Last year we bought a vacation rental in Florida and I had polled on Instagram stories if people would be interested in a packing list. Renting a vacation home is a great way for families to get away together but it’s not like staying in a hotel! In this post I mentioned how I used my Walmart+ membership to let a few essentials get ahead of me on the trip so I wouldn’t have to pack them. Today I’m sharing a pretty comprehensive list of items to consider packing if you are renting a vacation home this year.

All of these items can be shipped to your home or most vacation homes with Walmart+ free shipping no order minimum (Excludes freight * Marketplace items). If you haven’t tried Walmart+ yet you can see what benefits are available in your area and sign up for a free 15 day trial here. Depending on where you’re staying you can even use Walmart+ delivery from your store on groceries to the rental home ($35 minimum. Restrictions apply).

I know a lot of people aren’t eager to hop on planes right now. If you are driving to your destination, Walmart+ membership offers member prices on fuel – save 5¢ per gallon at Walmart, Sam’s Club & Murphy fuel stations. Check if member prices on fuel is available in your area as that can help cut down your travel budget.

In our home and many others you will be provided a small supply of essentials like soap, shampoo, and detergent just to get you through the first couple days. So plan to bring or buy more if you are staying a week or more.

Vacation Rental Packing List:

for the kitchen:

It’s always best to confirm with the property manager or host what a home does and does not offer but most kitchens have the basics: cooking sheets, a few pots and pans, utensils, plates, cups, and basic prep utensils. Our home, and most others will also include a few small appliances like a toaster oven and blender.

• dishwasher detergent
• handsoap
• coffee, creamer, and coffee filters (inquire about the type of coffee maker ahead of time!)
• spices – garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, etc. (especially during/after COVID, most short term rentals do not offer cooking spices in house)
• condiments – ketchup, bbq sauce, etc.
• food 🙂
• trash bags (our home provides enough to get you started for the week)
• paper towels (our home provides 1 roll to get you started for the week)
• ziplock bags

for cleaning:

• laundry detergent
• depending how long you will be renting, an all purpose cleaning spray or wipes

toiletries:

In our home we provide a travel size shampoo and bar of soap in each shower but for longer stays you will want to bring your own shower items. Bath towels and washcloths are provided in most vacation rentals but beach towels are not included.

• shampoo/conditioner
• body wash/soap
• face wash
• toilet paper (we offer 1-2 rolls per bathroom to get the trip started)
• toothpaste/toothbrush
• razors

for the kids:

What you bring for the kids depends on both their age and the destination. Where our vacation rental is in Florida there are bikes included with the home but also a bike rental place just steps away for smaller bikes and trailers.

• a pack and play crib may or may not be included, inquire if this is needed. our home does not provide one at this time.
• games (we include a few board games with our home but you may want to bring or ship down a few favorites that you can leave behind if this is a vacation home you plan to rent again)
• sand toys for beach vacations (I like to ship these down and leave them behind on vacation because I don’t want the sand in the car or to cart them back home on a plane)
• coloring books, chalk, or crafts for rainy days
• bike helmets if they will be using bikes

for the beach:

This pertains only to beach vacation rentals so if you are renting a home in the mountains or something this might not be relevant. We are using our Walmart+ membership to ship beach chairs down to friends who rented our home and they will leave them there for future guests.

• cooler (some homes include this, inquire with property management to confirm)
• beach chairs (again, confirm with property management if your home includes chairs and if so, how many)
• sunblock
• beach bag
• beach toys
• beach cart (we offer a golf cart but not a beach cart at our home)
• beach blanket and towels
• beach umbrella

These are items I want to ship to our house for long term use (but no one is there to receive them at the moment so hopefully they are still available in early March).  

It saves me so much time and stress to send some items to our destination when I’m preparing the family for a trip. My Walmart+ membership has been so helpful with this. If you haven’t tried Walmart+ yet you can see what benefits are available in your area and sign up for a free 15 day trial here.

Surely I missed a few items so feel free to drop some items you love to have on a trip in the comments below so every else can see!

Thank you to Walmart for sponsoring today’s post.