Best Stroller for Overseas travel & Plane?

[marthaj]

We will be taking our 6 month old to Europe in a few months-first time on a plane since her birth!

Anyway we have a nice large air-tired filled stroller for here (about 19 pounds) But we are looking to buy a lighter weight stroller that will be easier to carry to the airport & around cities in Europe.

What is a good lightweight stroller to get? Price isnt an issue. I primarily use our other stroller-so this would just be for going on plane trips & car trips & any other place we dont want our nice larger stroller. Please can you give me some ideas? A

lso-if anyone has traveled on long plane trips with an infant, please post any pointers you may have! Thanks!

-Martha

[GroversMom]

We bought the zapp while in England and it has been great for airports and trips since it folds up so small.

Other advice for traveling with an infant..order a bulk head seat and request a cot... the baby can sleep and you'll have your hands free (you'll have to keep him in your lap when the seatbelt light is on though)....

Also the baby bjorn is great for the airplane... once we used it at the gate and for getting on to the plane since it freed up our hands. Also it was nice to hold DS in while we walked down the aisles during the flight.

Don't pack too much...you can get a lot of stuff like diapers, wipes, etc once you reach your destination.

Tried to get your baby to nurse on take off and landing and that will help with ear pain.... also have tylenol and decongestant with you.

[mommytoColeT]

I also think the Zapp would be a good choice for travel. It is a bit heavier than it looks but folds up so nice and compact. It also comes with a carrying bag.
Jane

[cgdmom]

I am going to disagree on the Zapp--a close friend recently flew with the Zapp and her 9 month old and told me she would NEVER do it again. She said you really need something with an easy/one-hand fold, like a maclaren, for the airport because the stroller needs to be collapsed to get through security, etc. (and the TSA folks will not help you, at least in our airport!). The Zapp is very complicated to fold, and with a child who must be held while you do it (e.g. one who cannot stand up while you are doing it), she said it was virtually impossible. She was traveling alone with her daughter...maybe it would be different if your husband is with you. But also, the Zapp has no recline...with a 6 mo old in Europe where you will be doing a lot of walking (I assume), you will also probably want some recline so he/she can sleep. I'd take a Mac Quest or something similar, if it were me.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I wanted the Zapp to be my travel stroller, but it's just not. I travelled with it last weekend, along with 2 other people to help me and it was still a pain. It is hard to fold, you can't do it while holding a baby. And once it is folded, it does not latch so you have to put it in the carry bag. And you can't hang any bags off of it or it gets very tippy.

[GroversMom]

I agree that initially the zapp is hard to fold but now that I'm used to it I can do it while holding DS...

[stillplayswithbarbies]

how do you pick it up one-handed without it unfolding again?

[mom2kate]

I have traveled with both the P3 and the Zapp to Europe.

You should think about the stroller you will want traveling around in Europe, rather than just the one that easy for the airport. The best advice I've ever gotten about travel strollers is to take the stroller that is suited for your destination.

I have done a lot of touring around in my European travels, and having a stroller that my DD is comfortable riding in and napping in has been key. I found that the P3 really suited my needs best - fairly easy to carry around - very comfortable for child - very easy for DD to nap in - good sun protection (though on my trips to the UK that wasn't really too important). I can't imagine taking anything without a full recline for a six month old, unless you aren't going to be touring around a lot.

I took the Zapp on my most recent trip to Italy - my DD was almost 2 1/2 - I don't find the fold/unfold to be a big deal (you get used to it pretty easily), but it really wasn't a comfortable stroller for my daughter to ride around on all of the cobblestones - she also couldn't comfortably nap in it either. I wished I had brought my P3 with me instead.

On the other hand, I think it is a pretty good travel stroller if you aren't going to be touring all day in the stroller and your child is at least 18 months old - I have taken it on other trips (by myself) and it is much easier to handle than my other strollers (P3 and Valco). Unfortunately my DD hasn't really liked the Mac recline, so that hasn't been a great option for us.


As for traveling tips - traveling with a 6 month old is pretty easy - you'll need a little bit of entertainment (a few toys and books) - I would take 2-3x the diaper you need in case you get delayed - also in addition to taking on an extra outfit, also bring something warm to put your baby in - the overnight Europe flights get very cold.

Have a great trip!

[DisneyLovnMom]

> I'd take a
>Mac Quest or something similar, if it were me.

Depending on where they are in Europe I'd skip the Quest! Ours barely handled Disneyland and Vegas, it would have up and died in Europe. The things that we need when we're there are bigger wheels and a good suspension, small fold is also nice as is ease of folding! For that I'd recommend a Zippy, it handles well, larger wheels, and you don't get much easier on the fold!