How to plan a perfect family beach vacation for sea and sun fun with kids
Choosing the best destination for your family beach vacation. What to look for when picking the perfect family sun holiday and family vacation beach ideas kids and adults will love.
A beach vacation is at the top of many families’ wish list for the summer break and how could it be otherwise?
After a long year of school runs, extracurricular activities and rainy afternoons, we ache for some rest and a cocktail of clean sea, soft beaches and good weather is just what we need.
I spend hours with my friends talking about these summer dreams but when it comes to the reality of booking a beach holiday, we often find ourselves stumped.
Out of the many offers available, how can we be sure we pick the right one?
Before the kids, the choice wasn’t as arduous but now doubts creep up: is the place safe for the kids, is the price right, how can I make sure the place is as it looks on the brochure?
In this article, I list my ways of picking a family friendly beach vacation spot: I hope you find them useful!
Look for easy access and transport options
The first thing to decide, when booking a beach vacation, is transport. How are you going to get there and especially: how easy is it to access the beach one there?
Is the place full of stunning, wild beaches you need a car for? Is it all walking distance? Depending on how much variety you may need and how comfortable you are driving, some destinations work better than others.
Make sure it is safe
The next thing is of course safety. I am a bit of a worrier so my list never includes places that need special vaccinations or that have an abundance of health hazards.
Even in ‘safe’ places I like to go the extra mile and check suitability for the kids.
In the case of a sun holiday, I always look at the suitability of the beach for the kids (water depth, currents, etc), especially if they are hoping to partake in water activities.
Some lovely and safe family beach vacation destinations that are farther afield yet safe and family friendly are:
Italy – most famous for cultural tourism, Italy also has some stunning sandy beaches that are perfect for families with kids
Curacao – super easy from both Europe and North America
Southern California – one of out absolute favorite for beaches and the quantity of kids attractions available
Thailand – world famous!
Cuba – one of the most beautiful sun vacations we have ever had, with plenty of cultural attractions to enjoy too!
Yucatan, Mexico, especially Isla Mujeres which is a sea and sun vacation with kids dream of shallow waters and sandy beaches
Check what organized activities are available / what else to do
One more important thing I take into account is the availability of entertainment and its suitability for the age of my kids.
I will never forget the first time we brought our children to an all-inclusive resort with animation: I was adamant it ‘wouldn’t be our kind of thing’ but wow, was I wrong!
The kids adored it and all I heard of, for the next weeks, was the baby dance, the sports activities and the great fun they had!
Since then, I totally changed my take on resorts and highly recommend them for a truly worry free family vacation.
When choosing, make sure you take your time to pick places that are equipped for families and that can cater for even young kids.
The Azzurro Club group, for instance, with hotels in several localities on the Italian coast is perfect for families and offers amazing entertainment for kids ranging from beach and pool games, baby dance club, archery, tennis and more.
If you are not going to a resort, the same principle applies: what is in the area for the kids? Are there sports they can practice, opportunities to make friends, attractions nearby?
How inclusive do you want to go
My above comments brings me swiftly to my next point which is: should you go all inclusive or independently?
The answer to this is personal but whatever you choose, make sure you read the small print.
If going to a resort, how much is actually included in the inclusive package (look for drinks, water sports, extra excursions) and if going to an apartment or hotels, what can you count on?
Reliable resorts have good websites and transparent policies so make sure you take the time to read them: it is always worth it albeit I know, a pretty boring task.
Make sure you have your beach essentials ready
One of the great things about beach vacations is that packing for them is pretty easy!
However, especially with traveling with small kids, you want to make sure you have some special gear and that it is in good working order.
Without kids, the shade of a palm tree may be all you needed to ne safe and happy for long hours on the sand; with small kids, this may or may not work!
To ensure you have all you need, I find it handy to use a packing list. As well as being a great way not to forget anything, it is also a fantastic tool to travel light as you can see at a glance what you have packed already and avoid doubling up.
You can find here >>> our family beach vacation packing list
Once I have a short list of a couple of favourites, I also like to run it by other parents: a good place to do so is the free Facebook Group Family Travel Inspiration, which has many parents from all over the world with first hand experience of almost everywhere!
I hope you found my tips for picking a holiday spot in the sun useful. Safe family travels!
