12 Best Travel Purses for women (Comfortable, Secure & Lightweight)
Looking for the best travel purses for women that are comfortable, lightweight, and secure? The right travel purse makes sightseeing easier, keeps your belongings safe from pickpockets, and prevents shoulder pain during long days of walking.
Below are the best travel purses for women based on comfort, safety features, storage, and real-world travel use — including anti-theft crossbody bags, small travel purses, and lightweight travel backpacks.
I have a love/hate relationship with travel purses. I need to carry stuff around and I need that stuff to be secure, but strapping a heavy, overfilled purse cuts into my shoulder. Have you been in that situation before? Annoyed that you thought your everyday purse would work for walking around Copenhagen for 10 hours? (Is it just me?)
So I went on the hunt for the most comfortable travel purses that combine safety, enough carrying space and allow for ease of grabbing things out.
What is the best travel purse for international travel
This is the question I get emailed to me the most! I think many people are particularly worried about pick-pockets in Italian cities.
When we were on a 10 day in Italy trip in 2019, I wore a little yellow bag that I have had for years. It is very similar to this bag and is my very favorite bag to travel with. It is a bagellini brand bag and was developed by flight attendants to be easy to clean and long wearing.
I felt very safe with my bag across the body (it has slash proof straps) and I love that I have 3 pockets so I can keep my things somewhat sorted. I would highly recommend a slash proof bag for Italy (especially when it is crowded) and get something small that you can keep in front of you.
Travel purses in Europe in general should be the same.
The best travel bags for women
Do you need a great all-purpose, all-weather travel purse?
Lightweight Anti-Theft Crossbody Travel Purse
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Best for: Europe, crowded cities, long sightseeing days
Why it works: Extremely lightweight, slash-resistant material, dedicated phone pocket, and strong anti-theft design without feeling bulky.
This purse is fabulous find and is marked very high for safety. It is very lightweight, has dedicated pockets for your phone, and is slash resistant. I wish it came in more colors.
Do you love a colored travel bag with a little bit of flair?
Colorful Travel Purse with Personality
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Best for: Fashion-forward travelers who still want function
Why it works: Fun colors and tassel details with enough interior organization for essentials, while staying lightweight for all-day wear.
If you love fashion and are willing to give up on a few safety features for a fun colored bag, this is for you! The tassels on the zipper pocket add to the slightly bohemian vibe.
Do you have more to carry in your purse than some cash and your phone?
Larger Travel Purse for Cameras & Extras
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Best for: Travelers carrying a camera, snacks, or kid extras
Why it works: Extra storage space with a stabilizing waist strap that reduces shoulder strain and keeps the bag secure while walking.
This might be the perfect bag for travelers who need some space for a camera, snacks and more. It features a waist strap as well to add to security and ease of carrying.
Do you need the most compact travel purse you can find?
Ultra-Slim Compact Travel Purse
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Best for: Minimalists who only carry essentials
Why it works: Three zippered pockets in a super-thin design that stays close to the body and never feels heavy.
This bag offers all the storage you need in a very thin frame. This crossbody bag features 3 zipper pockets in a bag not much bigger than an iPhone.
Are you a fashionista and want a Michael Kors travel bag?
Michael Kors Travel Crossbody Purse
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Best for: Travelers who want a stylish bag they’ll use after the trip
Why it works: Polished look with enough room for travel essentials without looking like a “travel bag.”
Do you want a functional travel purse with a bit of flair? This Michael Kors travel purse is big enough to fit your passport, lip gloss, keys, and other necessaries without being bulky. Plus its beautiful enough to use everyday after your trip!
Do you want a travel purse that shows your personality?
Travel Purse That Shows Personality
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Best for: Casual travel outfits and light sightseeing days
Why it works: Built-in card slots, compact size, and playful design that still holds daily necessities securely.
This cross-body purse has the cutest tassle and will match all your cutest outfits. There are multiple credit card slots built in and enough room for some cash and a phone.
Quilted Chevron Travel Purse
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Best for: Low-key travelers who want a neutral everyday look
Why it works: Lightweight, comfortable, and available in many colors while staying streamlined and practical.
If your style runs to the less flashy you might love this quilted chevron purse that comes in tons of colors. It is not the largest bag, but roomy enough for the basics!
Vera Bradley Crossbody Travel Purse
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Best for: Fans of colorful prints and quick access
Why it works: Front flap access makes grabbing cards easy while staying lightweight and travel-friendly.
