Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

We talk about the effects of the Iran conflict on travel in the immediate and more distant future. Plus: how will it affect travellers' views on visiting America?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.

Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair and Kenton Jarvis, CEO of easyJet tell me how the crisis has affected their airlines, while Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), assuages concerns about flying. 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 Bernard Donoghue OBE, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. Today he has revealed the stars of the visitor attraction world, led by the Natural History Museum in London. And he looks ahead to the most exciting openings of 2026.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 a typical holiday plane with 160 passengers, one piece of checked baggage will go missing. That's the shocking statistic from Sita, the IT provider for the aviation industry.But Georg Oschmann, VP Product Management for Sita, has been telling me how tech will reduce the number of stray bags and improve the response when cases do go missing. His colleague, Nick Batchelor, VP Strategy & Innovation (Airports), says that airports can increase capacity and reduce disruption by using smarter technology.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 Abu Dhabi airport, where I have been transferring between Etihad flights. Even though the Foreign Office is warning against travel to anywhere in the UAE, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports, many British travellers are taking the chance. I have been hearing from them.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 reporting from London Heathrow Terminal 4. This is the main Middle Eastern hub at the UK's busiest airport. But with so many of its regular airlines axing most or all of their flights right now due to the Iran conflict, it feels like a ghost terminal.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 reporting from on board an express train on the Indonesian island of Java. It's a relaxing and fun way to get around this fascinating nation, as well as being very good value. Buying tickets online is also reasonably straightforward and in my experience the trains are ultra reliable.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.

In the second half of our focus on the lens, this top cinematographer reveals the mistakes that people most often make when shooting video. Hoping your footage will be shared widely? Make sure you are filming in a landscape rather than portrait.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.

In the first of a two part series, top cinematographer and photographer Douglas Bolton tells me how to take better stills – even if you are using your phone rather top of the range camera equipment. Just don't touch that digital zoom.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.

“People will think, maybe I'll fly Singapore Airlines next time.” So says Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, in the last episode of a travel trilogy about the impact of war in the US. But he predicts travellers will soon leave their fears behind.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 attack on Iran that began on 28 February closed the nation's airspace, as well as that of neighbouring Iraq. But within hours, the whole Gulf region was out of bounds for civilian aircraft. In the second of a three-part series, Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler assesses the damage so 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.

Perspective is important in travel. There is one person who can put the current chaos arising from the US Israeli attack against Iran into context: legendary Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler. In the first of a three part series, Tony tells me how dramatic world events over the decades have impacted travellers – and the industry.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 Broken Hill, New South Wales: the Silver City. Besides being a classic Australian mining town, it has been the location for some cult movies – including Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The central set for the music was the marvellous Palace Hotel, whose co-owner is today's guest. Esther La Rovere has been telling me what makes Broken Hill so special.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 stranded travellers in Sydney – probably the location with the highest number of people keen to get to the UK, but scuppered by the airspace closures in the Gulf. Today meet Keith Wood, who with his wife Jan is trying to get back to Belfast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Nicholas Wood, founder and director of Political Tours: friend of the podcast, to whom I talked to last May. Since then a vast amount has happened politically and in the travel realm – most recently the Foreign Office putting Cuba on the no-go list. He's been telling me tours are selling out fast. But what sort of people travel with him?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.

Travel desk Tuesday – and today's excellent colleague just back from a big trip is Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman. She has returned from wintry Finland, where she adored the handsome capital Helsinki – and in particular its amazing library – as well as South Karelia, bordering Russia.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 before I boarded a flight to China, I set out the scale of the problem caused by the closure of the three biggest Middle East air hubs – And considered what might happen next.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.

Each year, heritage venues and attractions funded by the National Lottery offer special deals for anyone who can demonstrate they have played the lottery – a single ticket is all it takes. Darren Henley, CEO of Arts Council England and Chair of the National Lottery Forum, has been telling me more about the opportunities.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 message from Thomas Woldbye, chief executive of Europe's busiest airport, who is keen to build a third runway and opening it to flights within a decade. He also tells me the passenger operation had run better than ever in 2025: “Ninety-eight per cent of our passengers waited less than five minutes in security, and we halved the amount of bags that didn't reach the intended flight.”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.

For many British travellers who plan to travel to Ireland, or who happen to be dual nationals, red tape has become a lot more complicated from today. Aer Lingus, the Irish national airline now insists that passengers flying between Great Britain and the Republic carry passports – until now, many other forms of ID were accepted.And any British citizens who also have a passport from another country face tougher controls when entering the UK. To try to make sense of it allThis 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.

Travel desk Tuesday – and the joy of working at The Independent is that my excellent colleagues are constantly returning from exciting places. Senior travel writer Natalie Wilson tells me about her first experience of Africa. She visited Borano Conservancy in Kenya – and can't wait to return to the continent.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 thousands of tourists are stranded in the resort of Puerto Vallarta after violence erupted following the killing of narcotics kingpin ‘El Mencho'. Most are American and Canadian visitors – dozens of flights were diverted or cancelled at Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara due to the upsurge in violence.The vast majority of British travellers are in and around Cancun, 1,000 miles from the trouble. Should they be worried?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.

