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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

pushchairs on holiday/travelling

23 replies

cs2012 · 12/04/2013 11:03

Hi everyone

Not sure if this is a stupid question but do most people take their everyday pushchair on holiday with them?

We are going abroad with 9 month ds in may and have a bugaboo bee. I have used this pram for internal uk flights with no issues but not sure how suitable it would be on our first beach holiday and also if its likely to get knicked / damaged.

Suggestions for any travel prams/buggies etc would be useful, if you think I am mad to take our bee!

TIA

---------------------

Hello!

We've noticed this thread is quite old and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing out pushchairs and buggies. Read our latest reviews to see which is the best buggy to take on holiday.

Hope that helps! Flowers

MNHQ

OP posts:
mummymeister · 12/04/2013 11:08

car seats needed as well?

Original poster
cs2012 · 12/04/2013 11:14

We won't be driving but am thinking will probably take our car seat for the coach transfer (although apparently a car seat isn't required for coach travel according to the tour operator! ?)

OP posts:
popebenedictsp45 · 12/04/2013 11:15

I think it depends where you're going. If it's a developing country, for example, then no, take a sling. If it's somewhere where there are a lot of pram users you should be ok.

Will you be doing much travel while you're there or will you be mostly staying at the beach? If the latter, take a sling. And how will you be getting about? If you're catching local buses/trains etc you might find a pram a bit of a faff.

We've done lots of travelling with our DC and have always left the pram at home, but can appreciate it does make things easier.

Original poster
cs2012 · 12/04/2013 11:25

We are going to majorca so planning on spending most of our time on the beach Smile

We have a sling but don't really use it so expect to use the pram a lot....

OP posts:
wigglesrock · 12/04/2013 11:29

The first time we went away I bought a cheaper buggy and brought it. It was lighter and I wasn't as worried about it taking a few knocks, getting covered in ice sunbeam. It actually turned out to be the best buggy ever and did us for 2 kids and a few holidays!

nextphase · 12/04/2013 11:34

Pushchair wheels and sand are not a good combination, ime.

We've had a sling here, and DS2 has had most of his naps in it (he's 23 months). The pushchair was useful in the airport (but we had a 3-4 hr transfer) Otherwise it hasn't really been used- just sat taking up space.

Enjoy your holiday

notso · 12/04/2013 11:38

We took our regular BJCM double to Spain over Easter but wish the travel bag had turned up in time (delayed due to snow Angry) as it is filthy and has a bad scratch on it.

I would consider buying a cheap car seat rather than your usual one. While we were at the airport we were watching the plane being loaded/unloaded and a car seat fell off the conveyor belt from pretty high and the baggage handler picked it up and almost slam dunked it back up to the top of the conveyor belt.

freddiemisagreatshag · 12/04/2013 11:44

I wouldn't take a good pushchair to a beach. The sand will knacker the wheels and the salty sea air and stuff might rust important bearings and things.

Startail · 12/04/2013 11:58

Majorca you need a pushchair, you walk miles along the sea front in post places.

They are also totally cool with DCs sleeping in buggies late at night while you eat and drink. It's a wonderful place to take tinies.

For the beach you either need a proper all terrain buggy or a very light one DH and you can carry between you. There is no half way house on sand.

Also there is little point in a beautiful padded pushchair as they are just too hot.

Startail · 12/04/2013 12:01

I should add when DD2 was 3.5 and out of a buggy at home, we still ended up hiring one for evenings on the long Cala Millor sea front.

pebbles1234 · 12/04/2013 12:06

If u can get a travel bag I'd take the bee - I've taken our iCandy abroad numerous times (it's great on sand tho!) and is invaluable for daytime sleeps, dinners out in evening... Also, if you're hiring a car u should be able to book a seat too - I'd never take mine again after Thomas cook lost it on return journey, a member of staff in the airport got her husband to bring us their spare which we had to drive back to the airport the following week after we'd replace ours! The other thing I've heard of is hiring pushchairs....

LouLouH · 12/04/2013 12:10

Go to kiddicare.com buy their own brand buggy (really cheap) and a mosquito net also only about £5.

forevergreek · 12/04/2013 12:16

Take the bee, it's fab travelling, and you can get a really good uv sunshade for it. for walks along the beach anything bar a off road large jogger is hopeless on the actually beach anyway, so I wouldn't buy another travel buggy.