If you love Vera Bradley this boisterous print will enchant you. The front flap snap will allow you to access your credit cards and money quickly.
Do you hate the single shoulder feeling of a crossbody bag?
Travel Backpack Purse (Anti-Theft)
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Best for: Travelers who hate crossbody shoulder strain
Why it works: Even weight distribution, lockable pockets, slash-proof fabric, and comfortable straps — great for long walking days.
You may in fact want a travel backpack that is a small as a purse. This backpack has pocket locks so you don’t need to worry about anyone getting into your backpack without you knowing. It is also slash proof and highly rated for comfort! Bonus: you could use this as a diaper bag/travel purse and still keep it nice and light.
Do you need to carry a tablet with you in your travel purse?
Travel Purse That Fits a Tablet
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Best for: Travelers carrying a tablet or small Chromebook
Why it works: Padded compartment protects electronics while keeping everything organized and close to your body.
If you are iffy about leaving your electronics in your hotel room you might want to carry them with you. This cross body bag has a dedicated padded pocket to protect a tablet or small chrome book.
Do you carry everything you own with you in your travel purse?
Larger Waterproof Travel Shoulder Bag
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Best for: Travelers who carry more than the basics
Why it works: Spacious interior with sturdy straps and waterproof material that stays comfortable even when full.
You might need a bigger travel purse than the usual crossbody variety! Just because it is bigger doesn’t mean you can’t have a comfortable shoulder bag. This one is waterproof and has sturdy, comfortable straps.
Do you need a travel purse that you can use trip after trip, year after year?
Best Long-Term, All-Purpose Travel Purse
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Best for: Frequent travelers who want one bag for years
Why it works: Slash-resistant, lightweight, easy to clean, and designed specifically for travel durability and organization.
This great all purpose travel purse will last you for years and years. It is very lightweight and has tons of interior pockets. It is slash resistant and pick pocket resistant. Plus it can go through mud and grime and look great with the swipe of a baby wipe.
So why all this fuss about travel purses? Can’t you just grab any bag you have and head out on an adventure?
You can for sure, but you might regret your decision an hour into walking around a new city!
- Regular handbags and purses are made to be beautiful, durable, and functional. They are meant to be used when you are shopping or out on the town for an hour or so at a time. Heavier materials lead to more beautiful bags that are more durable. Think about your favorite purse right now…….does it have leather trim? Big buckles? Canvas interiors? Metal hardware? All of these things add to beauty, durability and function but end up being heavy. A travel bag will be much more streamlined.
- Regular purses are made to be easy to get in and out of. They often have wide openings that close with snaps or big zipper pockets. They are generally worn on one shoulder so you can quickly get to your things. All of these things make it easy for pick-pockets to get to your things too!
- Regular purses are made to be big! Big purses are great for carrying around everything you will need in a day. Most have our entire lives in them. We often throw laptops, planners, snacks, brushes, makeup, wallets, gloves, tissues, keys, kids toys and more into our overcrowded purses. You won’t need half of those things when you travel so don’t carry around something big and bulky
In contrast travel purses are made to be lightweight, easy to clean, very secure, be a purse with lots of compartments, and hold only the necessities for sight seeing. If you have a great travel purse it makes traveling seem lighter and easier.
Small Travel Purses for Women
Are you looking for the smallest of travel purses? Here are the best around.
Ultra-Small Essentials-Only Travel Purse
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Best for: Phone, credit cards, and cash only
Why it works: Extremely lightweight and practical when you want the bare minimum.
This tiny travelers purse is only for essentials, but it is lightweight and practical. It will hold your phone, credit card, and a few other small things.
Tiny Travel Purse with Multiple Pockets
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Best for: Staying organized in a very small bag
Why it works: Three compartments in a compact size prevent digging around.
This small travel purse is super tiny but still has 3 different pockets so you can keep all of your essentials handy.
Small Travel Purse That Fits a Water Bottle
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Best for: Staying hydrated without a backpack
Why it works: Angled design cleverly fits a standard water bottle while staying compact.
This innovative small travel purse is unique because of its angled design. It allows you to carry a regular sized water bottle in the smallest of bags.
No matter which travel purse you choose, picking one means you are off on a great adventure somewhere! If you are planning a trip, I hope that you will find something on this site that will help you.
Packing your Makeup for a trip
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Last update on 2026-03-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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