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Are you gearing up for an adventure in Europe? You’ll want to ensure you not only look stylish but also don’t have to worry about the safety of your belongings as you explore.
Your travel bag isn’t just a bag. It’s an extension of your personality and style—but more than that; it’s a safe space to keep everything you’ll need abroad. Whether you’re walking through the cobbled streets of Rome, taking in the artsy vibes of Berlin, or soaking up the chic elegance of Paris, you’ll want a bag that comfortably houses everything you need.
With the right bag, you can explore Europe with confidence and peace of mind. In this article, we’ll look at the essential factors to consider when selecting a travel bag. Whether you prefer a bucket bag, a messenger bag, or a tote bag, you’ll find options that suit your unique style and needs. And, truth be told, you’ll want to wear these back home just as much.
Best Travel Purse For Europe
To choose the best travel purse for your European trip, consider various factors. These include the trends of the city you’re visiting, your itinerary, and how much you carry. The perfect travel purse is one that suits your individual needs.
Here’s the shortlist:
● Best Crossbody Travel Purse: Quince Italian Leather Crossbody Bag
● Best Sling Bag for European Travel: Athleta Excursion Mini Belt Bag
● Best Designer Travel Purse: Strathberry East/West Mini
● Best Black Travel Purse: Lo & Sons’ Pearl Small Crossbody
● Best Travel Phone Purse: Dagne Dover Mara Phone Sling
● Best Anti-Theft Travel Bag: Sherpani Prima
Tips For Choosing The Best Travel Purse
When choosing the best purse for international travel, keep an eye out for some key features. Look for things like extra security, superior quality, and functional compartments. This will ensure it’s durable, safe, and comfortable.
Here are the main features of an exceptional purse for European travel:
● Security: Look for safety features like slash-resistant material, a crossbody strap, locking zippers, credit card slots, locking compartments, and RFID (radio frequency identification) blocking.
● Quality: Choose high-quality zippers and durable materials that guarantee long-lasting use, seamless action, and enhanced safety.
● Function: From sightseeing during the day to enjoying an elegant dinner out, select a versatile travel bag that’s perfect for transitioning from day to night.
● Stylish: Effortlessly blend in with the European fashion scene with a travel bag that’s on-trend and subtle enough to avoid looking like a tourist. Choose darker colors and durable materials that hide the wear and tear of travel.
Whether you choose a small travel purse or a large bag with enhanced security features, no bag is 100% safe—but it’s essential to choose one designed with mitigation in mind.
The Best Crossbody Travel Purse
Crossbody bags for travel are one of the most popular options in Europe. You can wear it across your body, which keeps your hands free, and it has a secure strap to keep your essentials safe in busy areas.
Here are our editor’s hand-picked selections of the most popular purse style for European travel:
Mark & Graham | The Essential Crossbody
Designed with classic elegance in mind, the Essential Crossbody is crafted from luxuriously soft leather and equipped with a comfortable and adjustable shoulder strap. It’s the ultimate compact travel companion for your European adventure. In addition, its easy-cleaning leather means it can withstand wear and tear throughout your travels while looking brand new. Plus, there’s a monogramming option to personalize your accessory.
The Details: H: 6” x W: 8” x D: 2.5” | Leather
Shop: $119 at Mark & Graham
Quince | Italian Leather Crossbody Bag
Soft Italian leather in versatile colors, Quince’s Italian Leather Crossbody Bag is luxury at an approachable price. It has an adjustable and removable strap to fit any body frame and is at the ready to elevate your outfit, day or night. The inner zipper pocket and heavy canvas lining provide an extra measure of security for your valuables. This is the purse you’ll want to bring back to its home country.
The Details: H: 6″ x W: 8.5″ x D: 3″ | Leather
Shop: $99 at Quince
Fossil | Kinley Small Crossbody
The Fossil Kinley Small Crossbody is a perfect throw-back touting a stylish blend of vintage Americana with a touch of Italian riviera. It’s sized to hold up to an iPhone® 14 Pro Max and keep it secure with both a zipper closure and front snap closure. Plus an internal zipper pocket and eye-catching exterior snap pocket to hold everything you need while sight-seeing.
