Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Subtract Amsterdam from the Netherlands and what's left would comprise a beautiful, diverse and cultured nation. I've been singing the praises of second city Rotterdam for many years. Sandra Ishmael, Director UK at the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions, has been telling me about the opportunities in 2026.I can't wait to explore more of North Brabant, which confusingly is in the south of the country. One word of warning: hotel rates rise by 11% on 1 January due to an increase in tax.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 first guest of the month is Rachel O'Reilly Director of Communications for Dertour UK – a company that includes Kuoni, Journey Latin America, Inghams, Kirker, Carrier and CV Villas, She says solo travellers who are not single are the fastest growing demographic.We talked about the impact of the BBC's Race Across the World in stimulating bookings – and how ski resorts are reinventing themselves in response to climate change.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.

Wizz Air's UK Managing Director, Yvonne Moynihan, has been telling me about the year so far; Wizz Air's new "Class" product that will emulate British Airways' Club Europe on some routes from Luton; and plans for being the first airline back into Ukraine.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.

Exploring the Arctic is one of the greatest experiences open to tourists – visiting remote locations such as Svalbard and Greenland – but there are concerns about the environmental impact of such voyages. Now Heather Thorkelson, founder of Minimal Impact Expeditions, is working on the launch of a new vessel, Captain Arctic – "powered entirely by nature".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 1970s, air fares were so high that the best way to reach India from the UK was on public transport – which Butterfield's Overland Tours was happy to organise, via Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. Now one of the perpetrators, Richard Loosley, has written a book about his experiences – and has shared secrets of the road with 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.

I first visited Cambodia in 1993, as the south east Asian country was recovering from the genocide of the appalling Khmer Rouge regime under the dictatorship of Pol Pot. In 2025, Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman has just returned from Cambodia and describes a nation transformed – except for the warm welcome that visitors enjoy.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.

Claire Jones is chief executive of Polar Steps, a travel planning up that takes you worldwide (not just the Arctic and Antarctic). The idea is that all your plans and photos are in one place, so a close group of friends and family can follow your journey. As you go along, it generates a diary for you. And at the end of the trip, you can create a book of your experiences.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 Martin Rolfe, chief executive of NATS – formerly National Air Traffic Services – we discuss the need to modernise the skies, why aircraft holding to land at London Heathrow are necessary and how air-traffic controllers will handle extra runways at Gatwick and 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.

Today and tomorrow I'm talking to Martin Rolfe, chief executive of NATS – formerly National Air Traffic Services – about the work air-traffic controllers do to keep the skies safe for passengers and crew. He also tackles the systems failure on Bank Holiday Monday, and warns that technical issues are an inevitability in an industry as complex as aviation.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.

Great Western Railway has just unveiled "Formula 1" high-speed internet connectivity on one of its intercity express trains, connecting London Paddington with the West of England and South Wales. It uses technology from the world of motorsport to harness satellite and phone mast signals to maximum effect.I have been on a train from Paddington to Newbury in Berkshire and back, sounding out the views of Nick Fry from Motion Applied, Andy Jasper of the Eden Project and GWR managing director Mark Hopwood.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 The Independent's Deputy Travel Editor has top tips on travelling around by rail and road. Sophie's highlight: the Golden Temple at Amritsar. And, she adds:"The food was the best thing about the 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.

Katherine Moloney is founder of Elevate(her) Aviation. She started flying at 18, and is licensed to fly both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Katherine has been telling me: "Aviation as a whole is actually 30% female, but less than 5% in key roles such as engineering, pilot roles, and air traffic control." And she intends to change 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.

