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Your travel handbag is the most important travel companion you’ll invest time, money, and energy in.
But do you feel overwhelmed about what handbag essentials you should actually be packing? Do you imagine every worst just-in-case moment that might happen to you if you didn’t bring so-and-so item? Do you then just want to give up and wonder why you ever travel in the first place?
Because I get it. We travellers want our travel purses to be lightweight and stylish, but it also has to pack convenience, comfort, and safety all in one.
That’s a tall order for a travel handbag.
But I’ve travelled with my favourite travel bag for a week in Lyon and across 10 different cities on a 3-week trip to Spain. And I learned there were some things I could’ve comfortably left at home.
In this post, I’ve got you covered on what you should bring in your travel purse (and what you should leave home) that’ll get you from art gallery visits to al fresco fine-dining. Whether you’re a city-explorer going for a long-weekend trip, or a solo traveller booking her first grand tour of Europe, you’ll know the exact travel packing tips to feel safe, connected, comfortable, healthy, and chic.
Last-Minute Travel Handbag Essentials Checklist
Don’t feel like scrolling? Then keep this easy checklist handy. Your travel tote will be ready for any spontaneous trips that come up during a long weekend or national holiday!
Keep reading if you want to know why these are essentials you should always pack in your travel purse.
Protect Yourself from Pickpockets
Stay protected with anti-pickpocket essentials that don’t sacrifice comfort.
- RFID card holder wallet – Block card-skimming scammers with RFID protection
- Travel Waist Band – Keep cash and passport hidden under your clothes
- Travel Bra – Store valuables discreetly in hidden pockets
- Peak Design Phone Case – with finger loop to help prevent drops and phone snatches
Stay Charged and Connected
Stay powered and present for smooth travels.
- Power Bank – Keep your phone charged for maps, bookings, and photos
- Apple AirPods – Block out screaming babies at 30 thousand feet. Oh and great for music, podcasts, or quiet time.
- AirFly Pro – Use your wireless earbuds with in-flight entertainment. No more cheap economy seat headsets.
- Mini Tripod for phone by Peak Design – Take photos solo without asking strangers
- Kindle e-reader – Take your library with you on planes and trains
Stay Healthy and Fresh On-the-Go
Small lifesavers that you’ll be glad you packed.
- Essential Medicine Kit – Be prepared for headaches, allergies, or motion sickness
- Flushable Wipes – A must-have for unexpected bathroom situations
- Mint Tic Tac – Breath refresh when brushing isn’t possible
- Kleenex – Because someone always needs tissues
- Hand Sanitizer – Pocket-sized protection for hands-on travel
Style and Comfort Must-Haves
Feel good, look good, and stay comfortable while exploring.
- Hydrating Face Masks – Refresh tired skin during long flights
- Spare Contact Lenses – Essential backup you’ll be glad you brought
- Travel-size Creams – Keep your skin soft in dry airplane air
- Lip Balm – Cracked lips be gone. Keep lips moist and hydrated.
What’s a carry-on suitcase vs. a personal item carry-on?
Let’s clear up a few things first: a carry-on suitcase is different from a personal item that you’ll also be carrying onto your flight.
A carry-on suitcase (or luggage) packs all the good stuff like outfits, makeup bag, toiletries, shoes, hairdryer, and more. It’s all the stuff you’ll need for your trip, but packed into a luggage that you’ll leave in your hotel room.
Your personal item is the travel handbag (such as a purse, tote, crossbody, or backpack) that you’ll bring with you during the day while you explore town. It’ll contain all the goodies you’ll need for the day while you’re discovering the city. This’ll include items such as your phone, money, and power bank.
Beware of personal item carry-on limitations for EasyJet (or other budget airlines)
Beware that some budget airlines (like Easyjet) might not even allow a personal item. This was the case for me back in 2015. We could bring a carry-on cabin luggage, but all passengers had to stuff their personal travel purses into their carry-on luggage before boarding. We just whipped it back out when we were on the flight.
If you find yourself booking a budget airline, it’s important that you keep your travel bag small and minimal.
