Vueling is the airline most people in Spain, and a large share of travellers in France and Italy, fly without thinking about it: Barcelona to Paris, Rome to Ibiza, Bilbao to London. Its cabin bag rules look like every other low-cost carrier's until you read the third number. The overhead bag is 55 x 40 x 20 cm, and that last dimension is where a great many "cabin-size" suitcases, hard cases included, fail the sizer. This guide is the 2026 rules, which fares include what, the gate fees, and nine packing tricks built around the one number that matters on Vueling. ✈️
Figures below are the published policy at the time of writing. Vueling has renamed its fares more than once and adjusts fees by route and season, so the confirmation email for your booking is the only version that applies to your flight.
Part 1: The rules in one place
The free underseat bag: 40 x 30 x 20 cm
Every passenger on every fare, including the cheapest, gets one small bag that must fit under the seat in front. Maximum 40 x 30 x 20 cm including handles, wheels and anything hanging off it. There is no separate published weight limit for this bag, but it has to be something you can lift and stow yourself. A shopping bag from the airport after security may be carried in addition and also goes under the seat.
The overhead cabin bag: 55 x 40 x 20 cm, 10 kg
The second bag goes in the locker, measures up to 55 x 40 x 20 cm including wheels and handles, and weighs no more than 10 kg with the bag itself included. It is included in the mid and upper fares (the bundles Vueling has sold as Optima or Fly, Family, TimeFlex and Fly Grande) and in some seat products, and it is a paid add-on on the cheapest fare (Basic or Fly Light). Passengers travelling with an infant under two also get an additional small bag for the child's things. Buy the add-on online at booking; the airport price is several times higher.
The gate
Vueling checks size at the gate with a sizer, with enforcement that travellers rate as moderate rather than ruthless, but consistent at the busy Spanish hubs. An underseat bag that does not fit the 40 x 30 x 20 sizer is checked into the hold at the gate for 60 to 75 euros, according to the airline's own help pages. An overhead bag over 55 x 40 x 20, or carried without the add-on, is charged more again; third-party guides report gate fees above 100 euros. Whatever the exact figure on your route, it is many times the online price.
Hold luggage, briefly
Sold by weight: 15, 20, 25 or 30 kg per bag, maximum 158 cm total dimensions (length plus width plus height), hard ceiling 32 kg. Excess weight is charged per kilogram at the airport. The lighter tiers are online-only; at the airport counter you can generally buy only the 25 kg option, at a much higher price. Pushchairs and car seats travel free on all fares. Sports equipment such as skis, golf clubs, bikes and surfboards is a separate item booked at least 48 hours ahead.
What is coming
The EU is moving towards a rule that a personal item plus a small cabin bag must be included in every base fare, with 2027 as the working date after political agreement in mid-2026. It is not yet binding on Vueling, and the airline's cheapest fare still charges for the overhead bag. Until it is in force and in the airline's own policy, the 2026 allowance above applies.
Part 2: The 20-centimetre problem
Why Vueling's overhead limit catches hard cases
Most European carriers set the overhead bag at 55 x 40 x 23 or 55 x 40 x 25 cm, and the whole cabin-luggage industry designs to that. A typical wheeled carry-on is 22 to 25 cm deep with the wheels. Vueling says 20. That three to five centimetres is the difference between the sizer accepting the case and the gate agent sending it to the hold with a fee. Soft bags can sometimes be squashed into the last two centimetres; a hard case cannot.
What this means for Peli cases
The classic wheeled carry-ons, the Peli 1510 and the Air 1535, are about 23 cm deep including the wheels and do not fit Vueling's overhead limit, whatever they fit elsewhere. The same applies to most 55 x 40 x 23 travel suitcases. What does fit is the flatter, wheel-less end of the range: the Peli 1500 and 1520 Protector cases at under 19 cm deep, and the Peli Air 1485 at about 18.5 cm. The Air 1525 is a few millimetres over 20 cm on paper and should be treated as borderline. All of them are lighter than a typical wheeled suitcase, which matters when the 10 kg limit includes the case.
The 10 kg includes the case
A 4 kg wheeled suitcase leaves 6 kg for contents. A 2 kg hard case leaves 8. On Vueling the empty weight of the bag is a line in your packing list, and a light case is worth more than a spacious one. Peli publishes empty weights per model; check them before choosing.
