Father creates pram friendly app for walks
A father in south-east France has developed a free mobile application to help parents navigate outdoor walks with young children, addressing a gap in existing hiking resources for families with pushchairs.
PramTrails, created by Antoine Russegger, features approximately 620 routes across France tailored for parents with children aged 0-3 years. The application allows users to select their specific pram model from hundreds of options and receive recommendations based on surface type, gradients and nearby facilities including parking areas, toilets, cafés and playgrounds.
The app also provides GPS navigation capabilities and enables users to rate routes, upload photographs and share feedback with other parents.
The inspiration behind PramTrails
Mr Russegger, who lives in Le Tignet in the Alpes-Maritimes department, conceived the idea after his son developed a pattern of waking at 5am following the family's relocation to the commune of 3,212 residents, situated approximately 9 km from Grasse, 25 km from Cannes and 49 km from Nice.
"We'd just moved to Le Tignet. I started work at 08:30, so I had roughly three hours at the beginning of every day and a toddler who was awake for all of them. It seemed like the perfect chance to actually see the region we'd just moved to. The problem was working out where to go."
He found existing resources inadequate for his needs.
"I read text-heavy blogs, I got lost in the filters of existing hiking apps, and none of them answered the one question I had: will this path work with our pram?"
Benefits of outdoor activities for young children
Research supports the value of such outdoor activities for young children. Studies have demonstrated that parent-child outdoor walking promotes moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and enjoyment in children, while outdoor play helps children develop independence, social skills, problem-solving abilities and concentration.
Expansion and availability
Mr Russegger began developing PramTrails before his daughter's birth last summer. The application has since expanded to include approximately 2,500 routes across 16 European countries and is available in English and French on both iOS and Android platforms.
"The aim is to remove some barriers that keep early parents from getting out with their 0-3 year olds. It is free for everyone – and the more who contribute, the better it gets for all of us."
The Franco-German creator, who has spent most of his life in the United Kingdom, joins a growing market for parenting applications. Industry data shows that approximately 72% of parents with children under 10 use at least one parenting-related mobile application weekly.
Recommended routes in Alpes-Maritimes
Among Mr Russegger's summer recommendations is the Boucle Champêtre du Village de Caille in the hinterland behind Grasse, and the shaded Rives du Loup walk, where families can access the river. The region near Le Tignet, which sits close to Lake Saint-Cassien with its beaches and walking paths under pine trees, offers varied terrain for different seasons.
"In the Alpes-Maritimes, the coast is at its best in winter when it's emptier and that winter sunshine is a nice warmth. The forests and mountains are where you escape to when the coast is too hot."
The application addresses a practical challenge for parents seeking outdoor activities with young children, enabling them to plan walks based on their equipment capabilities and family needs. Users can filter routes according to their pushchair specifications, ensuring compatibility with terrain conditions before setting out.