the flight was delayed and they had all the time in the world. We were all opening our cases and taking out and stuffing in our pockets anything that was heavy.!!

When you think of it is €15.00 or€20.00 extra spread over your whole Camino worth the tension of not knowing if you are going to be allowed to take the ruck on board the day you are setting off.

I need to take my walking poles so I have to put it in the hold.

I'm sure others will see it quite differently from me, so in the long run you will have to make your own decision.
Don't delay too long or the flight itself will go up before you get booking.!!!
Buen Camino Charlie. Let's hear how you get on

 

[Abbeydore]

Ryanair's/Easyjet Terms and Conditions-Baggage/Rucksacks

pay extra now; then you've got piece of mind(ish), hope they don't loose it :lol:
yes we've paid

The stress of loosing my toothpaste is just too much :lol:

Turn it into a positive: it's a green tax for the planet :arrow:
(& if you come back with pressies for the people who made it possible/who would have love to have done the camino too)

 

[Former member 12499]

Hello Lydia and Abbeydore ,

Can I just say a big 'Thank You', to both of you for your advice regarding stowing a rucksack in an air plane cabin.

I have taken your advice today and booked the flight – along with paying extra to stow it the hold.

As you say it certainly gives you peace of mind and what does the cost amount to over the full length of the Camino?

ThanXs once again for your advice. I've also booked to stay one night at the refuge at Orisson. It seems that most folk on here advise it.

Now for sorting out travel insurance.

Best regards to all

Charlie.

 

[Abbeydore]

Hello Lydia and Abbeydore ,

Can I just say a big 'Thank You', to both of you for your advice regarding stowing a rucksack in an air plane cabin.

I have taken your advice today and booked the flight – along with paying extra to stow it the hold.

As you say it certainly gives you peace of mind and what does the cost amount to over the full length of the Camino?

ThanXs once again for your advice. I've also booked to stay one night at the refuge at Orisson. It seems that most folk on here advise it.

Now for sorting out travel insurance.

Best regards to all

Charlie.

Insurance: we are booking with post office, seems to cover all the bases

 

[camino-david]

Hi Charlie, I see that you are about to buy travel insurance. Are you aware that if you are a British citizen and resident in the UK, you do not need health insurance as you are covered already in the EU by your health benefits scheme in the UK. All you need to do is get a certain form from your area health office, and if you are sick in Spain, treatment will be free on production of this form. As I am resident in Australia I do not know the details, but a phone call or two by you should clarify. I just know that it exists and the form has a number and has been mentioned in this forum. David

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hi Charlie,
As soon as I saw in my daily email that you were about to buy travel insurance i jumped to post a reply to you. See that David got there before me.

If I had a penny for every tale I have heard from people who paid through the nose for travel insurance and had an injury of some sort and never got a penny, only heartache, I would be a rich woman.

My own experience is that as an older person I happen to be on a good bit of medication. The insurance company starts by quoting €30. Then they ask what tablets I am taking. and add 100% or so for each one. They want to know how long it is since I last broke a bone. I argue that I have never ever broken a bone and that I am far less risk than someone who is not taking these tablets which keep in in good health. But they ignore the whole concept of preventative medicine and quote in the hundreds for a two week stay abroad.

So I bring my little European health card. Twice this year I had to see a doctor on the Camino and each time I was seen by a doctor within minutes and got the best of treatment. There is an ambulatorio (walk-in Clinic )in every town of any size. You do have to sign some forms so that they can claim payment back from your country of origin.

That little blue card is worth its weight in pure gold. But learn a bit of Spanish because they may not have an interpreter, and why should they? As a caveat, the time there was someone who said he could interpret he was not translating correctly what I was saying so I insisted on speaking in Spanish

Buen Camino

 

[lucky]

HI Charlie,
I have recently travelled with Ryanair Biarritz- Stanstead and have been with them afew times, i always take my rucksack onboard as hand luggage although it's only 32litre and is always under 10kg. They do sometimes check a few people if the plane is full but i've never seen anyone have a problem and you do see some people coming onboard with items obviously outside the limits.
Bien Camino
Paul

 

[Sojourner47]

Hi Charlie, I see that you are about to buy travel insurance. Are you aware that if you are a British citizen and resident in the UK, you do not need health insurance as you are covered already in the EU by your health benefits scheme in the UK. All you need to do is get a certain form from your area health office, and if you are sick in Spain, treatment will be free on production of this form. As I am resident in Australia I do not know the details, but a phone call or two by you should clarify. I just know that it exists and the form has a number and has been mentioned in this forum. David

For sure, take your E111 European Health card, but be aware that it only covers BASIC medical treatment. If disaster occurs, and you need major treatment, or repatriation , the card will not be enough - get full travel insurance as well. Lots of horror stories on the net about people relying solely on the E111, then having to pay mega bucks for airlift home after accident/ or being stuck in some foreign hospital, unable to get home without the funds for an air ambulance....

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have our EU health cards but always take travel insurance as well. This covers lost luggage, cancellation due to ill health, refund of medicine needed as well as the additional health care, repatriation etc mentioned. It shouldn't be too expensive, we paid £70 for the two of us for a year's cover; unlimited 30 day trips. This year we have renewed for '42 day' trips to cover the time needed for the Camino. Talk to the insurers or check online to see which is best - a 'one off of x days, but best not to rely on just the EU card. Always use it first though and then anything else if needed as a top up.
Buen Camino

 

[Former member 12499]

Hello Folks,

Can I just say thanks to Abbeydore, David, Lydia, Lucky, Sojourner and Tia Valeria for all of your informative replies. They have been duly noted.

I am sorry for being a little late in getting back to replying to your emails. I got side tracked for the last two days as I was compiling a list of equipment/gear to buy as I am hoping to hit the sales this week.

Returning to the travel insurance topic. I went on to the Martin Lewis site 'moneysavingexpert.com' and did a search on there with 'Moneysupermarket' and it threw up a list of about a dozen companies with quotes.

Most quotes were quite reasonably priced but I wanted one that covered multi trips in a year and also covered 42 days (thats how long i'm intending to be on the Camino).

I think that I have found one that covers my requirements. It currently costs £53.35 and is with a company called 'Holidayrisk.com'. Of course by the time I have declared my medical history, tablets etc, I don't doubt the price will have doubled. Because I don't need it until April, I have left it for the moment.

But thanks again for all of your advice and I have just checked my E111 card to make sure that it has not expired.

So tomorrow it is out to start buying some gear.

Best regards to you all

Charlie.