Explore Europe on Foot: The hows and whys of trek-travel on the continent

“That’s one of the great things about walking-based travel in Europe: You get away from expectations. When you plan a traditional sightseeing trip you already have an idea in your mind of what you’re going to see. But when you just let the trail unfold you can let things go — and let things come to you — and really soak in the culture in a different way.” –Cassandra Overby

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Cassandra talk about Cassandra’s early decision to focus on trekking-travel rather than standard tourism in Europe (3:30); how trekking in Europe is cheaper, more immersive, and more social than American trekking (11:30); which classic European trails make for “bucket list” hikes, and how to find and research less-famous ones (19:00); strategies for combining hikes with public transportation, choosing the best time of year to hike, preparing physically for the journey, and whether to hike alone or with a companion (26:00); how to reserve trails, facilities, luggage-transfers, and guides in advance (32:45); useful apps, navigation aids, guidebooks, and gear for trekking in Europe (38:00); and how to use mountain huts and plan “rest days” on treks (52:30).

Cassandra Overby is the author of Explore Europe on Foot: Your Complete Guide to Planning a Cultural Hiking Adventure, which aims to help travelers find ways to discover Europe without depending on cars, buses and trains. The book provides overviews of fifteen long-distance trails (and day hikes) in Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey, with itineraries that range from one to fifteen days.

Notable links:

• Alpine Pass Route (long-distance hiking trail in Switzerland)
• Alpenhorn (musical instrument)
• Dirndl (traditional Alpine dress)
• Tour du Mont Blanc (long-distance hiking trail in Switzerland/Italy/France)
• Tour of the Lake District (English walking route)
• Camino de Santiago (network of pilgrims’ ways into Spain)
• GR Routes (network of long-distance footpaths in Europe)
• EuroVelo (network of long-distance cycling routes in Europe)
• English Way (Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route)
• Alsace Wine Route (hiking route through the Alsace region in France)
• WhatsApp (text-messaging app)
• GPS Tracks (navigation app)
• Gaia GPS (navigation app)
• Trekking poles (hiking accessory)
• Half-board (accommodation rate)
• Mountain hut (trekking shelter)

This episode of Deviate is brought to you by Tortuga Backpacks, which set the standard for the best, most durable, organized, and comfortable travel backpacks. Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

This episode is also brought to you by AirTreks, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. If you’ve ever planned a trip with multiple stops, you know that finding the right flights can be difficult. Between balancing travel logistics and cost, it often becomes impossible to build an itinerary that matches your travel goals.  AirTreks is a distributed travel company with employees working from all corners of the world to help with your flight planning, specializing in complex routes with up to 25 stops. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

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