But what about older toddlers and preschoolers?

I think it is still worth taking a stroller for older children - especially if you intend on doing a lot of walking or want to stay out all day. It is frustrating dealing with a tired preschooler who refuses to walk anymore and it's not physically possible to carry them all day. With a stroller your child can sit when tired and you will probably be able to stay out longer. Tired children can also nap while you continue sight-seeing.

For older toddlers and preschoolers you don't need a fancy stroller as they will not be spending all of their time in it. You don't even need one that reclines as most kids can sleep sitting up if need be. The two most important things to consider are size and weight. If your child is not in the stroller then chances are that you will either be pushing an empty stroller or carrying it. You don't want to be lugging around a huge jogging stroller!
If you are getting on and off public transport then you will probably need to fold up the stroller so something slim and small is best. If you have a hire car and luggage then a small stroller will take up less space in the boot/trunk.

Umbrella strollers are great in this case - they are lightweight and slim and (usually) fold easily. Most of them are fairly cheap so it doesn't matter too much if you lose it or it falls apart at the end of the trip.

Here is an example of a SIMPLE UMBRELLA STROLLER

When we travelled to France in 2003 with our then 4 year old we didn't remember to pack our small umbrella stroller (I blame the men for taking it out of the boot whilst packing the car). It didn't matter too much because we (wrongly) assumed that Loll would walk everywhere. We were wrong. He did okay the first day but by lunch time on the second day he didn't want to walk so much anymore and began to complain and wanted to sit down on the pavement - he wasn't used to that much walking. So we took a trip to Samaritaine department store (which we could see from our hotel window) to buy a stroller.

As it is an upmarket store we were unable to find a cheap umbrella stroller of the variety that you usually find in K-Mart and other discount stores. The cheapest strollers were the Maclaren Volo, (although they didn't come with a hood which was disappointing as the newer models now have them) or a Chicco stroller. We ended up choosing the Maclaren - mainly because of the brand but also because the stroller is made from super lightweight aluminium and only weighs around 3.5 kgs. Plus it folds flat and has a carry strap so you can carry it on your shoulder. We've used it a lot since then and now we use it for Zavvy on shopping trips and for the school run. It's probably the most useful souvenir we've ever bought LOL.

This is a MACLAREN VOLO

This is a picture of us with the new stroller (on a bridge overlooking the Seine, Nov 2003):

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