European Carry-On Luggage Sizes: What You Need to Know

Traveling with carry-on luggage in Europe can be tricky, especially with a roller bag. Overhead bins tend to be smaller on European airlines, and size and weight limits for carry-on bags and personal items vary by carrier.

European airlines generally have size and weight limits two types of carry-ons:

• A personal item, which is typically a handbag, computer case, shoulder bag or any other item that can easily fit underneath the seat in front of you. 

• A carry-on bag is something bigger, like a duffel bag, large backpack or small suitcase with wheels. 

You’ll be able to confirm your airline’s carry-on rules during the booking process.

Here’s a breakdown of hand luggage size restrictions for some of the most popular European carriers, along with the latest updates on liquid regulations. Note that lengths are in centimeters and weights are in kilograms to align with European measurement conventions.

Air France-KLM

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and one personal item in economy class; two bags and one personal item in premium economy, business class or first class. 

• Size: 55 x 35 x 25 cm (including pockets, wheels and handles; about 22 x 14 x 10 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 30 x 15 cm (about 16 x 12 x 6 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 12 kg (about 26 lbs) total for carry-on and personal item in economy and premium economy; 18 kg (about 39 lbs) total in business or first class. 

Air Europa

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and one personal item in economy (Tourist) class; two bags and one personal item in business class. 

• Size: 55 x 35 x 25 cm (including wheels and handles; about 22 x 14 x 10 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 30 x 15 cm (about 16 x 12 x 6 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 10 kg (about 22 lbs) for one carry-on in economy; 14 kg (about 31 lbs) total for up to two bags in business. 

British Airways

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and one personal item. 

• Size: 56 x 45 x 25 cm for the carry-on (including wheels and handles; about 22 x 18 x 10 inches) and 40 x 30 x 15 cm (about 16 x 12 x 6 inches) for the personal item.

• Weight: 23 kg (about 51 pounds) for each item. 

EasyJet

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag if you add it to your booking, buy a Flexi fare or have an EasyJet Plus membership. Everyone gets one personal item. 

• Size: 56 x 45 x 25 cm for the carry-on (including wheels and handles; about 22 x 18 x 10 inches) and 45 x 36 x 20 cm (about 18 x 14 x 8 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 15 kg (about 33 pounds). 

Iberia

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and one personal item for economy class and premium economy. Business-class passengers can bring two bags on long-haul flights, except when departing from U.S. airports.  

• Size: 56 x 40 x 25 cm (about 22 x 16 x 10 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 30 x 15 cm (about 16 x 12 x 6 inches) for the personal item.  

• Weight: 10 kg in economy (about 22 lbs) and 14 kg (about 31 lbs) in business class. 

ITA Airways

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and a handbag, work backpack or laptop computer.  

• Size: 55 x 35 x 25 cm for the carry-on (including pockets, wheels and handles; about 22 x 14 x 10 inches) and 45 x 36 x 20 cm (about 18 x 14 x 8 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 8 kg (about 18 lbs). 

Lufthansa

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and one personal item for economy class and premium economy; two bags and one personal item in business class or first class. 

• Size: 55 x 40 x 23 cm (about 22 x 16 x 9 inches) for the carry-on (57 x 54 x 15 cm, or about 22 x 21 x 6 inches, for foldable garment bags) and 40 x 30 x 10 cm (about 16 x 12 x 4 inches)for the personal item. 

• Weight: 8 kg (about 18 lbs). 

Norwegian

• Cabin allowance: One personal item for all fares; LowFare+ and Flex tickets also get a carry-on bag.  

• Size: 55 x 40 x 23 cm for the carry-on and 38 x 30 x 20 cm for the personal item. 

• Weight: 10 kg (about 22 lbs) combined weight limit for LowFare+ tickets; 15 kg (about 33 pounds) for Flex fares. 

