Strollers

We have spent the last 18 months helping to raise a very precious granddaughter who is now 15 months old. We lived in Denver and took her everywhere. We had a Chicco stroller that held the car seat, a jogging stroller and a cheap umbrella stroller. For the rough going (I'm thinking the cobblestones you will encounter) such as broken pavement, unpaved paths, the umbrella stroller was horrible. I would suggest going to a store like Target that has an assortment of high quality strollers and try them out. Yes, they will be a bit bigger than an umbrella stroller but you'll be glad you have it when you are in Italy.

A backpack is more common when traveling with children in Europe. Another benefit is depending on the size, you may be able to bring it on the plane avoiding the charge for your stroller. It's also not uncommon for strollers to get damaged in transit. If you decide to bring a stroller with you, buy one with the larger wheels to avoid getting stuck in cobblestones or other rough pathways. There are also stores in Italy that sell strollers if you decide after arriving that you must have one.

There are a lot of stairs, pretty much anywhere you go.
If you use a subway system, you'll have trouble passing a stroller over the turnstyle.

I'd vote for a baby-backpack and a light, foldable stroller with a plastic rain guard for longer rides.

A stroller will come in handy for changing diapers, because public toilets are tiny and normally do not have space for changing tables, and because restaurants are not usually equipped with high chairs.

Maclaren is my favorite umbrella stroller. I have twins and an older child. We used a single Maclaren knockoff for our trips to Europe with the older child, and now we use a double Maclaren with the twins. You can get through the subway just fine with a stroller, just use the handicap or stroller entrance. In all of the countries I've been to, I've never not seen one of those. The only trouble will be with steps. Every once in a while, you may have to lift the stroller up, but if my husband and I can lift a double stroller over a bunch of steps up and down to various parts around town, you can do the same with a single stroller.

Cobblestones weren't an issue for any of our strollers, which didn't have big giant tires. There were a few times where we had to fold up the stroller, so I'd vote for lightweight umbrella vs. heavy duty any day of the week.

Good luck, and have a great trip! Traveling as a family is incredibly rewarding, and I really love the adventure aspect of it. We are also planning a Tuscany trip with our crew this summer, and we're bringing the stroller! Although one of our double strollers was lost by the airlines last summer when we went to Portugal, we bought another one. Still waiting for the airline reimbursement...

If you have the room, the babyjogger city mini is great. It's a bit bigger than an umbrella (not nearly as big as a lot of the popular strollers out there!), but it folds easily, has sturdier wheels for rough stones, is more comfortable for the child. It's higher than the cheap umbrella strollers - I don't like how low the cheapies sit to the ground. This stroller folds with one hand and is light enough to just pick up when you need to, but sturdier than most umbrellas.

I would also look into an Ergo back carrier if you or your husband feels capable of carrying your child that way. Places with stairs or huge crowds just aren't that easy in a stroller, so some days you may not want to use it.

My kids are 21 and 18... years old.

Travelling with baby strollers... been there done that.

We have owned an expensive fancy Perego and an umbrella stroller that i bought at a garage sale for $5. The used umbrella stoller had a bent wheel axle. Banged it straight with a BFG and it was good for a couple of years until kids got too big.

The cheap umbrella stroller is the way to travel at home or abroad, hands down. Light, cheap, convenient and easy to use. Takes up little room on plane or in a small rental car. I once packed the stroller inside my golf bag to Kauai. Beats carrying baby in arms or on back (also did the baby backpack thing). Beats lugging the big Perego up and down stairs or escalators. Easy to maneuver in big crowds, Just tilt and go two wheels or pull instead of push over rough ground. Gives baby a place to sit or sleep in small crowded restaurants with no high chairs. Some attractions require you leave strollers outside; who cares if it is stolen? Buy another one for less than the price of a family meal at MacDonalds.

I've never seen folks carrying an 18 month old, nor can I imagine it. We love our First Years Ignite, which has been with us all over Europe.

Here's the Kelty 2.0 Journey backpack. Certainly gets positive reviews, even with 2 and 3 year old children.

https://kelty.com/journey-2-0/

I would check out the Lucie's list reviews for best travel strollers (not at ad, I just like their reviews). I believe we are going to skip the stroller (we have a BOB, which is huge) and take our baby backpack (Deuter). If he liked the stroller more, we'd bring one.