Michael Kors Brown Leather Cross Body Bag

Every time I step into an airport, I feel like there’s a sale on Longchamp Le Pliage bags–they’re everywhere! With a price tag of around $145, I know they’re not really being given away so I wondered: why do so many women travel with them?

I turned to a trusted group of avid female travelers (the women on TFG’s, of course!) and asked what they thought of these handbags for travel. This is what they had to say:

It’s Stylish

❝ I saw an incredibly chic passenger with a well-worn, large on the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard more than a decade ago. I still wonder where she was heading and what glamorous events her weekend entailed. I had to have one for myself! Alas, the Gatsby-esque lifestyle did not come with it.

This is one of the best travel handbags for weekend travel. It’s sturdy, holds a ton, and even marinara sauce and red wine stains wipe right off!

A huge bonus is that it folds and neatly snaps together, so if you’re on a longer trip and planning to pick up a thing or two, you can stow it away until needed as an extra bag for the journey home. This is a good investment.

It’s Versatile

❝ I have the larger one that doubles as a travel shoulder bag, and I use it all the time! I use it as an everyday tote, a carry-on tote, or if I’m taking a wheelie, then it serves as an extra bag in my suitcase.

I used it on an island-hopping trip across Greece and it was the best! I could fit a week’s worth of clothes inside, and it did double duty as a beach tote! I love it so much I want the other smaller sizes, but you can’t fit much in those.

The downside, for me, is that there are so many fake versions of this bag that people don’t quite believe it’s the real deal. Also, you can’t dump it in the washing machine due to the leather, unlike my favorite Le Sports Sac crossbody. Lastly, mine’s green, which means my wardrobe kinda has to revolve around that color whenever I’m using it as a carry-on/tote/beach bag.

– Seema K. Bharwani

❝ I purchased a large black one several ago in Paris and have used it for everything from a purse to a weekend tote to a gym bag. It’s an excellent carry-on bag and easy and light to throw into a larger suitcase if you’re expecting to bring back some extra souvenirs. The real ones are durable and resistant to dust. I love it for European business travel, but I do prefer something a little more versatile when backpacking.

– Tessa Norton

❝ We’ve been using it in our travels as a nursing bag. We have two small children and I have the larger shopper tote with longer straps. It holds a lot of the stuff we need on our travels with children. We’ve taken it on a plane with baby stuff (food, diapers, toys, wipes, etc.) and at the destination, it can be used as a beach bag or a shopping bag. It’s easy to handle and carry-on your shoulder.