Hello Fodorites!

Has anyone gone to Italy with both a baby backpack and a stroller? If so, I was wondering which you found easier to use?

We (hubby, 18 mo daughter and I) are going to Venice, Rome, Naples and Sicily and were thinking of taking the backpack with us. We can't take both the backpack and stroller due to luggage restrictions on the airline we are flying.

Thanks
BB

If you can afford the trip, you can afford to buy a cheap foldable "cane" stroller when you get there. So then you will have BOTH available to you.

I agree with the other poster but the backpack has to be more practical of the two with the uneven pavements of Europe and the crowds.

When I went with my daughter, who was about 16 months, we brought a stroller and a backpack.

Backpack was great in Rome -- no worries about lack of sidewalks or insane traffic.

But if I had to choose, I go with stoller. You'll need it through the airport, and an eighteen month old will get heavy to always wear.

Ideally, I would bring both.

Good Luck!
Mebe

Just gate-check the stroller or buy a cheap one once you arrive. Make sure that the stroller has a big pocket to carry snacks, water, etc. But definitely bring the backpack also - the cobblestones in the older parts of Italian towns are killer on strollers.

I agree, both are better. I always brought my MacLaren umbrella stroller, it's great if (like mine) you have a beat up old stroller that's good but you wouldn't be crushed to lose. Cheap umbrella strollers will have very short handles and not steer well, so get a MacLaren or similar. Get one here before you go because baby stuff in Italy is PRICEY. My daughters were both heavy and it was a big stressor on me if I had to have them in the backpack for too long. What I did was loop the straps of the backpack over the stroller handles sideways so I had the backpack with me but didn't have to wear it all the time. They also have those softer backpacks now that hold the kid like a piggy back ride, that would be good and packable. You can read my trip report of a 4 year old and 1.5 year old in Italy here: http://www.markandmonica.com/Travel/italy.htm

I've gate checked both a stroller and a carseat before, so maybe you can gate check both the stroller and the backpack.

Or, can you possibly lay a soft sided bag inside the backpack where the kid's legs go and kind of use it as your carryon? With new luggage restrictions we are all going to have to get more creative.

We have an umbrella stoller (I think it cost $20) that has literally been all over Europe w/both kids.

We tried to take a stroller one time and (luckily) a wheel broke off on the moving sidewalk in the airport.

What we learned was to buy one when we got there. We loved the one we purchased and were able to determine whether we would really use it. In the end, we did, and the one we purchased laid back all the way to allow for naps while on the go.

Also consider the weight of the backpack, unless she's light as a feather.

Finally, realize that some of the sights do offer backpack rental at some museums and archeological exhibits for a euro or two. We were able to rent a couple of places in the UK, but I don't know if they offer this any longer. Mine are too big these days!

Have fun!

the backpack is tempting because it leaves the hands totally free and is a snap in busy, crowded areas, uneven surfaces and stairs are no problem.

however, i don't think you can get away with it alone. at 18 months (as compared to a younger baby), they can have more trouble sleeping in one. even if they will sleep, it could be a big struggle and take a while. you also have no place to put the kid in a restaurant if they need to get away from the table once they get sleepy or restless.

buying a buggy in italy is a nice idea but it could be quite expensive (even a very low quality one). you probably don't want to spend time shopping for things like this, and it doesn't make much sense to be using a very cheap buggy when you likely have a much nicer one at home...on holiday, you likely will need a better one than at home (to deal with more walking and less smooth surfaces). ditching it is also wasteful and you probably don't need another chore of finding a place to donate it at the end of your trip.

i live in europe and have never seen baby backpack rentals anywhere but i really haven't been looking for them.

It sounds like apart from Rome, the stroller is the better idea.

Thanks everyone for your input. Initially I thought I wouldn't want to spend time looking for one and buy one there as the Euro / Rand exchange rate is not so favourable! However, given our luggage restrictions on the plane, maybe that is the best idea.

Has anyone flown on Easyjet from the UK to Italy? They say quite specifically in their luggage rules that you can only gate check one item, but has anyone managed to do 2 with them?

MonicaRichards - I read your trip report. What a lovely lot of memories to have put together. Especially when you struggle to remember the detail of something a few years down the line. Will use your idea of slinging the backpack over the handles.

Mebe - I also read your trip report about your journey, before the twins!! Great reading.

I love how helpful everyone is on this forum!!

BB

BB, beleive me, no doubt: backpack!

As someone already said the lack of sidewalks or the traffic (car parked on the sidewalks) could give you big problems in all major italian towns.

If really needed you could buy a cheap stroller in Italy...

Ciao,
Gianni (Milan, Italy!)

Oh, BulawayoBaby, Venice is Terrible with a child that young! Don't even try to bring a stroller there, and be aware that you won't want to put the kid down because they could literally fall into a canal. I have never been a place that is less babyproof. If I were you, I would save Venice for when the kid is older.

Ah, Easyjet - now I understand your luggage concerns. But surely when they warn about only gate-checking one item, them mean one per person/purchased seat. Otherwise you could just pretend that you and your husband are traveling separately, and gate-check separately.

Bobludlow - thanks for the suggestion but they say that you can only gatecheck one item per infant.

Gianni - are there any stores that you know of that are countrywide that sell strollers at a reasonable price if we get desperate?

MonicaRichards - we have a two day stop in the UK and I think I am going to pop into one of hte baby shops there and buy a baby harness so that we can put her down in Venice and she can't run off too far. I haven't been able to find one here in South Africa.

Thanks
BB

Sorry to have to say that you probably need both. Backpack for when you walk around the cobblestone streets and the stroller for not just the airports but for restaurants and for places that you will just sit and have a coffee while the child is taking a nap.

We have travelled extensively into Europe with our young kids and have to say that we have used the stroller more also because my husband just didn't find that it was easy to carry the child in the back pack for too long.

I also noticed that you travelling quite extensively with a small child. Is there any specific reason for doing that? I would agree with the other person that Venice is not child friendly and unless you have some specific reason to go down to Naples and Sicily, I would skip both and add Tuscany and Florence in and perhaps parts of Umbria maybe Cortona. All these are easily doable by car

Does your stroller have a large pocket to store things? You should try placing the backpack in the stroller before folding the stroller up....

Husband and I walked all over Rome for 2 weeks with a baby in a stroller and never had a problem. The sidewalks were bumpy but our daughter seemed to like that and fell asleep in the stroller almost every day. I didn't find the traffic a problem either. I can't imagine carrying a backpack long distances with an 18 month old in it unless it is a very good supportive hiking backpack since kids that age are heavy!

i have always travelled with the stroller, we had a backpack version but it was very bulky and a pain to get my daughter in and out of, whereas the stroller folded out in 2 seconds and she was able to jump right in leaving my back free and its amazing what you can strap/attach to strollers too!

A few years ago, we went to Paris, Venice, Rome, Assisi, Siena and Florence with our then 18 months daughter. Had the same question of bring stroller versus backpack. Ended up with the Maclaren stroller. Didn't have any problem at all. Venice was the only town where we had to carry her and the stroller up and down the bridges but it wasn't too much of a problem. It was definitely helpful to have a stroller because she was able to sleep comfortably in it while we continued our walks. We changed her diapers in it a few times because we couldn't find a bathroom and it doubled as her seat in restaurants (many places we dined at didn't have highchairs). It's also a lot easier for her to get in and out(which she did a lot of).