How to Travel With a Baby Using a Compact Stroller

Traveling with a baby can feel like packing for a small expedition. Between the diaper bag, the bottles, the sleep sack, and the toys, you can end up with more gear than clothes. The hardest part is usually the stroller. Full-size strollers are heavy, awkward in airports, and a pain to load into a car. That is why, before our first flight with June, I started looking for a compact stroller that could handle real travel without falling apart.

I am Kara, a mom of two, and I have spent the last year testing the Baby Jogger City Tour 2 with my 8-month-old daughter. This guide walks through the exact steps I use to travel with a baby using a compact stroller, from packing the car to folding it at the gate. No fluff, just what works.

Step 1: Choose a stroller that folds small enough to count as a carry-on

Before you can travel easily with a baby, you need a stroller that does not become a second checked bag. Look for one that folds into a package roughly the size of a carry-on suitcase. The Baby Jogger City Tour 2 folds down to about 20 by 13 by 7 inches, which means it fits in most overhead bins and can be slung over your shoulder with the included strap. I measured those numbers against our rolling carry-on before the first trip, and the folded stroller is actually shorter in one direction than the bag. That comparison is what convinced me the overhead bin claim was real and not just marketing. We had tried our full-size stroller on a short drive to the airport once and gate-checked it on a regional plane. Waiting at the door while everyone else walked off, holding June, was enough to make me switch.

That small folded size changes everything at the airport. You can keep the stroller with you until you board, use it to carry the baby and the diaper bag through security, then fold it one-handed and stow it above your seat. No waiting at the oversize baggage counter, no worrying that the airline will lose your stroller, and no wrestling a full-size frame through a narrow aisle. The first time I walked past the oversize baggage counter with the stroller still on my shoulder, I almost laughed. We had checked a full-size frame on an earlier trip and spent the whole flight wondering if it would show up on the carousel. This time the only thing we handed over was a suitcase.

A few things to check before you buy: does the fold lock securely, is there a carry strap, and does the unfolded stroller feel stable? The City Tour 2 checks all three. The fold locks into place with a firm click, the shoulder strap is padded, and the frame feels solid even on uneven airport walkways. I also like that the latch clicks audibly, because it is easy to tell the fold is locked without looking down at it while holding a baby.

Step 2: Pack the car so the stroller is the last thing you grab

When we drive to the airport, I pack the trunk in a specific order. Heavy bags go in first, the diaper bag goes in last, and the stroller stays near the trunk opening so I can grab it without digging. With a compact stroller, this is easy. The City Tour 2 takes up about as much space as a small suitcase, so it does not swallow the whole trunk. The order came from a mistake. On our first trip with June, I packed the stroller first and buried it under the cooler and Mike's duffel. At the long-term parking lot we had to unload half the trunk onto the pavement to reach it, with June fussing in her carrier the whole time. Now the rule is simple: the last thing in is the first thing out, and the stroller is always the last thing in.

If you are driving with a baby, also think about how the stroller interacts with the car seat. In our 2019 Honda CR-V, the infant seat sits behind the passenger seat, and the folded stroller fits beside it in the back seat or in the trunk with the rest of the luggage. Either way, it does not block my view or make the car feel cramped. Mike puts Eli's booster on the driver's side, so the back seat still has room for a third adult if we have one along. That would not work with a bulkier stroller folded across the seat.

One tip that saved us more than once: keep the stroller unfolded in the trunk until we arrive at the airport, then fold it right before we walk in. That way June can ride in it from the car to the terminal, and I do not have to carry a baby and a folded stroller across a parking lot. It also means the stroller is ready the moment we need it, instead of me kneeling on the pavement trying to unfold a stiff latch with a diaper bag on my arm. That happened with our old stroller once, and I have never wanted to repeat it.

Step 3: Use the stroller through security, then fold it at the gate

The biggest advantage of a compact stroller is that you can use it right up until you board. At security, the stroller goes through the X-ray machine with your other items. Then you put the baby back in, load the diaper bag underneath, and continue to the gate. No one has to hold a baby while carrying a heavy folded stroller for twenty minutes. The first time I sent the stroller through, I held my breath waiting for the conveyor to stop. It slid into the X-ray bin with room to spare next to the diaper bag. A few trips later I stopped thinking about it entirely.

