purse or no purse?
 

Would love to be "hands free". I have seen one(purse) that fits flat against the abdomen. Suggestions please. Thanks in advance.

Try the Goyard Comores - with a tote toting toy boy in tow - that'll keep your hands free for shopping

I guess it really depends on you. Fanny packs (the oens that go around your waist) are definitely not my style and would definitely make you stick out as a tourist. Not that we actually blend in, but it wouldjust be one more thing. I like carrying messenger bags-they go across your shoulder so they're hands free too!

I always use a small purse with a long strap that goes across my body. I just bought a small nylon purse for my trip to Rome--it's lighter than my leather bag (sometimes by the end of a long day my leather bag seems to weigh a ton) but large enough for a guidebook and umbrella and it sits flat against my abdomen--great for hands-free and security. And it looks pretty good, too--

I have a nylon bag by Sportsac that works great - the strap is adjustable so I can lengthen it to wear across my chest or shorten to tuck up under my arm. It is the perfect size for a guidebook, bottle of water and a few odds and ends like kleenex, hand lotion, and so on. It is very light and easy to wear. In fact, that is the purse I use when I ride my bike to work.

I too use a Le Sportsac Everyday bag. Lots of compartments, expandable, adjustable strap and lightweight. I find a leather bag just wears me down by the end of day.

http://www.howardluggage.com/IBS/Sim...id/597282.html

I'd forgo the fanny pack and consider the suggestions made by outwest and J Correa. A lightweight purse, Le Sportsac or similar, worn bandelier style works very well.

Have the boy toy carry the bag...you won't look like a tourist then, either!

<<< Fanny packs (the oens that go around your waist) are definitely not my style and would definitely make you stick out as a tourist. >>>

And will make you VERY popular with the local thieves

Why does everyone always hold waistpacks(fanny packs) in such disdain? I use one on a daily basis. I like the freedom - hands free, and also nothing banging against my hip as I walk. As for would-be thieves, I have the waistpack with a steel cord and concealed buckle and zippers to make cutting-and-running difficult. Do I look like a tourist? Who cares? The minute I open my mouth, look at a map, or arrive at any tourist destination, the cat's out of the bag. I grew up in Detroit; I know that being aware of my surroundings and alert to the people around me is more likely to keep me unmolested than what kind of purse I carry!

I have travelled thru Eourpe with a Coach bag or B Makowsky bag. Both are crossbody styles.

Since you asked...

Personally, I find fanny packs to be one of the most unattractive accessories a person could possibly wear. They don't only scream "tourist," they scream "no fashion sense" and "where did 1985 go?" And while I'm not one to be into high fashion or even overly concerned about appearance, I would never wear one. Whenever I see someone wearing one, I think 1980s...and that the person wearing it could just as well be wearing unflattering tapered jeans, a puff paint t-shirt, white canvas tennis shoes, and big hair along with that fanny pack. And it really humors me when I actually see the entire ensemble together in the 2000s - twenty years past its time.

If I'm going to be carrying around a large camera, guidebooks, etc., I prefer something like the bag found here: http://tinyurl.com/yp6txr -
This is smaller than a messenger bag but fits everything I need for a day, can be worn across the body, and has the safety cables and exomesh steel...and seems much more current. If I'm not carrying all that around, I just use a small purse with a long string that I can wear across my body. I don't have any problems with either of those banging against my hip. Back in the 1980s before I knew any better and at the encouragement of my mom, I wore a fanny pack for some trip somewhere. I remember it being uncomfortable and bouncing up and down whenever I jumped around or ran...I'm 20 years older now, but I still jump and run...and have no problems with wearing bags/purses across my body unless they are too big.

It depends on what or where I'm going.
I'll have a backpack (leather/tapestry) or a messenger bag for touring and in the evening I'll have a purse.

I use a black or tan LeSportSac that I got from Howard's Luggage. It is so lightweight.

There are a number of nice little bags to be worn with a long strap across your body. Fossil makes one that lies flat on your body.

What do you usually wear at home? That seems like your most comfortable option.

For my upcoming trip I found a convertible style travel bag from Baggalini. The line is designed by flight attendants. It is about 5 X 8 inches, just large enough for glasses case, some misc. stuff, credit card, just-in-case bathroom supplies and some cash (I always wear a money belt under my clothes for the important stuff when in transit). Two sets of hooks mean you can wear it the usual across the front of the body way like a travel purse OR around the waist. But it is not your 80's fanny pack! Since this is black and sleek, and most of my clothes are black anyway, when I have it on it's barely noticeable. I do a lot of hiking and active travel and there are times when having something dangling, even a little, is at best annoying and at worst could even get caught in something. Maybe it's a solution for you, too!

for some reason this came up when I clicked "Search Greece (posts)". If you are going to Greece you don't have to worry so darn much about purse snatchers or pickpockets, it doesn't have a culture of petty theft

In 6 trips to greece I've used a black nlylon Sport Sac as described, usually cross-chest NOT for security but -- as templemimi requests -- to keep my hands free and so the strap won't slip off my shoulder as I scale yet another height to see yet another ruin!

Sportsacs are lightweight yet hold lunch, camera, guidebook, notebook and water bottle. You can even tie your sweater on the strap as the day grows warm. And they're like $35-40. What's not to love.

Fanny packs. Fatally outdated. And, I would say, Gross. But that term is fatally outdated too.