Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

It's Travel Desk Tuesday, in which one of my excellent colleagues fills us in on what's happening around the world – and, in this case, around the UK. Amelia Neath has done so much work on tourism taxes she's now our correspondent on the subject.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yvonne Moynihan has taken over running the British offshoot of one of Europe's top three budget airlines (the other two being easyJet and Ryanair, where Ms Moynihan used to work). We talked about the move into Saudi Arabia, punctuality and service.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rejoice! For the first summer since 2006, passengers at some UK airports can leave all electrical items and liquids inside their cabin baggage at the security checkpoint. Al Titterington, Birmingham Airport Terminal Operations Director, has been telling me more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the key England v Wales match in the Women's Euros in St Gallen, Switzerland, I have been assessing the cost of being a tourist in the Alpine nation. For more advice, I am talking to Alex Herrmann, director United Kingdom & Ireland for Switzerland Tourism – about Big Macs and much else.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An entry fee for the Lake District on busy days, and the prospect of many more tourist taxes? I've been hearing from Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership – and an advocate for more funding and decision-making for local leaders.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been back through the archive to bring you a report of the first departure from Waterford to London Gatwick – including an interview with chief executive Michael O'Leary from the end of 2019, which is entirely pertinent today.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talking to Adam Lechmere, publishing director of the Academie du Vin Library – which has just brought out The Smart Traveller's Wine Guide to Napa Valley, north of San Francisco in California.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That's the contention from Rene Frey, chief executive of Rough Guides and Insight GuidesThis podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you buy a rail ticket, that's it: you just show up at the station and board the train. Flying should be like that. But instead, passengers are obliged to check in with the airline. I think the aviation industry could do away with it.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am reporting from a speedy Austrian train on the former route of the Orient Express - and talking about the many benefits of Interrail.You can get 1/5th off if you buy today or tomorrow.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An unusual way to start the month: talking to my friend Daniel Bettendorf outside the Art Inn in Linz, Austria, where we have cycled. Since the early day of Uber, he has been a regular user of the ride-sharing app – and has strong views on rating and tipping drivers, partly based on his knowledge of Game Theory as a mathematician.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of the peak summer months of July and August, Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, looks ahead to the main holiday season at a time of uncertainty.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a week it has been, as conflict surged and then waned in the Middle East – with dozens of flights cancelled and tens of thousands of people stranded by the sudden closure of Qatari airspace. To put current events in perspective, I'm talking to Jane Kinninmont, chief executive of UNA-UK – the United Nations Association. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm at the Alpine Club in Charlotte Road, Shoreditch, London – where, between 11am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to 18 July 2025, you can find a fascinating exhibition of the work of Everest pioneer Howard Somervell.He was one of the world's best climbers – and an artist of high repute. And Graham Hoyland, who is writing a biography of Howard Somervell, provides a fascinating insight into his life and work.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just ahead of the summer peak, a warning from Lloyd Figgins, CEO of the Trip Group, about cybersecurity while on the road. Are you sure that is the coffee shop's wifi, and doesn't belong to that chap sitting in the corner with a laptop?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Young, gifted and cabin crew. No, not me – my excellent colleague Natalie Wilson, who reports in from an experience day at British Airways' global training academy, where she was drilled in some of the skills required to work on commercial aircraft.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am at Gatwick airport, busy as always, but keeping tabs on the unfolding disruption in the Middle East. British Airways has cancelled a series of flights to and from Dubai and Doha.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am talking to my excellent colleague, Natalie Wilson, about how much time people should allow to reach and get through the airport. It follows a social media trend about "airport theory" in the US.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Ludlow, president of Carnival UK – which includes P&O Cruises and Cunard – says cruise is a benefit to all.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talking to Powell Ettinger, founder and director of the Small Cruise Ship Collection – covering vessels from eight to 250 people. Most carry 40-100 passengers. River cruising on one of these vessels has many advantagesThis podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hundreds of flights are being diverted around closed airspace – these are the key impacts, and your rights.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Norway has strict new rules in place to protect polar bears in Svalbard (Spitzbergen) from encroachment by tourists. The government in Oslo says: "It is important for them to be able to search for food, hunt, rest, and take care of their cubs without interference from humans." But my guest today, expedition leader and photographer Paul Goldstein, says the rules go too far.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 hours after the heartbreaking loss of Air India flight AI171, my reflections on the tragedy and what investigators will be looking for.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am in Palma, where I met up with an English chef who has made a name for himself – and his restaurant. Marc Fosh talks about Mallorca as an island of plenty, with all the ingredients for a feast – including outstanding wine.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm on something of a personal campaign to persuade more people to add a day or two to their trip to visit one of my favourite Portuguese locations – Cascais, the port planted elegantly on the shoreline west of the capital, Lisbon, on what's known as the Portuguese Riviera. It was settled in turn by Romans, Visigoths and Moors and today the centre of Cascais is an intriguing combination of sun-worn houses, cafés shops and smart hotels – including the Farol, whose sales director is Teresa Saramago.