Best Bags for International Travel, From Flight to Dinner

• The best bags for international travel keep your essentials organised, your hands free and your outfits pulled together, from the departure gate to your destination.
• Look for secure closures, comfortable straps, versatile silhouettes and colours that mix and match with your travel wardrobe.

Whether you're bound for a lively European city with friends, a tropical island escape with beach days from sunrise to sunset, or a charming town of cobblestone streets, travelling overseas calls for more than your passport. You'll want a considered bag for your most important essentials, too, especially when almost every international trip from Australia begins with a long-haul flight.

The best travel bags are as stylish as they are functional: versatile enough to wear more than one way, secure enough for your phone, cards and keys, and light enough not to weigh you down from Point A to Point B.

Read on for our travel bag picks, whether you're packing for a long weekend, a week-long holiday or a work trip.

Looking for a bag that works before, during and after your flight? Spacious totes and carryalls, sized within your airline's cabin allowance, are the answer. With room for your passport, wallet, phone and chargers, essential toiletries and the extra layers you'll want on a long-haul flight, a carryall is the bag that genuinely does it all.

Look for: Features that keep your belongings secure, such as a zip-top closure or interior zip pockets and compartments; comfortable shoulder straps; and durable materials that stand up to the wear and tear of travel, including the occasional dash to the gate.

Best for: Long-haul flights, airport days and keeping a quick change of clothes or shoes within easy reach.

Try: Soft Empire Carryall Bag 40, Utility Tote, Soft Empire Carryall Bag 48

A crossbody bag is the travel essential you'll reach for again and again, especially on days spent sightseeing on foot, browsing local bookshops, shopping for treasures to bring home or navigating public transport. Because it sits snugly across your body, a crossbody tends to feel more secure than a shoulder bag, which makes it a smart choice for crowded streets and busy events.

Look for: An adjustable strap for a comfortable fit (bonus points if it detaches, so you can wear it as a shoulder bag, too). Choose a compact size that still has room for your phone, keys and cards.

Best for: Hands-free travel days: sightseeing, city exploring, walking tours, bike rides and more.

Try: Tabby Chain Crossbody Bag 19, Tabby Shoulder Bag 20, Tabby Shoulder Bag 26

Wherever you are in the world, a streamlined shoulder bag is as timeless as it is stylish, and it complements almost any look. Pair a softer silhouette with off-duty cargo pants and a cropped tee for a day of cafés and bookshops, or sling a more structured style over your shoulder with your favourite little black dress for a night out. Dress it up or down; the choice is yours.

Look for: A size small enough to pack easily yet big enough for the essentials, such as your phone, keys and card case, in a colour that works with your travel wardrobe while still expressing your personal style.

Best for: Dinners, nights out dancing or any occasion when you want to add polish to your holiday look.

Try: Chelsea Shoulder Bag 30, Tabby Shoulder Bag 26, Tabby Shoulder Bag 20 With Pillow Quilting