Stroller for preschooler for Europe trip

[elbert]

I can't actually believe I'm considering buying another stroller at this point, but I am taking my 3.5 year old DD to Vienna (and either Muninch, Prague, or Budapest) this summer. Will definitely want a stroller to "contain" her at airport/train station/etc. and also to use a bit when sight-seeing (she gets tired easily). She's 33lbs and on the tall side (don't know current height, but consistently 75th percentile).

Current strollers are Chameleon and Ingelesina Trip (which was our "travel" stroller)...don't want to deal with the size of the Bugaboo, and her legs seem to drag in the Trip. Wondering if there's something else light-weight and small, good for an older/taller kid.

I don't want to spend a fortune, since this is likely the only use it will get (no younger kids)...unless it's a "Disney stroller" in a year or two...

Any thoughts?

[bubbaray]

Maclaren Volo. 8 or so pounds, 55 pound weight limit. My 6yo still fits easily in it.

[Jennifer626]

I just took my Bugaboo to Spain and Italy and I was SO happy that we had it there, it made the trip so much easier. Yes it was kind of a pain, but we took the huge travel case on the plane with us, and it was worth it for us to have the Frog there. We did so much walking, and the streets and sidewalks over there were rough and uneven. Even at the Madrid Zoo, the stroller was perfect. I must have told my DH 20 times during that trip "I'm so glad we brought this stroller".

If I were you...I would just buy the Bugaboo travel case and take your Bugaboo with you. We checked it with our luggage on 4 flights and had no problems, it was completely protected in the case.

Or if you really want something new, maybe a Maclaren Techno XT, because of the shocks.

But there's no way I would have been happy pushing a Volo around Europe, personally.

[MamaBear]

I'm a huge fan of having a Bug when travelling. We lived in Europe for 6 months, and have travelled back and forth quite a lot, and until the trip we're on right now, we'd always brought our Cam. When travelling, we walk even more than usual (my husband will never let me forget that I led us on 50kms in four days while in London, LOL!), so it is very important to us that we have an excellent stroller, both for us and the kid(s).

This is the only air-travel trip we've taken without the Cam - but instead we have a Bee+, so it's still a Bug. With two kids now we wanted something a bit more compact, with all the comforts that we're used to.

The Cam is fantastic on cobblestones, and the huge underseat bag is fantastic for long days out walking or shopping. (When we lived here, I used to walk for groceries, and loved that even when that bag was overflowing, I could still push with one hand.) The big wheels make it feasible to bump the stroller up or down a few stairs.

JMO, but I really like having bells and whistles when we're on the go.

[bubbaray]

But there's no way I would have been happy pushing a Volo around Europe, personally.


Normally I would agree -- but I understand where the OP is coming from when choosing a stroller for an older child. DD#2 is about the same age and isn't a huge stroller-rider (unlike DD#1 who, at 6, still loves the stroller). We use it for containment purposes, mainly. A Volo would be great, super light weight to carry (with the strap) or store in the trunk of a super-small Euro car.

Another option would be to wait and buy a totally funky stroller when there.