Traveling with young children offers incredible family memories, but let’s be honest, it also comes with its own set of logistical challenges. Exploring bustling city streets, managing crowded public transport, and navigating charming but narrow walkways can feel overwhelming, especially when you have two little ones in tow. For our recent European adventure with a toddler and a preschooler, we knew we needed a smart solution to keep everyone moving smoothly. That’s where the idea of a Double Travel Stroller became essential. We wanted something compact yet capable of carrying both our children, and after much research, we believe we found the ideal setup.
We opted for the Thule Shine Stroller combined with the Rider Board attachment. This combination proved to be an excellent double travel stroller for our European trip, and we’re excited to share why it might be the perfect choice for your family too. Plus, if you’re curious about how to maximize stroller organization on the go, don’t miss our post on What We Keep In Our Travel Stroller for a day of city exploration!
Toddler standing on rider board attached to Thule Shine stroller, pushed by adult on a cobblestone street.
Why a Double Travel Stroller is Essential for City Travel with Two Kids
Imagine navigating a busy market in Barcelona or hopping on and off the Paris Metro with a toddler who decides they’re done walking and a younger child who still needs to be contained. Without a double travel stroller solution, this scenario quickly turns from a fun family outing into a stressful juggling act. A good double travel stroller becomes your mobile command center, offering a multitude of benefits:
- Convenience: Keep both children contained and moving together, freeing up your hands and reducing travel stress.
- Comfort: Provides a place for tired little legs to rest, crucial for long days of sightseeing.
- Safety: Ensures your children are secure in crowded areas and less likely to wander off.
- Storage: Offers a place to stash essentials like snacks, water bottles, and diaper bags, lightening your load.
For families with two young children, a double travel stroller isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s often a travel essential, especially when tackling urban environments.
Thule Shine with Rider Board: Our Top Pick for a Double Travel Stroller
While traditional double strollers exist, we were specifically searching for a double travel stroller that was compact and maneuverable, ideal for navigating European cities. A side-by-side double stroller felt too wide for narrow streets and public transportation. That’s why the Thule Shine single stroller with the Rider Board attachment emerged as the perfect double travel stroller alternative for our needs. It offered the flexibility of a single stroller with the added capacity to carry our older child when needed, effectively functioning as a double travel stroller without the bulk.
Key Features That Make Thule Shine a Great Double Travel Stroller
The Thule Shine stroller itself is packed with features that make it a standout choice for travel, and when combined with the rider board, it truly shines as a double travel stroller solution.
1. Compact and Lightweight Design for City Navigation
One of the first things we noticed and appreciated about the Thule Shine was its compact footprint. European city streets, particularly in historic centers, are often narrow and winding. This stroller effortlessly navigated tight corners, squeezed through bustling market crowds, and fit comfortably on metro trains. While not the absolute lightest stroller on the market, the features it offered for carrying two kids made the manageable weight worthwhile.
Key Features We Found Essential for “Double” Stroller Use:
- Reversible Seat: The ability to switch between forward-facing and parent-facing seat positions added versatility, especially with the rider board in use.
- Adjustable Handlebar: This was a game-changer for both my husband and me! The adjustable handlebar ensured comfortable pushing for both of us and, crucially, provided enough space to avoid stepping on the rider board while walking.
- Larger Storage Basket: Compared to other compact strollers, the Thule Shine boasts a surprisingly spacious storage basket. This extra space was invaluable for stashing diaper bags, snacks, and souvenirs while managing two kids.
While the stroller’s width was just a tad too wide for some older metro ticket gates, it was never a real obstacle. Metro systems are generally equipped with wider gates for strollers and wheelchairs. In Paris, a simple button press summoned an attendant to open the wider gate. In other cities, these wider gates were often unlocked, sometimes triggering a harmless alarm – a minor inconvenience, but a standard procedure to prevent fare evasion, not a restriction on stroller use.
2. Easy One-Hand Fold for Travelers on the Go
Moving from place to place is a constant part of travel, and that often means folding and unfolding your stroller. The Thule Shine’s one-hand fold mechanism was a dream. Whether we were collapsing it for airplane boarding, navigating the Eiffel Tower elevators, or passing through security checkpoints, the easy fold saved us precious time and hassle.
