This is the bag I took on my Paris trip - and have been using for "after the beach" days:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2.....680265664/
I got it for something like $10 at Marshall's. It's very very lightweight, made out of some synthetic material. It's not very well made or anything like that - but it turned out to be the perfect travel tote.
1) It was so lightweight, I could stuff it full and it still didn't feel all that heavy.
2) I often carried around in it the standard purse items, my camera, an umbrella, a rolled-up travel trench, a cardigan, a scarf, and sometimes even an airplane blanket (which we used for picnics along the Seine). Yet with all that stuff, it didn't look overstuffed.
For after-the-beach trips, I stuff it with a complete change of clothes.
3) Because it is synthetic and inexpensive, I had no qualms setting it down on nasty bathroom floors, metro seats, and on the ground in outdoor cafes. I figured I could just throw it away after the trip.
4) Because it is synthetic, it cleans easily. Despite it being cheaply made, it held up perfectly fine so I'm going to scrub it down with antiseptic and keep it for future trips.
No, it's not classic but it is a fun tote and the color worked well with everything I wore on the trip. This is the very first trip I ever accomplished with only ONE purse. And we were there for two weeks!
