One of the most common questions I get from parents is whether travelers should take a stroller with them on their vacation travels. Below I layout some of the pros and cons of traveling with a stroller.
There are good reasons to both take and not take a stroller on a vacation.
Pros:
- Good for visiting some tourist sites during nap time.
- Many restaurants don’t have high chairs so a stroller can make a good portable chair.
- Handy for getting around an airport or museum.
Cons:
- One more thing to haul around. Depending on the situation a stroller can vary between a light compact extra bag or an awkward and difficult item with a habit of opening and spilling all its contents on the floor.
- Sidewalks might be non-existant at your destination, making strollers hard to use easily and consistently.
- Cobblestoned streets – as commonly found throughout Europe and many international cities – are impossible to push a stroller on.
Personal recommendations
Maclaren Techno XT - It’s small but easy to maneuver and push. It has the longest handles of any stroller I found — and they’re adjustable if you have people of different heights pushing it on a regular basis. It does lack a large underneath storage compartment but that goes with its compact size and easy foldability. I’ve used a lot of different baby strollers – pushed them a lot of miles – and the best stroller I’ve owned or tested is the Maclaren.
Other good strollers I’d recommend:
- Graco LiteRider Stroller – I literally pushed this one about 2500 miles before it collapsed into a pile of screws and plastic.
- Chicco Capri Lightweight Stroller – If you’re looking for a lightweight umbrella stroller this is a good and reliable one.
- InStep Run Around Jogging Stroller – On 2 different occasions I’ve had something break on an InStep product, made a quick phone call to their Madison, WI headquarters and they sent me a replacement part without even verifying my warranty.
These are all good – but if you want the best go with the Maclaren.
My Favorite Websites
I get lots of questions about booking hotels. These are my favorite sites.HotelsCombined.com – The absolute best for finding hotel deals and discounts.
Agoda.com – A great resource for hotels in Asia.