Booking your summer beach trip is an exciting time for you and your family! To have a fun and successful summer beach vacation, it is important to do some advanced planning to make sure things run smoothly. When you get to the beach, there are other things you can do to make your trip more enjoyable too.
1. If you are planning to travel internationally, make sure to check that your passport is not expired, or expiring prior to your travel. It can take 3–6 weeks to get a new passport, so you want to be sure that you check with plenty of time.
2. Also, you will want to check with your hotel to see if your destination accepts your country’s currency, or if you will need to do a currency exchange. If you need to exchange currency, you can avoid transaction charges and expensive ATM fees by exchanging currency prior to your travel. You can do this by calling your bank to find out exchange procedures, as these may differ from bank to bank. When you exchange, you may need to wait a few days for the bank to order the proper currency, so be sure to plan ahead.
3. Make sure to pack plenty of sunscreen. You can purchase this more cheaply at home than you will be able to do so at your destination. When you buy your sunscreen, be sure to get SPF 50 or above. It should also be waterproof and have a high UV protection.
4. When you are at the beach, you will want to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, to avoid getting a sunburn.
5. It is also good to protect your skin from the sun by wearing a hat, and wearing a swimsuit with sleeves. You might feel sexy wearing a string bikini, but that won’t last for long when you are sunburned and peeling. The UV rays from the sun are more intense closer to the equator, and you will likely burn more quickly at the beach than at home. If you are going to a Middle Eastern country such as Egypt, you can even buy a swim Hijab, to keep your skin fully covered.
6. If your kids need to swim with inflatables, it is best to purchase those in advance as well, as it will be more cost effective than buying them at your destination.
7. Make sure that you bring newer sunglasses with polarized lenses and UV protection. Some older sunglasses may not have this, and your eyes can be damaged by using them.
8. When you head out to the beach each morning, it is a good idea to set out your towels on the chairs first thing in the morning, to make sure you get a good spot at the beach or the pool. However, make sure you aren’t too close to the water line to keep the tide from washing everything away.
9. If you will be at a public beach that doesn’t provide chairs, it is a good idea to bring a beach blanket or tarp to lay out under your towels. This way, your towel doesn’t end up covered in sand when you want to dry off.
10. Drink plenty of water when you are out in the sun to avoid dehydration. It is best to drink bottled water, as water in some countries may not be drinkable. You can check with the reception at your hotel to find out if the water in the tap is safe to drink when you check in.
If you follow all of these tips, you are sure to set up your beach vacation for success! I hope that you have safe and happy travels this summer, and always!