Best overall
Kelsyus Original Canopy Chair
A chair and its shade in one carry case.
See it on amazon.com*Checklist
Beach Vacation Packing List
Pack once, forget nothing. This list is split into what goes in the suitcase and what goes in the beach bag, so you can tick it off and leave the rest at home.
In short
For a week at the beach, pack two or three swimsuits, light layers for the evening, sun protection, a beach bag with shade and water, and copies of your documents. The beach bag itself needs a towel, sunscreen, a hat, water, snacks, a dry bag for phone and keys and a small first-aid kit. Add shade you can carry and a cold cooler, and the long days take care of themselves.
How to use this list
Go through it twice: once when you pack the suitcase, once the evening before you leave. The suitcase sections come first, the beach bag after them. The lists below are short enough to tick off on your phone.
Clothes and swimwear
- Two or three swimsuits, so one can dry while you wear the other
- A cover-up, kaftan or linen shirt for the walk to the beach and lunch at the beach bar
- Shorts, skirts and light dresses or trousers in breathable cotton or linen
- One warm layer for the evening – a sweater or light jacket; sea breezes get cool after sunset
- A light rain jacket if the forecast is mixed
- Sandals or flip-flops, water shoes for rocky beaches, and one pair of closed shoes
- Something a little smarter for a dinner out
- Sleepwear, underwear and socks for the number of nights, plus one spare set
- A laundry bag for wet and sandy clothes
Sun protection
- Broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a high SPF – enough for the whole trip, it is often expensive at the beach
- Lip balm with SPF
- A wide-brimmed hat that ties or fits snugly in wind
- Sunglasses with UV protection, and a case
- A swim shirt or rash guard for long hours in the water
- After-sun lotion or aloe gel
- A check of local rules: some islands and reef areas restrict certain sunscreen ingredients
The beach-day bag
- A beach bag that sand falls out of – mesh or woven
- One beach towel per person, or a sand-free travel towel
- Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses from the list above
- Water bottles – more than you think
- Snacks that do not melt: fruit, nuts, crackers
- A dry bag or waterproof pouch for phone, keys and cards
- A small first-aid kit: adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, any personal medication
- A book or e-reader, and a pen for the crossword
- A small bag for your trash – leave the beach cleaner than you found it
- Some cash in small bills for parking, loungers and ice cream
Shade and seating
On a beach without rentals, shade decides how long you can stay. A chair with its own canopy is the lightest way to bring it; a clip-on umbrella turns the chair you already own into a shaded one; a separate umbrella or beach tent covers a family and the bags. On many Mediterranean beaches you can rent loungers and umbrellas by the day, which saves carrying anything at all. Our guide to beach chairs with an umbrella or canopy compares the options.
- Beach chairs, or a large blanket or mat
- Shade: a canopy chair, a clip-on umbrella or a beach umbrella with a sand anchor
- A windbreak if your beach is often breezy and allows one
Food and drinks: keeping it cold
- A cooler sized for the day, not the week – it has to be carried
- Pre-chill it: put ice or a few frozen bottles in it the night before
- Pack it full; empty air warms faster than food and drinks
- Freeze water bottles to use as ice packs – they become cold drinks by the afternoon
- Keep drinks and food in separate bags so the food stays closed while people grab drinks
- Keep the cooler in the shade, off the hot sand, and open it as rarely as possible
- Reusable cups and a bottle opener; many beaches do not allow glass
- A portable espresso maker or a flask for the morning coffee on the sand
Packing for kids
- Swim diapers for the little ones, and two swimsuits for everyone else
- A sun hat with a neck flap and a long-sleeved swim shirt
- Children's sunscreen and a stick for faces
- Buckets, spades and a few sand molds – small enough to fit in the bag
- Life jackets or swim aids suited to the child's age and weight
- A hooded towel or poncho for changing
- Extra snacks, extra water and a favorite toy for the drive
- A small pop-up shade or tent for naps
Tech and documents
- Passport or ID, driver's license and the booking confirmations, saved offline
- Copies of your documents – a photo on your phone and a paper copy in the suitcase
- Travel insurance details; in Europe, your EHIC card, or a GHIC card from the UK
- Phone, charger and a power bank
- A plug adapter if you travel abroad
- A waterproof phone pouch
- Headphones – and the kindness of keeping speakers off on a quiet beach
- Offline maps of the area and the number of the place you are staying
What to leave at home
- Most of the shoes – sandals, water shoes and one closed pair are enough
- Valuable jewelry and anything you would hate to lose in the sand
- Full-size toiletries if travel sizes or a shop nearby will do
- Glass bottles and jars for the beach
- A heavy beach umbrella if you can rent one there
- Outfits for every possible occasion – beach towns are relaxed
Staying somewhere with a terrace? The evenings are the other half of a beach week: see the coastal patio ideas, the smokeless fire pits for a beach fire ring where fires are allowed, and the portable grills for dinner by the car. More in Outdoor Living.
Matching products
Gear that earns its space
A few things that make a long beach day easier. Each one is described in the beach chairs guide; we show only what your country's Amazon store sells.
Best to carry
GCI SunShade Backpack Chair
Shade on your back for the long walk to the water.
See it on amazon.com*
Best clip-on shade
Sport-Brella Versa-Brella
Clamps onto the chair you already have and follows the sun.
See it on amazon.com*
Best cooler
YETI Tundra 35
Keeps ice through a long day – heavy, so for short walks.
See it on amazon.com*
Coffee on the sand
OutIn Nano
Espresso on the sand, from a battery and a cup of water.
See it on amazon.com*Questions readers ask
What should I pack for a week at the beach?
Two or three swimsuits, light layers for the evening, sun protection, a beach bag with shade and water, and copies of your documents. Add sandals, water shoes and one closed pair, and leave most other shoes at home.
What goes in a beach bag?
A towel, sunscreen, a hat, water, snacks, a dry bag for phone and keys, and a small first-aid kit. A bag for trash and some small cash for parking or loungers help too.
How do I keep food cold at the beach?
Pre-chill the cooler, pack it full, keep it in the shade and open it as rarely as possible. Frozen water bottles work as ice packs and turn into cold drinks later.
Should I bring a beach umbrella or rent one?
If the beach rents loungers and umbrellas, as many Mediterranean beaches do, renting saves carrying weight. On beaches without rentals, a canopy chair or a clip-on umbrella is the lightest way to bring shade.
Where the information comes from
This checklist brings together the things a beach week needs, grouped the way you pack them. Product details come from the makers and retailers named in each product box on the beach chairs guide. We have not used these products ourselves. We earn a commission on purchases made through our links; it does not change which products we show.
Read next
Our pick: Kelsyus Original Canopy Chair
Check price*