What if the train became the first step of your hike? With Caminada, Paul Janisson has designed an interactive map listing hiking routes in Occitanie accessible from train stations. The idea is for hikers to board a liO train with their backpack and find themselves in the countryside an hour later.
Based in Toulouse to complete a master's in urban planning, Paul Janisson, 24, prefers the train for economic and environmental reasons. He made a habit of looking for hiking starting points near train stations. Noticing that trail descriptions existed but weren't centralized on a map, he decided to create Caminada.fr.
The site cross-references SNCF data with trail information provided by national and regional parks, departmental councils (including from the Gers and Hérault), and OpenStreetMap. The goal is to offer a selection of varied routes with practical information and a downloadable GPX track. A hike is linked to a station if its starting point is reachable within a 45-minute walk.
Caminada also highlights 'station-to-station' routes, allowing walkers to disembark at one station and catch their train from another. Paul Janisson notes that this type of travel is underserved by existing platforms. He used artificial intelligence to build his site, while also considering its energy footprint, which he deems 'largely profitable' if it promotes train travel for hiking.
The project operates on a collaborative model, encouraging users to share experiences and report errors. Paul Janisson also invites local authorities and tourist offices to allow the integration of their trails to provide additional visibility for their heritage. Beyond the ecological benefit, the initiative emphasizes the 'soothing slowness' of train travel and the revitalization of rural villages through visitor influx.
Currently, Caminada connects 137 stations to nearly 600 hikes in Occitanie, including 109 'station-to-station' routes. The maximum estimated walking time to reach a trail from a station is 45 minutes.
Among his favorite spots, Paul Janisson mentions the Nérassol peak accessible from L’Hospitalet-près-l’Andorre, as well as the areas around Ax-les-Thermes and Mérens-les-Vals, highlighting the incredible access to nature from train stations.
