Episode 104: How to Add Soft Adventure to Your European Itinerary

In episode 104 of the Global Travel Planning Podcast, Tracy is joined by Lynne Nieman, founder of Wander Your Way, to chat about soft adventure travel in Europe, the gentle ways into nature that don’t ask for serious fitness or specialist kit.

Lynne explains what soft adventure actually involves, how to find easy walks and cycles near the cities already on your itinerary, and shares favourite spots from the meadows of the Dolomites to the public footpaths of England.

If the word adventure makes you picture kayaks, climbing ropes and lycra, this one is a reassuring listen. It suits anyone who enjoys a stroll and a view, wants to weave some countryside and village time into a European trip, or is curious about joining a small group tour where the guides do the thinking for you.

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Episode 104 – What you’ll learn in this episode

• What soft adventure actually is: gentle, low-skill ways into nature such as a woodland walk or a flat cycle along the Loire, rather than whitewater rafting or careering downhill on a mountain bike
• How the 2010 Ireland trip Lynne planned with her parents, then in their late seventies, sparked Wander Your Way and still shapes how she plans trips with clients today
• How to add soft adventure to an itinerary you have already started, by looking at the map for green spaces, parks and trails within a train or bus ride of your base
• Why local tourism boards and information offices are such an underused resource, including how Tracy found an hour-long walk with views over Windermere just by asking at the office by the station
• How AllTrails grades routes by difficulty so easy walks are simple to filter for, and the keywords worth searching on tourism sites, such as family walks, discovery walks and cultural walks
• The European destinations that suit soft adventure best, from England’s public footpaths and Scotland’s right to roam to the cable-car-accessed Alpe di Siusi in the Dolomites
• Why little local parks, like the riverside woodland on the edge of Kenmare in County Kerry, can be lovely places for an hour’s wander among the locals
• What to take on a gentle walk: water, a rain jacket, an extra layer, proper footwear, a phone charger, the local emergency number and a quick photo of the trailhead map
• What a small group soft adventure tour includes, based on Lynne’s recent Cairngorms and Scottish Highlands trip: guided walks with interpretation, accommodation, transport, most meals and experiences such as Blair Castle, a distillery tour and feeding the Cairngorm reindeer herd
• Lynne’s plans for a 2027 walking tour along Hadrian’s Wall, with luggage moved between stops
• Lynne’s advice for anyone taking a first step into soft adventure: know what you are comfortable with, then keep digging into what is near where you are staying

Links

Guest information

• Wander Your Way – Lynne’s site for independent travel to Europe, home of her trip planning services, blog and podcast.
• Wander Your Way Adventures – Lynne’s small group soft adventure tours, including the Dolomites and Scotland.
• Wander Your Way on Instagram
• Wander Your Way on Facebook
• Wander Your Way on Pinterest

Mentioned in this episode

• AllTrails – the app Lynne suggests for finding walking routes graded by difficulty, with a free tier to start with.

Podcasts

• Episode 94 Europe by Train: Real Tips and Highlights from a Three-Week Multi-Country Rail Trip – another gentle-paced way to see Europe.
• Episode 99 10 Essential Travel Tips for Every International Trip – Tracy and Doug’s pre-trip routine.
• Episode 100 Slow Travel With a Baby and a Dog – travelling slowly and following your own interests.
• Episode 101 A Wine Lover’s Guide to Planning a Trip to France – includes the regions where an easy cycle between wineries fits perfectly.

Articles

• Small Group Tours in Europe – more on the style of tour Lynne describes.
• Lake District Itinerary – plan time in the area where Tracy found her Windermere walk (on our UK Travel Planning site).
• Essential travel resources – the tools and companies we use to book our own trips.

Guest Bio – Lynne Nieman

Her work is all about helping travellers slow down, connect and truly wander their way. Recent tours have taken in the Dolomites and the Scottish Highlands, with a walk along Hadrian’s Wall planned for 2027.

Find Lynne at wanderyourway.com and wanderyourwayadventures.com

Loved this episode? Have a question? Get in touch!