My husband and I will be traveling to Sicily in May for 2 weeks and will be taking our daughter who will turn 7 months during the visit. We will be based in Mazara del Vallo with possible day trips to Marsala, Agrigento and Palermo. We were thinking of taking an umbrella stroller with us. Pros and cons? Any advice?

My experience with a stroller is 25 years old and was in Germany, but here goes.

A stroller is IMPOSSIBLE to push on cobblestone streets and my guess is that there will be a lot of those in Sicily.

We used a back pack to carry the baby (who is now 29) and There was room under the seat for diapers, food, etc.

Be sure to have a baby backpack that will stand up by itself when you take it off - it can double as a high chair in a park.

I'd take it. Just buy a decent one. I use a stroller over cobblestones in the city where I live everyday. They have improved in the last 25 years! If your daughter isn't too heavy I'd also bring a baby carrier (like a baby bjorn or sling type thing) for places where you can't take the stroller (archeological sites). Pros are that your child can sleep in the stroller anytime and you won't want to carry her in your arms for two weeks. I don't like the backpacks much (my daughter isn't a fan and I feel like are very awkward) but other people have written to say that they like them.

I would agree with others that a baby carrier of some sort would be useful. I can highly recommend the "mei tai" style carriers, incredibly comfortable to wear and for baby, and they fold down pretty small. Much more comfortable than the Baby-Bjorn type carriers, and better for babies spines too. I have a Babyhawk and absolutely love it (www.babyhawk.com). Though if you do get a new carrier or sling, make sure you practice with baby before you leave home so that you both get used to it!

Having said that, I'd take a light folding stroller too. We live in Brussels where even the pavements are cobbled and have no problems pushing baby in the stroller (she actually likes the jiggling, bumpy motion!)

Also, might I enquire where you are staying in Sicily? We are thinking about a trip there in late spring/early summer with our daughter (now 6 months).

Not sure what an "umbrella stroller" is exactly but In Sicily - in addition to cobblestone streets you often have very small sidewalks that, in my opinion, would be difficult with a stroller. Also, not sure if you are taking trains/busses or renting a car but if you are taking bus/trains you will not want to have too much to carry/drag around (no ramps and usually you get only a short time to get on/off)... finally crossing streets is something you often have to do quickly and with much caution (in much of Italy) and I personally wouldn't take the chance of having my child in a stroller while I darted across the roads in Sicily!

Have a wonderful trip... I love Sicily!

Jogging strollers work great in Italy...anything with really BIG wheels will go well on the cobblestones (we were recently ion Palermo and took the train to Agrigento, BTW -there would be no problem taking a stroller on and off the train...plenty of locals on with strollers!) DEFINATELY take a stroller of some sort and not just a carrier (!!!!) some of my favorite meals in Italy were when my son was young...we just fed him...pushed him around until he fell asleep for the night...and wheeled him right into the restaurants for a nice, quite, grown-up meal ;-)