Hand Luggage Limits on Budget Airlines — Complete 2026 Guide
Compare cabin baggage allowances on Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet and other budget carriers flying from Poland. Sizes, weights, and tips to avoid extra fees.
8 min czytaniaHand Luggage Limits on Budget Airlines — Complete 2026 Guide
One of the fastest ways to turn a 99 PLN flight into a 350 PLN flight is to show up at the gate with a bag that is two centimetres too tall. Budget airlines earn a significant chunk of their revenue from baggage fees, and they enforce the rules strictly. Knowing exactly what you can bring on board — for free — is the first real money-saving skill every traveller flying from Poland needs.
This guide covers every major low-cost carrier operating from Polish airports as of spring 2026, with exact dimensions, weights, and practical tips.
Quick Comparison Table
| Airline | Free bag dimensions (cm) | Weight limit | Priority / paid upgrade size (cm) | Priority weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40 x 20 x 25 | None | 55 x 40 x 20 | 10 kg |
| Wizz Air | 40 x 30 x 20 | 10 kg | 55 x 40 x 23 | 10 kg |
| easyJet | 45 x 36 x 20 | None | 56 x 45 x 25 | 15 kg |
| Eurowings | 55 x 40 x 23 | 8 kg | — | — |
| Norwegian | 56 x 36 x 23 | 10 kg | — | — |
| Transavia | 45 x 40 x 25 | 10 kg | 55 x 40 x 25 | 10 kg |
| Vueling | 40 x 20 x 30 | None | 55 x 40 x 20 | 10 kg |
| Pegasus | 40 x 30 x 15 | 8 kg | 55 x 40 x 20 | 8 kg |
Dimensions are length x width x height. Always check the airline website before departure — policies change frequently.
Ryanair — The Most Popular from Poland
Ryanair operates from virtually every Polish airport (Warsaw Modlin, Krakow, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Katowice, Poznan, Rzeszow, Lublin, Bydgoszcz). Their baggage policy is the most discussed — and the most confusing.
What you get for free
Every passenger may bring one small personal bag: 40 x 20 x 25 cm. This is roughly a standard backpack compressed flat, or a small laptop bag. It must fit under the seat in front of you.
What costs extra
- Priority & 2 Cabin Bags (from 28 PLN one way): lets you bring a second bag up to 55 x 40 x 20 cm weighing up to 10 kg, stored in the overhead bin. You also board earlier.
- 10 kg Check-in Bag (from 40 PLN): a small suitcase dropped off at the counter.
- 20 kg Check-in Bag (from 100 PLN): standard checked luggage.
Real-world tips
The free bag allowance is genuinely small. A standard Cabin Max backpack (marketed as "Ryanair approved") fits, but a regular Osprey Farpoint daypack often does not. Measure your bag stuffed full, not empty. Gate agents use a metal cage sizer, and if your bag doesn't fit, you pay 50 EUR at the gate — no negotiation.
Strategy: Buy Priority when booking (cheapest), not at the airport. If you travel with a partner, one Priority bag plus two personal bags is usually enough for a long weekend.
Wizz Air — Poland's Second Giant
Wizz Air's hub in Warsaw Chopin and strong presence in Katowice, Gdansk, and Wroclaw make it the other essential carrier to understand.
Free allowance
One personal item: 40 x 30 x 20 cm, weighing up to 10 kg. Slightly more generous dimensions than Ryanair but stricter on weight.
Paid options
- WIZZ Priority (from 30 PLN): adds a trolley bag up to 55 x 40 x 23 cm (10 kg).
- Checked bag 20 kg (from 75 PLN when booking).
- Checked bag 32 kg (from 120 PLN).
Wizz Air actually weighs personal bags at the gate more frequently than Ryanair — especially at Katowice and Budapest. Keep a portable luggage scale in your jacket pocket.
easyJet — The Western European Option
easyJet connects Krakow and Warsaw to London, Paris, Geneva, and other Western hubs. Their cabin bag policy is the most generous among the big three budget carriers.
