Best Seaside Walking Tours Podcasts (2025)

Because this means so much to us, we've repeated the episode! The Somerset town of Frome has seen many battles in its history, from the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 to a campaign to win Packsaddle Community Fields in 2025. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Is Japan The New Ski Capital? 41:55

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2M ago41:55

41:55

This week we're talking to Jay Stevens, CEO of Wayfairer Travel, whose passion is snowboarding in Japan. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Midlifing on the South West Coast Path 33:29

3M ago33:29

33:29

Zoe Langley-Wathen walked 630 miles around the coastline of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset – and then she wrote a book about it. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Battle of the Countryside 20:51

5M ago20:51

20:51

The Somerset town of Frome has seen many battles in its history, from the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 to a campaign to win Packsaddle Community Fields in 2025. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Walking Across Africa 45:43

5M ago45:43

45:43

Forty years ago, Patrick Nash took a ten-month walk through the heart of Africa. We talked to him about the journey that inspired his latest book, Shots Across the Water. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Writing Around The World 33:28

6M ago33:28

33:28

Jean McNeill, author of Latitudes: Encounters with a Changing Planet, is an award-winning Canadian-born writer, the first-ever female director of creative writing at the University of East Anglia, and a professionally qualified safari guide. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Alice's Journey Through Saudi Arabia 30:35

7M ago30:35

30:35

Scottish explorer and Arabist Alice Morrison decided to take a long hike to talk to the ordinary people, particularly the women who live there. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Valentine Warner’s Wild Kitchen 30:37

8M ago30:37

30:37

Valentine Warner is a celebrity chef who’s made no less nine TV series, and has written five books. He likes to cook in remote and beautiful corners of the world. His new venture, Kitchen in the Wild, is set in a private safari lodge with views of Mount Kenya. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the show…

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Wild About Croatia 34:28

9M ago34:28

34:28

Travel writer and author of My Family and Other Enemies, Mary Novakovich, explores her homeland, including the hinterland of Croatia most foreigners never visit. Music: © Barney and Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Joanna Penn's Pilgrimage 35:28

11M ago35:28

35:28

Author, podcaster, and creative entrepreneur Joanna Penn is a best-selling and award-winning writer of horror, thrillers, dark fantasy and travel memoirs. She's also taken up going on pilgrimages. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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A Ride Across America 36:44

11M ago36:44

36:44

Simon Parker has cycled in this election year across the whole of America, from the northwest coast of Washington state, all the way to the most south easterly tip of Florida. He's written a book about it. Music: Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Ride Like A Gaucho 35:11

1y ago35:11

35:11

Sophia Ashe, hooked on ponies and horses since childhood, joined a team of gauchos at a ranch in Argentina and wrote a book about her experiences. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Peter & Felice Hardy

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Bletchley Park Revisited 22:17

1y ago22:17

22:17

Bletchley Park is a country mansion 35 minutes by train northwest of London, where Alan Turing and his team of cryptanalysts cracked the complicated codes of the German Enigma machine. Music © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Loneliness of a Long-Distance Sailor 36:00

1y ago36:00

36:00

How do you survive on your own for days on end? So far, seven women have completed the Vendée Globe, the toughest round-the-world race. Joan Mulloy, a brand ambassador for Helly Hansen and a mother of two from the west coast of Ireland, is determined to become the eighth woman to compete and the first to win it. Music: © Barney & Izzy Hardy Support…

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The Whale in the Living Room 25:28

1+ y ago25:28

25:28

Veteran underwater cameraman, John Ruthven, talks to us about his book and a lifetime of exploring the deep. He is also a producer of Sir David Attenborough's The Blue Planet, a zoologist, film director, writer, editor and stylist. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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A Century of Cottar's Safaris 31:37

1+ y ago31:37

31:37

This week we're in Kenya talking to safari camp owner, Calvin Cotter, whose family came here from the Great Plains of the Midwest in the years before World War One. Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The Ultimate Childcare for Skiers 29:00

