Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Today I am assessing the picture on aviation fuel, after easyJet boss Kenton Jarvis added to the airline leaders vowing to fly the full schedule this summer. No shortages of jet fuel visible, he says. But ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, many people are concerned about queues for the EU entry-exit system. And if you are staying in the UK and relying on rail, be warned of engineering works on several key lines.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 Matthew Valentine, Global Head of Sales for Havila Voyages – the enterprise that is serving the Norwegian shoreline from Bergen to Kirkenes on the Russian border in competition with incumbent Hurtigruten. Whether you go for the Northern Lights or the Midnight Sun, this is a magical trip – handily subsidised by the government of Norway.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 both Finland and Poland I somehow found myself as close as it is possible to be to Russia without actually crossing the border”. Global travel editor Annabel Grossman is frustrated that she cannot visit the world's biggest country. Russia is waging an illegal war against Ukraine, and on the Foreign Office no-go list, but one day we will be able to return. I have prescribed some locations for exploring the vast expanses of the great outdoors.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.

Direct flights from London Luton to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, begin on 8 June, and I am getting a preview of this fascinating nation. Today I have joined the outstanding tour guide Gevorg Rashoyan for a tour of Soviet Yerevan: Armenia was part of the USSR until 1991. Gevorg told me much 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.

Transport expert Thomas Ableman has been telling me about his vision for “joined-up” mobility in the UK – giving people the freedom to live without a car, even in a small village. “Mini Switzerland” is a project to bring Swiss-style integrated public transport to rural England – and to demonstrate that dovetailing buses with trains can boost ridership and the local economy, while increasing options for residents and visitors.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.

Over the past few days I have heard several people speak very warmly about Pakistan - saying it is a much-misunderstood country full of wonders and diversity. To find out more, I have been talking to Saadia Baber, founder and CEO of Xperience PakistanThis 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.

Dr John Mason, eclipse chaser extraordinaire, has been studying the astronomical event on 12 August, when a total solar eclipse will sweep down from Greenland to the northern half of Spain.While Scoresby Sound in Greenland has a high chance of clear skies due to a micro-climate, Dr Mason will be outside Burgos in northern Spain. The eclipse will be followed by the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.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.

Chief executive of the Port of Dover, Doug Bannister, tells me about the investment made in preparing for the digital borders scheme in a location where frontier controls are "juxtaposed" – you check into France while still on British soil. And how is the half-term getaway looking?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.

After Greece decided unilaterally to scrap biometric border checks for British visitors, the tourism minister has said the “UK fast track” will continue until the EU entry-exit system (EES) is improved. Olga Kefalogianni tells me today: “We aim to actually make sure that this facilitation is not just valid for this year.” Her hope is that technology will come to the rescue to enable a friction-free border crossing.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.

Top cinematographer Douglas Bolton shares his secrets of transatlantic travel – basically, stay awake to bedtime.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.

With so much uncertainty and confusion among travellers, I am talking today to the man who has led Abta, the travel association, for 20 years: CEO Mark Tanzer. "I don't anticipate from where we are today that there'll be large scale disruption for people," he tells me. "With everything going on in the world, it's a good time to have a holiday."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.

Warnings of flight cancellations, a cruise with a killer virus on board, the EU entry-exit system ... Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, tells me of her frustration about warnings on summer travel that look wide of the mark. But she also says this is the industry of human happiness.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 I am talking to Senior Travel Writer Natalie Wilson about two fresh concepts in the longhaul aviation world: Emirates' plan for en suite bathrooms in First Class, with Air New Zealand offering bunk beds in Economy. Do we need either?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 is an extremely busy weekend on the travel front, and I am rounding up the headline. There are alarming reports of a small expedition ship off the coast of Cape Verde with cases of hantavirus. Worried airline passengers are contacting me about flight cancellations this summer: my message is, don't panic. The EU entry-exit system is unravelling across Europe, so be prepared for anything.Finally, Venezuela is now connected with the US for the first time by an American carrier for seven years, with American Airlines going in from Miami to Caracas.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.

Nine weeks ago, before the US-Israeli attack on Iran and subsequent reprisals, the intercontinental travel world looked very different. I've been talking to Laura Lindsay of Skyscanner – the platform where you can search for flights, hotels, car hire and package holidays.“People do still want to get away,” she says. But their destination choices are changing, with western Europe and Morocco benefiting from a drop in demand for Dubai.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.

