I feel insane, but I’m considering buying yet another stroller for our family. Sigh. We will be in europe for a month (2 weeks for my husbands work and two weeks for a family trip my parents are taking us on- we are very lucky!) my kids will be 4 years old and 10 months old. Right now we have a Maclaren Mark 2 (this is what we took abroad when my son was 2.5) and a citimini GT. I think the citimini is just way too big and bulky for travel, especially in Europe. We loved the Maclaren last time, but I know the baby will need to take a ton of on the go naps and so I’ll want something that reclines. Ideally I’d like something that offers an option to let my older son ride when he gets too tired- a standing board or similar would be fine, I don’t think we need a full fledged double or anything! Any recommendations as to what might fit the bill of 1) lightweight/ small 2) reclines for baby’s nap and 3) maybe has a place for a small 4 yo to ride. Ideally not a million dollars too since this is going to be a very tough sell for my husband. Am I dreaming of a unicorn? What wisdom does the hive have for me? Thanks!
-
We got one of these to attach to our umbrella stroller for a trip to Europe when our kids were 4 and 18 months. It could be a bit unwieldy on some of the cobblestones, but it was definitely the cheapest/simplest solution for us.
https://www.target.com/p/lascal-buggyboard-mini-black/-/A-13474754
-
@JennyPenny: thanks! What umbrella stroller do you have? Did it impact your ability to fold it or anything?
-
Where in Europe? We took an UppaBaby umbrella stroller to Copenhagen and I wished we had just taken our Bob. The sidewalks are cobblestone and everyone there has absolutely giant prams, so the Bob would have manuevered better and fit in just fine.
-
@hitchhiker: Munich, Rome,Florence. I’m worried about our CM because it’s hard to go up and down the stairs and such. I was happy with the size of the M2 last time. If it reclined, it would be perfect with a buggy board....
-
@MrsBucky: Ah. I would probably take the citi mini, but I have a high tolerance for carrying stuff up and down stairs (live in a row house) and a low tolerance for buying stuff!
-
@hitchhiker: I’m thinking I may try to beg/ borrow a reclining umbrella stroller if I can from someone or buy it used. We will see! Sighhhhhhh
-
@MrsBucky: we had a 3D lite when we left. Sadly it broke during the first leg (even though we gate checked -ugh) We ended up buying a similar umbrella stroller in France and it also worked well on that. It has two small pieces that stay attached to the stroller at all times and then the board clicks onto that. So you just take it off when you need to fold. This video maybe explains it better
-
Oh bummer - just saw your message that your umbrella stroller doesn’t recline. I’d also recommend the 3D lite if you’re in the market for a new one. It reclined really well and has a good sunshade. We used it happily for years - and several European vacations before it met an untimely demise. I wish we had it back
-
@MrsBucky: I quite like our Mountain Buggy Nano for travel (European travel especially) - it's light enough that you can carry it up and down stairs, it's sturdier than a standard umbrella stroller and handles okay on cobblestones, and it folds up tiny, which is good for restaurants where you can't store a giant stroller. I'm not sure about a ride-on board, though - maybe one of the universal boards would work.
-
Based on everything you need, I think the Bugaboo Bee with the riding board attachment would work perfectly BUT they are so expensive for just a one time thing !! We loved ours for travel and in and out of the car type errands when my kids were younger. The recline is awesome and it is so light. Maybe google “stroller like Bugaboo Bee” and see if any new ideas pop up! I just tried to look for you but now my little one is waking up from nap!
-
Just did one more fast search and the Joovy Caboose Ultralight looks interesting. Maybe someone who has one can weigh in!
-
@charlotte: we actually checked that out in store before getting the buggy board. It’s really nice but does not fold small at all. We were worried about it fitting in our rental car.
-
Armadillo City!!
We have the robust stroller in the Armadillo line, but the City was the first and made specifically for European city dwellers that take public transportation and have to navigate narrow streets.
-
Babyzen yoyo fits the bill except it’s kind of expensive. Maybe try to borrow or buy used? Ours is our everyday stroller for city life and we love it. It’s tiny and comfortable and fits in the overhead bin!
-
I lived in Europe last year for a few months and used a citi mini with my two kids. We also had a giant stroller too (city select lux). I think you can totally use the gt ( and I’m saying this as someone who has four strollers and no garage near nyc). Do the gt and then buy a super cheap umbrella and stash it underneath or the baby jogger board and bring a a soft structured carrier. There just really isn’t anything on the market that will get you what you want and push a 4 year old on a board without spending $500 or more. The bee would be the closest but that’s insane to spend that much for a trip. Yo-yo wouldn’t be comfortable pushing over European streets with a board. Really, the cmgt ticks your boxes and isn’t huge.
-
We have a MB Nano and I reckon you could a buggy board or MB Freerider on the back of it!
-
You would be fine in Munich with a large stroller, we took our son to Munich when he was about 2.5 and we took our Bugaboo Buffalo. But I would imagine you would need a smaller stroller in Italy (smaller sidewalks, smaller shops/restaurants). Maybe get a ride on board for your Maclaren? We usually used our Maclaren when we traveled within Europe, but we had one that reclined. I had thought about getting a used Bee when we lived in Europe, but never pulled the trigger.
-
We got a mb nano for a trip to Italy last year when los were 4 and 13 months, so similar ages. It reclines, was easy to maneuver, and folds up small which was great. The 4yo wanted to ride a lot so we also brought a carrier.
-
Can you see if you can rent a stroller? I don’t know if that exists in Europe, but it does in North America.
-
So I would’ve totally borrowed you my umbrella stroller but alas I don’t live in Munich anymore
But one option might be to buy a used stroller on a site called eBay-Kleinanzeigen.de
It’s basically the German version of Craigslist and you can set to search in a very distinct radius. You might want to search for “buggy” as this is what an umbrella stroller usually goes by in German.
Also in Munich a bigger stroller works just fine. All subway stations have one entrance that you can access via elevator. Also the public transport is so well established that you basically don’t have to walk too far if you don’t want (or your kid doesn’t want) to. Let me know if you want want recommendations (I partly grew up in Munich and then lived there again for nearly 10 years as an adult). -
@MrsBucky: We have this double umbrella stroller:
https://www.amazon.com/Kolcraft-Umbrella-Stroller-3-Point-Reclining/dp/B00STG5Z16/
Each seat reclines separately. It's lightweight, fairly easy to maneuver, and CHEAP!
-
We have both a UB G-Luxe and a Summer Infant 3D Lite. We prefer the 3D Lite but both have worked well on multiple trips to Europe. We bought the G-Luxe in 2015 so the newer models may have improved - the main points we liked better about the 3D Lite are the ease of open/close and that it was significantly lighter. The G-Luxe works better for older kids (when traveling with both strollers, we put the 3-4 year old in the UB and the baby/toddler in the 3D Lite).
That said, I've heard great things about Zoe strollers and they have tested their umbrella strollers with the Lascal buggy board, so it may be worth looking at reviews on that brand.
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
22 comments