Surviving the airport with pram & luggage - Tips please!

[boomboomchickaboom]

I'm going travelling on my own with toddler (18 months). I'll need to catch 2 planes and 1 train. How on earth do I push a pram and carry luggage? I'm thinking I might need one of those giant backpacker rucksacks? Or maybe a really good wheely suitcase that I can push with 1 hand? What have other people done? Any other tips on the practicalities of travel with a toddler gratefully welcomed!!

I am flying long haul with my DD who will be 20months at the time, I am going to have to Get a sling backpack I think

At that age I'd recommend using a sling in the airport and carrying a stroller by the strap (or doing away with stroller if you can get one at the other end?) then you've got hands free for pulling case, and back or front free for day pack.

I went abroad with 2.4 year old when 34 weeks pregnant; people helped me get onto the aircraft (especially grandparenty types) and a lovely Spanish man entertained ds the whole flight from the seat behind!

Failing that, yes to giant rucksack whilst pushing pushchair :)

You either need a pushchair and large rucksack (i use a 65 litre one) or a wheely suitcase and a carrier for the dc. We always opted for the former, and actually usually took an ergo baby carrier too, because they fold up quite small.

When will you check in your luggage? Will you get the pushchair back between planes? When my fist dd was very small it made more sense to carry her/have her in the carrier and put the rucksack in the pushchair, as it was heavier than she was...

Ime experience you tend to spend more time without your pushchair than you would like (eg you can wheel it to the plane (sometimes down some steps...), but you don't get it back until the luggage carousel).

Thanks for the ideas everyone! This is really helpful. We have a carrier but its a huge bulky hiking type thing. I didnt realise you could get more compact ones for this age group (we had one when DS was a baby but he outgrew it). I might look at that ergo baby as an option. I will still need to take the pushchair though as I need it when I get there. Also DS wont nap in a carrier but he will nap in the pushcahir so I prefer to have the pushchair with me. I may need to look at a better pushchair though. Ours provides very good shade for the baby (big hood comes right across) so will be good for hot country, but its not the easiest to fold/unfold and its not easy to carry even when folded.

Take far far less luggage than you think. He's 18 months, just take basic clothing.

If you need pram then take pram and a rucksack. But not a huge 65 litre they are way way to big and get very heavy full. A 40l rucksack maximum.

Do you have a small one piece fold pram?

Otherwise a regular medium suitcase and just toddler in soft structured sling on back like ergo/ boba 4g and no pram.

Or buy a baby zen yoyo

I recommend the zeta vooom stroller for its huge hood so great for shade. It folds easily and has a carry handle, but not the sturdiest of strollers and needs both hands to push generally. But cheap :)

A quick thought - is your surname the same as your baby's? Mine on my passport was my maiden name for a bit, and it caused issues once though dh was behind me so not a big problem! If different, I'm not sure what you need to show passport control.

Misty - yea my surname is the same. This was pretty much the only reason I took DHs name when we married so that me andDC would have the same name. Otherwise I was happy with my maiden name. Not sure what DH would have thought of it though!

I can't tell you the issues I've had trying to get my DDs passport because I'm not married to her dad! thankfully it's done now but I expect the same problems once we get to the airport

jean there must be literally hundreds of thousands of mothers and children in this position across the uk. You'd have thought they'd have a proper process set up to manage it. Hope u won't have issues at the airport. I can understand that they need to protect children but there must be a better way

I know boomboom you would think that the pasport office could sort it out. Although today I was pleasantly surprised to receive my birth certificate and my DDs birth certificate back through the post, I wasn't sure both would be returned to me with such ease!