We have just launched our biggest ever network from the UK" – so says Yvonne Moynihan, Managing Director of Wizz Air UK. "Airlines are well used to crises– we're resilient and well adapted". She says: "We have fuel supply. We have other mechanisms for uplifting fuel. We're not seeing an Armageddon situation.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.

Yesterday I talked to global travel editor Annabel Grossman about her first trip to Poland – a country I have been visiting for decades. Our colleague Maria Jelenska, who works for The Independent, heard the podcast and wanted to talk about her home town, the fine city of Gdansk.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 travelling to Poland since before you were born (specifically 1985) and, every time I go there, the nation becomes more appealing – from cuisine and better transport to interpretations of a rich and complex history. But for Travel Desk Tuesday I am talking to global travel editor Annabel Grossman, who is just back from her first visit. She explored national parks and superb beaches, and even found herself on the very brink of 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.

Over the past few days, there has been controversy in the frequent-flyer community about the apparent extension of Silver and Gold status by BA to people who had done hardly any flying with the airline. Rob Burgess, founder of the Head for Points website, has been telling me more.A spokesperson for IAG Loyalty, which runs the scheme for BA, said: "Due to a technical issue, some members (fewer than 1%) were incorrectly told they had retained their status, when they hadn't earned it, or been entitled to it. Because of this, we'll be contacting affected customers in the coming days to apologise and reinstate their correct tier.”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.

All week you may have been reading headlines about flight cancellations and soaring airfares. Well, to round off the week, I have been talking to the boss of the leading western Channel ferry operator, Brittany Ferries. Chief executive Christophe Mathieu says he can guarantee no increased prices – due to the company's policy of hedging. And he says there is no shortage of LNG or maritime fuel for his vessels.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 St George's Day, there's no need to trim your travel sails. Despite challenging headlines travel remains in good health. My guest today, Ted Wake, managing director of Kirker Holidays, says that airlines could cut one flight in five with impunity. "There is scope for the airlines to trim their schedules in the coming months without having any appreciable impact on consumers."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.

Six months ago, Hawaiian Airlines became part of the Alaska Air Group, with the understanding that its identity as the carrier to, from and within the Pacific state would continue. Today, 22 April, the enterprise joins the Oneworld airline alliance.Chief executive Diana Birkett Rakow has been telling me about her airline, the state of Hawaii and the benefits of an airline alliance.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 about the deep south of the world, with conservation biologist Dr Louise Blight – whose book of that title is published today. The work – part science, part adventure and part travelogue – is subtitled "A Story of Penguins, People and Place in Antarctica".Louise told me about her time on Ross Island – and the emotions of life taken to extremes.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 is more than 40 years since BA last connected its main base, London Heathrow, with the Channel Island of Guernsey. I was on board the first departure from the isle – a notable operation with both pilots and all but one of the cabin crew being Guernsey born and bread.While I waited for the flight I talked to Zoe Gosling, Lead Marketing Officer at Visit Guernsey – who had just flown in from Heathrow.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 Goldstein, wildlife photographer and expedition leader, is just back from Baffin Island in Canada – where the temperature, with wind chill, dropped to minus 50C. He talks about the rewards of such a trip – and his new fundraising project. He will walk 500 miles, and he will walk 500 more, to campaign for endangered species.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.

Richard Slater, Founder and Managing Director of Henbury Travel of Macclesfield,, tells me that traveller confidence took a knock when the US and Israel began their attack on Iran – but that people are now booking again in normal numbers.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's podcast is rather different from usual. For the first time, I am talking about driving tests but not any driving test. This one involves the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll – Suzi Quatro – who has been on the road, and on the roads for almost 60 years.This year, though she was told she must take a British driving test. Susie has also become a British national. And Tonight she is playing the London Palladium.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.

Eighteen years ago, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia after years of turmoil following the break-up of Yugoslavia. Serbia still regards Kosovo as part of its territory, but more than 100 countries recognise the nation. I flew into the capital, Pristina, which sprawls surprisingly far for a city of under a quarter-million people – but which has a compact and walkable centre. Among the highlights is the Ethnographic Museum, where I met curator Ilir Sopjani.I also visited Prizren, a city close to the Albanian border – which has a handsome Serbian Orthodox cathedral. I got talking to a guide there, Angela, who told me this is a community with room for everyone.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 2023 I covered the launch of the British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy: recruiting young people to be the pilots of tomorrow. I am delighted to be back at Heathrow to meet newly qualified pilot Jasmine Campbell, one of the inaugural intake and now flying A320 family aircraft across the UK and Europe for BA.Recruitment for the next intake begins tomorrow, 14 April, and Senior First Officer Genevieve Pearmaine – the programme lead – told 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.