1+ y ago29:00

29:00

This week, we're exploring the fraught subject of taking small children skiing for the very first time. We're going to start and end with a warning to listeners: If you want to book a nanny service-inclusive holiday for the coming winter, there is really no time to waste. You need to book right now. Support the show…

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The Secret Resort of Le Grand-Bornand 23:42

1+ y ago23:42

23:42

Le Grand-Bornand is not a name like Morzine or Chamonix that trips easily off the tongue when we mention skiing, but it's typically and traditionally French. Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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North American Dream in the French Alps 19:37

1+ y ago19:37

19:37

It's the twentieth anniversary of Arc 1950. The resort began as the idea of Canadian resort developer, Intrawest, creator of Mont-Tremblant in Quebec and manager of some 20 other resorts in North America – from Whistler to Mammoth. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Wild Travels In Africa and Asia 21:08

1+ y ago21:08

21:08

This week we're talking to someone who specialises in creating holidays that are entirely different – taking you to places you probably thought were out of bounds to all tourists. Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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From Fjord to Snowfield 21:43

2y ago21:43

21:43

We caught up with Rory Dixon who organises skiing-touring trips off a boat in Norway and Greenland, life-changing adventures to distant corners of the world. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Jess the Horse Nomad 17:10

2y ago17:10

17:10

Jess Isbrecht is a digital nomad who travels full time with her horses. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The World's Most Travelled Man 31:52

2y ago31:52

31:52

Harry Mitsidis has travelled to every country in the world, at least twice. He's the founder of a website called NomadMania. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Walking to the South Pole 23:04

2y ago23:04

23:04

To discover a little of what former Royal Marine, Sam Cox, will experience living alone at -30°C, podcaster Peter Hardy spends time in an industrial freezer. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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An American in Paris 33:16

2y ago33:16

33:16

No, not the 1951 movie starring Gene Kelly and Lesley Caron... Jay Swanson moved from the USA and now lives in Paris where he calls himself: 'a YouTuber, writer, and puppy wrangler.' He publishes a guide to the city called Paris in my Pocket. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The Van Life Revisited 25:44

2y ago25:44

25:44

We're on the road exploring a thriving sector of the travel industry that continues to explode in popularity across Europe. Music © Barney and Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Wild Skiing in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan 28:32

2y ago28:32

28:32

Untamed Borders sets out to satisfy the hunger of that rare breed of traveller who's already been to the far corners of the earth, got the T-shirt but still wants more. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Chefs, Cars and Skiing 27:16

2y ago27:16

27:16

This week, we're talking to travel guru, Amin Momen, whose London-based company Momentum Ski organises bespoke holidays. Music © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Extreme Travel Dreams 31:20

2y ago31:20

31:20

Turn your wildest travel dreams into reality, with superyacht voyages to the end of the earth, intrepid journeys to deserts, jungles, polar regions and the oceans. Music © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis 27:34

2y ago27:34

27:34

We're in Vienna for an unusual episode of Action Packed Travel – unusual because our principal guest is Felice herself. She's just published a book about her grandparents' dramatic escape from Vienna to London on the eve of World War II. Music © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Cycling From Antarctic To Arctic 32:17

2+ y ago32:17

32:17

Chris and his girlfriend Phoebe are in the saddle, for what you might describe by any standards as a rather long bike ride. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Thermae Bath Spa – A Fusion Of Old And New 21:29

2+ y ago21:29

21:29

With the sunny weather outside, we felt it was time to republish this episode about Bath Thermae Spa. Bath in the southwest of England is famous for its Roman baths. In its Regency heyday, the supposedly curative waters attracted the cream of British society…and of course, Jane Austen. 2,000 years later, the waters were re-harnessed in the magnific…

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Travels With The Hungry Cyclist 28:26

