allisonm

I always take a bag with me. One time I used a fanny pack. (Too small.) Once I took a larger, flat bag with the strap across the body - ie the strap was on my right shoulder with the bag under my left arm. Last time I took a sort of back-pack bag but never wore it as a back pack because it seemed too exposed. What have others tried and liked?

Gretchen

A small fanny pack under my coat for money and credit card. Husband carries a sort of messenger bag for our guide book, umbrella, etc.

Jean

I like a backpack because it keeps my hands free. Mine is in black leather and the opening zipper to the main portion is on the side facing my back. As long as I'm wearing it with both straps on, no worries about anyone reaching in or grabbing the bag.

Giovanna

For years I have carried huge (tote bag size) purses which I wear on my shoulder and hold close to my body. I carry the still camera (my husband handles the videocam) and loads of other things (wipes, Altoids, chap stick, bottle of water, comb, etc., etc., etc.), all things I use during the course of a day. I usually have room for small packages if we do some shopping along the way.

I can't wear belly bags as most of my tops are not tucked in and I dislike being cinched up at the waist. Most say belly bags are open invitations to pickpockets.

I do use a backpack if we visit archeological sites, but many threads here describe robberies because we don't have eyes in the back of our heads and even being slashed without being noticed by the wearer.

Many here swear by money belts. We have them but have never used them, and thankfully have never had a problem. I hope we won't have any problems on our trip next month, because I am bragging about never having any problems. quot;>

Lexma90

My husband wears a moneybelt with the valuables.

We share carrying a backpack-size bag that can convert from a backpack to a shoulder bag. I will bury my wallet, with one credit card and maybe a small amount of cash, in the bottom. Everything else on top of that is stuff we can afford to lose - guidebooks, water bottle, umbrella, etc. I carry a small amount of cash in my front pocket - again, not more than I'm willing to lose. Most of the time we use it as a shoulder bag, but if an area we deem safe enough, we'll use it as backpack. Works great for us.

djkbooks

I've learned there's no one perfect bag. So, I use a small shoulder bag with double zipper pulls all around (with pulls to the bottom, or even twist-tied together) and an inside zipper pocket for security. Then, a lightweight foldup tote with both handles and a shoulder strap for "stuff" other than valuables (tour guides, maps, umbrella, water, sweater...). Depending upon where you are or where you're going, the small shoulder bag can be tucked into the tote, and sometimes it's more comfortable to carry the tote by the handles or use the shoulder strap (or switch around).

To lighten the load, I leave my wallet at home and carry only a slim business card case with my ATM card and one credit card in one pocket and a bit of cash in the other pocket. I travel only with slacks or skirts with very deep front pockets and only jacket/raincoats with inside pockets.

Jayne11159

My favorite travel bag is a black microfiber 9-West. It looks good with everything ANd its washable. It's about 9 inches high, 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep. It has a large pocket on the outside back that I can slip travel books and guides into, a large outside pocket on the side that my point and shoot Pentax fits into perfectly. There is enough room inside to carry what I need yet it isn't bulky. I can wear it over my shoulder or across my chest.

I tried leather, but it automatically added extra weight. The Healthy-back bag drove me crazy--lots of compartments but I could never remember what was where. Because of the way it is constructed, things tended to fall out of the outside pockets if I leaned over too far. I love backpacks, but I find that I'm in and out of my bag so often, it becomes a hassle.

One other tip--if you can't find a bag with every convenience, they make some really cute clip ons that hold sunlasses or cameras, making them very convenient to get to.

erinb

hi allison,

I have used this method on 6 trips and it works for me.

Instead of a carryon suitcase, I use a big purse or big cloth type shoppers purse. My mom bought me this really neat pretty painted one a couple of years ago and it has worked wonders.