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eurostar promises a new Golden Age of rail with new direct links from London to Frankfurt and Geneva, as I've been hearing from the cross-Channel train operator's chief executive, Gwendoline Casenave.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talking to Lloyd Figgins of Travel Risk & Incident Prevention about a course designed for adventurers.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm back in the USSR – or at least what was a small part of that vast and brutal empire. Today, Lithuania is a modern, democratic nation and a member of the European Union. Its capital, Vilnius, shook off its communist chains 35 years ago. As excellent tourist guide Ieva – from Vilnius With Locals – told me, the scars still run deep. But there is much to celebrate...This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm talking to Martin Johnson, chair of the Expedition Cruise Network, about the ships that take travellers to the ends of the world.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I really enjoyed talking to Christine Shacklady, Managing Director of the TRIP Group – Travel Risk & Incident Prevention. She began with some top safety tips, and then the conversation veered off towards wonderful Venezuela.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My excellent colleague, Natalie Wilson, has just returned from a short but intensive exploration of Sweden with Intrepid, and talks about the food, drink, coffee culture and beauty ... as well a welcome encounter with a moose.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My friend Arvi has just returned from Uzbekistan, and – aged 80, having visited every country in the world, is now planning his next adventure. After a lifetime of travelling, Arvi has much to share with us.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talking to Nicholas Wood, director of Political Tours, who organises trips to various frontlines around the world. The 2026 offering has just been published. It includes Taiwan, under threat from China; Poland and Lithuania, bordering on Russia; and the US for the mid-term elections late next year.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have been talking to Ruth Kelly, author of the review into the shutdown of Heathrow airport on 21 March, following a fire at the North Hyde electricity substation.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Air passengers' rights rules have been around for a couple of decades now – spurring the creation of a side industry in claims handling. Companies such as AirHelp offer to pursue claims for delays and compensation on your behalf in exchange for a sizeable chunk of any payout. Today, though, AirHelp has launched a new app that monitors your flights for you and lets you know if there is trouble ahead. I have been speaking to the chief executive of AirHelp, Tomasz Pawliszyn.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A pan-European consumer group is urging the EU to force airlines to allow passengers to bring a wheelie bag on board planes as well as a smaller item without paying extra. Frankly I think they are on a hiding to nothing – and talking of hiding, the accusation that these are "hidden charges" does not stand up. Airlines are extremely clear about their baggage limits, and the costs for taking more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was on board the 6.14am train to Shepperton, along with the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander. What is the big idea behind renationalising the railways?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boss of Britain's biggest budget airline, easyJet, reveals pre-emptive action:Sharper turns between arrival and departure.Spare parts and planes judiciously deployed.More slack in crew rosters in case of air-traffic control delays.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have been talking once again to Gediminas Žiemelis, boss of Avia Solutions Group – which runs 14 different airlines including Ascend of the UK. He's been talking about how his company helps meet peak demand, but also warning of possible strikes in Scandinavia and France. Also: check in early is his advice, to swerve possible overbooking.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The transport tech giant Uber is to take on Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel – but you may need an Uber to reach the departure station in east London. Uber has teamed up with a start-up operator, Gemini Trains, to promote a planned rival service linking London with Paris and Brussels. If the partners are permitted to launch trains to Continental Europe, they will not start from the terminal at St Pancras – but six miles down the track at Stratford International.Chief executive of Gemini Trains, Adrian Quine, has been telling me more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people grumble at soaring air fares. But if an airline is setting fares at a preposterous level, such as £900-plus from London to Edinburgh, that's because it doesn't want you to buy it – rather, the hope is that a long-haul passenger will use it as part of a more lucrative trip. Aviation economist Oliver Ranson has been telling me more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fenix, which has just had its opening weekend, is a breathtaking new museum that explores the deep-rooted human instinct of migration. “In every family, there is a migration story to tell,” says director Anne Kremers. “As long as we exist as human beings, we move, we migrate, and we will always keep on doing that.”This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A giant Airbus A380 plane in the colours of Global Airlines will lift off from Glasgow airport in Scotland, destination New York JFK. The founder, businessman James Asquith, has pledged to “take passengers back to the Golden Age of Travel, reinvigorating the onboard experience with elevated service”. But not everyone agrees that a newcomer flying a very large aircraft is what the world needs.So what is the story behind Global – and what are its chances of success? I have bought a ticket for the inaugural departure.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the UK basks in unusually warm weather, everyone is in holiday mood. But beware the natural world, says the doyenne of travel health, Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth. She has been telling me about protection against the most dangerous creature on earth for humans: the mosquito. Pack that EX4 insect spray.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben is sadly leaving The Independent this week after two years with the travel team. He looks back over the highlights during that time – with Scottsdale well ahead of Santorini – and predicts a summer of travel calm. Ben will be missed.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.