2+ y ago28:26

28:26

Tom Kevill-Davies has managed to carve a highly successful career for himself out of his twin passions, cycling and eating. Music © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The Future Of European Skiing 26:34

2+ y ago26:34

26:34

Only a handful of ski resorts in the Alps will in future offer reliable snow cover throughout the season. These include Val d'Isere, Tignes and Val Thorens in France, Cervinia in Italy, and Zermatt in Switzerland – not forgetting the Austrian glaciers. Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The Ultimate Ski Chalets 28:04

2+ y ago28:04

28:04

Globally, there's just a handful of specialist operators who look after their guests on this giddy level. London-based Consensio is the leader of the pack. Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Music On A Train 29:37

2+ y ago29:37

29:37

Cheryl B Engelhardt is a singer-songwriter who composed and recorded her album, Passenger, on a train journey from New York City to Los Angeles. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Sea and Ski With Melody Sky 26:50

2+ y ago26:50

26:50

Action woman extraordinary – mountain and ocean photographer, skier and freediver, Melody lives her life on the edge. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Cervinia – On The Italian Side Of The Matterhorn 24:52

2+ y ago24:52

24:52

It was three years ago that we launched our podcast and today we're in a village that dates back to 1930. It is now evolving into what should become one of the most important future destinations for skiers in the whole of Europe. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Short Break at Longueville Manor 20:04

2+ y ago20:04

20:04

The island of Jersey's top five-star hotel is a very special place indeed. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Jersey's Occupation in the Second World War 28:54

2+ y ago28:54

28:54

We went on a lightning tour of some of the crumbling coastal defences linked by a network of underground passages and even an underground German hospital. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Morzine: A Bird's Eye View 28:19

2+ y ago28:19

28:19

A vast ski area, environmentally-friendly chalets, and birds of prey are just a few of the attractions of Morzine. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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There's a Lot More to Cheltenham than Racing 20:08

2+ y ago20:08

20:08

With its glorious terraced houses, tree-lined promenades and grand public buildings, Cheltenham in Gloucestershire is said to be the most complete Regency town in Britain. Of course, it's best known these days for horse racing. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The Secret Gardens Of Somerset Revisited 26:47

2+ y ago26:47

26:47

We first visited in summer and are now looking forward to better weather to come when we can explore the gardens of The Newt once again – all 17 acres of them. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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The Man Who Skis Faster than a F1 Car 28:32

3y ago28:32

28:32

Jacob Perkins' idea of fun is to travel down a mountainside in a straight line, reaching impossible speeds of up to 150mph without any form of motor. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Secrets Of The Royal Family 33:44

3y ago33:44

33:44

For the past 40 years, Richard Kay has been the expert on the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and has travelled the world to report on the comings and goings of the Royal Family. Music: © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Lacock, In Photography and On Film 17:23

3y ago17:23

17:23

The village of Lacock was once a quaint medieval community with cobbled streets, cottages and coaching inns set around a tumbling stream. It all looks rather familiar because we've seen it in the cinema, movie theatre and TV screens – scenes from Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey and Harry Potter were all shot in Lacock. Music © Barney & Izzi Hard…

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More Brown Bears in The Pyrenees 28:35

3y ago28:35

28:35

High in the central Pyrenees, a one-hour drive from Toulouse Airport, we're in search of big and beautiful brown bears. Music © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Peter & Felice

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Adventure Sailing For Beginners 32:58

3y ago32:58

32:58

Explore a world of polar bears and icebergs, or cross the Atlantic to forgotten corners of the Caribbean. You need the right spirit, but absolutely no previous seafaring experience is necessary. Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy

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Is the Saalbach Ski Area the Best in Austria? 15:40

3y ago15:40

15:40

Cows that milk themselves, oysters up a mountain, and a sommelier who plays Mozart to his wines...find out more when we take an intimate look at one of Austria's largest, most diverse and exciting ski areas. Music © Barney & Izzi Hardy Support the showBy Felice & Peter Hardy