Summer is coming, and that means one thing… a family beach vacation is on the cards, maybe a bucket list destination, and it’s time to get packing? But you need the essentials right? Well we have the perfect packing list for you. We travel full-time and know exactly what you need to make this a family holiday to remember.
We share family travel essentials and include some travel tips to help make the vacation planning process stress free. Carry on to the end if you are here for our printable Family Beach Vacation Packing List.
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Essentials for a Family Beach Vacation
We are all about packing sensibly! We don’t want you to feel stressed and laden down with items that you might not use while on vacation. So our essential packing list comes from a place of logic and practicality.
By packing lighter you travel happier. We want to help you achieve the same freedom of travel that we do and so our suggestions below are a guide to help you reduce the load and off-load those unnecessary items.
So below is a packing list of what we suggest you need to bring on your next family beach vacation:
The Forget-Me-Nots!
- Sunglasses
- Wallet, spending money, drivers license and credit card
- Passports
- Phones and cameras
- Booking details – hotels and rental car
- Travel insurance
Packing Made Easy
- Cable organiser
- Toilet bag
- Travel document organiser
- Travel bottles – I absolutely love these Gemice travel bottles for transporting shampoos, conditioners and lotions.
- Packing cubes – This 8 piece set of packing cubes from BAGAIL is super fun decorated in little flamingos!
On the Beach
- Microfibre towels – This Wanderlight yoga towel is PERFECT for travel!
- Mask and snorkels – The Cressi F1 is our all time family favourite set for snorkeling.
- Suntan lotions
- Beach bag or tote
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Sarong/scarf
- Flip flops
- Sun hats – I absolutely love my soft felt hat, it keeps the sun off my face, is easy to transport and is very insta trendy!
What to Wear
Travelling full-time requires a strict wardrobe – one to wear, one to wash and one spare. But for a beach vacation you want to pick your favs. This list below goes for each member of the family. And by packing your favourite beachy inspired outfits, about 5 or 6 ensembles, you’ll have enough for a week or more.
- 2 x kimono or kaftan style beach dresses
- 5-6 x clothes ensembles that can be mix and matched
- A warm outfit just in case
- Shoes or sandals
- 2 x swimmers – Seafolly is my favourite brand of swimwear as they can be purchased as separates which makes sizing super easy
Toiletries
- Sun Bum after sun gel – for the inevitable sunburn
- Medicines
- Deodorant – this travel size Nuud 15ml starterpack is the most effective aluminum free brand on the market
- Toothbrushes/toothpaste
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Face cleanser/moisturizers
- Body moisturizer
- Basic makeup/waterproof mascara/BB cream – This compact Eyeko beach mascara comes in a great travel size
- Travel soap
- Hair products
- Razor – I love this rose-gold reusable metal Bambaw razor
- Menstrual cup – I swear by Lunette and have had mine for three years of travel
- Tweezers, nail clippers and scissors
- Bandaids
- Comb/hairbrush
- Mosquito repellent and repellent bracelets – Para’kito bracelets are excellent, they have reusable pellets and are deet free
Gadgets
- Go-pro Hero9 Black for the underwater snaps – we bought a silver and I wish we had just gone for the Black as it’s a much better camera
- Bose travel speaker – I love this one as it is waterproof and compact
- Powerbank – for charging devices while on the run
- Laptop
- Chargers
- Apple TV and remote – for the rainy days
- Ipads for the kids
- Kindle Paperwhite – I can’t recommend this enough, it’s compact and so much easier than carrying a book on your travels
- Head phones or ear buds
- Coffee Wacaco Nanopresso – because we love coffee and we LOVE this espresso maker. We purchased it along with the Barista Kit which makes a great double shot. Read our review on the Nanopresso right here.
Sustainable Travel Solutions
We are passionate about travel sustainability. By bringing along the below items we reduce our waste like single use plastic bags, plastic bottles and straws.
- CamelBak drink bottles
- Bamboo biodegradable travel toothbrushes and floss
- Reusable straws
- Bamboo biodegradable ear sticks
- Keep cup for coffee
- ChicoBag reusable bags with carabiner clip – we carry ours everywhere and whip them out in the supermarket, for a snack bag or a beach clean up
For more sustainable travel products, go check out our comprehensive list of favourite eco-friendly essentials here.
Beach Vacation Essentials With a Baby/Toddler/Kids
- Talcum powder – did you know that if you rub powder on before you leave the beach all the sand falls of. It’s fantastic for toddlers who love to get sand everywhere
- UV rash vest
- UPF 50 + beach hat – this one here ties under the chin and can’t be pulled off!
- Floaties or inflatable noodle
- Sticker books – we always purchase an Usborne sticker book like this one for our daughters before a vacation or this one for toddlers
- Activity books – these Melissa and Doug water books are fantastic and keep toddlers busy for ages
- Thermometer and paracetamol
- Snack containers – I love these stackable stainless steel containers with colourful silicone lids
- Water bottles – CamelBak bottles have been our favourite for years
- Diapers or nappies and wipes
- Swimming diapers and nappies
- Sandals or flip flops
- Card games – Spot it is our family favourite
- Beach hoodie – these fun microfibre towels for kids are one of the best buys we’ve ever made for the beach
Free Printable Packing List
Ofcourse we didn’t forget your printable packing list for that upcoming family beach vacation.
Follow this link to get your copy now. We’ll add you to our mailing list, but we never spam and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Packing for a beach family vacation doesn’t have to be stressful… especially if you have a really good packing list.
Grab your easy peasy one page printable beach packing list and avoid the inconvenience of any forgotten items!
Don’t forget to pin this family beach vacation packing guide and free list for later!
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