Quick ? - Traveling in Rome with a baby

[PinkInTheBlue]

For walking the streets of Rome and seeing the sights, how should I transport a lightweight 21mth old? I do have a carrier I like but I can't imagine being about to carry a 23lb baby all day. It does adjust to fit Dad also though. I've read and expect the walks and roads to be very bumpy, so I'm assuming my stroller will be more pain than useful.

Sydney was easy and we used the stroller with ease.

Help? We leave in 18 days. :)

[Mrs Mungo]

I wouldn't mess with a stroller at all. I always used a sling, even at that age. Much easier on the back than a backpack in my experience.

[Tracey in TX]

Stroller could be problematic--skip it! (Poor DC could get whiplash from the crazy ancient streets) It might be useful in museums and basic sidewalks. If you use anything make it an umbrella stroller which isn't cumbersome.

Advice: in case of subway separation, encourage everyone to wait at the next stop for a parent/group to meet there. I gave the older kids an itinerary for the week with info on each of the major sites. (We went to Rome in December.) It helped them understand the importance of the sites.

[PinkInTheBlue]

Ok, so we are in agreement on using the carrier instead of stroller. My carrier is a hip carrier. Do you think I need a backpack style instead for the length of times it will be?

Thank you!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

For walking the streets of Rome and seeing the sights, how should I transport a lightweight 21mth old? I do have a carrier I like but I can't imagine being about to carry a 23lb baby all day. It does adjust to fit Dad also though. I've read and expect the walks and roads to be very bumpy, so I'm assuming my stroller will be more pain than useful.

We used a stroller in Rome until it fell to pieces crossing the street to get to St Peter in Chains. We were glad to have the stroller.

We used a lightweight umbrella stroller. I wouldn't take anything heavier since you might end up folding and carrying it in places like museums and up and down stairs. But since we tended to go go go until we all dropped, it was nice for our youngest to be able to take a load off. I think I would have gotten pretty tired carrying a baby all that time. But then, I tended to use the stroller as soon as they got heavy.

There is a downside to either the stroller or a carrier. The streets are bumpy and irregular. But I had mastered the art of going over cobblestone streets and on and off curbs long before we hit Rome.

Have a great time.

[JFS in IL]

they traveled the same time we did, and we kept running into them in Rome, Milan...yes, the streets are cobblestones in many places (don't expect to trot around in high heel shoes, either ;-) and had a kidlet about the same age, maybe a tad younger, with them. She spent the day in a carrier on either Mom or Dad's back...and getting LOTS of smiles and attention from the baby-loving Italians! You will have a sure-fire icebreaker with you!

Perego strollers with the LARGE wheels were designed for the cobblestone streets. I ahd one for my twins (here) and it was a breeze to push with one finger!!!! But I don't think you want to try and rent one - too hard to get into older, smaller sites/stores with one.

[PinkInTheBlue]

Ah, that is the kind of stroller I have! Is that a benefit enough to take it? Thanks!

[Bess]

I would invest in an Ergo or Beco (4'th generation) carrier. They are made for heavier babies/toddlers, and can be used in the front, back or hip. Seems ideal for your situation.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Ah, that is the kind of stroller I have! Is that a benefit enough to take it? Thanks!

The problem I would forsee with a large stroller is that a number of sites aren't wheelchair accessable, which means you have to pick up and carry the stroller (with or without the kid inside). This would be an issue in places like the forum.

I didn't have our stroller in the Vatican or St. Peter's (I think it had broken the day before) and I'm not sure if it would have been allowed in (given how nice the floors are and how crowded it gets). You also want to consider that you may not be making a round trip and returning to the same entry point at some sites. For example we entered the Vatican Museum, exited onto the portico of St. Peters and then left through St. Peters square. We wouldn't have been able to leave anything in a coat check without a major backtrack to get it back.

A big stroller might be good if you could borrow one. If I were taking one, I'd just take a small umbrella stroller or go with the sling.

[Laura Corin]

I'd use a backpack for serious sightseeing. I'm thinking of the Forum (irregular pavements), the Colosseum (lots of steps), baths of Caracalla (irregular pavements, some grass).....

Best wishes

Laura

[Dana in OR]

take a lightweight umbrella stroller with a sunshade. If the stroller gets beat up, so what. Even if you carry your baby most of the time, the stroller can be carrying your diaper bag, water bottles, etc. Keep a slim purse with your passport strapped to your body across your shoulder at all times, you do not want to put a purse in the stroller. Enjoy Rome! What an adventure!

[strider]

You know--the kind you can get for $15-$20? They fold up quickly and easily, and can hook nicely onto the arm when folded. I also carried a sling at all times. The kid rode in the stroller unless the terrain did not allow for it--at that point the kid went in the sling and I or dh or the other kid would carry the stroller. Not a big deal at all.