Are you one of the lucky American families crossing the Atlantic this month? August is peak season for European vacations, making it a little too crowded for my taste. They say the population of Portofino goes from 2,000 to 30,000 during this prime time! And this year, it is blazin'! I suppose 90 degrees might seem like slight relief from triple digit temperatures... but don't forget to pack the bottled water!

In the U.S., lightweight travel strollers are a godsend. From a quick trip to the store to day-long outings, our landscape is well designed to accommodate baby wheels. This is not necessarily so across the Atlantic. Stroller mamas (and papas) who venture to Italy and France, for example, often find that they regret bringing a stroller at all.

The numerous steps and stairs and the narrow, crowded, cobblestone streets make it nearly impossible to use one. A few friends report that their umbrellas models ended up folded and carried! During our own tour of the Adriatic and Amalfi Coasts, we noted (and assisted) many a miserable parent with stroller.All of the picturesque quaintness of the hill towns along the coast is lost on a couple who is too busy trying not to tumble down 100 steps.

The big cities have a host of other challenges. One mom reports that Paris is just nor stroller-friendly. The sidewalks are narrow and without sidewalk ramps. There are no escalators to and from the public train stations or between platforms, just stairs. And the fare gates and turnstiles turn commuting with a baby and a stroller into a sick combination of Twister and Operation.

Avoid the nightmares and bring a baby backpack and/or sling instead. Both solutions provide hands-free transport options that are relatively comfortable for the carrier and the carried. The backpack is useful in airports, as you manage additional luggage. It also gives your babe an ideal balcony seat on the sights. Slings work best with infants and young babies, although some companies offer toddler slings too. Backpacks can be used until three years of age, after which your little tike could actually… walk! Novel idea!