Six Travel Tips For a Family Beach Vacation

March 9, 2018

Taking your family to the beach for an upcoming school break or summer vacation?

Getting everything right can be daunting, but with our travel tips, it’s easy to pull off a special family beach vacation. Xplorie travel tips will help you plan a perfect beach getaway. Check out these six great ways to ensure fun in the sun and sand with your family and friends.

Plan your activities ahead of time

When you start looking at activities, the number of options can be overwhelming. To narrow down your activity list, it helps to choose an activity suited to each person on the trip — golf and dolphin cruises for the parents, go-karting and an aquarium visit for the kids — and then see if you have time for additional activities. We recommend scheduling approximately one activity every day, besides the day of arrival and the day of departure. This allows enough time for some relaxation and beach time, but gives you something exciting to look forward to every day. Planning activities ahead of time maximizes time and reduces stress.

Use activities to guide your packing list

Once you know exactly what to expect on your beach vacation in terms of activities, you can efficiently pack your suitcases. Don’t forget these essential items for specific activities (in addition to your beach gear):

Shoes that can get wet

Baseball hat or visor

Comfortable swimsuit

Sunglasses strap (like a Croakie)

Warm sweater or jacket

Make the travel part of the vacation

Traveling with a family can certainly be challenging, but you can enjoy the journey (in both directions), not just the beach. If you’re road tripping, stop at rest areas to run around and play games. If you’re flying, try to have the kids navigate through the airport. In both cases, always leave plenty early to ensure that your trip goes smoothly.

Prepare for the sun

A sunburn can quickly take down happy beachgoers. Follow these guidelines to protect you and your family from harmful UV rays:

Stock up on waterproof sunscreen and SPF lip balm. Check the expiration dates on both — when sunscreen expires, it truly will not work.

Bring extra UVA/UVB sunglasses. Even with a sunglasses strap, eyewear is easily misplaced or broken, and a few extra pairs will prevent painful eye damage.

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you and your family go outside, and then reapply every two hours. Time flies when you’re having fun in the sun, so it helps to set an alarm on your watch or phone to remind you.

Bring plenty of water. Many beaches have water fountains, but you can always pick up a couple gallons of water at a gas station to make sure everyone’s hydrated.

The best way to avoid a sunburn is to stay out of the sun entirely, so head for an umbrella, wear a hat, and cover up as much as possible.

Get groceries delivered to your vacation rental

Eliminate time at the grocery store by having snacks and groceries delivered upon your arrival — or pre-ordered curbside pickup. One of the amazing benefits of vacation rentals is the ability to cook and prepare meals in a full kitchen. Even if you plan to mostly eat out, you know the importance of having food on hand to prevent hunger-induced crankiness between reservations.

Document the trip

No one ever regrets taking too many photos — only too few. Make a point to take both photos and videos of your family during the trip, and the happy memories will last a lifetime. If you’re all digital, bring a portable charger to avoid “low battery” at prime photo opportunities. If you have young children, give them waterproof disposable cameras, and you might end up with a few gems.

We would love to see your vacation photos, too! Share your vacation memories with Xplorie by tagging #xplorie#xploriestory, and/or #xploriefun on Facebook or Instagram!

If you haven’t settled on a beach getaway yet, explore some of the warm-weather destinations Xplorie offers —

Each vacation rental comes with free local activities from our favorite outfitters. Some include golf, snorkeling, dolphin/nature cruises, bicycle rentals, water sports, parasailing, fishing, and more!