Tips for Ports of Call with a 3 year old? Bring the hiking backpack?

Good morning!

We are traveling transatlantic with my 8 year old daughter and 3 year old son. Cruising is not new to us, but going into Ports of Call with a 3 year old boy (emphasis on the "boy") will be.

We are stopping over in Ponta Delgada, Cork (Ireland), Portland (GB), Le Harve (France) and ending in Southampton (GB) with 2 days in London.

I wondered if we should take our Kelty hiking backpack to carry him in at the ports of call and London. My husband disagrees, thinking it's too bulky for the Tube (which I think he's right.)

So how the heck can we carry him around for a protracted period of time? He can walk up to a mile by himself (albeit as fast as his 3 year old legs will take him.) but I'm thinking we need some kind of carrier.

Any ideas?

Do you have a collapsible umbrella stroller? That would be easier (and could be folded down easily when on the Tube). Of course, if your excursions have you climbing a lot of stairs or hiking off the beaten path, the carrier may be more practical.

Do you have a collapsible umbrella stroller? That would be easier (and could be folded down easily when on the Tube). Of course, if your excursions have you climbing a lot of stairs or hiking off the beaten path, the carrier may be more practical.

That's an idea, we do have an umbrella stroller. It's hard because he is just at the cusp of not needing anything- but I don't want to not take a carrier/stroller and then be stuck carrying him everywhere.

Thanks! :)

We sailed in Europe with our then 7 year old. Even though he has long outgrown his stroller, there were certainly times (like the 1 hour wait to get through immigration at LHR) where having one would have been really helpful!

And, even if your son decides to not ride in it all the time, you can still use it to carry bags, snacks, etc. to lighten your load.

Agree with the stroller! If you need it, you'll be glad to have it! Touring isn't like a trip to the grocery store!!

They make carriers that are smaller than hiking carriers but still meant to distribute the weight of a toddler. Check out Tula or Lillebaby toddler carriers. This is how I intend to carry our large almost 2 year old through Europe. Packs up small enough to shove in a backpack.

https://www.amazon.com/LILLEbaby-Carryon-Toddler-Carrier-Embossed/dp/B07888PN4D/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1519309437&sr=1-4&keywords=lillebaby+toddler+carrier

At that age, we purchased a used umbrella stroller at a garage sale for about $5. It was easy to just collapse and carry when the kids wanted to walk, and since we got it used/cheap, our plan was to just throw it away if it ever became a burden.

That thing lasted through more trips than anything else we owned..

Please take my answer for what it is worth because I have never done Europe with a 3 yo "boy." But, my "boy" only wanted to push a stroller (NOT good in crowds) once he was walking. In traveling with him, if he got tired, we put him on our shoulders....but it is very rare for the energizer bunny to get tired. And a 10-15 minute cab/car ride was enough to recharge him. If we could be back on board by 3-4, he would have plenty of time for a good nap to hold him well through dinner and the evening kids program. So depending on your son and what his capabilities are will dictate what you should travel with. I WISHED I had one of those kids that would crash for 3 hours in a stroller...but God decided I got "boys" and their snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

If you think a carrier would be useful, I'd look at something like a toddler sized Tula. That's what I used to carry my 2 year old around Bermuda, and used it off and on until he was over 3.5.

My oldest went on a Baltic cruise at 3.5, and my youngest to London and Norway at 2. We brought an umbrella stroller and took it in all of the ports except for Tallinn because of the cobblestones. Honestly, I was extremely impressed by how many places in Europe had elevators for people with disabilities and strollers. We didn't even have any trouble using the stroller in the Underground, and I know in the NYC subways it's an enormous pain since some stations don't have elevators, and they are broken at a ton of others. I'd post on the port of call boards to see if anyone can tell you if the streets have cobblestones, since it's harder to push on cobblestones. My two boys are extremely active but when they got tired, they'd stay in the stroller.

Another vote for a toddler Tula, for backpack carry. Especially if you’re going places with rougher terrain or lots of stairs, some of those old cities are not very stroller friendly.

For Canada and the Caribbean, we’ve used an umbrella stroller with our almost 3 year old. She walks at home, but the excitement of a cruise means she gets tired and conks out in the stroller. (She hasn’t slept in a stroller since she was a month old... until we get on a ship!)

You need something, even for a highly active child, unless you like arm carrying for long distances.

I second a Lilliebaby!