Trekking the Planet

06/02/2026

Read our new story about our French GR34 trek along the Brittany Coast:

"Brittany has over 1,650 miles of shoreline, and for our third trek in France we chose to roam along its Emerald Coast. Our trek on the GR34 would take us 50 miles over four stages, beginning from the city of Saint-Malo and ending at the island of Mont-Saint-Michel.

Brittany has over 1,650 miles of shoreline, and for our third trek in France we chose to roam along its Emerald Coast. Our trek on the GR34 would take us 50 miles over four stages, beginning from the city of Saint-Malo and ending at the island of Mont-Saint-Michel.

05/26/2026

GR1 and GR22 Stages 4 and 5: It was another hot day in the high 80s F, so we started a little earlier to cover our 15.2-mile distance. The GR22 path stayed in the forest tree cover and continued to keep us cool. We only had to face the heat when we briefly moved from one forest section to another by crossing a street or a rail line.

When we reached the edge of Paris, we had a view of the Seine River and the Eiffel Tower from our high vantage point. Soon after, we took a series of stairs down from the forest all the way to the river.

The last four miles of the stage had little shade and were challenging to hike in the heat. Fortunately, we found a cold water fountain and refilled a bottle to keep moving. After walking along the Ile Saint Germain we turned off at the next bridge to our hotel in Boulogne-Billancourt.

Our final trekking day in France was also the hottest, with near record temperatures of 92 F in Paris. Luckily, we only had 8.7 miles to hike.

Now in the western outskirts of Paris, the trail surprised us by traversing through several city parks with abundant tree cover. It just amazed us how much continuous forest we had hiked through in the last 60+ miles.

Eventually, we ended up next to the Seine River, where we stayed for the remainder of the stage. We took several detours to walk around the Eiffel Tower and the outside of the Louvre, before returning to the river each time.

Walking through Paris was a full-circle moment for us, as this was the first place in Europe that we traveled to together, shortly after getting married. It was nice to reminisce about our previous visits to Paris as we walked, and also to reflect back on what we had experienced during the 26 stages of this trek as well.

All too soon, we arrived on the Ile de la Cite and found ourselves in front of the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris, where we ended our 340 miles of Trekking France!

We are so grateful to complete our hiking over these past few weeks, sampling five different GR trails in four unique locations in France.

Thanks for following our journey - we appreciate everyone’s support and comments! Stay tuned for more recap stories and video to come.

05/24/2026

GR 1 & GR 22 Stage 3: After spending the night in Versailles, we took the 7:46 am train back to Plaisir. Once we exited the train we walked to a nearby bakery and grocery store to buy some breakfast and lunch. Then we headed out of town to meet up with the trail for our 14.9-mile stage.

The forecast was for temperatures in the high 80s F with about 30% humidity. However, we were fortunate to spend about 75% of the stage in the forest, making the hiking tolerable.

We started out in the Bois-d'Arcy National Forest. The land was originally from the Versailles royal domain. Getting closer to Paris now, we heard more train and highway noise around us. But we were so grateful to continue to hike in such beautiful wooded areas, that it didn’t bother us.

After several miles we left the forest for a short time to weave through an urban area and cross some train tracks. Re-entering the woods, we entered the Versailles National Forest. It is made up of small forest sections separated by the rail track and various highways. We had a choice of routes to take, opting for one that climbed up to several Palace of Versailles viewpoints.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, construction of the palace began in 1623 and it was the main residence of the French kings Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. We had toured Versailles before, and marvelled at the view we had of the castle from our vantage point.

Finishing up our stage, we detoured to the Lake of the Swiss Guards. The lake was created in the late 17th century by a regiment of the Swiss Guards to enhance the southern view from the Palace of Versailles. After capturing a few photos of the lake and palace, we completed our day back at the hotel.

When we saw the Palace of Versailles from our high viewpoint, we could make out both the Eiffel Tower and the Montparnasse Tower in the distance. Paris was not far away now! And with the completion of this stage we have just 23.9 miles left to trek in France.

05/23/2026

GR 1 and GR 22 Stage 2: We have had cool (and sometimes rainy) weather for most of our hiking days on this trip. However, a heat wave has now arrived. And we had a long stage of 17 miles to complete with high temperatures in the low 80s and 60% humidity.

After leaving the town of Saint-Leger-en-Yveline we were back in the Rambouillet National Forest for the first 4.5 miles. The trees were not as tall and dense, but the canopy kept us out of the sun as we hiked. While in the forest we left the GR 1 and joined the GR 22.