From today, the EU's “entry-exit system” is expected to be running at all Schengen area frontiers – bringing to an end the stamping of passports. The digital borders scheme aims to keep a central database of British travellers – as well as many other nationalities. But several EU countries are far from ready, and officials in Brussels have conceded that passports will still be stamped. Here's the inside story.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.

Could you be tempted by the prospect of an exclusive 44-seat aircraft?All-business-class carrier Beond is set to take passengers in some luxury to the Indian Ocean. Rhys Jones, aviation editor for Head for Points, has sampled the cabin. We also talk about Relax Row, the clever three-seat flat bed in economy that Air New Zealand conceived and United Airlines has now picked up.And will there ever be a proper flat bed experience in economy or premium economy?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 guest today is Charlene McCrossan of Martin McCrossan City Tours – which has been introducing tourists to this corner of the far northwest of Northern Ireland since the 1990s. She tells me that the Channel 4/Netflix series is bringing in visitors: "People all over the world are watching that show and loving it," she says.Charlene started a Derry Girls tour in 2020 – starting at the spectacular Guildhall, and incorporating the Derry Girls mural and the mighty walls that wrap around the city.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.

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, is currently enjoying over 14 hours of daylight, a figure that is climbing swiftly towards midsummer. But how much fun is the Arctic territory? My excellent colleague, global travel editor, Annabel Grossman, says: "Tourism might be coming slowly, but that's part of the charm of it ... It's difficult to do on the cheap, but it feels very authentic." She recommends a combo of Reykjavik in Iceland and Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital – with added exploration.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.

You will probably have heard of the shocking case of a woman who was sexually assaulted in a Travelodge by an attacker who was handed a key to her room by a member of staff on the reception desk. Bob Quick spent 32 years with the Police, then moved on to GSA – Global Secure Accreditation Ltd – where he is Managing Director.He has strong views on the weaknesses in hotel security, and what needs to be done.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.

To round off the week, I'm talking to travel expert Rob Staines about queer travel around the world. He and his partner have just returned from India – a nation that, he reports, has become much more enlightened in recent years. “There's lots of places in the world that we can go and visit where we can feel safe and be free and actually enjoy who we are and celebrate who we are with wonderful people,” he tells me.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 might look an odd question. In the past there have been links from these airports to London Heathrow, which were ditched because the slots could be used more profitably on other routes. But Rob Burgess, founder of the frequent flyer website Head for Points, says that not enough attention is paid to the value of creating loyalty through co-branded credit cards – allowing people who live in areas currently not served by BA to “get a kickback from their spending”.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 much-delayed digital borders scheme for the Schengen area is supposed to be up and running in full from 10 April – but Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, is sceptical to say the least. She and I also talked about the prospect of surcharges on holidays this summer.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.

Talking with my excellent colleague, senior travel writer Natalie, about a wide range of travel stories: the shocking business of hotel security, a new Center Parcs Scotland begins to blossom, buy a twist of the Eiffel Tower and new rail prospects across Europe and Central 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.

The 2,700 mile-long trail around the shore of England is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world. It gives unprecedented access to the shoreline, thanks to many years of painstaking work by today's guest – Neil Constable, who led the project for Natural England. We caught up on a breezy day...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 when you thought London Gatwick couldn't get any more competitive, Britain's biggest holiday company has launched at scale from the Sussex airport. Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy has been telling me why there is room for his company at a location already chock-full of easyJet, British Airways, Wizz Air, Tui, Ryanair. 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 surprising view of an eminent commentator on travel, tourism and geopolitics: the formidable all-rounder, Ash Bhardwaj, who has served around the world as an infantry officer in the British Army Reserve. I hope you enjoy our wide-ranging conversation.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.

Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Gatwick Express, Southern, Great Northern as well as Thameslink – has brought out a new safety video which is designed to reduce the number of injuries – currently running at 16 a week – sustained by passengers at its stations. Writer and comedian Diane Morgan presents 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.

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.