Why We Never Use a Travel Stroller (And What We Bring Instead)

We see it all the time at the airport. Other parents are pushing tiny travel strollers, folding them down at the gate, and making the whole thing look very convenient.

We always bring our full-size stroller instead.

After a few trips with our daughter, including one where we travelled through two countries with it, I don’t think we’ll ever switch.

Yes, it’s bigger. Yes, it’s heavier. But for the way we travel, the extra storage, bigger wheels, and more comfortable seat are worth it.

Key Takeaways

• Bigger wheels handle cobblestones and uneven sidewalks far more smoothly than a travel stroller’s small wheels.
• Underseat storage is the biggest everyday advantage, often fitting a car seat, carry-on, or extra luggage.
• Most airlines gate-check full-size strollers for free, though policies vary, especially for two-piece models.
• A roomier, more reclined seat means better naps on travel days when routines fall apart.
• Fitting a full-size stroller into a small European rental car takes some rearranging, but it’s manageable.
• Different strollers can serve different jobs: a running stroller for Toronto winters, a full-size stroller for travel.
• Travel strollers still make sense for trip styles centred on airports, taxis, and hotels rather than walking and uneven terrain.

The Problem with Travel Strollers on Real Terrain

Travel strollers make a lot of sense on smooth, flat ground. Airports, hotel lobbies, paved sidewalks. The problem starts when the ground isn’t so smooth.

We really noticed this on cobblestone streets in Europe.

The larger wheels on our full-size stroller handled them so much better. It was easier to push, there was less bouncing around, and our daughter wasn’t getting jostled the entire time.

A travel stroller might save you a few pounds when you’re carrying it, but on rough terrain, you’re trading some of that convenience for a much bumpier ride.

Storage Is the Real Deciding Factor

The wheels matter, but honestly, storage might be the biggest reason we keep bringing our regular stroller.

Once you’re travelling with a kid, you’re not just carrying a diaper bag. You’ve got suitcases, a car seat, snacks, extra layers, a carry-on, and whatever else you somehow accumulated between leaving home and getting to the airport.

Having a big basket underneath the stroller has saved us more times than I can count.

On our last trip to Scotland, we rented a car, so we were travelling with two suitcases, a car seat, and a carry-on. I was able to fit the car seat underneath the stroller, which made getting through the airport and over to the car rental counter much easier than trying to carry everything separately.

Then we had to get everything into the rental car.

This is where having a full-size stroller did make things a little more complicated.

European rental cars can be smaller than what we’re used to in Canada, and once we added the stroller, two suitcases, car seat, carry-on, and everything else, it was tight. We couldn’t just throw everything into the trunk and go.

We rearranged things a few times and ended up putting some of our stuff in the back seat to make everything fit.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was completely manageable. We made it work, and I still wouldn’t have traded the full-size stroller for a smaller one just to make packing the car easier.

Later on that same trip, we dropped off the rental car and flew into London.

Same situation. Suitcases, carry-on, car seat, plus our daughter.

The carry-on and car seat went underneath the stroller. My wife and I split up the rest. One of us pushed the stroller while the other hauled the suitcases, and our daughter sat comfortably in her seat.

Then we took all of it through the Underground and train system to get to our hotel.

Was it a lot of stuff? Absolutely.

But it worked.

I genuinely don’t know how we would’ve managed that part of the trip with a tiny travel stroller that couldn’t hold much underneath.

Yes, You Can Still Gate-Check It for Free

One reason people avoid travelling with a full-size stroller is that they assume it’ll be a hassle at the airport.

That hasn’t been our experience.

Most airlines allow you to check a stroller at no additional cost, although the exact rules vary by airline. We use ours through the airport, take it right up to the aircraft door, have it tagged, and then hand it over before boarding.

Depending on the airport and airline, you may get it back at the aircraft door or have to collect it with checked or oversized baggage after landing. It’s worth checking your airline’s policy before you leave.

For us, the important part is being able to use the stroller through almost the entire airport.

We’re not carrying our daughter while also trying to manage our bags, car seat, passports, snacks, and everything else that comes with travelling with a toddler.

One Thing to Know About Two-Piece Strollers

There’s one question we hear fairly often at check-in:

“Is the stroller one piece or two?”

This matters because airline policies can differ when the stroller seat and frame are treated as separate items.

Our stroller technically comes apart, but it folds and travels as one unit. We’ve always checked it as one piece and haven’t had an issue.

If your stroller has a seat that needs to be removed and checked separately from the frame, I’d confirm the airline’s policy before you fly.

Certain UPPAbaby configurations can be different because the seat and frame may need to be treated as separate pieces depending on how you’re travelling with them.

It’s a small thing, but it’s much easier to figure it out at home than when you’re standing at the airport with a toddler and all your luggage.

Better for Naps, Better for a Cranky Toddler

This is another reason I don’t want to give up our regular stroller.

Travel days destroy routines.

You’re leaving for the airport early, eating at weird times, waiting around at gates, getting on planes, changing time zones, and somehow expecting a toddler to just go along with all of it.

Our daughter often ends up napping in the stroller on travel days. Having a bigger seat, more room, and a good recline makes a noticeable difference.

Travel strollers have to make compromises somewhere to fold down so small, and the seat can be one of them.

For a quick walk through an airport, that might not matter. For a full day exploring a city, it matters a lot more to us.

If our daughter is exhausted halfway through the day, I’d rather she have somewhere comfortable to fall asleep while we keep walking.

We Do Own a Second Stroller, Just Not for Travel

We actually own two strollers.

The second one isn’t a travel stroller. It’s a running stroller, a Thule Urban Glide, that we mainly use for Toronto winters.

Snow and slush are a completely different problem from cobblestones. The bigger, air-filled tires on our running stroller handle winter sidewalks much better than our regular stroller.

So each stroller has a job.

The running stroller comes out for snowy Toronto walks. Our full-size everyday stroller comes with us when we fly.

We’re not really trying to find one stroller that does absolutely everything. We’d rather use the one that works best for the situation.

When a Travel Stroller Actually Makes Sense

I’m definitely not saying travel strollers are useless.

For some trips, they make perfect sense.

If you’re mostly moving between airports, taxis, hotels, and restaurants, a lightweight stroller could be ideal. It’s easier to carry, takes up less room, and is much simpler to fit into a small trunk or hotel room.

Our trips just don’t look like that.

We like walking. A lot.

We’ll spend full days exploring neighbourhoods, parks, markets, and whatever else we come across. We take public transit. We end up on uneven sidewalks. We carry way too much stuff.

For that kind of travel, the extra size of our full-size stroller doesn’t feel like much of a downside. The storage and bigger wheels are exactly why we bring it.

Final Thoughts

I know bringing a full-size stroller isn’t the popular travel choice.

But after multiple flights, cobblestone streets, rental cars, airports, trains, and hauling everything through the London Underground, we still have zero interest in buying a travel stroller.

Our regular stroller carries a ridiculous amount of stuff, gives our daughter somewhere comfortable to nap, and handles rough ground much better than a lightweight stroller would.

It’s bigger and heavier. Sometimes that means rearranging a rental car or putting in a little more effort getting through a train station.

For us, that’s been a pretty easy trade-off.

If you’re figuring out what baby gear is actually worth buying before your baby arrives, our full registry checklist covers exactly that.

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