We exited the forest via a beautiful lake to make our way through the town of Montfort-l’Amaury. Perched on a hill are the remains of a castle that was destroyed by the English during the Hundred Years' War (1337 - 1453).

Soon after we stopped at a grocery store to buy food and water for lunch. We walked about three more miles through some fields to eat our lunch on a bench in the next village.

It was starting to get hot, so we opted to hike in the shade on neighborhood sidewalks rather than climb through more fields in the direct sun. After joining back with the main path, we entered the Sainte-Apolline Departmental Forest. We enjoyed the cooler temperatures under the tree cover.

With about 1.3 miles to go we turned off into the town of Plaisir. At the end of the stage we arrived at the suburban rail station and took a 20-minute ride to Versailles. We were fortunate to buy our ticket and make it on the train just as the doors were closing, saving us a 30 minute wait for the next one.

In Versailles we checked into a hotel, where we will be staying the next two nights. We will take the train back to Plaisir and walk to Versailles during our next stage.

05/22/2026

GR1 and GR22 Stage 1: For our final trek we are combining portions of two different GR trails to hike to our destination of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The GR1, known as the “Tour of Ile-de-France,“ is a 350-mile hiking loop around the Paris metropolitan area. We joined this path in the town of Rambouillet to begin our first stage.

The trail took us almost immediately into the gardens and canals of the Chateau de Rambouillet. French King Francis I, who we had already encountered during several chateau visits in the Loire Valley, died at this castle in 1547. Later, the chateau was the summer residence of the Presidents of France from 1896 until 2009.

After getting a glimpse of the chateau from the gardens, we left the site to venture through a couple of small villages before arriving at the Foret Domaniale de Rambouillet (Rambouillet National Forest).

This forest is one of the largest in France, covering about 77 square miles. Historically it was used by French kings for hunting. As we hiked through the densely wooded area for the remainder of the stage, we observed pine, oak, sycamore, and aspen trees. Some of the trees were quite tall, and we had to crane our necks to view them.

There was a maze of trails to navigate through in the forest, with path options at some intersections going off in four or five directions. Fortunately, we were able to stay on course.

Another highlight of the forest were the “etangs” or ponds. We took a lunch break next to one and counted several herons in the water as we ate.

Because it has rained so much over the past few weeks, a few sections of the path were muddy, slowing us down. However, the trail was generally flat, with just a few climbs. At the top of one ascent we had a nice vista of the forest around us. It was amazing to see so much unpopulated land less than 30 miles from Paris.

At the end of the 15.2-mile stage we turned away from the forest to head into the village of Saint-Leger-en-Yvelines, where we checked into a guesthouse for the night.

05/21/2026

Check out our latest story about our completion of our French GR3 trek through the Loire Valley:

"During our first five days of GR3 trekking we encountered numerous medieval chateaux. Even though we only had two days and 21.2 miles of hiking left, we had three more Loire Valley chateau visits planned. Each one would provide us with a unique glimpse into the culture and history of the region."

During our first five days of GR3 trekking we encountered numerous medieval chateaux. Even though we only had two days and 21.2 miles of hiking left, we had three more Loire Valley chateau visits planned. Each one would provide us with a unique glimpse into the culture and history of the region.

05/19/2026

GR34 Stage 4: Our final trekking day was a short 10.3 miles. After leaving our B&B, we had a level path ahead to the abbey island of Mont-Saint-Michel. We enjoyed the serene scenery around us, encountering occasional sheep in the salt marshes and just a few other hikers.

After a couple of miles in we passed the Chapelle Sainte-Anne-de-la-Grève. Legend has it that it was originally constructed in the 11th century to place flood-prone properties under the protection of Saint Anne.

As we got closer to Mont-Saint-Michel, we stopped frequently to take photos of the island, as the high tide was just receding and it was still surrounded by some water. Around noon we arrived at the road to the island. We walked a couple of blocks to drop our backpacks at our hotel, then turned around to hike the final mile to the base of the island, ending our trek.

In the year 709 a sanctuary was dedicated to Saint Michael, and the island became known as Mont-Saint-Michel. Over the years a chapel was built (10th century), followed by a Romanesque church (11th to 12th centuries). The current soaring Gothic abbey was constructed between the 13th to 16th centuries.

We had previously visited Mont-Saint-Michel and the abbey almost eight years ago, so this time we focused on exploring the island village and climbing on the ramparts.

The island became a pilgrimage site for devout Christians who couldn’t make longer trips to the destinations of Rome, Jerusalem, or Santiago de Compostela. We noted several subtle pilgrim scallop shells that paid homage to this history.

