1 – On holiday you can often walk for miles and miles, far more than you may do on a day to day basis at home. If it’s a city break you can easily be doing 10 miles plus a day (we find we usually do more) a lot for little legs.
2 – When waiting at an airport. If they get tired waiting in a passport queue or for a flight it’s easy to pop them in it. We have flown at times with a departing flight nearing midnight, so rather than dealing with an exhausted child at airport it’s much easier for them to be able to fall asleep in a pram. This can also help with any delays or early morning flights.
3 – Depending on your destination a pram can be so useful if you have a big time difference. We flew from the UK to New Zealand with a 13 hour time change. Without the pram we would have been stuck in the hotel during the day whilst he slept as it’s not as easy for a little one to adjust to the timings. If he needed a sleep during the day he just hopped in and we carried on.
4 – Taking a pram does not mean that your child needs to use it all day, they can just use it when their legs get tired, have a break and then carry on.
5 – It can be great when covering places much warmer than you are used to at home. The heat can really have an effect on kids, sometimes resulting in very hot, sweaty and tired little ones. Also a pram with a shade over the top is fantastic for keeping the sun off.
6 – Another plus about travelling with your pram is if you are on the go and want a snack rather than a sit down meal it’s easy to let your child eat whilst having a ride in the pram, making a quick meal much easier if you are short on time. We have done this many times if we have made a picnic for the day.
7 – Fantastic for carrying things for you. Drinks, food, change of clothes, sun cream, hats etc. You may not need as many items as you do when travelling with a baby but you still inevitably end up taking a lot out with you each day during your holiday . This goes for adults as well!
8 – In busy cities, particularly when using the underground transport systems in busy cities (Japan for example) I like the fact that my child is strapped in and cannot get lost in a sea of people. Especially when changing between multiple stations and dragging suitcases with you. It’s one less thing to worry about.
9 – Covering distances that require walking until the ‘fun’ part. Some areas can be boring to walk which you probably don’t expect your child to do at home. Amazing outdoor scenery and fun walks are perfect things to do on holiday with your child…. But maybe not the 30 minute walk each way along a pavement to get to that point.
10 – Most importantly, don’t ruin your holiday because of a tired, over heated child who just cannot walk any longer and ends up with the whole family having to return to the hotel early. If you don’t need them pram then nothing lost, but it saves you the risk of having the day ruined