Travel Devil – Adventures Without Guilt for Sustainable Travel
Travel Devil is your gateway to a world of sustainable travel, slow travel, and truly meaningful adventures. Hosted by slow tourism advocate Clara Francken, this podcast invites you to rethink the way you move across the planet. In a world dominated by mass tourism and cheap flights, Travel Devil shows how eco travel and responsible tourism can transform not only your trips but your entire travel mindset.
Here, we explore how to travel lighter, deeper, and with intention, whether you're interested in slow tourism, eco-friendly travel, overland travel, or discovering unique travel destinations across Europe and the world. With regular updates touching on Europe travel news and trends in conscious mobility, the show brings you stories that inform, inspire, and challenge the status quo.
Each episode features travellers, adventurers, and experts who share honest experiences about train travel, bikepacking, hitchhiking, thru-hiking, cargo ship travel, family travel, solo travel for women, travelling as a couple, moving abroad, and much more. You’ll hear what it really means to reduce your carbon footprint while staying curious, open-minded, and connected to local communities.
What you can expect from Travel Devil:
- Practical insights into sustainable travel, eco travel, and slow travel
- Real conversations about responsible tourism and slow tourism in Europe and beyond
- Updates and reflections tied to Europe travel news and conscious mobility
- Tips for travel safety, travel tech, and using smart remote work tools while exploring
- Inspiration for overland travel, finding cheap train tickets, and travelling on a budget
- Stories from nomads, expats, long-distance hikers, cyclists, night train travellers, and first-time adventurers
- Advice on packing lists, packing hacks, and navigating nomad housing
- Deep dives into local community projects and sustainable initiatives shaping the future of travel
Whether you’re into eco-friendly travel, sustainable travel, slow tourism, overland routes, or simply want to expand your travel mindset, this podcast will help you explore the world in a way that feels good - for you and the planet.
Expect inspiration. Expect laughter. Expect honest stories that make you rethink how you travel.
For more conscious travel content, follow @traveldevil.podcast and @clarafrancken on Instagram.
Episodes
45 episodes
45- She traveled from Greece to Germany Without Flying (Train, Ferry & Bus) - Full Story & Cost
Is there anything more beautiful than arriving at your destination by land instead of air? In this solo episode, host Clara Francken shares exactly how she traveled from Greece to Germany without flying - using ferries, regional trains, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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36:11
43- Will ChatGPT save or destroy sustainable travel?
AI is transforming the way we travel, from how we plan our trips to how we book hotels and trains. But is it really sustainable?In this solo episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Francken explores the climate footprint of artificial intell...
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Season 3
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Episode 43
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56:07
44- Camping in Gardens: The Belgian Platform Changing Travel w/ Manon, Welcome To My Garden
Have you ever imagined camping for free in someone’s backyard? In this episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Francken talks to Manon from "Welcome To My Garden", the Belgian non-profit platform that connects travelers with locals who offer their ...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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46:04
42- What Every Traveler Should Know About Microplastics w/ Dana Zhaxylykova
When we think about sustainable travel, we often picture avoiding flights or packing eco-friendly gear. But what if the real danger lies in something we can’t even see - in microplastics?In this episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Franck...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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53:57
41- Why the Bus Beats the Train in Thailand & Laos w/ Eva & The Planet
When you think of traveling through Southeast Asia, do you imagine hopping on a quick flight between islands? In this episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Francken sits down with Eva Werners from Eva & The Planet to talk about the real...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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1:04:20
40- Cruise Industry Exposed: Greenwashing & Alternatives w/ Joe Sills
From documenting the world’s largest sailing ship, the Royal Clipper, to walking on mega cruise liners with thousands of passengers, Joe Sills has seen both sides of the ocean travel spectrum. In this episode of Travel Devil, host C...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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1:01:03
39- Best Travel Hacks for Vegetarians & How Eco-Tourism Works w/ Caroline Muller from Veggie Wayfarer
How do you survive as a vegetarian traveler in a world where menus are often heavy on meat? And what’s the real story behind eco-tourism and “green” hotels? In this episode of Travel Devil, I sit down with Caroline from Veggie Wayfa...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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47:20
38- Spiritual travel as a path to healing? Discover yourself w/ Julia from Soulwisdom
In this episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Francken talks to Julia Weigert from Soulwisdom about her transformative journey through life, travel, and spirituality. Julia shares how her own challenges led her to create Soulwisdom, a plat...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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50:52
37- How Finland Became a Biker’s Paradise – EuroVelo 10 w/ Henna Palosaari
Ever dreamed of cycling across Finland? In this episode of Travel Devil, Clara Francken chats with Henna Palosaari from Bikeland about one of Europe’s most stunning long-distance cycling routes — the EuroVelo 10, also known as the Baltic Sea Cy...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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52:14
36- Why I love trains & Childhood memories with grandma in Belgium