We just push buggy to place on beach next to umbrella/ dunes and leave there. She can sleep there then. Take a sling for actual walks along beach or carry.

Car seat can't be used on coach unless is one fitted with lap belt only as that's all they have. We tend to take car seat and pay for a seperate transfer instead of coach. It's not that bad price wise, and you can get straight to hotel instead of waiting hour or more for all the other coach passengers to get luggage and load. We also buy a plane ticket most the time for baby then they can travel in car seat. Seat to Majorca prob only £50- £100 return

OneLittleToddleTerror · 12/04/2013 12:27

I got a pushchair bag from kiddicare too. We normally use a bugaboo cameleon, which ofc is far too bag to be allowed on the plane. (The airline actually says only umbrella folds). We got a lie flat maclaren for our first trip. The first time we came back it was damaged on the luggage carousel. All the other buggies came back out from the fragile luggage pile, except our buggy. I think it's because we got a bag and the idiots didn't think it's fragile. The airline paid for the repair at a maclaren repair centre but they took two goes to fix it, and we were maclarenless for 3 weeks. Lucky we have a bugaboo.

We travelled two other times with our buggy after that, but both airlines gave us the buggy back just after we get off the plane. ie the buggy didn't come through with the luggages. I heard it's only a certain heathrow terminal + a few airlines that have buggies sent via the luggages.

I didn't take the car seat, and just take DD onto taxis and buses car seatless. BTW, a lot of coaches would not allow you to buckle your car seat onto their chair. I know for certain that purple parking would allow us to do it!

pizzaqueen · 12/04/2013 12:28

We bought a second cheaper lightweight pushchair for holidays. One we didn't really care to much if it got damaged on the flight, covered in sun cream, ice cream or sand but was comfy enough for DS to have a nap in during the day.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 12/04/2013 12:28

Oh and some airlines (cathay pacific did this) give you a clear tough plastic bag for the buggy when you board. It's very nice. It all depends on the airline you travel with.

Original poster
cs2012 · 12/04/2013 12:33

Thanks everyone. I think I will look at getting another lightweight pram which I dont really care about if it gets damaged. I have seen how the baggage handlers "handle" luggage, especially abroad so I would only worry about damaging the bee if we took it.

Will look into separate transfers as well.

OP posts:
cathers · 12/04/2013 12:38

We also bought a cheap umbrella folding stroller for holidays. It was invaluable for airport delays, eating out in evenings so dc's could nap and yet light enough to sling over our shoulders when walking on the beach.
Reccommend you get one with a carry strap- maclearn triumph has one and is still going 7 years on!

Kiddicare sometimes has offers on with a free travel bag to put it in too.

JassyRadlett · 12/04/2013 12:56

First longhaul trip with DS was to Australia when he was 6 months. We took iCandy Peach in its travel bag and, with the Palm sunshade it was absolutely brilliant. But we were staying with family so didn't have to worry about public transport etc.

We now take our CityMini abroad with us and I love it - lies flat for naps, great hood/sunshade. Ours is the nursery pushchair so it gets a battering every day in the buggy room at nursery so I'm not worried about it getting scratched (though I don't think it has so far).

forevergreek · 12/04/2013 13:16

Ps the bee will be covered under travel insurance if damaged.

We mainly travel with slings for ease but have used both the cameleon and bee abroad several times. They haven't been at all damaged but if so would be very easy to claim.

Also if you do get a private transfer and take car seat and bee, then the car seat will fit on bee even with seat in place so easier to move around when you have suitcases with you also as one person can push buggy/ car seat/ baby, another pull suitcases

LeBoob · 12/04/2013 15:02

I was just about to start the exact same thread! We're doing a mini Europe road trip (Croatia,Slovenia, saltzburg,Munich) in September so any advice would be very much appreciated.

magentastardust · 12/04/2013 15:47

I would also suggest a cheaper one for holidaying with , as well as the many reasons other posters gave about sand , scratches etc it also drives me crazy when airlines put the giant stickers down the side of buggies and they are pretty impossible to get off again. (still bitter about my at the time new quinny zapp from years ago )

Crutchlow35 · 12/04/2013 18:50

Not read it all but don't bother with car seat. The coach may not have belts.

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