The tides around the island are some of the highest in Europe, with a difference of up to 45 feet between low and high tide. So in just a couple of hours after we first arrived, we were able to see the island with mudflats all around it.

For dinner we ate at the Hotel La Mere Poulard. It is famous for its omelettes cooked on an open wood fire, resembling souffles. We ordered a vegetable omelette and a local salt marsh lamb dish, accompanied by local red wine. It was a nice way to celebrate the completion of our 50-mile trek.

We have just one more hike left, which will take us to the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

05/18/2026

GR34 Stage 3: We left the town of Cancale to begin a 13.9-mile stage. We were now hiking next to Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, which, along with the island, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

We still had a few more miles of hilly terrain, but it finally mellowed out. Soon, we began a flat section around the remainder of the bay to Mont-Saint-Michel itself. We even got in some beach hiking.

As we continued walking on the faster trail, we passed several small villages. We also saw warehouses and offshore activity dedicated to oysters. A short time later we came to an actual vending machine selling oysters 24 hours a day. We peeked inside the machine to see what they were selling for just 10 Euros ($11.70).

Just before the end of the stage we had a choice of GR34 routes. One trail ventured inland for a time, coming back together right before Mont-Saint-Michel. The other option continued along the bay. Wanting to trek near the coast as much as possible, we stayed along the water on a dirt and bike path.

As we walked, marshes full of sheep began to appear beside us. We soon passed several cylindrical stone buildings with conical roofs that were former windmills. Some had been converted into homes, but one structure had been restored to include its historical sails.

Turning off the coast soon after, we checked into our B&B for the night.

05/17/2026

GR34 Stage 2: We had a shorter 9.7-mile stage today. But since there was eight miles of steeply ascending and descending trail, we got an early start. Fortunately, it was a warmer day with just a few minutes of rain.

As we continued down the trail toward Pointe du Grouin, we continually marveled at the beautiful Emerald Coast. We also began to see some of the corps de garde structures that were historically manned by the customs officers as they identified coastal smugglers.

When we reached Pointe du Grouin, we turned south to leave the coastline from Saint-Malo behind. While taking a lunch break, we could just make out Mont-Saint-Michel in the distance. It was exciting to see our trekking end point 2 ½ days away from us.

The abrupt elevation changes continued, but we found ourselves in a lush forest. Soon, the rocky sections gradually decreased.

A few miles before the end of the stage we came across a snack bar selling fresh oysters, accompanied by a glass of white wine. So we took an extended break to enjoy them before completing our stage.

We ended our day in the city of Concale, located at the end of the Emerald Coast and beginning of the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay. Concale is well-known for its oysters: legend has it that Louis XIV had his oysters brought to him from here. Today, about 25,000 tons of oysters are harvested from the area each year.

05/16/2026

GR34 Stage 1: The Sentier des Douaniers (or Customs Officers’ Path) was established in 1791 to monitor the Brittany coastline for smugglers who were trying to evade customs collectors. The path ran along every cove, estuary, and bay along the coast. But by the end of the 19th century, the trail network fell into disarray.

In 1968 work began to restore the historical path to a long-distance hiking trail. The GR34 now runs over 1,200 miles from Mont-Saint-Michel to the city of Saint-Nazaire. We chose to hike four stages and 50 miles of the trail, beginning from the city of Saint-Malo to Mont-Saint-Michel.

Saint-Malo is a historical port city that prospered in the 16th and 17th centuries as one of Europe’s greatest ports. It was the home of French privateers and sometimes even pirates.

After arriving from the Loire Valley, we had a day to explore the historical center. Surrounded by tall granite walls, we could walk on over a mile of the ramparts around the city. It was also enjoyable to explore the maze of cobblestone streets.

In the morning we began a 16.2-mile stage by walking on the ramparts for a short distance before stopping at a bakery for breakfast. A short time later we found ourselves hiking on a nice sandy beach.

The weather was cold - in the high 40s F with some drizzle. We continued on or adjacent to beaches for the next few miles before we headed out to a coastal point.

Climbing up to the point, we began to appreciate the beauty of the water. We were on the Emerald Coast, with the name coming from the color of the ocean. Soon after, it began to rain. We both had jackets with hoods, but our pants got soaked. Fortunately, they dried out quickly.

After a lunch break on another beach, we made our way out to another point. These last six miles were the most difficult. The trail went up and down steeply, which slowed us down immensely. 

We never went up or down more than 100 feet at a time, but the terrain was either extremely rocky or had numerous high steps to navigate. But the amazing views made up for the extra effort.

With about half a mile to go, we turned off the trail and walked down a road to a B&B, where we stayed for the night.