Pack your hand luggage for the strictest airport on your itinerary, not the one you leave from. In September 2026 the liquids rule is no longer the same everywhere in the UK: Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol let you keep containers of up to 2 litres in your bag, while Stansted and London City still apply the 100ml limit. The return flight from abroad may be different again. Below is a packing list built around that reality, with the official sources to check before you zip the bag.
- Liquid limits now depend on the airport: check both your departure airport and the one you fly home from.
- Power banks and spare lithium batteries belong in the cabin bag, never the hold, and the CAA caps them at two per person.
- Keep passport, medicines, keys and a one-night change of clothes with you in case the checked bag goes astray.
Which UK airports still have the 100ml liquids rule?
It depends on the security scanners each airport has installed, which is why GOV.UK now tells passengers to check the rules at every airport on the trip, including the return journey. Here is what the airports' own pages said in September 2026:
| Airport | Liquids in hand luggage | Laptops and large electronics |
|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | Containers up to 2 litres, kept in the bag | Stay in the bag |
| Gatwick | Containers up to 2 litres, kept in the bag; metal or double-walled bottles must be empty | Stay in the bag |
| Bristol | Containers up to 2 litres, no clear plastic bag needed | Stay in the bag |
| Stansted | Each container 100ml or less, left in the bag for screening; containers must have the size printed on them | Check at the airport |
| London City | 100ml or less | Check at the airport |
| Luton, Birmingham | Confirm on the airport website before you pack | Confirm before you pack |
Sources: Heathrow security, Gatwick security, Bristol security and Stansted security. Rules change as equipment changes, so look again the week you fly.
How should you pack liquids if the return airport is stricter?
Pack to 100ml. A 2-litre allowance at Heathrow is no help if your flight home leaves from an airport abroad that still screens liquids the old way, and a full-size sun cream bought on holiday will be binned at that checkpoint. The simplest approach is a set of travel bottles that carry a printed volume (Stansted will not accept handwritten labels or stickers), a clear resealable bag of about 20cm by 20cm holding no more than a litre (the format GOV.UK describes for airports that ask for one), and anything larger in the hold. GOV.UK defines liquids broadly: toothpaste, mascara, lip gloss, jam, honey, contact lens solution and spray deodorant all count.
Which items must never go in the hold?
Anything you cannot replace overnight abroad, and anything with a lithium battery you cannot switch off. That means:
- Documents and money: passport, boarding pass (or a charged phone holding it), bank cards, driving licence if you are hiring a car, and a printed copy of your travel insurance details.
- Prescription medicines: enough for the flight plus a delay. Liquid medicines above the normal limit are allowed through UK security, but carry the prescription or a doctor's letter.
- Keys: house and car keys. A key locked in a delayed suitcase is a real problem when you land at midnight.
- Valuables and fragile items: jewellery, cameras, glasses.
- Power banks, spare batteries and vapes: covered below; these are a safety rule, not a preference.
What are the rules for power banks and spare batteries?
Power banks and spare lithium batteries must travel in the cabin, and the Civil Aviation Authority sets clear limits. Up to 100Wh needs no airline approval. Between 100Wh and 160Wh you need the airline's approval first. No more than two power banks and no more than two spare batteries per person, each protected against short circuits (the original packaging or tape over the terminals), and a power bank must not be recharged on board. E-cigarettes and vapes also go in the cabin only. GOV.UK adds one easily missed point: a phone or laptop that will not switch on when security asks may not be allowed on the aircraft, so charge everything the night before.
What else slows you down at the security tray?
Food and powders. GOV.UK notes that they can obscure X-ray images and trigger a manual bag search, so a bag of protein powder or a packed lunch is better in the hold or finished before security. Only one lighter is allowed, carried on your person in a small resealable bag. At Gatwick, a metal flask or insulated bottle must be empty before screening, though you can refill it airside.
What goes in a one-night emergency kit?
Enough to get through the first evening if the suitcase does not appear on the carousel: underwear, a clean top, a phone charging cable, a toothbrush, travel-size toiletries within the strictest limit on your route, and any contact lenses. On a long-haul flight add a jumper and a pen for arrival forms. If the worst happens, keep the property irregularity reference the airline gives you at the baggage desk, because it is the starting point of any claim.
How do you organise the bag so you are not unpacking at the gate?
Think in layers. The outside pocket holds the passport and phone. The top of the main compartment holds the liquids bag and the laptop, so you can lift them out quickly at an airport that still asks you to. The bottom holds the emergency kit, which you hope not to touch. Check the size and weight allowance on your airline's website too, because cabin bag limits are set by the airline, not the airport.
Does the bag affect the car you book?
Yes, a little. Tell us the number of cabin bags as well as suitcases when you book, because a family's four wheeled carry-ons take real boot space. Our guide to how much luggage fits in an airport taxi covers the choice between a saloon and an MPV such as the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. From Gerrards Cross, Heathrow is around 20–35 minutes by road, and the when-to-leave guide helps you set the pickup time. If you are new to all of this, start with our first-time flying guide, and see airport transfers from Gerrards Cross for how a booking works.