Ulan Bator, the capital, is a busy, creative location, says Anna Butler – Tour Manager for Expat Adventure. She has lived in the vast land – six times the size of Britain – for 10 year. But beyond the city there is much more to be discovered.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.

From Wednesday 25 February, people who are British but also citizens of another country were told they can travel to the UK only with a valid British passport or “Certificate of Entitlement”. But now it seems an expired UK passport may 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.

Andrea Godfrey, head of the long-standing and highly innovative travel company Regent Holidays, tells me about the new Holidays with Friends portfolio – taking groups of pals to destinations as diverse as Kosovo and the Philippines.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.

Greenland, Iceland, Lapland – their names alone might make you shiver. Then there's the geological instability of Iceland (remember the volcano?) and the geopolitical instability of Greenland – the 51st state, if Donald Trump gets his way. But Clive Stacey, founder of specialist operator Discover the World, says there is a special appeal to the far north.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 Grand Egyptian Museum is finally fully open on the edge of Cairo. It tells the story of this amazing nation in what has become one of the world's key cultural attractions. Philip Breckner of Discover Egypt says the museum is turning Cairo into a city break destination – with nearby Alexandria also worth visiting.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 perhaps surprising message from Paul Griffiths, chief executive of the world's leading international airport: Dubai, whose code is DXB. Paul also tells me about Dubai's remarkable growth trajectory – and how close DXB will come to the magic figure of 100 million passengers this 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.

What makes a great city? The man who knows is top geographer David Gilbert, Professor of Urban and Historical Geography at The Royal Holloway Centre for the GeoHumanities. He tells me the key virtues of cities, and kindly takes part in a quickfire round in which he has less than a second to decide whether a city is great or not. You may be surprised by some of his answers ...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.

Captain David Sanders, who has a long and distinguished career in aviation, tells me how passengers could help themselves by turning up on time and not drinking to excess; the joys of flying; and the most beautiful flightpaths.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.

It's Travel Desk Tuesday, and cruise writer Marc Shoffman is bringing me up to speed on the joys of river cruising – in Europe and beyond.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.

Sharon Cleator has been travelling to the lovely south coast of Portugal for 40 years. She knows the Algarve like the back of her hand, and now offers a travel concierge service that you can track down online at Sharon's SolutionsThis 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 Trevi fountain in the Italian capital has been overrun by tourists for many years, and now the Roman authorities are seeking to impose some order. But top Rome cultural guide James Hill is unimpressed.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.

In the second part of my conversation with Buenos Aires local Stephen Melton, we discuss the highlights of Argentina beyond the capital.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.

In the beautiful wrought-iron market of San Telmo in Buenos Aires, British teacher and all-round Latin legend Stephen Melton has been telling me about the Argentinian capital – what to see, and what to watch out 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.

That's the title of a challenging event being organised by campaigning group Flight Free UK. Director Anna Hughes talks to me about exploring Europe by rail, bus and ferry rather than taking to the skies – ahead of an online event on Thursday 5 February that anyone can attend.https://www.tickettailor.com/events/flightfreeukThis 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 first UK tour operator to China in the 1970s was Regent Holidays. Neil Taylor, now a tour leader and travel guide writer, was the man behind the trips behind the "Bamboo Curtain". He contrasts then with now, and offers advice for anyone seeking to take advantage of the new visa-free status of British holidaymakers.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 Wendy Wu, founder of Wendy Wu Tours, a leading provider of holidays in the People's Republic. She believes red tape for China could be untangled in just a few days.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.

Britain's biggest budget airline, easyJet, has had its knuckles rapped over its charges for larger pieces of cabin baggage. I have come to London Gatwick airport, its main base, to explain the issue – and what lies behind it – and hear from passenger Helen Baillie who never pays more than she needs.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.

Once again I am talking to Kaya Niedenthal of the Currency Online Group – but in unusual circumstances. He is a busy man so I could interview him only on the move, from his high-rise office in London's Waterloo to the nearby station. The dollar is king, the euro is queen and the pound is still more a prince than a joker, is my conclusion.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.

Travel desk Tuesday, and my excellent colleague Sophie Dickinson gives her thoughts on the highly popular airfare comparison site moving into the realm of Mediterranean package holidays. She and I discuss how useful this might be for your next family trip.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.

For insights and advice I've been talking to top expert Lauren McLeod, who heads up the Australia product portfolio for Trailfinders – the largest independently-owned travel company in the UK.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 UK has a fabulously competitive bunch of airports as well as airlines. Today, I'm talking to John Vincent, chief executive of Liverpool John Lennon – about rivalry with Manchester, what sets the Merseyside airport apart and how important the inbound market is from Beatles fans and football supporters.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.

In which the chief executive of Ryanair – Europe's biggest budget airline – challenges the world's richest man to an arm-wrestling contest.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.

Fifty years to the day since the first British Airways Concorde took off with passengers on board, a final interview with Blake Scholl, founder of Boom Supersonic – and a word from Cuveé founder, Larry Mueller, about whether there is demand for breaking the sound barrier.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.