The Best Day Bags You Need For Travel or Day Trips

Packing for traveling is always time consuming {for the ladies at least lol…somehow men can do it in about 10 minutes flat…and then inevitably are missing some extremely important item am-I-right? lol}. It can also often be a puzzle getting everything packed perfectly into the suitcase versus the carry-on versus the personal item so that it’s manageable and logical. And don’t even get me started when you are traveling with kids because though I am not a mama yet, I can only imagine what those of you who do have kids go through getting ready for travel! I give you sooo much praise!

I almost always travel with my laptop, and on work trips, I typically bring both my personal laptop and my work one. Because of this, my carry-on needs to have the structure needed to protect a laptop and also fit my other items. And because I like to keep this bag for toting my laptop, I usually end up not using my carry-on as a day bag during my trip. Instead, I use my personal item bag and/or another bag that I pack in my luggage depending on what type of trip I’m taking.

For example, if I’m doing a lot of hiking, I know I’ll want a bag that I can wear on my back. If I’m doing a lot of exploring in different towns where I’ll be gone from my hotel or lodging for extended periods of time, I’ll need a shoulder bag or crossbody that is large enough to hold a full bottle of water and possibly sunscreen or a layer of clothing on top of my basics like chapstick, wallet, etc. and not be a pain to carry. Since I need to be able to pack these bags away, they can’t be too structured, or they will take up too much space & add unnecessary weight.

I have a few day bags that I have acquired over the years & absolutely love because they work perfectly for my travels. Unfortunately my exact ones aren’t still for sale, but I have rounded up a bunch of others that are perfect day travel bags for various types of travels! Since travel & fashion are two of my very favorite things, I love posting about things like this where I get to combine my two loves! 🙂 And even if you aren’t traveling, these are all great options for local day trips too, or just the every day! Take a look below & happy adventuring! 🙂

Pool, Beach or Boat Day

01// Multi-Way Straw Backpack {*major heart eyes* – comes in two other colors & is super affordable!}
02// Easy Striped Bag
03// Tory Burch Carryall
04// Woven Tote Bag {also comes in black, see below!}
05// Large Tassel Bag {my FAVORITE! – this is the same brand as my large yellow one pictured above and same size for reference!}
06// Crochet Tote
07// Festive Large Tote
08// Denim Multi-Way Bag

Exotic City Exploring

01// Chevron Crossbody Bucket Bag
02// Woven Tote Bag {see above for brown version}
03// Distressed Leather Large Crossbody {this looks smaller here than it really is, it’s a great size!}
04// Straw Shoulder Bag
05// Wide Weave Straw Bag {Target find!}
06// Black & Brown Tote {literally only $68, but looks so expensive!}
07// Circular Woven Bag
08// Easy Macrame Tote

Urban City Exploring

01// Nylon Backpack {so cute!}
02// Large Nylon Tote {another Target find!}
03// Chic Leather Crossbody
04// Leather Backpack
05// Bucket Crossbody {looks designer, but its Tar-get! 😉 }

Concert, Festival or Fair Day

01// Distressed Leather Crossbody {had to list this one twice because I love it so much!}
02// Festive Rafia Belt Bag {I swear, I can’t get over all these Target finds that look designer!}
03// Woven Belt Bag
04// Simple Belt Bag {Target strikes again!}
05// Leather Mini Backpack {smaller version of the one above!}
06// Woven Bucket Bag