Travel Handbag Essentials to Stay Safe, Comfortable, Connected, and Stylish
Let’s cover some travel packing tricks for your personal travel bag that’ll get you from romantic Paris to sunny Positano.
Travel handbag essentials for safety and security
I was almost pickpocketed once in London. It was an unpleasant experience, but a good wake-up call for me that optimizing my travel purse was key to staying safe and secure.
1. Bring paper copies of your passport. And lock the real thing up in your hotel safe.
Only bring your real passport during travel days. And when you do, store it in an interior zippered pocket in your travel bag so it’s harder to steal.
Paper copies of your passport come in handy if you have to prove you’re a temporary visitor. You can get instant tax exemptions in Japan when you make a purchase at retail stores, for example.
2. Your phone (with Peak Design finger loop case). I know this seems obvious, but it’s easy to forget the essentials when you have pre-travel anxiety.
And get the Peak Design phone case with finger loop. I’ve used every wristlet ever because I’m paranoid about dropping my phone, or having it snatched out of my hand. Wristlets don’t work. They tangle, cut into my wrist, and limit how I can take photos.
What I didn’t know I actually wanted was the phone case with a collapsible finger loop. The material is easy-to-grip (perfect because I have sweaty palms), the case doesn’t bulge (the loop folds down automatically when not in use), and the entire thing is mag safe. You can charge your phone without having to take the case off.👉 Grab yours before your next trip
3. RFID card holder wallet. Keep your credit cards inside a Travelon RFID wallet to prevent scammers trying to scan your card details from afar. I’m replacing my current travel wallet, and the Travelon Travel Wallet with RFID is the one I’d get.
It’s slim, holds cards and cash, and receipts. 76% of customers on Amazon gave it 5 star reviews raving about how sleek and easy it is to travel with. It doesn’t snag inside your purse and the zippers don’t catch.
👉 Shop for it now on Amazon
4. Cash (small amounts!). Always bring a small amount of cash. This is handy for tipping or for paying for taxi rides that don’t accept credit cards.
Keep larger bills hidden on your person with a travel waistband or with a comfortable travel bra. The travel stash band goes around your waist and has slim zippered pockets for hiding cash and passports. I wore this while road tripping in the US to conceal my passport during travel days.
👉 Check for size and availability now on Amazon
An alternative I love is the patented travel bra by The Travel Bra company. It fits snugly and has hidden pockets to store cash, cards, and passports. And because it’s a bra, it fits nicer under clothing and doesn’t ride up (which the travel stash band does, unfortunately).
👉 Protect yourself from pickpockets with The Travel Bra
5. Confirmation emails/receipts. Screenshot confirmation emails for hotels, restaurants, insurance policy number and details, and your bank phone number (in case your credit card gets locked out). Sort them into a separate album on your phone for easy access.
I hate printing out paper copies because the information can change anytime. But I feel better knowing that I can easily access important info if I ever lose connectivity or when an app is down.
Better safe than sorry: never leave home without travel insurance
I know it’s another thing to pay for, but never put your health on the line to save a few bucks. Overseas health costs can add up to astronomical amounts if you’re not adequately covered. A few hundred dollars could potentially save you up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical costs.
Get travel insurance for medical coverage (at the minimum). It’s better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. 👉 Make sure you’re covered before you fly
Health and hygiene essentials for your travel purse
Getting sick while travelling is never fun. You don’t want to be on the hunt for ibuprofen pills while you’re sightseeing by the Trevi Fountain. Always pack a few items that’ll help you stay clean and healthy while on-the-go.
1. Medicine kit. Get a small medicine kit and pack some pills for nausea, fever, headaches, stomach flu, and a few lozenges for sore throats. At least you’ll have something to tie you over before you get to a doctor.
👉 Add this to your travel health kit
Never leave home without medical travel insurance. Some things aren’t worth the risk. And you could end up paying thousands out of pocket for a medical treatment if you don’t have medical travel insurance.
👉 Don’t fly without travel insurance!
