The best types of bags for travelling.

These are some of the best types of bags for travelling where you’ll look indiscrete, but, at the same time, chic. 

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Just a note that the types of bags for travelling I’m about to recommend (such as crossbody bags for women) aren’t necessarily anti-theft bags for travel, or even slash-proof travel bags, because I generally don’t recommend putting high-valuables in your travel purse. Your travel purse should be for convenience; just items you need for the day. High-value items should be placed somewhere else (see my post on Essential items to pack in your carry-on for tips on concealing important items you need while travelling). 

Don’t be weighed down by excessive baggage while exploring a new place for the day. Keep reading for recommendations for some of the best types of bags for travelling.

My favourite type of bags for travelling: Best Travel Purses For Women 

The best types of bags for travelling, especially a travel purse, should have enough space to contain the essentials you need for the day without being cumbersome. It should be able to:

• hold some petty cash (for making small purchases, like for tipping or for taxi rides), 
• hold some lower-limit credit cards you’ll use for the trip to pay for daily things. Make sure the credit limit isn’t so high that you’ll be badly affected if the card was compromised (keep large-limit credit cards as backup hidden somewhere else),
• have interior pockets to hold some important items like hotel keys or car keys, 
• and just roomy enough to store lip balm, hand sanitizer, hand cream, and sunglasses. 

Annick Levesque: Leather Crossbody Bag Gisele, Green

Annick Levesque’s Gisele crossbody bag is my FAVOURITE travel bag of all time. It’s a crossbody bag with an integrated light that turns on when you open the main compartment. This way, you don’t have to dig and fumble for your stuff. The bag has large interior pockets perfect for holding a wallet and a phone, and the interior zippered pocket is great for storing important items such as hotel keys or car keys. The interior light comes on the moment you unzip the top zipper, so always remember to zip up the bag properly to avoid wasting energy. 

There’s also a large pocket in front with a zipper and a large back pocket with magnetic closure. I like to use the front, zippered pocket for small-ish items like lip balm, or plug adapters that I want to avoid losing. Then I’ll use the pocket at the back for items I’ll reach for often like sunglasses and hand sanitizer. 

And of course it comes with an adjustable shoulder strap so you can wear it comfortably. I own a green one because, well, it’s my favourite colour, but this purse comes in all colours and you can even choose the colour for the brand lettering on the front. 

This is probably one of the best types of bags for travelling abroad because it’s wonderfully compact and lightweight. Out of all the travel purses I’ve used so far, this is truly my favourite cross-body purse for travel (hence why it’s the first recommendation on this list!). 

VASCHY Crossbody Bags for Women Vegan Leather 

This is a close second contender to the Annick Levesque’s crossbody purse. The material is durable and waterproof, easy to clean, and super spacious.

I like using the front flap pocket for high traffic items (like hand sanitizers, lip balm, hand moisturizer, phone) and the back pocket for quick access to sunglasses and any trinkets I collect along the way (like business cards or brochures). 

The interior is roomy with zipper pockets, slot pockets, and a large, middle zipper compartment great for keeping your wallet for easy access, but it’s also just a little harder for pickpockets to get to. The slot pockets are good for holding pens, small notebooks, and small medicine kits. The interior zipper pocket at the rear of the bag is good for holding important items like keys and small documents that you might need but want concealed for the day. 

I think the bag is chic but quite neutral-looking and discreet. It’s available in several darker colours that are stylish but generally won’t draw unwanted attention. 

Zaniah Cheval Firenze Leather Crossbody Bag 

Now this is a much smaller travel purse and holds a lot less than the first couple of crossbody bags I recommended. However, I still wanted to recommend the Zaniah bag from Cheval Firenze since it might be a good choice for short trips, or even as a daily purse. The Zaniah bag is stylish and functional with several compartments including a middle, zippered compartment for items needing more security. It’s great for super light packers that really just want to carry the minimal essentials (phone, wallet, keys, maybe lip balm). It’s a super minimalist bag, but sturdy. I recommend picking a neutral colour for this bag so you can blend in while travelling (this bag comes in lots of beautiful, eye-catching colours). 

My favourite types of bags for travelling: best carry-on luggage for women

Béis: Weekender Bags 

I’m a huge fan of the Béis Convertible Weekender Bag. The bottom compartment is perfect for packing shoes (or any other items that you want to keep separate in its own space) and can be completely removed. This way, you can just carry the main bag without having to take the bottom part with you, making the bag even more compact and lightweight. 

The bag also comes with a removable portfolio you can store your laptop in along with other documents. There are interior, zippered pockets for storing important items you don’t want getting lost, and other pocket slots for quick access to high-traffic items. The main compartment has plenty of room for clothing and accessories. Sometimes I do have problems zipping it up if I have a larger laptop or awkwardly sized cosmetic bags. Overall, It’s great for a weekend trip but you could probably maximize its potential even more if you use compressible cubes to pack your stuff. It’s certainly a convenient bag to travel with. 

Samsonite: Ascentra Spinner Carry-on Luggage 

I’ve used my current Samsonite carry-on for slightly over 10 years now. The wheels finally came loose during my latest trip to Italy; all those times dragging it over cobblestones have probably worn them out. The wheels (before they broke) glide effortlessly across any harsh terrain. 

The Ascentra is the closest in style to the one I own and, from my own experience, the Samsonite is still a good option to buy as it’s super stable and durable. The interior is deep and spacious and holds clothing and accessories efficiently. I particularly like the outer pockets for holding slippers and other flat(-er) items for easy access. The entire thing is pretty light to carry and waterproof. 

Monos: Carry-on Pro 

This is my FAVOURITE carry-on luggage. Of. All. TIME! The wheels glide effortlessly, the telescopic handle slides out like butter, the colour is SHARP. The luggage is light, yet feels indestructible. 

Did I mention it’s my favourite carry-on of all time? 

So in all seriousness, the large exterior panel has a couple of sleeve pockets for holding a laptop (and other flat items) for easy access. It’s ingenious. I’m no longer frustrated with hunting for my laptop when going through airport security. There are also small zippered pockets for holding smaller items within easy reach. 

This piece of carry-on is a hard case so it doesn’t expand too much, which is probably a good thing as airlines are getting pickier about the size of carry-ons you’re allowed to bring on. But don’t fret! The Monos carry-on Pro is incredibly spacious and you can maximize real estate by using compressible packing cubes. It also comes with an interior compression pad to keep all your items stable and also doubles as a storage for flat items. There’s also an inside zippered flap for storing small items. 

The wheels glide like oil and the built-in TSA lock means you won’t be hunting for a lock and key. The Monos carry-on Pro come in a myriad of tasteful colours. I own a Rose Quartz that stands out easily from the crowd. Oh, and the carry-on comes with two luggage tags for easy identification and a sponge for cleaning off small scratches. This carry-on luggage is truly compact, but mighty. 

Travel light. Literally and figuratively.

Planning a trip, and then actually going on the trip, can all be pretty stressful, no matter how exciting the whole idea is. Packing shouldn’t add to the stress of travel, but sometimes it can add to your mental stress. So invest in a compact, lightweight, and smooth-rolling carry-on and combine that with an efficient travel purse and you’re good to go anywhere in the world you choose—stress-free. 

Above are but a few choices for the best travel purses and best carry-on luggage for women. Check out my other Packing Guides for tips and advice on how to pack for your bucket-list trips.