Free allowance
One cabin bag: 45 x 36 x 20 cm, no weight limit. This is meaningfully bigger than Ryanair's free bag. A well-packed Cabin Zero 28L fits.
Upgrades
- Large cabin bag (from 6 GBP / ~30 PLN): 56 x 45 x 25 cm, up to 15 kg. Overhead storage.
- Hold luggage 15 kg (from 8 GBP).
- Hold luggage 23 kg (from 12 GBP).
easyJet is notably relaxed at boarding — they rarely measure bags unless they are visibly oversized.
Packing Strategies That Actually Work
The compression cube method
Packing cubes are not just for organisation. Compression cubes reduce clothing volume by 30-40%. A set of three (small, medium, large) from Decathlon costs about 50 PLN and makes the difference between fitting everything in a 40 x 20 x 25 bag versus needing Priority.
Wear your bulkiest items
This sounds obvious, but many travellers forget. Wearing hiking boots, a fleece, and a rain jacket through security saves roughly 3 kg and 8 litres of bag space. Nobody measures what you are wearing.
The electronics trick
Laptops, tablets, and cameras are heavy. If your bag is over the weight limit, carry electronics in your jacket pockets or a neck pouch during boarding. Technically they should be in your bag, but no airline weighs your pockets.
Toiletries: buy at the destination
A full toiletry bag weighs 0.5-1 kg. In most European cities, a Rossmann or DM store is within walking distance of the city centre. Buy toothpaste, shampoo, and sunscreen there. This alone can keep you under 10 kg.
What Happens If You Get Caught
Gate fees are where airlines profit most:
| Airline | Gate fee for oversized bag |
|---|---|
| Ryanair | 50 EUR |
| Wizz Air | 50 EUR |
| easyJet | 48 GBP |
| Vueling | 40-70 EUR |
| Pegasus | 35 EUR |
These fees are non-negotiable and non-refundable. At 50 EUR, you could have bought a checked bag and still saved 25 EUR.
Best Bags for Budget Airlines (Tested in 2026)
Based on actual use, not marketing claims:
- Cabin Zero Classic 28L — fits easyJet free allowance. Too big for Ryanair free tier.
- Cabin Max Metz 20L — designed for Ryanair's 40 x 20 x 25. Very tight but it works.
- Decathlon Forclaz Travel 40L — opens like a suitcase, compresses to 40 x 25 x 20. Around 130 PLN.
- Osprey Daylite 13L — small enough for any airline's free tier. Good for city breaks.
How to Budget for Baggage Costs
Baggage fees are a hidden part of your travel budget. If you fly four times a year and pay for Priority each time, that is 240-400 PLN per year — roughly the price of an extra weekend trip.
Track these expenses alongside your other travel costs using Freenance, which lets you categorise and monitor spending across trips so you know exactly where your travel money goes.
The Multi-Airline Trip Hack
Flying out with Ryanair and back with easyJet? Your bag needs to satisfy the stricter airline's limits. Always pack for the smallest allowance on your itinerary. A bag that fits Ryanair's free tier will fit everywhere.
When Checked Luggage Is Actually Cheaper
Sometimes the maths favour checked bags:
- Ski trips: equipment fees are separate from luggage fees. Budget 100-200 PLN each way.
- Week-long beach holidays: checking a bag at booking (75-100 PLN) is cheaper than buying Priority both ways.
- Shopping trips: if you plan to bring back goods, pre-book a checked bag. Gate fees for overweight bags run 10-20 EUR per kg.
Tracking Your Travel Spending
Baggage fees, food at the airport, transfers, accommodation — travel costs add up fast. Using Freenance to set a trip budget and log expenses in real time helps you stay honest about what a "cheap flight" actually costs when you include everything around it.
Related Articles
Want full control over your finances?
Try Freenance for free