In this solo episode of Travel Devil, your host Clara Francken takes you on a journey through memory lane. All the way from hometown Ghent to the seaside, to Christmas markets in Germany. Clara reflects on why she loves train travel, how it sha...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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20:30
35- Why whale watching isn't always ethical & dolphins research w/ Joana Castro, AIMM
In this episode, we’re diving into the world of dolphins, whales, and what it really means to observe marine life responsibly. Guest Joana Castro is marine biologist and founder of AIMM – Marine Environment Research Association. She has spent o...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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50:02
34- Why 12 Students drove a bus to Guinea-Bissau to become teachers w/ Raquel Dinis
What if your teaching degree included crossing continents in a DIY travel bus? In this episode, your host Clara Francken chats with Raquel Dinis, who shares her experience with DNS Teacher Training College. She talks about where the classroom i...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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1:13:15
33- Flixbus to Slovenia & Ouigo Train to Paris – Storytime
Ever wonder what slow travel really looks like when you’re trying to avoid planes? In this solo episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Francken gets personal about the highs and lows of her sustainable travel choices.From the Eurostar train...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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24:35
32- Marine Conservation Without a Degree? How to Do It w/ Maddie Howarth
Have you ever dreamed of working in marine conservation or diving with manta rays? But you don't have a science degree? In this episode, your host Clara Francken speaks with Maddie Howarth, a passionate scuba diver, content creator, and ocean a...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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52:51
31- Why American Trains Are Worth Your Time w/ Simply Railway
Thibault Constant, the creator behind the YouTube channel Simply Railway, talks about the reality of traveling by train across the U.S. In this episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Francken sits down with Thibault to talk about Amtrak, the natio...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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1:13:00
30- Sustainable Travel in Greece: How to Make Local Impact w/ Joanna Kalafatis
When we talk about sustainable travel, we often focus on carbon footprints and eco-hotels. But what about the local people? In this episode of Travel Devil, your host Clara Francken talks to Joanna Kalafatis. Joanna is a travel writer, photogra...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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51:56
29- Vanlife in Canada is fun, but can it be sustainable? w/ Alise from Outdoor Nerds
Vanlife offers freedom, adventure, and breathtaking landscapes, but what about its environmental impact? In this episode, your host Clara Francken sits down with Alise from Outdoor Nerds to dive into the reality of vanlife in Canada. Beyond the...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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1:13:12
28- From Pro Cyclist to Bicycle Touring Mom w/ Fatima Berton
Can you be a cyclist, a mother, and a content creator—all at once? Fatima Berton (@bertoniiii) proves that you can.In this episode of Travel Devil, we dive into bike touring as a family, the realities of women in profe...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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1:12:14
27- Safety for Girls on Trains: We Need to Talk About This
When we talk about sustainable travel, we often focus on the environment, but what about personal safety? In this episode of Travel Devil, we explore the challenges women face when using public transport, particularly trains.With real-li...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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27:28
26- Cycling to the Climate Conference: A Ride for Change w/ Guillaume Otrage
Would you cycle 6,500 km to highlight climate change? For Guillaume Otrage, the answer was yes. Instead of hopping on a plane to attend the COP29 Climate Conference, he went on a six-month bicycle journey from Paris to Baku. Together with a tea...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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1:08:55
25- Beyond Cleanups: Creative Action to Save our Oceans w/ The Trash Traveler
They picked up 650,000 cigarette butts and piled them in the city center. Why? To take a striking stand against trash & pollution.In this episode, I chat with Andreas Noe, aka The Trash Traveler, who’s changing beach ...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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53:35
24- What High School in Turkey is Really Like as an Exchange Student - Christmas Edition
Attending Turkish high school as foreigners? This is our personal experience during the winter time in Turkey. This episode is my Christmas gift to all the international students abroad. Host Clara Francken and her best friend Debbie talk about...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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57:16
23- Walking 1,000 km: Eco-Mobility & Climate Action in Botswana
How far would you go to raise awareness about climate change? Reuben Ntuluki walked 1000 km through Botswana to prove that sustainable travel is possible and necessary. In this episode of Travel Devil, your host Clara Francken uncovers the chal...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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40:43
22- Portugal to Germany by Train: The Truth About Sustainable Travel
In this solo episode, your host Clara Francken shares her firsthand experience traveling from Portugal to Germany by train - an epic 4-day journey filled with highs, lows, and important lessons. From breathtaking views in southern France to log...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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34:55
21- Crossing borders by train, EU politics & upcoming changes w/ Jon Worth
From funny and awkward border-crossing moments to the occasional frustrating delays, this episode is packed with relatable and entertaining train tales. Host Clara Francken welcomes Jon Worth, an independent EU policy commentator and expert on ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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1:11:03