SAS

• Cabin allowance: One personal item for all fares. One carry-on bag is included with Go and Plus fares; two are included for flights to or from Asia and North America; two are included for all business-class fares.  

• Size: 55 x 40 x 23 cm (about 22 x 16 x 9 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 30 x 23 cm (about 16 x 12 x 9 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 8 kg (about 18 lbs).

Turkish Airlines

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and one personal item for economy class; two bags and one personal item for business class. 

• Size: 55 x 40 x 23 cm (about 22 x 16 x 9 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 30 x 15 cm (about 16 x 12 x 6 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 8 kg (about 18 lbs) for each carry-on; 4 kg (about 9 lbs) for the personal item. 

TAP Air Portugal

• Cabin allowance: One carry-on bag and one personal item for all fares except business class to or from Europe, South America, Africa or within Portugal, which allow two bags.  

• Size: 55 x 40 x 25 cm (about 22 x 16 x 10 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 30 x 15 cm (about 16 x 12 x 6 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 10 kg (about 22 lbs) for carry-on bags and 2 kg (about 4 lbs) for personal items. 

» Learn more: How to Make the Most of Economy Class on TAP Portugal

Ryanair

• Cabin allowance: One personal item for all fares. Priority tickets include a carry-on bag. You can also pay to add a carry-on to your ticket. 

• Size: 55 x 40 x 20 cm (about 22 x 16 x 8 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 25 x 20 cm (about 16 x 10 x 8 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: None specified. 

Vueling

• Cabin allowance: One personal item for all fares. One carry-on bag is included with Fly or Fly Grande bundles, for Premium customers and as an add-on at booking or in the airport.  

• Size: 55 x 40 x 20 cm (about 22 x 16 x 8 inches) for the carry-on and 40 x 30 x 20 cm (about 16 x 12 x 8 inches) for the personal item. 

• Weight: 10 kg (about 22 lbs) for the carry-on bag. 

» Learn more: Vueling vs. Ryanair: Which is better?

New carry-on and liquid enforcement in Europe

As of Sept. 1, 2024, Europe has stricter enforcement of liquid carry-on rules. This means airlines are more vigilant about enforcing size and weight restrictions, with many deploying additional staff at security checkpoints to check bag dimensions.

Europe follows the standard 100 ml liquid rule, similar to TSA guidelines in the U.S. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in containers no larger than 100 ml (or 3.38 fluid ounces), and all items must fit into a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag (one-liter capacity). Common items that fall under this rule include shampoo, toothpaste and lotions.

What are the liquid carry-on rules for Europe?

You may carry up to one liter of liquids in a clear plastic bag, up to 100 ml per container. An ordinary plastic storage bag is fine as long as it doesn’t exceed one liter and is resealable. Each passenger is allowed one bag, which must be presented separately at security.

Exemptions for medicine and baby food

Note that medicines and baby food are exempt from the volume restriction. While no maximum is specified, you’re allowed to take enough to get you through your trip. The definition of “baby food” includes milk or formula placed in carry-on bags. You must declare any special items before going through a security checkpoint.

Also note that many airlines allow an extra bag for infants free of charge. Check the airline’s policy before you depart.

Duty-free liquids

Items purchased at duty free in the airport are also exempt, as long as they’re sealed inside a security bag along with the receipt. You may not open the bag until you arrive at your final destination or unless security requests you to do so.

U.S. airline cards for European airlines

Many European airlines have credit cards available in the U.S. If you fly a particular airline to or within Europe with regularity, you might consider the following:

• Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® for anniversary bonus points and extra points on Air France, KLM and SkyTeam member airline purchases. 

• British Airways Visa Signature® Card for statement credits toward taxes and fees on award flights and the chance to earn a Travel Together Ticket for away travel. 

• Lufthansa Miles & More Credit Card for two annual lounge passes and an annual economy-class companion ticket.  

You might also consider one of the best credit cards for international award travel. For Europe specifically, you’ll want to choose a credit card for Europe travel.