What to Pack on a Family Beach Vacation + Printable Packing List -

Family dip their feet in the Mediterranean on a beach vacation - packing list

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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Table of Contents

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