2. Flushable wipes. Trust me—you’ll never leave for a trip without flushable wipes once you’ve used them! Need a little bit of extra cleaning after business number 2? Flushable wipes to the rescue.
Flushable wipes are SUPER nice to have during my periods. When you’re stuck on a 16 hour flight or during a long layover, a bit of cleanliness works wonders for your mood and mental health.
👉 Feel clean and confident anywhere
3. Hand sanitizer. After COVID-19, hand sanitizer is imperative for every traveller to stay clean and healthy during their trip. Order a dozen at once and keep them handy. Go from sight-seeing to dining without worrying about germs.
👉 Add this to your travel health kit
4. Tic Tac travel mints. A small and easy way to keep your breath fresh. I find refreshing my breath after a meal or a long flight freshens me up instantly. It’s a handy go-to when you want to freshen yourself up before getting into a taxi with someone after your red-eye flight.
👉 Add it to your travel handbag today
5. Tissue. This seems like a no-brainer until you need to blow your nose and there’s no tissue around. Bring a pack or grab some from a tissue box and stuff them into your travel bag. I’ve been there trying to find something to wipe my nose with when it’s running from the cold. Don’t get caught unawares: bring tissues! Always! 👉 Stock up before your next flight
Essential travel tech to stay connected
Don’t forget to pack some tech to keep your phone charged. I have a lot of important info stored on my phone when I travel. And I use Google Maps extensively. And I take a LOT of photos. So here’s the tech you should pack to make sure you stay charged and connected.
1. Power bank. My phone runs out of battery much faster when I’m travelling. Between taking videos and photos and Google Maps, I make sure my phone can charge on-the-go with the power bank. This one is a mag-safe charger where you connect your phone magnetically and it charges on the spot. Genius.
👉 Buy it once, thank yourself on every trip
Don’t like power banks? I get it that they can be heavy and large to lug around. Get some some travel adaptors with USB plug and cable so you can charge your phone anywhere. The biggest disadvantage is that you’ll need to find an outlet.
👉 Get the one I bring on every trip
2. Apple AirPods. Use it to block out crying babies on your red-eye flight. There are plenty of earbud options out there, but I stick with the Apple AirPods wireless earbuds. They just work. And I like that they don’t go too deep into my ear canal.
👉 Add it to your travel bag today
3. AirFly Pro. Tired of cheap, low-quality, over-the-head earphones provided in-flight? Get the AirFly Pro (lasts up to 25 hours on one charge) that plugs into the flight’s entertainment system and connects via Bluetooth to your own headset.
My husband swears by this little gadget. And it’s about time I get it too. I’d rather use my own earbuds for in-flight movies. They have way better quality then what Economy class headphones will give me. Store one in your purse if you like watching movies in-flight but are sick and tired of cheap headphones provided by airlines. 👉 See why travellers love this
5. Peak Design Slimlink tripod for phone. A magnetic, detachable tripod for your phone that works seamlessly with the Peak Design phone case. This tripod attaches magnetically to your phone like concrete. It’s secure, stable, and has 3 legs (like an actual tripod) to help capture those perfect selfie moments. Stand your phone pretty much anywhere with this Peak Design slimlink tripod.
👉 Grab yours before your next trip
Travel comfort and style essentials
Get off the plane looking refreshed and radiant. The other passengers will wonder in awe how you look so relaxed after a long-haul flight.
1. Garnier facial masks. Pack a paper facial mask and rejuvenate your skin a few hours before landing. Long flights can stress out your skin. Apply Garnier’s facial hydrating bomb masks and it’ll freshen you right up before you deplane. And because it’s a paper mask, it won’t have any problem going through airport security. 👉 Keep your skin glowing in-flight
2. Clarins travel size face set. Ever felt you needed to pack a salon to keep your skin glowing? Well now you can, but in a Clarins travel size beauty set. I adore Clarins hydrating face cream. It has re-plumped and refreshed my skin after I’ve endured recycled airplane air.
