Oh boy have I been on the road a lot recently. ‘Tis the season for lots of traveling. Everyone is planning on heading home to families, friends and holiday vacations. It seems like that’s the topic of conversation among friends these days. Where ya headed? Going home? Staying here? When I head out of town for an easy road trip for the weekend, I usually pack in a weekender and always my toiletry bag. It cuts down on packing time, stress and forgetting anything. Mine is always ready to go with the essentials. As I use items in it, I stock back up as soon as I return so I don’t need to worry about it again.

Since traveling picks up so much this time of year, I wanted to share a few of my favorite travel bags. From weekender bags, to suitcases, toiletry bags, and more. I feel like I’ve had the opportunity to give so many a try that I’ve really figured out what I love and need when I travel. Here are my personal favorites that I know you’ll love too. Plus, these all make for great gifts this holiday season for that person in your life who loves to travel.

The Best Travel Bags To Invest In

My Favorite Toiletry Bags

INVODA Cosmetic Bag

This is my go-to toiletry bag for quite a while now. These INVODA cosmetic bags are a must. I have had mine for almost 8 years and no wear and tear. Inside is drawstrings and more organizational tools to store everything and get everything in efficiently. It is the perfect cosmetic bag to be squished down if you are running out of space.

LARGE COSMETIC BAG

There are so many incredible large cosmetic bags out there in the market. I love it so much for a few reasons. One, it’s huge. It holds all of my toiletry items (which are quite a lot), including larger or bulkier bottles. The bag is waterproof and has several pouches to help organize. Thankfully, it comes in lots of colors and prints and don’t worry, it also comes in solid black if you’re into that.

CURLING IRON SLEEVE

If you bring a curling iron or flat iron on a trip ever, you need this in your life. Every time I travel I find myself trying to cool my iron off before rolling it up and hoping it doesn’t melt something in my bag. This takes the stress out of storing your iron on those busy mornings.

My Favorite Weekender Bags

BEIS WEEKENDER BAG

I feel like a weekend bag is probably the hardest to find. There are so many things you want it to do for you. Have enough space, be easy to carry, cute and versatile to go from weekender to a personal bag on a plane. One thing I didn’t realize I desperately needed in a weekender bag was one that can replace my backpack when I carry on. I usually travel with my checked bag and a backpack and that’s it. Adding this bag was the best thing that happened to my travel routine. My favorite part is that it has a trolley sleeve which means it slides right onto the handles of your carry-on luggage. Makes getting around in an airport so easy.

HERSCHEL SUPPLY DUFFEL BAGS

A duffel is essential to anyone who travels a lot. Whether you pack an empty one to fill up with goodies to bring home or if you’re the most badass packer and can do a weekend in JUST a bag. This bag is it. My favorite part of it is the separate shoe compartment. There’s nothing more gross to me than my shoes touching all of my clothes. I usually put my shoes in shoe dust bags, but this just makes it easy to pop them in and go. This bag also comes in lots of color combinations so mix and match to find your best weekender bag

My Favorite Suitcases

BEIS Carry-On Roller

BEIS is the best luggage investment. It is the best for my overpacking self that needs help getting everything organized and inside properly. Smooth-rolling wheels make getting where you’re going absolutely effortless. A trolley handle with a cushioned, silicone grip to ensure your hand never feels the stress of travel and an interior that expands an extra two inches, so wherever you go, you can bring a little something back (even if it is just a tan)!

HERSCHEL SUPPLY CO. HARD CASE

This hard case with spinner wheels suitcase is great for a reasonable price. Comes in lots of colors and sizes. I personally did not love the carry-on one, it was too flimsy, but I find the medium-sized checked bag is great. I use this for when I don’t need to bring a ton but know I want to check a bag.

My Favorite Travel Accessories

Leather Cord Organizer

I used to carry all my extra cords and headphones in a little jewelry bag when I traveled. It never failed, everything always got tangled and felt so messy. I finally ordered a few of these leather cord organizers and they help to keep everything organized.

Passport Holder

I always like to have a passport holder or case instead of just carrying mine around as is. Why you ask? Well, I always like to include two additional things when I travel (especially on international trips) and that includes a spare credit card and a few extra dollars. Just in case of emergency, I like to have these spare things all in one place. A passport holder helps to keep these things nice and safe and easily accessible in an emergency.

Travel Wallet

You sure don’t need all these cards, loyalty cards and such when you’re traveling. Having a small wallet to hold just the necessities cuts down on prime real estate in your bag. I also recently got this iPhone case that holds cards and I can’t travel without it now.

Toiletry Containers

Finding great toiletry containers that actually work, don’t spill, and are easy to use can actually be hard to find. I usually try to re-use any travel-sized items that I have that work well. For example, I’m still refilling an eye makeup remover bottle from 7 years ago. It simply works. But for those other products, I love these from Amazon and they come in two sizes. A mix is great to have!

Jewelry Case

Traveling with jewelry can always be a little tricky. You don’t want things to get tangled or ruined. I love this jewelry box from The Daily Edited. It keeps your things organized, safe and it’s pretty! It’s not massive, so it works well to travel with even with a carry-on.

Water Bottle

I am never without a water bottle when I travel. It’s always so hard to drink water when you’re out and about traveling, but by bringing my own water bottle, I always do a better job of getting in my H20.

Packing Cubes

Yes, I swear by a packing cube. I know some people are either on board or not, but I’m on. Not only do these help to compress things, but they also just keep you organized. This is especially nice if you’re visiting two destinations and want some clothes for one versus another. Instead of unpacking everything, you can keep things separate. I have these which are great for smaller trips as they aren’t SUPER big. They’re definitely heavy duty though. And this set has a good mix of sizes along with really large ones which are great for checked bags.

My Favorite Backpacks

Travel Day Backpack

Travel day backpacks function in so many different ways for everybody. The backpacks I have, have survived so many trips and I also get so many compliments on them. It holds an immense amount of things (as in my GIANT camera, small purse, and laptop). It’s usually what I bring with me when I check a bag since it keeps my hands free and don’t need to worry about my purse since it fits inside (this also makes it a great personal item when checking a bag). It’s just a good basic backpack and has easy access front pockets to grab your favorite things.

Fashion Backpack

Depending on where I’m headed and what I’m doing, I sometimes opt for my fashion backpack versus my more giant tech travel one. This is sometimes one I pack in my suitcase and use when exploring versus on travel days. It will replace my purse at times making it easier to explore hands-free!