The one-hand adjustable handlebar also proved to be an unexpected bonus in crowded situations. Quickly shortening the handlebar while hopping on and off buses and metros allowed for easier maneuvering in tight spaces and prevented the stroller from bumping into other passengers.
3. Comfortable for Both Kids, Even with the Rider Board
Keeping kids comfortable is paramount for enjoyable travel. The Thule Shine prioritizes child comfort with its well-padded seat and multiple recline positions. The extendable canopy provided excellent sun coverage, even when reclined, and the peek-a-boo window allowed me to keep an eye on my little one.
The seat reclines easily with a handle on the back, offering near-flat recline for comfortable naps on the go. Both kids happily took long naps in the stroller. The adjustable footrest further enhanced comfort as they grew tired from walking. Even with the older child occasionally riding on the rider board, the younger one remained comfortable in the main seat.
4. Rugged Design Ready for City Adventures
The Thule Shine isn’t just stylish; it’s built to withstand the demands of travel. The all-wheel suspension was a lifesaver on varied terrains. We confidently pushed it over cobblestone streets, grassy parks, dirt paths, and even a few hills. This robust design gave us peace of mind knowing the stroller could handle whatever our urban explorations threw at it, functioning reliably as a double travel stroller alternative.
Toddler sitting in Thule Shine stroller with adult pushing and older child standing on rider board in a park setting.
5. Rider Board Attachment: The Double Stroller Solution in Disguise
The Rider Board attachment is what truly transformed the Thule Shine into our ideal double travel stroller setup. It easily clips onto the stroller frame and folds up neatly when not in use, secured by a handy elastic strap provided by Thule. Our almost 4-year-old loved riding on the board, with a clear view over the stroller seat (even though he’s on the shorter side for his age).
Beyond standing, we discovered the rider board offered surprising versatility. Our older child enjoyed sitting on it, resting his legs on the attachment bar or stretching them out into the under-seat basket. We even used our soft carrier or a jacket as a makeshift cushion for added comfort. The rider board also became a cozy resting spot when our older child was truly exhausted. He could lie down in the storage basket with his legs extended onto the rider board while our younger child occupied the stroller seat. While I can’t officially endorse this from a safety standpoint, and weight limits of the basket should be considered, it worked for us in a pinch and the basket showed no signs of strain! (Try this at your own risk, of course!).
One crucial factor that sets the Thule Shine rider board combo apart from other similar setups is handlebar clearance. I’ve tried rider boards with other strollers and found them incredibly uncomfortable to push, constantly kicking the board. However, the Thule Shine’s adjustable handlebar solves this problem. By extending the handlebar fully, you create ample walking space and avoid stepping on the board. Even at my height (5’3”), pushing the stroller with my toddler riding along was comfortable and stride-friendly.
Toddler lying in stroller basket with legs extended on rider board, older child seated in stroller.
Why We Chose a Rider Board Over a Double Wide Stroller for Travel
We consciously avoided a double-wide stroller for our European travels. The simple reason? European cities are often not designed for them. Narrow sidewalks, crowded public transport, and smaller doorways in shops and restaurants make navigating with a wide double stroller a constant struggle. We didn’t want our stroller to become more of a hindrance than a help, constantly needing to be folded up and carried.
Our older child, being almost four, enjoys walking and only needed stroller assistance intermittently. We primarily needed a solution to carry both kids for shorter stretches, not constantly. For longer periods of walking for the older child or when both kids needed to be contained, we also brought our Ergobaby soft carrier. This allowed for flexibility – if our older child really needed the stroller, I could wear the baby, or we could even carry the baby in the carrier if needed. This combination of the Thule Shine double travel stroller setup and a carrier offered the perfect balance for our family.
Adult folding Thule Shine stroller in an urban environment, demonstrating its compact fold.
The Best Double Travel Stroller for City Adventures
The Thule Shine single stroller, paired with the rider board, proved to be an invaluable piece of travel gear for our European trip. Its adjustable features, compact design, and rider board compatibility allowed us to confidently explore the charming streets and cobblestone paths of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands as a family. If you’re planning a city trip with two young children and are looking for a double travel stroller solution that’s both practical and versatile, the Thule Shine with rider board is definitely worth considering. To see how we organize all our kid essentials in our stroller for a day of exploring, check out this post on what we pack in our travel stroller!
