As the platform has grown, so has the variety of journeys shared by its community. Those 25 million trips span every kind of travel, from weekend breaks and family vacations to multi-year expeditions, creating a record of how people explore the world in their own way.
“People’s travel adventures are often the highlights of their year (and sometimes of their life!). We love that 25 million of these have had Polarsteps along for the ride,” says Clare Jones, CEO of Polarsteps. “We’re building a community of curious travelers, and it’s so wonderful to see people planning adventures on Polarsteps - from weekends away to epic gap years - and then using the app to capture those experiences as they happen.”
Polarsteps combines trip planning with automatic route tracking, allowing travelers to build an interactive map of their journey with stories, photos, and videos. To celebrate the 25 million trips milestone, Polarsteps is spotlighting a few trips from members of its Polarsteps Pioneers program, showing how travelers use the app to capture everything from long-distance hitchhiking and mountaineering expeditions to bikepacking and overland motorcycle journeys.
The Polarsteps Travel Tracker in action
Canadian traveler Courtney Allan, known as Hitchhiker Courtney, is currently hitchhiking from China to Cape Town, relying entirely on rides from strangers. If nobody stops, she pitches her tent and waits. Her trip documents the realities of overland hitchhiking, from long stretches on the roadside to unexpected invitations into people's homes, offering an unfiltered look at a style of travel that depends almost entirely on trust and spontaneity.
Thousands of miles away, Belgian mountaineer Alex Hubin is documenting the first phase of his TroPeaks Project, an ambitious challenge to climb the highest mountain in every country in the world. His Polarsteps journey follows the expeditions behind the project, combining technical ascents with the long overland travel, logistics, and cultural experiences that accompany each climb. His journeys are inspiring, and his unique way of storytelling brings humor to even the toughest days.
German cyclist Leoni Kolberg, The Cyclonaut, is currently documenting her ride in the Gravel Across the Alps Ultra (GRAAALPS), a self-supported ultra-distance cycling event that crosses France, Italy, and Switzerland. The challenge is the latest in a long series of bikepacking journeys she has taken with Polarsteps, crossing dozens of countries and sharing the routes and stories she collects along the way.
Swiss couple Vins and Natha have been traveling full-time by motorcycle since 2021. Their ongoing journey has taken them more than 115,000 kilometers across Eurasia, with no fixed itinerary or return date. Riding a BMW F800 GS they call Falkor, they use Polarsteps to chronicle life on the road, one country at a time.
25 million trips and counting
These trips represent just a small sample of the more than 25 million trips travelers have taken with Polarsteps. Every day, new journeys are planned, tracked, and shared on the platform, inspiring other travelers as they plan where to go next.
“One thing I love seeing is how people are inspired by the trips of friends, family, and other travelers on Polarsteps,” Clare adds. “They discover an itinerary they like, then use it as the starting point for their own adventures. That’s why we introduced the ability to add anyone’s previous Step directly to your own travel plan in Polarsteps. It’s a new feature, but one that has been taking off so quickly. People love to be inspired by real-life travel, and it’s amazing to be a part of that.”
About Polarsteps
Recognized by the Financial Times and Sifted as one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies, Polarsteps is the all-in-one travel app loved by over 20 million travelers worldwide. Travelers can easily create itineraries with the Travel Planner, see their trips automatically plotted on a beautiful world map with the Travel Tracker, and relive every adventure with premium Travel Books. Headquartered in Amsterdam and powered by an international team of 100 passionate travelers, Polarsteps is becoming the essential tool for modern-day explorers: before, during, and after their trips.
