Strollers for Traveling

We have traveled to Ireland with a little one. Try the Chico brand. Try to get one with a basket in the bottom. The basket will helped so much when traveling with lots of stuff.
Have a great trip. Also try craigslist for a used MacClaren. K.

Definatly go umbrella they are smaller, and way easier to use, especially with full hands. they just pop open! Also they are cheap enough, that you can buy another one if something happens. I havn't seen any ones with extendable handles tho. Also, be aware of popping ears on the plane. Have fun. L.

We went to the philippines in 2005 with our 10 month old and our 22 month old. it was fun to say the least!

Make sure you call the airlines ahead of time and reserve your seat in an asile that doesn't have seats in front of you. they also provide free diapers and wipes and food for children but you have to reserve it. also you can reserve a seat in a row that has a bassinet that folds down from the wall. this was a life saver because our children didn't want to sleep on us. we put our daughter on the floor with a pillow, they quickly made us pick her up (which we didn't, she needed some sleep). but having my son be able to get a few hours sleep was vital.

we went all the way to Negros Oriental. so there was tons of traveling and air planes...

We only took a small umbrella stroller and regret it. we took a carrier and it was just too hard with our carry on luggage too. If I had to do it all over again I would bring a bigger stroller. It doesn't relly matter the size of your stroller since they will stow it at the gate and have it ready for you every time you get off the plane.

By the time we took our fight in Manila to Dumaguette our kids were climbing out of their seats and screaming, but we had been traveling for 20 hours already.

In the airport we kept them busy by walking them and using a portable dvd player. they weren't much interested in snacks. they just wanted to play and run around.

Your guy is much smaller so it might be easier.

Mac's are great especially if you can get one used (Vicki's offer). The ease of push is unmatched and the handle heighth is wonderful for taller parents. No backaches leaning over! I would caution against any cheap umbrella's without a recline. You might not want this feature in the airport but I would think you'd need it while out & about. Plus because babies don't always have strong torso's before 6 months of age many strollers are only suited for older children.

I've traveled quite a bit with my LOs (my oldest had been to 11 states by the time he was 11 months old and that included alaska & hawaii) and also usually bring a carrier/sling just in case. Not sure how big your 5 mos old is but once they grow out of the bjorn's I love the ergo. moby's & others are great too. (attachedtobaby.com is a great resource.)

I also have a travel spreadsheet/checklist. Let me know if you would like a copy and I'll try to get it to you.

And as the pp suggested you will want to watch for ear popping - it's great to either feed or provide drinks during take off/landings as it helps keep the ears open.

Good luck!

One of the very best gifts I ever got was a carseat that converts to a stroller. You can find one at www.skymall.com
It is approved for airplane use. During the flight your baby will be safe and snug while strapped into the carseat and when you get ready to leave the plane all you do is pick up the carseat, extend the wheels, pull up the handle and voila! you have a stroller! It is the best thing ever for travelling.

You may want to consider a tote a tot accessory or something similar.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H7VMO4/ref=wl_it_dp?...
It connects the carseat to your carry on and doubles as a stroller using your carry on wheels.

Continental and United has set out some new luggage rules so your two bags free may not exist any longer. Call your airlines to verify.

Usually when one airline changes their rules the other airlines like to follow, so please check before you travel and get the agents name and date and time you talked to them just for backup at the airport.

Hi,
I have never used a Maclaren, so I don't know much about them. When I went overseas, I used a Peg Perego Pliko. It folds up like an umbrella stoller and the handles will extend out if you want for taller people. The biggest reason I would recommend it is that it has a step on the back for older children to stand on. So, your 5 year old could hop on if you're having to walk very far. My older son loved riding on it. I got mine used off of ebay or you might also try Craigslist. I also had a wrap that I used for transitions on and off of the plane.
Good luck and have a great trip.

I traveled to Copenhagen with my then 10 months daughter (and again when she was 2.5 y.o.). We used a backpack carrier, but for a 5 m.o. I would consider a sling or some other carry the baby on you devise. In more congested spaces, airports being one of them strollers are a pain in the but and don't count on gate checking the stroller and receiving it again at the destination gate if one is outside the US. Also don't count on people being willing to help you with all your stuff, so only pack what you can carry yourself.
If you have layovers bring extra diapers (a friend of mine was stuck in Singapore for an extra 24 hours without enough diapers and not able to get more - a friendly fellow mom helped her out or it could have been a really bad experience).
Just a few things I've picked up traveling with my daughter with and without my husband.

Have a wonderful trip :-)

I am also tall and find the cheap umbrella strollers don't work well for that reason. The McLaren strollers are taller, but too expensive unless it will be your main stroller. You can buy a handlebar extender that attaches to the cheap umbrella strollers from One Step Ahead. (google them) Otherwise, I traveled with my son when he was about 6 months and used one of those hip slings from Playtex to get him around in the airport. It freed up my hands and was comfy for him.

L.,

I have a MaClaren stroller that I purchased 2 years ago for my son. We traveled to Vienna with it and it was wonderful. I actually still have it and would like to sell it. I would be happy to sell it to you. It is in good shape (I have pictures). I would like to get $50 dollars for it since it was only used once for that trip. Let me know what you think and if you are interested.

V. G.

I LOVE the Maclaren Global, it's an older model I think. But you could look for one that has been used on eBay or Craigslist. ALso, a friend of mine has an umbrella stroller like the one's you omention, but it has really tall handles. Don't remember if it was a Kolcraft or other off-brand though- sorry!
With my oldest I used the carseat that converts to a stroller with a pull of a handle. Sit N Stroll, it was a DREAM!
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11174929...

Good luck!

I use a sling for travelling. Works great for transitioning between flights, sleeping on the flight, sleeping in the airport, etc. I flew with my daughter when she was 3 months old and when she fell asleep in my lap, I just cinched up the sling and had my hands free!

Be patient with yourself and remember, every flight has an end! There are always other moms/grandmas/dads on board who will help out if need be. :)

www.ergobabycarrier.com

Hi L.,

Have you considered wearing your baby instead of using a stroller? We took our daughter to Panama when she was 5 months old and we used the Moby Wrap. It was so incredibly handy! It kept our hands free to carry our luggage, handle passports and get through customs. I was able to keep her strapped on me even through security, although I have heard of people having to remove their wraps, so don't count on that. I was able to put her in it in taxis and other forms of transportation where a car seat wasn't feasible (public transportation is shared and car seats were unheard of in the areas we spent time. I knew I could buckle up and she wouldn't fly out of my arms in the event of a car accident. It was super comfortable for both my husband and myself to wear her. No hunching or adjusting for height. Plus it was great for protecting her skin against the sun, providing shade, padding and as a nursing cover-up. We even carried her in it while horseback riding!

There are many types of carriers out there and you might want to seriously consider getting one especially for travel. It makes things very easy. There are slings that fold up and will fit in your purse all the way to the Ergo Carrier which is ergonomically correct for your baby's body and still structured a little for that support a lot of parents feel they need.

Good Luck!

Hello. I received a regular $20 Baby's R Us umbrella stroller as a shower gift with my first son. I am tall so the handles were too short, however I found that they make an extension for it that lengthens the handles about 8 inches. Now it is perfect. All of that came from Baby's R Us and I think the extensions are Baby Trend brand. Good luck.

We fly everywhere with our Chicco umbrella stroller. My son has used it since he was 6 months old. You may want to visit the Babies-R-Us website to see what it looks like and the price. I think we paid about $70. I have only used it on domestic flights.

Hope that helps!

S.