Pre-Travel Tips for Your Once In a Lifetime Beach Family Vacation
When you want to travel with your kids it’s hard to figure out where to start with packing. Most of the time you can buy things you need when you get there, but who wants to be shopping for forgotten items all vacation? I am a list maker, and having three kids that are different ages makes me a little panicky as I try to remember all the little items that each kid needs let alone remember all the items I need for myself! Months before I leave for vacation, I start a list of every item that I need to pack. This helps me clear my mind a bit and helps me to not forget anything. Hopefully some of my travel tips and our printable packing list can help you as you start planning your next family adventure!
Travel Documents
If you are traveling anywhere outside the US, you will need passports for every family member. Make sure you apply for your passport well in advance, so you have them in time for your departure! Adult passports are good for 10 years, while kids are only good for 5 years. They also cannot expire within 6 months of your travel date, so make sure to check those expiration dates.
For travel within the US, you will need a valid ID for the adults. The kids can travel with a birth certificate. If you have passports, those will work for travel within the US as well. Our family finds the passports easier to carry around than the birth certificates.
Before You Go
Call the hotel and see if they have items you will need such as a crib, highchair, or extra fan (we use this as white noise). Most hotels we go to have these available at no extra cost.
If you are traveling out of the country and you would like to use your phone, you may have to add an international plan for the month of your travel. You also may want to call your credit card company and advise them that you are traveling so your cards don’t get flagged.
Packing Your Suitcase
One of the most difficult tasks is figuring out WHAT to pack. We try to stay light in our packing, but we also like to make sure that we have all of the necessities for our vacation.
A link to the packing list that we use can be found here.
For a family of 5 we usually check 2 suitcases, have 1 carry-on suitcase, and then 3-4 backpacks. We pack mom & dad in 1 suitcase and the kids in a separate suitcase. This makes it easier when we get to our destination to find what we need and disburse the weight between the two bags.
We always make sure we have all the pool/beach necessities. A beach bag is a must as well as beach and sand toys. You can usually purchase them as well when you get to your destination, but we can usually fit them in the bag and save ourselves some money for other things. For life jackets, check with your destination to see if they supply them as they occasionally will have them available.
We have always found it useful to have our own water bottles, insulated cups (for beach bars), and reusable straws (most resorts are going away from using disposable straws and are using paper straws, which aren’t our favorite). Our kids seem to have fewer spills when they use a straw. Trust me, we’ve had our fair share of spills over the years.
We always pack a variety of plastic bags – these can literally be used for almost anything. Sometimes we pack snacks for the beach or an excursion; we will use a trash bag for putting all the dirty clothes in, which saves our suitcase from smelling terrible, or sometimes you just need to protect something from getting wet.
We also like bringing along a Bluetooth speaker for our room. While we don’t turn it on very loud, we like our music when we are hanging out in our room or for the shower.
For toiletries we usually get a couple sets of travel containers and fill them with anything that typically has a larger bottle, such as our shampoo, body wash, and lotion. This saves a ton of weight and space in our suitcase. Other than the normal bathroom items we always bring:
- Dish Soap – great for washing out cups/straws/bottles
- Laundry Detergent – wash out stains right away or wash out any potty accidents
- String & Clothespins – great for hanging clothes to dry as we all know those little humans have a million wet things on a beach vacation!
First Aid Kit
Plan for the worst, expect the best. Make sure to pack any medications that your family may need and then some. We pack a little lighter when we are going to the states as we can purchase things that we need. If we are going to another country, we want to make sure that we have everything you need! If we forget something, most items can be purchased at the resort, or nearby, but those items can be more expensive than what we are used to spending.
What to Pack in Your Carry-On
This obviously will vary depending on the ages of the kids and where you are headed. Check, double-check, and triple-check that you have your travel documents.
For babies & toddlers you will need your normal diaper bag basics (diapers, wipes, diaper cream, extra clothes, bottles, pacifiers, and so on). I also like to go to the Dollar Store and make sure to get a couple new little toys and some different snacks. Snacks are a life saver on a long flight if your kids are anything like ours! We also like to have some electronics. This is the one time during our vacation that they can have as much screen time as they want. Download movies or games depending on your kid’s interests. As your kids get older, let them choose the snacks and games – they will love being included in the planning!
You can bring milk/juice for toddlers through security. This is another life saver. We’ve never had an issue getting through security, we just let them know before they scan our bag. Security will test the milk and possibly swab your hands and then let you through. If it’s a long day of travel, use an insulated coffee travel mug or some other insulated cup that will keep the milk cold.
We bring our reusable water bottles as well – we empty them prior to going through security and then fill them up at a water fountain/filling station once we get through security. This will save you some money not having to buy that pricey water in the terminal.
A stroller through the airport is a non-negotiable for us. Make sure not to pack a ton of stuff in there until after you go through security as you will have to take it all out. We really like our travel stroller. It folds up nicely to go through security and also has some storage in it.
When driving to our destination, we prefer to bring our own car seats. If you choose not to bring your car seat, most car rentals will rent you a seat at a daily charge as well. If your kids use booster seats, we bought travel boosters to use for vacations which were great and fit well in your carry-on. Once we get to the gate, we check our car seat and stroller. To do this just see the desk agent at your gate. We also like to use gate check bags for our car seat and stroller. They are pretty inexpensive to buy online (or you can spend a little more on a nicer one if you prefer) as they keep them cleaner and a little easier to handle.
Our older kids take their own backpacks with snacks, homework, tablets, headphones, and whatever activities they chose to bring. They also have their water bottle. It’s nice for them to be able to access all their own things on the plane.
How to Dress for Travel
We are usually traveling during the winter to some place warm. Layering is the best way stay comfortable for travel. We usually all wear jeans or leggings, a short sleeved shirt, sweatshirt and tennis shoes. If you are headed to a warm place you can pack shorts and sandals in your carry on for an easy switch when you get to your destination. We find that jeans, sweatshirts, and tennis shoes are bulky in the suitcase so they make the bag just a little lighter!