I store the following in it on the trip over on the plane and it is the only thing I carryon (except my coat or sweater). Inside the bag I store the following:

makeup/jewelry kit
emergency kit(bandaids etc)
washing kit(packs of woolite, wash tablets)
(each of the kits above are in ziplocks)
carry extra ziplocks in suitcase

camera and film
travel envelope with papers,passport, travel papers and extra copies of everything

small travel purse for money, credit cards, and change (copy of passport folded inside)

one pair of undies, one shirt, and pj's
(in case my luggage got lost, I have one change and will be able to get thru one night)

books or magazines for the trip. One small ziplock of snacks and candy for the plane and out about each day.

Now for the small travel purse. I found one a few years ago in wal-mart or kmart. It is a small 4 in by 7 in rectangular shaped slim wallet with a long shoulder strap. It is really slim and holds only my credit and atm cards, my ID and a copy of my passport. It has several small pockets for receipts and a small zipped section for change and a place for my drivers license.

Even filled it is really slim. Slim enough that I can actually wear the straps under a sweater or coat across my body, with the purse/wallet under my arm on the side. If the coat and sweater are loose, you can't see it.

If I am not wearing a coat or sweater, I wear the strap across my body, but hold it in front with my hands always on it.

When I arrive, I empty the big purse at my hotel and use it as a day bag, with just my travel metro map, emergency kit, travel book. It is big enough that it can hold most of my small purchases each day as I am out and about, a bottle of water or soda and some lite snacks. <b>I never place my small travel purse in it.</b>

If I don't want to carry my travel purse, I have a little pouch that clips to the inside front of my bra, that holds my cards and money.

My day bag has one small zippered compartment on the side. I leave a few pds notes in that zip compartment along with my metro card in a small card holder. This gives me instant access to it without having to take out my purse.

I never take out my small purse on a public street or metro. Only in a shop or restaurant.

The small bra pouch: we bought these online a couple of years ago, but once I received it, I laughed. You can make it for pennies and if you would like the pattern and instructions, email at [email protected]

BTilke

Like many women in Belgium, Germany and France, I wear a &quot;dressy&quot; backpack almost everywhere. Most of the time, I wear it as a backpack, but on the metro or in a crowded place, I just sling it around on one shoulder to hold it in front of me. Longchamp leather backpacks are particularly popular here; mine is a dark brown one, approximately triangular in shape. It's very practical and I actually feel more secure with it than I used to with my purse. In Europe it sells for just under 200 euros; it's quite a bit more expensive in the U.S., I believe.
My winter coat has an inside pocket that buttons shut (most men's coats have them, but they're harder to find in women's coats, don't know why). If I'm going to be running around in Paris in cold weather, I keep my wallet in that pocket. With the pocket securely closed and the coat buttoned up, I feel like my chances of being pickpocketed are absolutely minimal. And I have the backpack for carrying all my other daily bits and bobs.

palette

A microfabric &quot;healthy back&quot; bag; the leather version would look nicer but adds to the weight. It has pockets on the outside for maps, metro tickets, umbrella and/or water bottle; zippered pockets inside; a clip inside to which I attach my change purse so that it won't fall when I am removing money; the strap can be lengthened so I can wear it across my body when in crowds and over the shoulder when not worried about theft; I also loop my camera strap around the bag's strap and keep the camera in one of the outside pockets so the camera is not going to fall to the ground should my hand slip for some reason. It's easier than having the strap around my neck (because I am never without my camera!)

BarbBC3

I don't really like fanny packs or backpacks, so i just use a regular purse that i carry on my shoulder. I have two that i consider my &quot;travel&quot; purses (one brown, one black) so i usually use one of those. They're both lightweight, big enough to carry my camera, but not too big to add extra weight. They have thick straps that can't be cut easily and they look good enough to use in a nice restaurant. Works for me.

djkbooks

Watch out with those Healthy Back bags...

Once, the contents of mine emptied onto the sidewalk when I opened the zipper part way and reach in.

kybourbon

I thought I found the perfect bag to take on my last trip. It had lots of zippered and velcroed(?) pockets. I thought I would be soooo organized. I spent all my time trying to find out which pocket had the item I needed. Don't get one with to many compartments.