lots of walking

[cilantromapuche]

We are taking the kids to the UK and France this summer for a month. We don't have scooters here but do you think that that would help with the copious amounts of walking? Would it be a hinderance to then carry them inside a museum or place? Does anyone recommend a scooter?
If anyone had any other ideas I would love to heare them. The 9 yo is a trooper more complaints from DD, 6.

[pinkmomagain]

A couple of summers ago we took the kids on a cruise through Europe and did intensive day tours in each port. My youngest was 5 1/2 that summer and we took an expensive/sturdy umbrella type stroller. I am so glad we did. The rest of us wanted to see more grownup type things/walked alot and it was great to have the youngest in the stroller. She got out when we could get her interested in something but if she wasn't interested she could play her ds in the stroller and not cramp our style! Can't remember the brand/model of the stroller but I went out and bought it for the trip (we had given away all of our strollers) and it was definitely worth it.

[hillview]

i think unless your kids are used to riding a scooter in a BIG city they are dangerous.

I had a stroller for my 5 year old this April (he turns 6 in Aug) and expect I would for him next year too. He just isnt so great at walking that far.

[fedoragirl]

I agree with hillview. I have never seen scooters in heavily frequented areas where you'll obviously be visiting. A bicycle, yes but not a scooter. I advise against it.
Take lots of breaks and enjoy the park benches or the metro/tube whenever you need to rest.

[eagle]

if at all possible, start training your children to walk a little more. build up to where they walk an hour at a time.

[eagle]

with a 9 yo + 6 yo, you could conceivably start going on hikes on the weekends and build up from there. take it easy, esp since the 6 yo fights it more. but work on it bit by bit and you could build up endurance for at least an hour.

[marie]

I hadn't considered a stroller for our 5 1/2 yo DD for our trip to Italy. Might have to rethink that based on this thread... especially since she is our dawdler extraordinaire.

Then again, we're staying in a walk-up with 70 stairs so the stroller won't help us there. :)

[cilantromapuche]

We are walkers and hikers but living in NY we are just (maybe) getting to good weather. I will skip the scooters but I think we will skip the stroller too because I don't see DD sitting in it for longer thAn 2 minutes. and then me lugging it around all day.

[janine]

Why not just get a cheap umbrella stroller for the 6 yr old for when she doesn't want to walk. Definitely would not bring a scooter.

Where are you going in UK/France?

[cilantromapuche]

All the touristy spots since it is the first time for the kids. London, Oxford and Cambridge, Stonehenge, Bath, Scotland, hiking in Wales. Then we are going to Paris, Normandy and Brussels.
If you have recommendations I would love to hear them!

[mikeys_mom]

I would just plan your days so that you move at a pace the 6yo can manage. My 4.5yo's are out of strollers and we walk a lot with all 4 kids (8.5, 6.5 and 4.5 twins). We just always make sure that we take breaks before they reach their breaking points and that we are realistic in what we can accomplish. When travelling, we often see less than if they were in strollers but we accept that we can't do it all and just enjoy what we can.

Oh, and we often use ice cream treats as an incentive to push them when they are getting tired. We always make sure to figure out where we can get ice cream when travelling or sightseeing :).