May 29th, 2007
#2
I have yet to take our one year old to Europe (we will in October), but we spent 6 weeks in Australia and NZ with her and we brought a Maclaren Triumph. It was great - very light weight and the seat could adjust a little bit. It is sturdier than the cheapo strollers and has the advantage that you don't have to lean way down to push it. The big disadvantage was that the sunshade sucks. I don't know how it will do on the rougher terrain in Europe, but it has been great for all of our travels so far.
#3
Also see if you can find one with a stap that will allow you to carry it over your shoulder. We had one like this on our trips to Europe, but I do not remember the name.
#4
We recently took a Chicco Capri with us -- I liked it very much.
+ not terribly expensive (about $50 on sale at Babies R Us)
+ lightweight, folds easily
+ shoulder strap (we used this much more than I thought!)
- handles not long enough for my husband to push (he's over 6')
- didn't like sunshade, so I actually took it off and left it at home. makes folding more difficult.
Overall, I would give it a 'two thumbs up' review. But I didn't have high demands since I wasn't traveling with a baby/toddler (this was for my 5 yo who has VERY little legs ).
+ not terribly expensive (about $50 on sale at Babies R Us)
+ lightweight, folds easily
+ shoulder strap (we used this much more than I thought!)
- handles not long enough for my husband to push (he's over 6')
- didn't like sunshade, so I actually took it off and left it at home. makes folding more difficult.
Overall, I would give it a 'two thumbs up' review. But I didn't have high demands since I wasn't traveling with a baby/toddler (this was for my 5 yo who has VERY little legs ).
#5
MonicaRichards , May 31st, 2007 08:27 PM
We have a Mclaren techno (seven years old) that is still going strong. Bought it to go to Europe and it's been with us everywhere. Sturdy, folds up quickly, rolls well.
#6
Well, we LIVE in Europe and went through at least three buggies between our two kids.
If your child is older and reclining seat is of less importance, I recommend MacLaren Volo. I think it is lighter than Techno. Probably a bit cheaper. It clips when folded, so less likely to tangle when you gate-check. Sunshade does not get in the way when folding. Can fold with one hand, light and has a strap.
I'm always amused when people ask about "rough" terrain of European cities. Sure we may have occasional uneven or cobblestone pavements, but we locals use buggies still the same.
FYI, our earlier models were Graco City (good recline, good basket, light weight, easy to carry, though plasticky and parts got damaged after 3yrs. Really crappy customer service), and generic el-cheapo (ok to use as a back up when my older one was already 2.5yo. At least didn't lose sleep when it got damaged on the trip.)
If your child is older and reclining seat is of less importance, I recommend MacLaren Volo. I think it is lighter than Techno. Probably a bit cheaper. It clips when folded, so less likely to tangle when you gate-check. Sunshade does not get in the way when folding. Can fold with one hand, light and has a strap.
I'm always amused when people ask about "rough" terrain of European cities. Sure we may have occasional uneven or cobblestone pavements, but we locals use buggies still the same.
FYI, our earlier models were Graco City (good recline, good basket, light weight, easy to carry, though plasticky and parts got damaged after 3yrs. Really crappy customer service), and generic el-cheapo (ok to use as a back up when my older one was already 2.5yo. At least didn't lose sleep when it got damaged on the trip.)
#8
I think the Maclaren Volo is a great option -- since I was purchasing a stroller solely for the trip and didn't really need one for home, I didn't want to spend the money. If you think you will have greater utility than only one trip, I would go for it!
As an alternative, the Chicco that I mentioned was a great cheaper version of the Maclaren. Had 80% of the features at 50% of the cost.
good luck!
As an alternative, the Chicco that I mentioned was a great cheaper version of the Maclaren. Had 80% of the features at 50% of the cost.
good luck!
#9
samtraveler , Jun 1st, 2007 09:53 AM
We used the Maclaren Triumph for 4 months throughout Europe. It was great--and we'll be able to use it for years to come. Reclines nicely (a feature I find imperative), great sunshade, folds very compactly and clips shut, shoulder strap for easy carrying and very light. There is really nothing about this stroller I do not like. It's also very sturdy--we attached a wheeled stand-up board for my then 6 year-old to ride on and the stroller did a great job handling it all.
#10
We have a Combi Cosmo DX. We got it for when DS was 3 months to use in downtown Pittsbugh and The Strip District (very bumpy roads/tight store aisles). We have been using it on every trip ever since and LOVE it! The basket is really small so I have some hooks on the handle that hold our packages. It has a carrying strap, 5pt harness and reclines almost flat.
We took it most recently to Montreal and Quebec. It navigated the cobblestones of Petit Champlain wonderfully! We carried it up and down stairs with DS still intact.
We got ours at BRU for $90. It has taken a lot of abuse and still going strong. A lot of the cheaper ones didn't have the shoulder straps or reclining feature that was important at his younger age.
We took it most recently to Montreal and Quebec. It navigated the cobblestones of Petit Champlain wonderfully! We carried it up and down stairs with DS still intact.
We got ours at BRU for $90. It has taken a lot of abuse and still going strong. A lot of the cheaper ones didn't have the shoulder straps or reclining feature that was important at his younger age.
