From the high rises of Hong Kong to the charming avenues of Paris, cities from around the world serve as the backdrop to so many of our community’s Instagram posts. PurseBop readers love to travel and, therefore, we have a special place in our hearts for travel tote bags.
Whether we’re offering a list of 15 Chic Totes That are Perfect for Travel, or staging a Louis Vuitton vs Goyard: Celebrity Tote Showdown, we have dedicated multiple posts to the highest quality totes and how to use them.
In honor of our love of travel, we decided to do a more in-depth analysis into what exactly makes a travel tote tick. Using 4 top totes that each suit different travel needs and styles, we hope to provide more insight into how to pick the perfect tote for your travels.
Goyard St. Louis
Features
- Waterproof canvas material, made from cotton, hemp, and linen
- Shoulder-length strap
Sizes and Prices
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price (USD) |
| Saint Louis PM (Classic Color) | 19" x 11" x 6" | $1200 |
| Saint Louis PM (Special Color) | 19" x 11" x 6" | $1560 |
| Saint Louis GM (Classic Color) | 23" x 13" x 7" | $1375 |
| Saint Louis GM (Special Color) | 23" x 13" x 7" | $1795 |
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price (USD) |
| Saint Louis PM (Classic Color) | 19" x 11" x 6" | $1200 |
| Saint Louis PM (Special Color) | 19" x 11" x 6" | $1560 |
| Saint Louis GM (Classic Color) | 23" x 13" x 7" | $1375 |
| Saint Louis GM (Special Color) | 23" x 13" x 7" | $1795 |
Best Travel Uses: Perfect for Warm Climates
Though the Goyard St. Louis PM works wonderfully for everyday use, it’s the GM that has the room and size to be a travel companion.
The Goyard St. Louis’ waterproof coat and roomy interior makes it ideal for vacations to warm weather locations. Once you arrive to your destination, your handy carry-on can double as a beach or pool bag! In addition to being waterproof, the fabric of the bag is also fairly immune to scratches, which makes it work well for adventurous travel, say for a safari, or traveling with children.
Since the bag doesn’t have a zipper, so it’s important to keep this bag close at hand and make sure that it doesn’t fall and spill.
If you’re traveling with several luxury handbags, or planning to purchase bags abroad, the Goyard St. Louis is perfect for nesting. Read these guides on how to nest, and specifically, how to use the Goyard St. Louis to nest Hermès bags and other precious cargo: Nesting Bags: How to Travel with Handbags, Goyard St. Louis – The Tote of All Totes.
Louis Vuitton Neverfull
@eternalove4bags
Features
- Available in Canvas or Epi Leather
- Textiled Lined Inside Pocket
- Removable Zippered Clutch with Matching Interior
- Natural Cowhide Leather Trim
- Gold Metallic Accents
Sizes and Prices
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price (USD) |
| Neverfull PM | 11.4" x 8.7" x 5.1" | $1,180 |
| Neverfull MM | 12.6" x 11.4" x 6.7" | $1,260 |
| Neverfull GM | 15.7" x 13.0" x 7.9" | $1,340 |
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price (USD) |
| Neverfull PM | 11.4" x 8.7" x 5.1" | $1,180 |
| Neverfull MM | 12.6" x 11.4" x 6.7" | $1,260 |
| Neverfull GM | 15.7" x 13.0" x 7.9" | $1,340 |
Best Travel Uses: Weekends in the City
It’s perhaps perfectly fitting that the LV Neverfull should follow the Goyard St. Louis on this list. After all, these two popular totes are frequently pitted against each other for the crown of Perfect Tote (Read: Louis Vuitton vs Goyard: Celebrity Tote Showdown).
Like the Goyard St. Louis, the Neverfull has ample amounts of space and boasts a resilient canvas material that is nearly impervious to scratches and damage. For day trips or as a carry-on, any Neverfull size would suffice, but for longer voyages and more heavy-duty storage, the GM is the perfect volume.
With a neutral palette, the Neverfull is somewhat more elegant and formal than the Goyard, especially in Epi Leather. Rather than bringing it along to the beach, the Neverfull would be more appropriate for a weekend getaway to New York City, or a work trip.
The clean, structured appearance of the Neverfull makes it perfect for both men and women looking for a travel tote. Out of all the options in this guide, we would most recommend this tote for stylish men looking for a convenient and stylish bag for travel.
For fashionistas looking for a versatile bag that can effortlessly adapt from the airport to an important business dinner or gala, the Neverfull is a perfect option. Discrete and refined, it’s the perfect bag to store in coat-check before an event without looking out of place.
As with the Goyard St. Louis, the Neverfull is a great option for nesting…some might even say the best. Read A Travel Tote for Every Handbag to read the argument for the Neverfull!
