Travelling with toddler to Oz - Trunki instead of pushchair for flight????

[palacemonkey]

Hi,

I'm travelling to Brisbane in November with my DS (he will be 2.5 by then). I'm going to visit my family and will have the use of all my SIL's baby stuff while there (car seat/pushchair/cot etc). Previously when I've travelled with DS on a plane I've used his cheap umbella pushchair for around the airport, and then it goes into the hold when we're at the gate. But this has meant I've had to pack minimal carry on bags as I haven't got enough hands to deal with the pushchair and the bags. I'm thinking this time, as he's older I would buy a Trunki and he could ride on that if he's tired, and I can obviously use it for all his crap toys.

I've got two stops - One in Dubai (which apparently we won't get off the plane for) and another for a couple of hours in Brunei.

Is this a viable option, or should I just do the pushchair thing again?? Last time we travelled to Oz he was small enough for the skycot and he couldn't walk so we needed the pushchair and I was travelling with a friend so had an extra pair of hands... this time, he'll be way too big for a skycot and it's just me... help!!!

TIA

Personally I would take the pushchair - you never know what is going to happen. For instance what if you had a huge delay at the airport and a very tired toddler with you?

I travelled a couple of times when DS1 was 2.5 - 3, and I used a hippychick carrier for airports. Most of the time he could walk, but if he was tired, or we were in a hurry, I could hoist him on my hip and away we went. I suppose the only drawback of a trunki is that if he's sleepy he won't manage it, and you'll end up carrying him.

Sorry - me again -

If you have a long delay at an airport and he wants to sleep, I would have thought that your lap or a couple of chairs would do.

I'd say pushchair. Trunki's are good but they don;t contain them as well as pushchairs. They're also quite hard to steer with a helpful 2yo putting his feet on the ground, especially in a very busy airport like Heathrow.

We've always taken the pushchairs up to the gate and loaded them up with all the paraphanalia. We packed a rucksack for me to carry then hung a rucksack over the pushchair handles and the dcs had a rucksack of toys each too. I think on one trip I had a back with a strap across my body too - we were travelling with 3 dcs under 3 at the time so we had a lot of crap hand luggage.

Thanks for your replies - I was leaning towards the pushchair TBH - a friend suggested the Trunki (although she is childless and has no clue about wandering toddlers ). I think I'll just have to be very selective with what we pack our hand luggage in and how much we take.

I travel a lot, and have spent a lot of time contemplating families with small children and trunkis. Really, I think they are only good if your child could cope with walking around, and someone has the arms to pick them up and carry them plus trunki if they are too tired/fed up/energetic to just scoot along nicely on it.

I'd take the pushchair and a rucksac

To be honest Trunkis aren't great for on the plane either-They have to completely open up to get stuff out where's it is much easier in a confined space to just take something out a little rucksack etc.
I think Trunkis look fab but really aren't that prectical.

thanks magenta I hadn't even thought of that - and now that you mention it, they do have to be opened all the way to get anything out! Completely impractical!

Right - Decision definitely made then! Thanks!

Oh, god, toddlers and trunkies are a complete menace at airports! Take a pushchair and use a rucsac for your cabin baggage. And don't overload yourself with cabin baggage.

PUSHCHAIR!

I bought DD (now 3 1/2) a trunki as it looked fab. Don't get me wrong, it is fab, but when they are tired the novelty wears off and you end up carrying them and the damm trunky. Surely you can fit a few small bags on the handles of the pushchair? Thats what I always do