Those of you who have travelled with toddlers, which do you recommend for a trip to London and Paris in September? I don't know much about the backpack carriers because I always used a sling until she started walking.

Our baby will be 17 months old and is already running.

We bought the Maclaren Quest for the trip, it's a fairly lightweight and compact umbrella stroller and she will sit in it for point to point excursions and short walks, and she has even slept in it a few naptimes... but her favorite thing now is to get out and "push" the stroller herself.

Lately she seems to enjoy climbing on our backs... so I'm now wondering if she'd be more content in a backpack carrier. (Especially since she so enjoyed being held in the sling as a younger babe.)

But it would be more clunky gear to schep along, which is a downside. Then again if she is content in there, we might actually be able to enjoy a few museums on the trip.

I've never honestly noticed babies on trips overseas, so I can't recall if I have ever seen these things in use at tourist sites. Can those of you who have tried them tell me what you think?

Another (small) consideration is how out of place would we look trekking around these urban environments with them on?

Thanks,
Kat

Hi -
We've been in Germany 2.75 years with a daughter who just turned 2. Although I haven't been to London or Paris yet, I've been many other places.

Word of mouth from other mom's says Paris is rough for strollers - cobblestones, etc. Just guessing London would be the same. Sure, mom's over here use strollers but they have the big cushy ones that make our Graco look like a Yugo! so cobblestones aren't a problem for them.

We always take our kiddie backpack and see many other families with them as well - they are just so practical - they also give you more freedom.

The downside is, of course, napping. Our daughter alwasy seemed to sleep when she needed to, but it never looked comfortable to me!

Umbrella strollers can be pretty cheap, too - so you may consider bringing the backpack and then buying a very cheap umbrella stroller over here if it just isn't working out. I'm guessing the Maclaren wasn't cheap, though, and you probably don't want to let it go to waste.

If you are only staying in 2-3 hotels during your trip, so there isn't that much relocation type travel going on - why not bring both? I little hassle for lots of flexibility - we often travel with both (but then, we are driving).

You won't be extremely out of place either way. If you want to completely blend in with the locals, well, it's harder than it seems, but the backpack will make you look more like a tourist. But, then, you are.

-Helen

Helen, thanks for your insight. We're going to check out some of the backpack carriers, and I think a friend has one to loan us. I think my husband's hesitation is what you mentioned, looking a little out of place in urban London and Paris. (Might be a little less unsightly if we were hiking around the countryside.)

But, oh well... anything to keep us all comfortable and moving.

~k

We travelled in big cities (in the U.S.) with both a stroller and a back carrier - a little cumbersome in taking them to your destination, but it will give you more versatility. There may be some days where you know the carrier will work better, or someone just wants a change of pace.

Your toddler may like being up higher in the back carrier; they can get a better view that way, and be at adults' eye levels.

Our kids always fell asleep in their back carriers (lots of hiking with them). It looked very uncomfortable to us, but they didn't seem to mind (something about kids' necks being more flexible).

Kat - It is pretty hard to really look like a local, anyway. We haven't received any really odd looks, and we have been able to modify our wardrobe selections so that we at least look like European tourists - but I've noticed in most large European cities that typical city attire has some style nuances that are pretty hard to copy with a typical American wardrobe, anyway...

I guess what I'm saying is - you'll probably look like you are from 'somewhere else' anyway, but if you leave the clothes that scream 'AMERICAN' at home you won't stick out as much as you might think, even with the baby backpack.

Our behomoth Kelty Expedition pack sticks out a bit - it is large and royal blue, but we needed the extra storage capacity so we got it - but the smaller Kelty ones and others by Deuter, Tough Traveller, and other brands aren't quite as conspicuous.

Heck, if it lets you see more of the city its worth being pegged as a tourist, anyway.

Have fun!

Helen,
thanks for all your thoughtful replies... one clarification, though.... I don't think I said I was worried about being pegged a tourist. Just that I thought the concept of a "hiking" backpack would look silly in the heart of the fashionable Saint Germain des Pres.

I know we'll be pegged as tourists the minute we get there, and who cares? After travelling to Europe 4 times in recent years, I've figured out a handful of tricks for my wardrobe so that I don't necessarily scream "American tourist" from a block away, but either way, I'm over the whole "look like a local" thing.

I was just wondering about how out of place I might look (or uncomfortable I'd be) in my own downtown San Francisco, Let alone London, or Paris etc wearing the Kelty Kids backpack, huffing and puffing to our destination. I just don't recall seeing them on my last trips, but then again when you don't have kids you're essentially oblivious to them unless they're being loud. So maybe they were in use and I just didn't notice.

But like you said, who cares, if it lets you see more things. And if she slept in it, that would just be a gift! (We have a bad sleeper to begin with.)

Good point, too about the color of the Kelty Kids. There are some new ones out by Snuggli that are in darker colors, olive drab and black, that might not be so loud.

~Kat

I say bring both. My biggest problem with a backpack carrier is that my back (and my husband's back) can't take them for a total full day. Granted, we have chunky kids, but carrying an additional 30 lbs on one's back for hours and hours doesn't make for a pleasant vacation. The Mclaren is actually the stroller most Europeans use, so definitely bring that. We have an Evenflo backpack that is comfortable for us and our kids, but is much much smaller than the Kelty (you can actually get it into the bottom of a soft-sided bag) so that might be an option. They are around $50.00 at Burlington's Baby Depot among other places.

We had (our kids are past the carrier point now) a forest-green Kelty pack, that was not so big (tho less storage space), and easy to cart around. We did use it in S.F., among other big cities!

I've seen fewer carriers used in cities than strollers, but it might be that the types of parent who use carriers vs. strollers are different types of people. We hike A LOT, and used our carrier a lot, and both me and my husband have no problem lugging a 30-pound kid in a carrier for hours, but I can imagine that's not true of everybody. (Also, hiker parents might be less likely to visit cities?) And, until now, you probably haven't been looking for people in museums with back carriers!

Yes, you will be more noticeable with a back carrier than without one, but you'll be more noticeable with an umbrella stroller and/or a toddler in tow as well. If I lived in Paris, I'd leave my kid home with a sitter when visiting the Louvre or going out to dinner, but as travellers or tourists with kids, that option isn't available.

..you will look like a tourist..so what? re the baby stuff..I too suggest both providing you daughter likes the back pack and you can carry it..borrow one and see if she likes it..2 of my 3 did but the other one considered it torture..

Travelbunny, LOL... I'm afraid my daghter will think it's torture, too. Anything but full throttle running (or "helping" mommy push the stroller) sends her into a conniption (sp?) fit. We'll be borrowing a Kelty Kids from a friend this weekend to give the concept a spin, then buy one for ourselves if it works.

My wife and I travelled to Austria in 1998 with our (then) 10 month old and 3 year old. We brought both a carrier (for the littler one) and an EmmaLite stroller made for one but big enough for two.
It worked very well.
We used the trams, subways, buses and trains with no problem.
On the flights, we "gate checked" the stroller, leaving it on the jetway just outside the plane entrance, and it was in the same spot on the arrival jetway. A stroller is a necessity in the airport!
Sorry, but I don't recall the name of the back carrier.