The Details: H: 7.25″ x W: 9″ x D: 3.25″ | Nylon/Leather/Cotton/Polyester Lining
Shop: $130 at Fossil | $73 at Amazon
Best Sling Bag for European Travel
A sling bag is a perfect choice for European travel, especially if you’re just carrying a phone, wallet, and keys. Fanny packs are a good option for compact travel, and some can be converted into a sling bag.
We love packing a sling bag for airplane and train travel days to access documents with ease. Packable, versatile, and affordable, a sling bag is an excellent choice on its own or as a complement to your other essential travel gear.
Athleta | Excursion Mini Belt Bag
Keep your items close with Athleta’s lightweight Excursion Mini Belt Bag. Its interior pockets are especially well-designed for keeping your important documents organized and accessible. Its best feature? Versatility: secure your purse close with the compression strap, or convert the purse to a crossbody or fanny pack.
The Details: H: 5″ x W: 8″ x D: 2″ | Recycled Nylon/Recycled Polyester
Shop: $49 at Athleta
Lululemon | Everywhere Belt Bag
Lululemon’s Everywhere Belt Bag is a little powerhouse. Designed for people on the move, it features water-repellant fabric, an adjustable strap, interior pockets, and an exterior zippered pocket.
The Details: H: 5″ x W: 7.5″ x D: 2″ | Nylon/Recycled Polyester
Shop: $38 at Lululemon | $38 at Amazon
Best Designer Purse For Travel in Europe
When picking a designer purse for European travel, focus on size, security, and comfort. Of course, don’t forget to consider the local trends in your city of choice. Choose a fashionable and durable bag that matches your personal style.
Strathberry | East/West Mini
Effortlessly chic, the Strathberry East/West Mini’s structured silhouette is the little black dress of purses. The purse showcases a lightweight, adjustable gold chain strap and Strathberry’s signature bar closure, elevating any look no matter the occasion.
The Details: H: 4.7” x W: 7.1” x D: 3.5” | 100% Calf Leather
Shop: $645 at Strathberry
Best Travel Phone Purse
A travel phone purse will always stay close to your body while you’re enjoying your holiday, making it highly secure. It’s perfect if you don’t need to carry a lot and simply take your phone and credit card.
Dagne Dover | Mara Phone Sling
Go hands-free with the Dagne Dover Mara Phone Sling. This vegan travel essential will fit all iPhone sizes and securely hold your keys with an external D-ring. It’s designed to keep everything in place with an elastic lip balm loop, interior 3-card slot holder, interior pocket, and a quick access exterior slip pocket.
The Details: H: 7.5” x W: 4.5” x D: 1.4” | Premium Neoprene and Performance Air Mesh
Shop: $75 at Dagne Dover
Kate Spade | Knott North South Phone Crossbody
With its versatile functionality, the Kate Spade North South Phone Crossbody allows you to keep your phone and essentials close at hand. The magnetic snap closure ensures easy access, while the crossbody strap allows for comfortable carrying. The leather and Jacquard lining exude sophistication, while credit card slots and an exterior slip pocket offer convenient organization.
The Details: H: 7.” x W: 4” | Pebbled Leather
Shop: $168 at Kate Spade | $164 at Amazon
For a more affordable option that offers the same head-turning style, choose the MZ Wallace Micro Crosby.
Best Travel Backpack
The best travel backpack is comfortable, spacious, and perfect for day trips. It should have room for essentials, including your phone, credit cards, and a water bottle. In addition, some even have enough space for an extra sweater.
Dagne Dover | Dakota Neoprene Backpack
Keep the little things secure with the Dagne Dover Dakota Neoprene Backpack. It’s functionally designed for travel and working on the go, with a tablet sleeve, two interior mesh pockets, and three interior panel pockets. It’ll keep everything you need in place, whether you’re looking for your headphones on the plane or pulling out your camera for an epic pic. We especially love the feel of the neoprene and trendy color selection of this day pack. Sign up for the waitlist to get one.
