Travel question

[SpringCrane]

I've traveled quite a bit with my son with lots of success, but I'm thinking ahead to a few trips with baby AND toddler and hoping for some thoughts/advice.

We never traveled with a stroller with my son. We just gate-checked or boarded with his car seat and carried him in an Ergo or Poco Plus while on our holiday. We didn't use a stroller much with him at home so it seemed silly to travel with one. However, now that we'll have 2 car seats to travel with and I'm starting to think a stroller with a car seat adapter for travel might not be such a terrible idea.

Our first planned trip will be when baby's 4 months old and next one will be at 6 months old. My son will be 3, but he's a traveling pro, listens very well, and hasn't sat in a stroller for more than 5 minutes since he could do the walking himself. I would still insist he's holding a hand when walking through the airport.

We'd have to manage a baby, toddler, infant car seat, convertible car seat, and any carry-on luggage. Is that doable without a stroller? We have one car seat bag with wheels that the convertible fits into. We have another bag for the infant car seat, but it just has a shoulder strap.

How have y'all managed?

Thanks!

 

[SarahBear]

Maybe just bring the stroller anyway. Even if the kid doesn't sit in it, you can put bags in it that you would normally be carrying. When we walk places around town, I will bring the stroller and put my bag in it if Violet isn't riding in it and carry the bag if she is riding in it.

 

[SpringCrane]

Maybe just bring the stroller anyway. Even if the kid doesn't sit in it, you can put bags in it that you would normally be carrying. When we walk places around town, I will bring the stroller and put my bag in it if Violet isn't riding in it and carry the bag if she is riding in it.

Think it's worth it to buy a stroller just for travel, though? We only have a heavy running stroller that would be awful to travel with, so it'd be down to buying (or borrowing if possible) something more suitable for travel.

 

[MindUtopia]

There are a lot of places you can hire strollers when you arrive (in advance) and they'll be delivered straight to your door at your hotel or house. In the airport, I wouldn't be too worried. You will need to get a luggage trolley, you can put the car seats and any bags on there. Your 3 year old can walk and you can wear the baby. I'm assuming you'll be checking the car seats, so at least around the airport all you'll have is two kids and carry on bags (ideally bag if you can fit everything you need in one, we did). If you can use backpacks, you'll be totally fine in the airport and actually when we traveled, the stroller (got a really cheap fold up one when we got there) was more of a hindrance than helpful (though only traveling with one, but a baby in a wrap wouldn't have made much difference). It was most helpful though when we were actually there. Our daughter was just shy of 3 then and still using a pushchair for long walks. She definitely got tired and grumpy out and about during the day (it was a city break with lots of hills and walking) and carrying her (she doesn't fit in the carrier anymore) was too much. I think I'd be inclined to take something or buy or hire something cheap when you get there if you think you'll be doing loads of walking. If you're just going somewhere that you'll be spending most of the time at the beach or pool with short excursions, rather than like a whole day walking around a city, I'd probably skip the stroller if you think your 3 year old would walk happily. It's nice to have something to put bags in, but only so long as it's not in the way, like if you need help carrying it up and down steps all the time, can't fit easily into restaurants, don't have a hand free when you need to hold your LOs hand, etc. It was good for us because it was really cold and it was a good way to shelter her from the cold and wind and keep her warm and we were also out for like full 8 hour days of walking around the city, but if we were say flying to Spain for a week at the pool and beach, no I wouldn't bring it.

 

[jessmke]

We have just a simple frame stroller that we use when travelling. It is super light, folds flat, holds the car seat, and has a small storage basket underneath. You can get double ones that hold two car seats. We never use the stroller at home, but it's super handy while travelling because if we walk somewhere and then decide to take a cab we always have the car seat with us. It costed us $100 (Canadian) and when we are not travelling it stays folded up in the back of my car just in case I need it when I'm out and about with baby. I have used it occasionally at home if baby is sleeping in her car seat and I don't want to wake her up to put her in the Ergo.

 

[SarahBear]

Maybe just bring the stroller anyway. Even if the kid doesn't sit in it, you can put bags in it that you would normally be carrying. When we walk places around town, I will bring the stroller and put my bag in it if Violet isn't riding in it and carry the bag if she is riding in it.

Think it's worth it to buy a stroller just for travel, though? We only have a heavy running stroller that would be awful to travel with, so it'd be down to buying (or borrowing if possible) something more suitable for travel.

My umbrella stroller only cost $19. I'm sure in a whole trip you could get $19 worth of use out of an umbrella stroller.