Traveling with a child to Italy

Don't know about car seats, but I think your rental company can help with that.

A stroller sounds like a bit of a bumpy ride on cobblestones, but I have seen many Italian parents using strollers and carriers.

We aren't going to rent a car. We were going to use trains, cabs, uber or private pick up (was trying not to do this unless we had to for car seat purposes). I was thinking the same thing with the stroller. I've been researching one to bring just so we don't have to carry him all the time. Wonder what a popular stroller is over there.

I'd bring my own car seat; the kid should be in one on the plane. It is a bit much to try to haul a kid on one's lap for an overnight flight like this and a huge imposition on other travelers if you and your husband are not sharing a two side row. I have not been on a flight in years that had extra seats. When my son was the age of yours, we few a lot and almost always had an extra seat for the toddler; just not true anymore.

Cabs don't have car seats. And according to friends who have tried to rent cars with seats or arrange rides with seats, it is difficult to get seats that fit appropriately and safely and they are very often really foul small children being the dripping, messy little things they are. I'd rather have my own seat and deal with that, then have to clean the seat every time I got in a car.

I prefer a carrier/ backpack with a child this age if you can comfortably haul him in one and would want one that sort of set up as a chair. My backpack had a pull out leg thing so I could put him down for short stops and it was convenient. If you will spend a lot of time at sidewalk cafes then a stroller is useful.

Why wouldn't you bring your own stroller? Most airlines let you keep the child in it until you reach the airplane door, then they store it. It's waiting for you in the jetway when you deplane. Otherwise you're carrying the child everywhere until you can buy one. And who would want to "wear" a 20+lb child in August??? My God, you'd need to change that sweaty shirt a half dozen times per day. (And I'm not talking about the child's clothes). ; P

Absolutely must bring a car seat if only for the plane.

I don't know about putting one in a cab or Uber. When we had visitors with young children they just rode in back held by mom or dad for short hauls, i.e. from one side of Rome to another. Private drivers on a longer trip (i.e., Naples to Sorrento) might be able to accommodate your car seat. All you have to do is ask them.

I, too, recommend a stroller. Kids come with lots of gear, don't they?

This might be a time to to think "grandparents".

I'm not sure about Sorrento, but in Florence you can find companies renting strollers, baby seats and whatnot. As for your question on Uber, only Uber Black and Uber Van are allowed to operate in Italy at present, therefore they are much more expensive than regular cabs, on account of their offering of a "luxury" service.

Thank you everyone! I'm doing a lot of research on types of strollers and car seats that are light weight. I know it's not ideal to go with a 15 month old but unfortunately my parents who were supposed to come are not healthy. I don't think I could leave him for 10 days and we really want to be able to travel with him. We want him to have experiences even at a young age. We may have to research easier places to visit since we have already been to Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, and Venice.