JUST THE TICKET
Becca Meier picks out a dozen travel wallets, from budget to luxurious, to help keep all your cards, documents and ID safe
Whether you’re jetting off on a city break, trekking through the Andes or going on a school trip to Disneyland, going on holiday comes with admin. Passports, currency, boarding passes, bank cards, booking confirmations, travel insurance – you need it all, and it all needs a place to go. Yes, you may have your airline app on your phone, but you still need somewhere to put your money and your passport at the very least.
That is where a travel wallet can come in, to keep everything in one place. We’ve found the best of the bunch, from practical, durable options that feature RFiD-blocking – tough material that stops anyone electronically skimming your details from the chips on your cards and passport – and weatherproof
materials, to the more luxurious leather numbers. We’ve got it all here so you can forget the faff, kick back and relax.
1. Kipling Travel Doc Travel Document Holder: £29, Kipling
You can rely on Belgian accessories brand Kipling for hard-wearing accessories in playful designs and a variety of colours. This fun, zip-around wallet comes in five different patterns (our favourite is this monochrome, spotty one) and is made from the brand’s water-repellent and crinkle-free nylon. It also features a pen loop, slip-in pockets for cards, an ID window, and a zipped pocket for any loose change. Kipling’s circular logo adorns the exterior. For us, it strikes the ideal balance between stylish and practical.
2. GoTravel Glo Travel Wallet: £4.66, Amazon
This is a simple PVC organiser for those who like a pop of colour in their luggage (or a wallet that is easy to spot). This one comes in either blue, yellow, orange or pink with a white holiday-related motif printed on the front with a little motto, such as “the sky is the limit”, or “check in and chill out”. Although slim, it features five internal compartments inside, which can fit a passport alongside other cards and tickets. The small, italicised print quotation – “on the move with you” – is a subtle detail on the otherwise low-key interior. All in all, a lovely option for solo travellers who want a bright, lightweight way to keep organised.
3. Busy B Travel Wallet: £14.90, Amazon
This large, faux-leather wallet from family-run brand Busy B can fit up to six passports and features simple, slip-in compartments for any travel documents you might have. The cute, multi-colour polka-dot exterior secures with an elastic band and would provide a lovely addition to anyone’s travel luggage, particularly if they need to carry several passports.
4. LifeVenture RFiD Mini Travel Document Wallet: £20, Blacks
This compact, weather-proof wallet from backpacking specialist LifeVenture is super-practical. The charcoal-coloured wallet uses anti-RFiD material, so your bank details and identity should be safe. Deep sky blue detailing features in the interior, along with a zip compartment, a smartphone stash pocket, an external slip pocket and a central pen loop. It can also fit two passports. We think it’s a steal for 20 quid.
5. GoTravel RFiD Blocking Organiser: £19.99, John Lewis
Like the LifeVenture wallet, this also protects your digital data with its RFiD-blocking material. The jetblack wallet features a pen loop, seven slip-in card compartments, two zip pockets, and a wealth of other slip-in compartments. It can fit at least four passports, and a nifty cotton handle attached with poppers also enhances how practical it already is. It may not be as style-focused as some on the list, but if you’re a traveller responsible for multiple passports and tickets, this is the product for you. Teachers and parents, we’re looking at you.
6. Cath Kidston Breton Stripe: £22, Cath Kidston
This glossy Breton-striped wallet is eye-catching and so slim that it could easily pass for a small notebook. Silver letter detailing inside labels its compartments for “boarding pass”, “currency” and “passport”, and the currency wallet is detachable with its own zip for extra security. A plastic ID window makes for a cherry on top of how useable it is. If you like Breton stripes, you can also match it with several other Cath Kidston luggage products. This is a great, nautical-style wallet lovely for a beachy holiday (and the PVCcoated cotton makes it easy to wipe any sand off).
7. Ted Baker Voyager’s Travel Wallet and Pen: £30, John Lewis
This reasonably priced leather wallet is great for those who like to travel light. Made of smooth black leather, it is no bigger than a passport, but is still roomy enough for any insurance cards or flight tickets. A simple line of laser-cut circular detailing and copper-print branding on its exterior provides a subtle decorative touch, alongside the italic “well-travelled” motif on the interior. A small navy pen also hides behind its suede interior for scribbling down your travel itinerary. It also comes in an illustrated box, which makes it a great gift option.
8. Scaramanga Leather Travel Wallet: £37.50, Scaramanga
We think this is a beautiful product from the Scottish leather specialist. Scaramanga hand-makes its pieces using traditional methods, so the natural properties of the buffalo leather are the star of the show here. The wallet itself is a relatively simple design. It features two slip-in compartments, a zipped pocket for any loose change and there’s subtle branding under the front flap. It comes in a beige muslin drawstring bag with multi-coloured strings, making it an ideal one to gift someone off on their travels.
9. Fjallraven Travel Wallet: £55, Cotswold Outdoor
Fjallraven is best known for its canvas backpacks that come in a rainbow of colours, but we think its other products are worthy of attention too. This wallet has a caramel-coloured tan, polyester-cotton interior with a central leather pen loop. It’s roomy enough to be able to fit two passports, seven bank cards, and also has a small zip compartment for coins, so is ideal for those travelling in a pair. A small, tan leather fox on the front exterior completes the product’s branding. It also has an open slip-in compartment on its back exterior. It comes in seven different colours, and gets points from us for its combination of practicality and looks.
10. Radley Abbey Large Travel Wallet: £75, John Lewis
This one looks like a standard, if stylish, leather travel wallet from the outside. But open it up and things get interesting. Using four different colours – white, fuchsia, baby pink and a blue – there are pockets for “cards”, “passport” and “tickets”, denoted in silver foil lettering, as well as a few left blank for extra papers. The double popper-closure keeps everything secure, as does the zipped pocket at the back. It comes in a drawstring dust bag, again, making it another good pressie. Also comes in black.
11. M&S Luxury Leather Double Travel Wallet: £89, M&S
M&S is a master of accessories, but we think this leather wallet is one of its best-kept secrets. Made of 100 per cent black leather, it has multiple tabs and compartments, labelled with silver embossing helpful labels under either “passport”, “currency” or “documents”. Inside, you also get multiple zips for extra security and to keep all your coins in check, and there’s a detachable strap, which makes it just that bit more portable.
12. Aspinal of London Classic Travel Wallet: £130, Aspinal of London
This beautiful, lizard-print Italian calf leather wallet is a structured, yet classy, affair. It comes in twelve different colours, ranging from midnight blue to grass green lizard, and has options for personalised embossing or engraving, and gift wrapping. The interior is lined with cream suede, and features capitalised silver print branding and labelling on each of the four tabbed compartments for “tickets”, “passport”, “documents”, and “other”. There is also a zipped pocket for “currency” and a long slip-in compartment for any boarding passes. It’s like an indulgent file organiser, and by no means a bargain, but for those who like to travel in luxury, it’s a no-brainer.
The Verdict: Travel wallets
If you really want to strike the balance between durability and style, we’d opt for the polka-dot Kipling number. It’s pretty, secure, and doesn’t cost the world. If practicality and security are the order of the day, go for LifeVenture’s Mini RFiD wallet instead to bump up the security. Backpackers, parents and teachers: consider either the Busy B, or the GoTravel RFiD Blocking Organiser, both of which can fit multiple passports and docs. And if you have a higher budget and just can’t resist a bit of leather, we’d have to recommend the Aspinal.