Part 3: Nine packing tricks for the Vueling allowance
1. Measure depth first, packed, with the wheels
Length and width are rarely the problem. Depth is. Measure the packed bag from the outermost point of the wheels to the outermost point of the front pocket. If it is over 20 cm, it is a hold bag on Vueling. We listed the general traps in cabin luggage dimensions and weight: 5 traps.
2. Decide at booking, not at the gate 🧳
On the cheapest fare, the overhead bag add-on bought at booking costs a fraction of the gate fee. If you need it, buy it then. If you do not, build the trip around the 40 x 30 x 20 bag and do not bring a second one. The expensive outcome is arriving with a bag you have not paid for.
3. The underseat bag is 24 litres: pack for it
Forty by thirty by twenty is roughly 24 litres, smaller than easyJet's underseat allowance and similar to Ryanair's. Rolled clothes for two days, a washbag, a charger and a book fill it. Everything else is worn or goes in the paid bag. We wrote the general method in 10 packing mistakes that cost you money.
4. Wear the heavy layers
With a 10 kg limit that includes the bag, weight matters on Vueling in a way it does not on airlines with 15 kg allowances. Coat, boots, jumper: worn. Pockets: used.
5. Liquids at the top, in one bag
The 100 ml rule still applies at most Spanish, French and Italian airports, with newer scanners at some terminals relaxing it. Rules are per airport, not per airline; the current state is in how liquid limits work at different airports.
6. Electronics and batteries in one small sealed case
A micro case for chargers, cables, power bank and cards keeps the underseat bag tidy, protects the batteries and comes out at security as one item. Power bank rules are in power banks in carry-on baggage.
7. Helmets and shoes go inside, not outside
Vueling's own guidance is explicit that shoes and bicycle or motorcycle helmets must be packed inside the bag, not hung from it. Anything strapped to the outside makes the bag oversize by definition and is the easiest thing for a gate agent to spot.
8. Know what is hold-only
Tools, larger knives, most sports gear. On a cabin-only trip there is no hold bag to move them to, so they are confiscated. The list is in what can you take in carry-on baggage.
9. Choose a case that fits Vueling, not the airline you flew last month
If Vueling is a regular route, buy a bag that passes its sizer, which means a flat hard case or a soft bag under 20 cm deep. A case that fits every other airline and not this one will cost you at the gate exactly once before you stop bringing it. The wider cabin-case comparison is in suitcase 55x40x23: which cabin suitcase is best; note that 23 is the number Vueling does not accept.
For the hold bag and your pocket: check-in suitcases and the RFID wallet
These are for the hold bag, bought online in the right weight tier; all three suitcases sit inside Vueling's 158 cm total. The wheeled cabin models (1510, Air 1535, 1535TRVL, ATX HC22) are about 23 cm deep and are hold bags on Vueling, so on this airline they travel checked, not in the locker.
Part 4: Which fare, which bag
| Fare (names have changed; check your booking) | Underseat 40 x 30 x 20 | Overhead 55 x 40 x 20, 10 kg | Hold bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic / Fly Light | Included | Paid add-on, buy online | Paid |
| Optima / Fly | Included | Included, or a hold bag instead (one of the two) | Alternative to overhead bag |
| Family | Included | Included | See fare terms |
| TimeFlex | Included | Included | See fare terms |
| Fly Grande | Included | Included | Included |
| Seat upgrades (Space, Space Plus, Space One) | Included | Often included; check your booking | Paid |
The row that surprises people is the mid fare: on some versions it includes either the overhead bag or a hold bag, not both, chosen at booking. If you need both, the top bundle is usually cheaper than adding one to the middle one.
Part 5: Three trips, three packing plans
Barcelona to Paris for a weekend, cheapest fare
One soft bag within 40 x 30 x 20, two days of rolled clothes, washbag, charger, book, liquids on top. Coat and heavier shoes worn. A Peli 1200 inside the bag for the phone, cards, cash and passport if you want them in one sealed place. No add-on, no fee.
A week in Italy with the overhead bag included
A flat hard case or soft bag within 55 x 40 x 20 and under 10 kg all-in: a Peli 1520 at about 3 kg leaves 7 kg for clothes and fits the locker without a fight. The underseat bag carries documents, electronics, liquids and the things you want during the flight.