And now you can get the face cream, night mask, and face cleanser in TSA-approved travel sizes. Stock up on these and toss them into your travel tote before your next flight. Your skin will thank you. 👉 This travel-size beauty kit is a skin saver
3. Spare contact lenses. Clear skin? Check. Now put on those contact lenses (if you wear them). Contact lenses make me feel like myself. My glasses are clunky and can get in the way while I’m hauling luggage up and down.
And if it’s hot? Ugh. My glasses will slide and slip down my face. Contact lenses save me from all that trouble. 👉 Do good by ordering from Contacts for Less. They donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity of your choice.
4. Burts Bees lip balm. Never travel without lip balm. Dry air, recycled airplane air—all that can cause cracked lips. And it’s not a good feeling. Stock up on multi-flavoured lip balms and always have one ready to go in your purse. Keep those lips moist and ready for when you do your wine tasting on your next trip to Venice. 👉 Look chic while staying practical
Reading and writing must-haves for travellers
What’s a trip without some good books and journaling? One of the reasons that travelling is good for the soul is that you actually get time to catch up on some reading.
And when you’re on that Swiss train, you’ll want to capture that feeling of wonder in your travel journals. Here’s what to pack without overloading your travel handbag.
1. Amazon Kindle e-reader. I love a good paperback, but they don’t fit as easily into my travel purse as a slim Kindle e-reader would. I have the kindle app on my iPhone, but I’m eyeing the 32GB Kindle e-reader instead because it’s glare-free, has paper white screen resolution, auto adjusts to light, and lasts up to 12 weeks on one charge. Backpacking across Europe for 3 weeks? This is how you carry your personal library with you. 👉 Bring your library anywhere
2. Leuchtturm 1917 notebook. The trick is to keep things slim and thin if you want them to fit nicely into your travel bag. The softcover Leuchtturm notebooks are super thin with smooth pages. It comes with a ribbon to keep things closed, so nothing snags onto the book while it’s inside your purse.
I’ve travelled with this notebook for years. It’s wonderfully gratifying to write down the ingredients and tasting notes of notable dishes I get to try on my journeys. And it’s indispensable for preserving memorable travel moments. 👉 Capture your travel memories in style
3. Cross pen. Any pen will do right? Yes, but no. A good pen has a ton of ink, writes smoothly, and won’t let you down when you need it the most! Travelling is special, so I say invest in a nice pen you’ll take with you on your journeys.
Writing with something nice just adds something special to the air while I’m writing away at a Parisian café. For extra special memories, engrave the pen with your name or an inspirational quote. 👉 A little luxury for your journaling moments
Travel Handbag Items to Leave at Home
Anything considered just-in-case are probably items that are best left at home. Every item you pack should’ve earned their spot in your coveted travel companion purse.
Things that take up space in your travel bag are:
- Paperback copies of books or guidebooks. I love a good physical book, but if you have the Kindle e-reader then leave the heavy books at home.
- Portable wifi (or pocket wifi). With Airalo’s e-sim affordable data plans, there’s no need to lug around a thick, heavy pocket wifi. Those things also get scorching hot pretty quickly too. They’re completely unnecessary if you use
e-sims. - Paper confirmation emails or receipts. Save a few trees by taking screenshots of all your confirmation emails and receipts. Besides, info can change on the fly. So having a reliable e-sim data plan will help you more in a pinch than paper receipts these days.
Worst comes to worst, you can always buy what you need in the city you’re visiting. But pack with purpose and you’ll build the confidence to skip bringing any items that won’t add value to your trip.
Need Help Finding The Perfect Travel Handbag?
Now that you’re armed with knowledge on how to strategically pack your travel purse, what purse should you actually travel with?
Should your travel purse be a backpack, a crossbody, a tote, or a traditional handbag? I get it—there are endless choices. But the best choice is the one that works best for you. Check out my post on how to find the perfect travel purse to suit your needs and style.
And how about that actual carry-on luggage (the one that’ll hold all your clothes and makeup toiletries) you’ll need to complement your travel handbag? See my post on how to pack a carry-on suitcase for that grand 3-week European tour you’ve been planning since high-school graduation.
And is that grand European tour already in the works? Snag your free travel planner today and start packing with confidence.