Longchamp Le Pliage
Click image to browse the Longchamp colors
Features
- Nylon Canvas material that is both waterproof and scratch-proof
- Easy to fold
- Tanned leather straps and accents
- Zippered top with flap and snap closure
- Inside flat pocket
Sizes and Prices
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price (USD) |
| Le Pliage Small Handbag | 9" x 8.75" x 5.5" | $95 |
| Le Pliage Medium Handbag | 11.75" x 11" x 8" | $115 |
| Le Pliage Large Handbag | 13.5" x 9" x 7.5" | $135 |
| Le Pliage Medium Shoulder Tote | 11" x 9.75" x 5.5" | $125 |
| Le Pliage Large Shoulder Tote | 12.25" x 11.75" x 7.5" | $145 |
| Le Pliage Travel Bag XL | 21.75" x 15.75" x 9" | $160 |
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price (USD) |
| Le Pliage Small Handbag | 9" x 8.75" x 5.5" | $95 |
| Le Pliage Medium Handbag | 11.75" x 11" x 8" | $115 |
| Le Pliage Large Handbag | 13.5" x 9" x 7.5" | $135 |
| Le Pliage Medium Shoulder Tote | 11" x 9.75" x 5.5" | $125 |
| Le Pliage Large Shoulder Tote | 12.25" x 11.75" x 7.5" | $145 |
| Le Pliage Travel Bag XL | 21.75" x 15.75" x 9" | $160 |
Best Travel Uses: For Rainy Season and Messy Children
A favorite of Kate Middleton’s, the Longchamp Le Pliage is an essential travel and workday companion. Waterproof, scratch-proof, and drama-free the Le Pliage is best for messy situations. Whether planning a trip with a young child, or visiting the tropics, Le Pliage is the best option to protect and secure your belongings. It’s also the most wallet friendly. The Travel Bag XL is best for long trips and heavy duty action, while the smaller ones work well for shorter trips or everyday use.
With a zippered top and a snap closure, Le Pliage, unlike the St. Louis or the Neverfull, is more adept at keeping your belongings safe and secure. If you’re using the Le Pliage as a diaper bag or something of the kind, the zipper allows for discretion and privacy as well. While some of the Le Pliage bags are handheld others are shoulder-friendly.
One of the most famous aspects of the Le Pliage is its ability to be folded, rolled, or otherwise condensed into a smaller package. For this reason, its an incredibly convenient tote to have if you’re planning to transport gifts for the upcoming holidays! It’s very easy to bring an extra Le Pliage (or 2) folded up in your suitcase if you need to bring back a high volume of items from abroad.
The Le Pliage is also a perfect nesting bag. To read more about how PurseBop uses her Longchamp Travel Bag XL to transport her Birkins read How to Pack a Birkin.
For more background on Longchamp and eye candy, read our Longchamp Le Pliage and Luxury Accessibility.
Hermès Garden Party
Features
- Epsom Calfskin Leather or Country Cowhide Canvas
- Interior Zippered Pocket
- Palladium-plated Clou de Selle snap closure
- Short handle
- Handheld
Sizes and Prices
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price in Canvas (USD) | Price in Leather (USD) |
| Small Garden Party Tote | 12" x 8.5" x 5" | $2,325 | $3,500 |
| Medium Garden Party Tote | 14" x 10.25" x 6.5" | $2,450 | $3,675 |
| Large Garden Party Tote | 19.5” x 14” x 9.5” | $2,950 |
| Size | Dimensions (L x H x W) | Price in Canvas (USD) | Price in Leather (USD) |
| Small Garden Party Tote | 12" x 8.5" x 5" | $2,325 | $3,500 |
| Medium Garden Party Tote | 14" x 10.25" x 6.5" | $2,450 | $3,675 |
| Large Garden Party Tote | 19.5” x 14” x 9.5” | $2,950 |
Best Travel Uses: Travel Tote in Disguise
Ladylike and chic, the Hermès Garden Party is the most refined and elegant bag on this list. Somewhat smaller than the other bags on this list, you could say the Garden Party handbag masquerades as a travel tote. For travel, the Garden Party 39 is the most functional of the three sizes, but the others could certainly work for overnight trips or one-night stays.
This Hermès lady should not be taken to rainy climates or on more adventurous trips. Instead, use this bag to travel from the airport to an important lunch or meeting. For ladies who jump from a plane or train straight to an event, this tote is ideal.
Less practical for nesting than the other bags, the Garden Party can nonetheless protect your clutches or minis. Read our guide for eye candy and more information about this chic tote.
Whether traveling for a night or for a month, these bags can get you through the long airport lines, the unexpected rains and the bountiful shopping trips. Are there any bags that we neglected to include? What’s your favorite travel tote?
Read related articles below:
Celebrity Style: Luxury Fanny Packs?
The Best Things Come in Small Packages
Travel Guide 2017: The Do’s and Don’ts
The Bags You Bagged in 2017
Love, Pursebop
XO
Updated: July 7th, 2018
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