The Details: H: 13” x W: 9.5” x D: 5” | Premium Neoprene and Performance Air Mesh
Shop: $155 at Dagne Dover
Best Black Travel Purse
The best black travel purse is one that’s versatile enough to see you through your entire trip. It’s perfect for long day trips, evening dinners, and everything in between. Its timeless color makes it a fashionable choice for any outfit.
Lo & Sons | Pearl
Meet Lo & Sons Pearl, a stylish crossbody purse that’s deceptively functional. Featuring interior pockets tailored to hold the travel items like a passport, this small wonder accommodates a mini tablet, phone, wallet, and other essentials. Choose from Saffiano, Nappa, or Cactus (plant-based) leather and several interior color choices of their signature jacquard fabric.
The Details: H: 7.75” x W: 9.5” x D: 3” | Saffiano Leather
Shop: $223 at Lo & Sons
Tumi | Voyageur Mari Crossbody
The Tumi Voyageur Mari Crossbody is the perfect travel companion for European getaways. Made with premium leather, it combines utility and style flawlessly. The double-zip entry, collapsible leather top handle, and adjustable crossbody strap ensure convenience and versatility. With ample storage in the main compartment, including interior pockets, slip pockets, and gusseted pockets, it holds more than meets the eye. You can take your European style to the next level by personalizing the monogrammable patch included with the bag.
The Details: H: 7.75” x W: 9.5” x D: 3” | Saffiano Leather
Shop: $395 at Tumi | $395 at Amazon
Best Anti-Theft Travel Bag
Anti-theft bags use RFID blocking to make your personal data safe. It prevents people from collecting sensitive data from your credit cards and passport. Keep in mind, while it is secure and useful, an anti-theft travel handbag can make you stand out as a tourist.
If you’re after anti-theft-specific bags, here are our top picks. Alternatively, you can turn any purse into RFID Blocking by using an RFID Blocking wallet.
Baggallini | Go Bagg
Equipped with versatile compartments, a detachable wristlet with RFID blocking protection, and accessible front pockets, the Baggallini Go Bagg effortlessly houses all your travel essentials. Although petite, the detachable wristlet packs a punch by providing on-the-go organization. Crafted from water-resistant material, it weighs just 12 ounces, making it the ideal lightweight companion. The RFID anti-theft technology helps to keep your personal information secure so that you can enjoy your European travels in true carefree style.
The Details: H: 10.75” x W: 10” x D: 1” | Nylon
Shop: $85 at Baggallini | $49 at Amazon
Sherpani | Prima
The Sherpani Prima crossbody is the perfect travel bag for fashion-forward minimalists. With a main zip compartment, concealed front zip pocket, exterior zip pocket, rear slip pocket, RFID blocking pocket, and a chair loop lock system, it’s ideal for ultimate peace of mind. In addition, anti-slash fabric at the base and a slash-proof strap offer extra security. Alternatively, choose the Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Convertible for a more affordable option that doesn’t compromise on style and security.
The Details: H: 9.5” x W: 7.5” x D: 1.5” | 100% Recycled Mélange & Ballistic Nylon
Shop: $59 at Sherpani | $44 at Amazon
Know Before You Go
Does a Purse Count As a Carry-On?
No, a purse will typically count as a personal item, not a carry-on, when traveling. Most airlines will allow you to bring a single carry-on bag in addition to a personal item. Remember, airlines will have differing rules regarding sizing.
Do I Need an Anti-Theft Travel Purse in Europe?
Yes, an anti-theft travel purse can help protect your belongings from pickpockets. Stay alert, avoid flashy items, and keep important documents safe. Remember, an anti-theft purse is not foolproof. You should always be aware of what’s going on around you.
How Do I Clean a Travel Purse?
Clean your travel purse by emptying it and then assessing the care instructions. Spot clean with soap and water, then wipe down the entire purse and let it dry naturally. Avoid harsh chemicals, and clean it regularly to maintain its condition.
