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Families with Teenagers: More Luggage Than You Think

Updated 3 min read

It's an easy mistake: a family of five with three teenagers looks, on paper, like a family trip that should fit a mid-sized car comfortably. In luggage terms it rarely does — teenagers pack close to what an adult would, not what a younger child would, and a family that would have fit easily a few years earlier can be surprised at how much space five people's bags actually take up now.

This guide is about planning for that shift specifically: sizing the car by what teenagers actually bring, not by how the family looked on a trip five years ago.

Why teenagers change the luggage math

A younger child often travels light — a smaller bag, less need for a full wardrobe of options. A teenager typically doesn't; between clothes, shoes, electronics and whatever else feels essential for a trip, a teenager's luggage tends to look a lot more like an adult's than a child's. Two adults and three teenagers is, in practical terms, closer to five adults' worth of luggage than a family of five with younger kids would produce.

Counting it properly

Add it up honestly: a large checked case counts as two luggage units, a cabin bag as one, across the whole family rather than per person. Two adults and three teenagers each with a large case and a cabin bag comes to fifteen units — well past even SUV / XL's ten-unit budget, and into Minibus territory, with its eighteen-unit budget and eight seats.

A lighter-packing family of five might fit SUV / XL comfortably; it depends on how your specific family actually travels, which is exactly why it's worth counting your own bags rather than assuming based on family size alone.

If you're not sure

Mention your expected luggage in the booking notes if you're anywhere near a category boundary — we'd rather confirm the right car in advance than have five people and their bags discover at the kerb that the trunk doesn't have room for everything.

If your count lands on the edge, remember that the saloon categories also have a piece limit — at most four bags, of which at most two large — so a family of four with a large case each doesn't fit a Standard car however the units add up. SUV / XL takes up to four large cases, which is usually the honest answer for a family with teenagers.

What every Förare booking includes

The fixed price you see before booking is the price on your receipt — 6% VAT included, whole car, not per person.

  • Flight tracked — pickup follows your live arrival
  • 45 minutes free waiting, from your driver's confirmed arrival
  • No terminal fee
  • No surge pricing, ever
  • Free cancellation up to 12 hours

Questions people ask before booking

Why would a family of five need the Minibus category?

If teenagers are involved, their luggage volume is often close to an adult's, so a family of five with several teens can easily exceed SUV / XL's ten-unit budget and need Minibus's eighteen units instead.

How do I count luggage for a family with teenagers?

The same way as any group — a large case as two units, a cabin bag as one — but count each teenager's bags at something closer to an adult's typical volume rather than a younger child's.

What if we're not sure whether SUV / XL will be enough?

Mention your expected luggage in the booking notes and we'll confirm the right category before pickup, rather than leaving it to guesswork.

Does a bigger car cost a lot more?

The price is fixed and shown before you book for whichever category fits, so you can see the cost directly before deciding.

Can we still fit everyone if we're just slightly over a category's luggage budget?

It's worth moving up a category rather than risking a tight squeeze — mention it in the notes and we'll get the sizing right in advance.

Do teenagers need a child seat?

Not usually — once a child is tall enough for an ordinary seat belt to fit properly, they travel like an adult. We fit child seats for children under 1 and from 1 to 3 years.

Book your Arlanda pickup

Enter the address and you will see the price for the whole car before anything is paid. No account needed.

  • One fixed price for the whole car, 6% VAT included, shown before you pay.
  • Choose the car by passengers and luggage — every category is priced before you choose.
  • Cancel free of charge more than 12 hours before pickup, refunded in full.
See your fixed priceSee the price list

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