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The Best Luggage, Bags, and Backpacks for Travel

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As you know we are avid travelers. We love a good weekend getaway, but also cant get enough of our international travels, and we have come to realize, good luggage really is essential. For the holidays this year, we are headed to the UK with the whole family! Since this in not our first rodeo, we know what to pack, and how best to pack. With England’s (like most of Europe) busy and cramped public transport we always like to use the smallest luggage as possible. Over the years we have found some really great products that do the job, are good quality (you don’t want anything falling apart mid-trip!), and stylish. We have gathered them up for you here so you can be best prepared (and most stylish) on your next travel adventure!

Bon voyage!

xxx Ivy & Eve

  1. Away carry-on suitcase $$$- Away carry-on suitcases are great for traveling to Europe where luggage space on public transport is slim, and great for weekend getaways! We love our bags for a number of reasons, they come with a battery that can charge your phone up to 4 times (amazing!), they are built to last a lifetime of travel, and they are stylish!

  2. Lo & Sons camera bag- $$$ Eve has this pretty camera bag! It’s the perfect size for her camera and still fits all the essentials like her iPad, wallet, lip gloss, wine opener (wink wink) etc. Eve loves this bag because she can use it as either camera bag or purse.

  3. THEIT Colt camera bag $$$- Ivy has this gorgeous bag and uses it for her large DSLR camera. The interior padding keeps her camera safe while still allowing her to carry a ton of other goodies! See our previous post with more details & photos of THEIT camera bag here.

  4. Lo and Sons Catalina deluxe tote $$- Eve uses this tote most often along with her Away bag as her personal item. This bag has a trolley sleeve which slips over the handle of her suitcase so its secure while shes running through the airport or walking to the train station. It has a room for all her airplane essentials (see post here) and room for all her goodies she picks up on the trip!

  5. Amazon Fashion tote & packing cubes $ -This very large sized tote and packing cubes are stylish and matching! This tote is great for travel with its suitcase trolley sleeve for comfort (give your shoulders a rest!). Plus it has a separate shoe compartment to keep all your clothes dirt free! We also love using packing cubes for organizing our suitcase, so this purchase was a no-brainer!

  6. Imoshion weekender Bella $79- Perfect for a quick trip, this bag is roomy and stylish! We love how it comes with a shoulder strap too! (to purchase contact via DM on Instagram)

  7. Target duffel bag $- Another great option for traveling. This duffel has a unisex color and style so you can surprise any of your travel friends with it! This bag also has a shoe compartment.

  8. Lily & Drew backpack $- Ivy uses this backpack for all her travel trips now. This backpack is perfect for fitting her laptop, chargers, books, and other travel essentials (see her list here). Ivy has the 16” size for her huge laptop, but they also have a 13” and 15”. They are purchased through Amazon and available on Amazon Prime for speedy delivery!

  9. Imoshion backpack Leslie $49- This gorgeous backpack is perfect for weekend getaways or trips when we don’t need our laptop or big camera. The details on the bag are amazing, and the quality is great! We have several Imoshion backpacks and love them all! (to purchase contact via DM on Instagram)

Travel in Style With a Carry-On Suitcase

When traveling with only a carry-on suitcase the main goal is to try and pack as much as possible while still having enough room to shop while you are on the trip...or just buy a new suitcase for all your shopping and check one bag on your way back! As kids, we remember packing for two week trips using the biggest suitcase we could find, and even then they were never quite large enough for all the clothes we wanted to wear. Now that we're older, and travel on our own, we like to keep our luggage to a minimum (carrying/rolling around big suitcases inside trains/airports and buses just gets exhausting and annoying).

Traveling with a carry-on suitcase can be a daunting task. How do you to decide what to bring and what to leave at home?! We get it, and still struggle with this issue. The biggest thing to think about is trying to pick items that you can wear with multiple outfits, ie. jeans which you can wear with a basic white t-shirt and sandals or dress up with heels and a cute silk tank top. Scarves and statement jewelry don't take up much room and can transform an outfit. Being strategic about what you can wear multiple ways is key. Our saving grace for this packing "mission" is the Ziploc Space Bags! All you have to do is slip your clothes into the bag, seal the bag, and roll/press the air out! It shrinks the clothes to half the size they originally took up. Brilliant!  Also keep in mind that all your liquids have to fit in a small Ziploc baggie and you can't bring liquids larger than 3oz. Here is a list of things we typically bring on our holidays....

Ivy's Beauty Essentials:

  • Aquafor
  • CeraVe face wash and PM cream
  • Foundation
  • Makeup removing wipes
  • Eyeliner
  • Eyeshadow pallet
  • Mascara
  • Favorite red lipstick (Keep It Red)
  • Travel toothbrush
  • Deodorant 
  • Hairbrush

Lexie's Beauty Essentials:

  • Foundation
  • Face powder
  • Eyeliner
  • Eyeshadow pallet
  • Contouring/blush pallet (ISH Contour kit)
  • Mascara
  • Makeup brushes (eye shadow, blush, contour)
  • Deodorant
  • Travel toothbrush
  • Rollerball Parfum
  • 1-2 lip glosses/ lip sticks
  • Hairbrush

Things We Share:

  • Toothpaste/Floss
  • Sunscreen 
  • Medication (Advil, Advil cold and sinus, Emergen-C) Being sick on a trip is the worst! We pack only essential incase of emergencies. These are essential since in america we are given the luxury to have off the shelf drugs that actually work! We swear the drugs on European super markets shelves are just sugar. 

Here is what we recommend for packing a carry-on suitcase: 

  • (2-3) Pairs of pants 
  • (5) Shirts
  • (2-4) Dresses, rompers, skirts
  • (1) Shorts (if needed)
  • (3) Shoes (one pair of sandals, one good walking shoe, and one pair of heels)
  • (2) Bras
  • (10) Undies
  • (5) Socks
  • (1) Swimsuit (always bring one just in case!)
  • (1) PJ's
  • (2) Jackets (One jacket for warmth and one rain coat incase it rains)
  • Jewelry- bring a few items that can be layered together or go alone
  • (1) Sunglasses 
  • (1) Umbrella
  • Chargers & International Converter if necessary
  • Makeup/Beauty Bag
  • (1-2) purses (one everyday and one fancier)

Keep in mind this is our recommended list for a trip similar to ours spanning 20 days or less. We will be doing our laundry abroad. 

Remember to check with your airline to confirm your bag meets the required size limitations, and to make sure you can bring another "personal item". Ivy will be using a backpack to put her camera bag inside, laptop, and her airplane essentials this trip. While Eve uses a tote bag. Make sure to wear your heaviest/bulkiest clothes on the flight to limit the weight and save room in your bag for souvenirs.

We hope this helps you next time you have a weekend getaway or an extended vacation!

xxx Ivy & Eve