Heilbronn is a small city in western Germany. It is notable for being selected as European Green Capital for 2027. But what I find rather more amazing is that there are two medieval towers that you can climb, on your own, having picked up the key from the tourist office.Wild and wonderful: I hope you will try it too.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 finding out about how to survive in jungles and other wildernesses with Dr Joshua Allison, Medical Director at Unique Expeditions. All you need to know about them is that they are, quote, “experts in the extreme.”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 plan being discussed at COP30, the UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil. France, Spain and Kenya want to see business class, first class and private jet passengers taxed much more heavily, with the money going to help less developed countries. The International Air Transport Association (Iata), representing the world's airlines, does not agree. I'm talking today to Thomas Reynaert, senior vice president for external affairs at Iata, about the COP30 plan – as well as air passengers' rights rules and the impending UK budget.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.

(* Though, as Dara Brady, Chief Marketing Officer of Europe's biggest budget airline has been telling me, if you need a boarding pass printed out at the airport staff will do that for free, so long as you have already checked in online.)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.

Five years ago, Cat Jones created a start-up to use smart tech solutions (coupled, often, with Interrail passes) to deliver tailor-made journey by rail, sea and bus across Europe.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 London Gatwick airport, location of easyJet's biggest base, to celebrated the 30th birthday – on Monday – of Britain's biggest budget airline. Since 10 November 1995, aviation has been democratised, giving us wider horizons than ever. I've been talking to Bill Rivett, captain of the first historic flight from Luton to Glasgow. Turns out he was on secondment from British Airways to GB Airways, the small airline easyJet initially hired to do the 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.

Today I'm at World Travel Market, the UK's biggest travel trade event, and talking to Lara Paxton of New Scientist Discovery Tours about the prospects for a new kind of adventure: whether searching for dinosaur traces in the Gobi Desert, or visit the Large Hadron Collider at CERN outside Geneva.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.

Four weeks ago the MP for Barnsley South took over the tourism brief: a real challenge, in my view, with visitor numbers and spend last year lower than pre-Covid. I've been hearing about her vision for boosting business, and in particular broadening the appeal of the UK beyond London. To places such as Yorkshire ...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 Caledonian Sleeper has long linked London Euston with Fort William in the West Highlands of Scotland, as well as Inverness and Aberdeen. From 15 January 2026, the overnight train will call at Birmingham International, serving the city's airport. I've been hearing more from two Caledonian Sleeper executives: Interim Managing Director Graham Kelly and Head of Sales & Marketing, Steven Marshall.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.

Everyone's heart must go to the injured and their families, as well as passengers and train crew, after the appalling knife attack on an LNER train south of Peterborough on Saturday night. The horrifying incident was handled with great professionalism and heroism by LNER staff and the police. But it raises wider questions about security on trains. I have also heard an account from Adam Gill, who was travelling in the opposit direction – and also has nothing but praise for the way train staff responded.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 airlines, domestic railways and a cruise line, the bearded billionaire is set to bring better service and lower fares on international trains to the Continent – but not until 2030.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.

Jack's Flight Club is an enterprise that specialises in finding exceptional deals on tickets to Europe and beyond. I've always been intrigued about how it works – and Head of Community and Content, Katy Maclure, has been revealing the inner workings. “We're the guys who do the hard graft and let you know when the price is right.”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 Moldovan capital, deep set in autumn, I've been enjoying a walk and talk with Irina – who helps tourists make the most of a beautiful and intriguing city. Just search for "free tour Chisinau" – and of course tip, between 100 and 200 lei (£4.50-£9).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 latest UK regional airline to closed down is Eastern Airways, which linked Aberdeen with Teesside, Humberside and Wick airports as well as flying between Gatwick and Newquay. What happens 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.

At the weekend I was in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, to report on the finish of the latest Lupine Travel race across Europe. Chatting to past winner and pal of mine Bram Houtenbos, I learnt he had a fabulous city-centre apartment with a spare room. Yes, I could split the cost with him – a real win-win! Except that in the early hours of the morning, things started to unravel... 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.