At the gate, I fold the City Tour 2 and sling it over my shoulder. The strap is long enough that the stroller hangs at my hip, leaving both arms free to hold June. That is the moment the compact design earns its keep. Boarding a plane with a baby and a full-size stroller means juggling two awkward things at once. With this one, the stroller disappears onto my back. On our flight home from Nashville, the gate agent asked whether it was small enough for the overhead bin. I folded it, held it up next to her carry-on, and she waved us through without another word. That kind of exchange happens a lot with this stroller, and it is always a relief.

Check with your airline before you fly, because policies vary. Some airlines let you bring the stroller to the gate and check it right there. Others want it stowed in the overhead bin. The City Tour 2 is labeled carry-on approved, but I always confirm with the airline, especially on smaller regional planes where overhead space is tight. I keep a note in my phone with the policy for the airline we are flying, written down the day I book. That way I am not scrolling through a website in the terminal with a baby on my hip. On a regional jet with bins that barely fit a backpack, I have still made it work by folding the stroller flat and sliding it in sideways.

Step 4: Keep the essentials within reach during the flight

Once you are on the plane, the stroller is stowed and your hands are full. That is why I keep a small bag under the seat with the flight essentials: two diapers, a small pack of wipes, a change of clothes, a pacifier, and a bottle. The bigger diaper bag goes in the overhead bin with the stroller. The under-seat bag is just a small cloth pouch, about the size of a loaf of bread, and it stays packed between trips so I never have to rebuild it at the last minute. When June was smaller, I added a receiving blanket and an extra onesie. Now that she is eight months and eating solids, I throw in a pouch of applesauce and a spare bib.

The City Tour 2 has a storage basket that is generous for a compact stroller. I use it for the diaper bag and any bulky items before boarding, then empty it right before I fold the stroller at the gate. That way nothing gets left behind and nothing spills out when the stroller is collapsed. I learned that the hard way. On one early trip, a sippy cup was still in the basket when I folded the stroller at the gate, and it rolled out and bounced down the jet bridge. Now I do a quick sweep of the basket every time I fold, and I count the items out loud. It takes five seconds.

On the flight itself, I dress June in layers and keep a lightweight blanket handy. Airplanes are unpredictable, and a baby who is comfortable is a baby who sleeps. I do not rely on the stroller during the flight, but knowing it is safely stowed overhead means I am not worrying about it the whole time. I also feed her during takeoff when I can. It keeps her calm and seems to help her ears adjust, which is just what works for us, not medical advice. If the flight is long enough, I walk her up and down the aisle in the carrier once the seatbelt sign is off.

Step 5: Reassemble and go the moment you land

When the plane lands, the goal is to get off quickly and get the stroller ready before the chaos of the baggage claim. As soon as we are in the jet bridge, I unfold the City Tour 2, click it into place, and put June in it. It takes about ten seconds. Then I sling the diaper bag over the handlebar and we walk out like normal people.

The one-handed fold and unfold matter more than you might think. When you are holding a baby, you do not always have two free hands. The City Tour 2 can be folded and unfolded with one hand, which means I do not have to put June down on an airport floor to deal with the stroller.

After we get home, I wipe down the stroller frame and wash the seat pad according to the manual. A quick rinse keeps the wheels from tracking airport grime through the house, and it makes the next trip easier. The City Tour 2 has held up well through several flights, a few long car rides, and a lot of sidewalk miles.

What Else Helps

A compact stroller is the centerpiece of traveling with a baby, but a few extras make the whole trip smoother. A good diaper bag with a changing pad means you are not digging through a giant tote in a cramped bathroom. A lightweight travel bassinet or portable sleep space helps at the hotel, because babies sleep best on a flat, firm surface with nothing loose around them. And a small stroller organizer clipped to the handlebar keeps wipes and snacks within reach without adding bulk.

I also keep the stroller manual and the car seat manual in my phone, not in the diaper bag. If a grandparent or a sitter needs to fold the stroller or adjust the harness, I can pull up the instructions in seconds. It sounds small, but it has saved us more than once.

The Baby Jogger City Tour 2 folds small enough to fit in the overhead bin, and that one feature is the difference between a stressful airport day and a smooth one.