A photographer flying Vueling with camera gear
This is where the 20 cm depth bites hardest, because camera cases are usually wheeled and deep. The answer is a flat case: a Peli 1500 or 1520 with padded dividers holds a body and three lenses, sits within the overhead limit, and weighs under 4 kg loaded lightly. Spare batteries, a controller or small accessories go in a 1200 or 1300 in the underseat bag. Nothing in the hold. If the kit is bigger than that, Vueling is the airline where you buy the hold bag and put the tripod and clothes in it, keeping the optics in the cabin.
Flat hard cases inside Vueling's overhead limit (55 x 40 x 20 cm, 10 kg all-in)
The 1500, 1520 and Air 1485 are under 20 cm deep including feet. The Air 1525 is a few millimetres over on the published figures; measure your own before relying on it. The wheeled 1510, Air 1535 and ATX HC22 are about 23 cm deep and are hold bags on Vueling.
Part 6: Seven mistakes that cost money at a Vueling gate
Bringing the case that fits Ryanair or easyJet
Ryanair's paid bag is 55 x 40 x 20 too, so a Ryanair-compliant case usually works. easyJet's large bag is 56 x 45 x 25; a case bought for it will not pass Vueling's sizer. Depth is the number to check.
Counting the 10 kg without the case
The limit includes the bag. Weigh the packed case, not the contents.
Assuming the mid fare gives both bags
On some versions it is one or the other. Read the bundle before you pack for both.
Hanging the helmet or shoes on the outside
Vueling's rules say inside the bag. Outside means oversize.
Buying the hold bag at the airport
Only the 25 kg tier is usually available at the counter, at a much higher price. The lighter, cheaper tiers are online-only.
Adding a bag for one passenger the wrong way
Adding luggage to only some passengers on an existing booking has to be done through check-in on a computer, according to the airline's help pages. Do it before the airport.
Leaving the underseat bag unmeasured
The 40 x 30 x 20 sizer is smaller than most people's daypacks. A bag that is a centimetre over goes into the hold for 60 to 75 euros.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Peli 1510 fit Vueling's cabin bag allowance?
No. At about 23 cm deep including wheels it exceeds the 20 cm limit. The same applies to the Air 1535 and the ATX HC22. Use a flat case (1500, 1520, Air 1485) for the overhead bag on Vueling.
Is there a weight limit on the underseat bag?
Not a published one; the overhead bag is the one with the 10 kg limit. The underseat bag still has to fit the 40 x 30 x 20 sizer.
Can I buy the overhead bag at the gate?
You can pay for it there, but as a gate fee, not as the online add-on price. Buy it online before you travel.
What about infants?
An infant under two travelling on a lap gets an extra small bag for their things, and pushchairs and car seats travel free on all fares.
Do the rules differ on routes outside Europe?
Hold allowances and airport fees can differ on routes to North Africa and the Middle East. Cabin rules are the same network-wide; check the booking for hold specifics.
Is Vueling stricter than Ryanair at the gate?
Traveller reports rate Vueling's enforcement as moderate, with the busy Spanish hubs the most consistent. The rule is the same either way; the difference is only how often the sizer comes out.
Checklist before you leave for the airport
- ✅ Booking checked: underseat only, or overhead bag included or added
- ✅ Underseat bag within 40 x 30 x 20 cm, measured packed
- ✅ Overhead bag within 55 x 40 x 20 cm, depth measured with wheels, under 10 kg including the bag
- ✅ Nothing hanging on the outside; helmets and shoes inside
- ✅ Liquids on top; hold-only items left at home
- ✅ Electronics and batteries in one small sealed case, in the cabin
- ✅ Coat and heavy shoes worn
- ✅ Hold bag bought online, in the right weight tier, if needed
The short version
One free bag, 40 x 30 x 20 cm, under the seat, on every fare. A second bag, 55 x 40 x 20 cm and 10 kg including the bag, in the locker, if your fare includes it or you paid for it online. The trap is the 20: most wheeled carry-ons and hard cases are 23 cm deep and become hold bags at the gate. Bring a flat case, weigh it packed, decide at booking. 🧳
Not sure whether your case is under 20 cm with the wheels? Send us the model and we will tell you, to the millimetre.
