Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

So says the president of the AA, Edmund King. He's urging motorists to plan their journeys with care in order to save on petrol or diesel. 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.

Some of the UK’s top airports now charge a fee of £7 for dropping off passengers at the airport. Only one, London City, has no charge. In contrast, almost every airport abroad allows drivers to stop outside the terminal for free. Rod Dennis of the RAC says this is another example of “rip-off Britain”. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delive...

Europe’s biggest budget airline cancelled hundreds of flights earlier this month due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers. Most of those were so-called "overflights" that weren't landing or taking off in France. As Ryanair's communications director, Jade Kirwan, has been telling me, the airline is demanding that flights using a country's airspace simply to reach the final destination shou...

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/privac...

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/priv...

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...

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 delivere...

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 ac...

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 info...

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 Guides 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.

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 mo...

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....

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....

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...

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...

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/pri...

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 advantages 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.

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...