Traveling alone with 15mo - pushchair, sling, backpack?

[mezzer]

About to go on a 24 hour journey (3 connections, argh!) alone with my 15mo dd (am I insane??). I have an old chunky pushchair (not the easiest to fold, no option to buy a new one as living abroad and no good ones around here), a sling and a baby-backpack. Which should I bring? I guess I wonder if it would be easier with or without the pushchair... How do you deal with pushing luggage if you have a pushchair?

Other threads seem to point towards the importance of pushchairs but I feel like it might get in the way more... I'm leaning towards the just the sling and being able to use luggage carts for my bags but wonder if I am being naive...

Anyone have any experience?

I don't know how you manage a pushchair and bags ... well, you can push the pushchair and trail bags behind you? Not very tempting, though, is it.

Some luggage carts have a baby seat, but not all.

I'd go for backpack or sling, probably. Particularly if your DD is reasonably light.

if you are travelling with minimal luggage that you can fit in a rucksack, you can take a pushchair along but i don't think i would want to take the pushchair you described. A mclaren was big enough for me. i only took the pushchair along so other people could look after dd.

otherwise if you won't need a pushchair where you are going and you child is used to the sling then, god, by all means, sling, child and luggage.

Thanks. Just wanted someone to tell me I'm not completely mad for thinking about going without the pushchair.

Ok, no clunky awkward pushchair. Just need to decide whether or not to bring the babypack... Can I check the backpack at the gate like I would a pushchair or would it need to go at check-in?

I've been on quite a few flights and have never taken the pushchair for ds. We do have a car seat with wheels that we take but tbh ds never sits on it.

On the one occasion I flew alone with ds (he was 16 months old) I put him in a carrier (hip sling thing) as it was light to carry and easy to get him in and out of. A back pack sounds good but it can be difficult to get then in and out when on your own. Also sitting down with them on is a nightmare.

I managed to carry ds, one large piece of hand luggage and push the car seat. In fact I put the hand luggage on the car seat some of the time and pushed that while carrying ds. I left the wheeled car seat at the plane door.

When we landed I put ds in the carrier and walked to the lugage collection. I picked up the luggage and I piled everything onto the trolly (including car seat)and pushed it while carrying ds to the waiting taxi.

As your journey is so long aqnd there are 3 changes, you need to find out if checked in luggage will be available for the transfers or if you will just be going to a transfer hall in which case you probably won't see the pushchair after checking it in at the plane door until you land at your final destination.

I would suggest that the sling is essential. If you had a light pushchair I'd say take that as well as you could use it to hold the hand luggage or ds (or maybe both) and fold it up to put it on the trolley when you have your main luggage with you.As it is I'd be tempted to leave the pushchair behind.

HOWEVER my ds never slept in the pushchair so it was no loss from that point of view. It may be different for you.

I'd check in the back pack and use the sling for the journey (much lighter and more flexible).