Aviation analyst Sean Moulton tells me about some of the new routes, which include Pakistan International returning to the UK. Aberdeen to Paris and Manchester to Ljubljana are among his other highlights.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 British Library, right next door to London St Pancras International, has a new exhibition – opening tomorrow, Friday 24 October – about the way that cartography has been used to conceal and confuse through the ages. I toured a preview with Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet, who has supported the project.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 Richard Hammond, founder of Green Traveller – an organisation that aims to provide news and inspiration about lower-carbon holidays. We're talking at a time when the Berlin-Paris sleeper train is about to come to a shuddering halt. But Richard says competition between rail firms can lead to the kind of growth we saw with low-cost airlines. And we bonded with our mutual fondness for FlixBus.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 colleague, senior travel writer Natalie Wilson, has been writing about a Visit Sweden initiative that seeks to promote physical and mental well-being for the traveller to Scandinavia (as well as boosting the fortunes of the local travel industry). Travel anywhere, in my experience, is always a restorative.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 claim from aviation analyst Sean Moulton, who I met in his home town, Manchester. We talked about the way Britain's third-biggest airport – after Heathrow and Gatwick – is getting more intercontinental links, and becoming a hub between Asia and North 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.

In the year 2000, two travel professionals with experience across Africa teamed up to create a safari camp that brings together nature, community, energy and inspiration in Kenya's Maasai Mara. A quarter-century on, my guest Greg Monson and his partner Paul Goldstein are still working their socks off to provide great travel experiences that support the community and preserve the environment.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 shiny 21st-century train with just one careful previous owner, I am talking to Richard Allan – managing director of Chiltern Railways – about new rolling stock for a network that currently relies on trains nearly half a century old.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.

At London St Pancras International, hub for Eurostar – and one of three locations in the UK where passport control is carried out before departing for France – I caught up with Alex Norris, Minister for Border Security and Asylum.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 colleague, senior travel writer Natalie Wilson, has been telling me more about the making of a film about training to be cabin crew.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 in Prague, tackling the Kafkaesque bureaucracy of the new Schengen area digital borders scheme.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.

This weekend it's not exact all change for British holidaymakers going to the European Union and wider Schengen area – but some of us will have our fingerprints and facial biometrics taken. I've been talking to Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs for Abta, the travel association, who – like me – has been reading EU directives and regulations on the subject for the past few years.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 Alex Smith – who has lived and worked in the travel industry in Mallorca for two decades. Five years ago she created the YouTube channel Mallorca Under the Sun, helping prospective visitors to our favourite Mediterranean island. She's been telling me about the highlights of the island – and why it's worth getting out of the resort of Magaluf.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.

Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel and Internova Leisure, tells me that this chain of travel agencies grew from a single branch in a suburb of Glasgow half a century ago. Its key difference: staying open later, seven days a week, which in 1975 was revolutionary.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.

So says Jessica Harvey Taylor, head of press for the Spanish Tourist Office in the UK, who's been telling me about the increased appetite among British travellers for northern Spain – namely Galicia, Asturias and the Basque country. And on 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the north of the country from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, before ending at sunset on the island of Mallorca.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.

Meet Dr Nick Brown, resident of Palma in Mallorca. His day job is as data sleuth, but he also does all he can to help tourists make the most of the island that he has made his home. He offers tours on an entirely pro bono basis – with a request that satisfied customers donate to a homeless charity.More details here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563615153343#Nick also provides in-depth advice on public transport in Mallorca, https://www.facebook.com/groups/3028730957433776/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 discussion I've been having with my excellent colleague, global travel editor Annabel Grossman. In September we both had flight cancellations, and without a buffer that can trigger stress and disappointment. It's worth politely and respectfully pushing back to ask for better replacement flights. Best of all, have your flight cancelled on your homebound leg, with a day available.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.

Rob Burgess, founder of the frequent flyer website Head for Points, explains how to benefit from this quirk: could status with one airline earn you the equivalent of British Airways Silver with the help of a $199 payment?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 belief of Rhys Jones of the frequent-flyer website Head for Points, who explains why the economics of the extra long range narrow-bodied twin jet makes it the perfect plane for many unserved routes. But watch out for meal times ...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.