Hotels stock everything; vacation rentals stock about a third of what you would expect. Here is a working list, refined over many trips, of what to bring and what not to bother with.
What rentals usually have
Most well-managed beach rentals stock these without exception: bath and hand towels (one set per guest), sheets and pillowcases on every bed, a starter roll of toilet paper per bathroom, a starter set of dish soap and trash bags, salt and pepper, basic cookware (a couple of pans, a baking sheet), drinking glasses and mugs, a coffee maker (usually drip, sometimes Keurig), a microwave, an oven, and beach chairs. Most include beach towels separately from bath towels.
What rentals usually do not have
Things that consistently surprise first-time renters by their absence: laundry detergent (some properties stock a starter pod, most do not), shampoo and conditioner (this is the single most common “wait, really?” for guests coming from hotels), spices beyond salt and pepper, cooking oil, dish sponges that are not three weeks old, sharp knives, paper towels beyond the starter roll, lightbulbs (this sounds absurd until one burns out at 9pm), a working hair dryer in the bathroom you actually use, and reliable beach umbrellas.
The pack list
- Shampoo, conditioner, body wash (in containers that will not leak in your bag)
- Laundry detergent pods (4–6 for a week)
- Cooking oil and a small bag of essential spices
- A real chef's knife in a knife guard if you plan to cook
- Reef-safe sunscreen (most coastal towns now require it; supply at the beach store is thin)
- An extra beach umbrella or two; rentals provide one if any
- A small first-aid kit with seasickness tabs, antihistamines, and Neosporin
- A waterproof phone pouch for boat days and beach days
- A dry bag or insulated cooler tote for the walk to the beach
- Two extra rolls of paper towels and two extra rolls of toilet paper
- Reusable water bottles, tap water is fine in most coastal towns; bottled water is expensive
- Bug spray (mosquito coast and dusk-active marsh areas)
- A roll of duct tape (you will be surprised how often this saves the trip)
- A board game or two for the inevitable rain afternoon
After the rental, the rest.
A flight in, a rental car for dune drives, a boutique hotel for the last night before the airport. The pieces that complete a coastal week.
Find a flight to the coast.
Compare hundreds of carriers via Booking.com, with free-cancellation fares on most routes.
Search flights →The car you'll actually want.
You will drive more than you think. A wagon or small SUV beats a compact for beach gear and dune trails.
Compare cars →The night before, in style.
Skylark curates design-led hotels and villas along the same coastlines, useful for the airport-side first or last night.
Discover Skylark →Sponsored.
Seven coastlines we vouch for.
Each town here is hand-picked, each rental vetted for real waterfront access. No algorithmic feeds.
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