Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

For many seasoned travellers, Venezuela was the first South American destination, thanks to Viasa's competitive fares from the UK to the wonder-filled continent. Currently, Venezuela is on the Foreign Office's no-go list. Despite this, travellers from other countries are flocking to the troubled republic bordering Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia. Blas Fabian from HoverTours in Caracas and Daniel Sant...

As summer approaches, we explore how to book international flights. Annabel Grossman and Ben Parker reveal their thorough processes, contrasting sharply with my approach. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the summer travel season heats up, Simon Calder sits down with global travel editor Annabel Grossman and deputy travel editor Ben Parker to discuss their methods for booking train tickets in the UK. From using the Trainline app for convenience to seeking out cost-saving options, their approaches vary widely. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it...

Today, I talk with Claire Bonniol of Kevin Speed about their ambitious plans to bring competitive high-speed rail services to France by 2028. We discuss their affordable pricing strategy, the inclusion of lesser-known stations, and what this means for UK travellers heading to France. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to yo...

It's four weeks today since Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 hit severe turbulence on a journey from London to Singapore. Tragically, one passenger lost his life after suffering a heart attack, and many more were injured. My guest today, Professor Paul Williams of Reading University, says turbulence is getting worse because of climate change. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsle...

I’m on a train adventure in the Czech Republic with Steven Ollive of the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. Listen as we explore the region's rail network and discuss the state of UK railways in comparison to those in Europe. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

I'm in Prague, having flown in last night with a lot of Scotland football fans who were finding a roundabout route to reach Munich for the opening match in the Euro 2024 tournament tonight. Want to experience the atmosphere? Wait till the knock-out stages. Meanwhile, travel and accommodation for the Paris 2024 Olympics are wide open. If like football, you'd like our weekly travel newsletter to com...

I'm at a very busy Manchester airport, studying the latest flight delay stats: on average each Wizz Air flight from a UK airport left 32 minutes late. Even the best British carrier, Virgin Atlantic, had an average delay of 14 minutes. And of course many delays are much longer. Here are your rights when it all goes wrong. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here...

Today's travel podcast comes to you from the garden of the Freud Museum in Hampstead, London. I'm talking to the director, Dr Giuseppe Albano, about this wonderful museum – days ahead of the release of a new film, Freud's Last Session , starring Sir Anthony Hopkins. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted o...

I'm beneath the flightpath at London City airport in the Docklands area of the capital. And trying to make sense of the bizarre series of announcements on airport security. This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A manifesto at last! Not from Labour or the Conservatives, but from the Railway Industry Association. As many passengers see a rail network in chaos and decline, what does this trade association want from the next government? I've been talking to the RIA's chief executive, Darren Caplan – who doesn't hold back with his anger about the ditching of most of HS2 – and policy director, Rob Cook. This p...

I'm with Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and The Wolseley Hospitality Group. He's one of the top people globally in hospitality – with brands such as Anantara, NH Hotels and Tivoli – and has ambitious plans for the future. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to The Independent's newsletters here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the centenary of one of the most celebrated mysteries in the history of mountaineering: did George Mallory and Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine reach the summit of Everest on 6 June 1924 – nearly three decades before the first documented climb to the top of the world? Mallory’s body was found in 1999 on a research expedition organised by today’s guest, Graham Hoyland – who himself has reached the summit...

Today's podcast looks at aviation security, with Birmingham airport coming up with its own variant on rules for liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs). This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to The Independent's newsletters here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unbelievably, I'm back at the boarding gate explaining post-Brexit passport rules. What they are, and how airlines should respond when they get them wrong. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to The Independent 's newsletters here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me as I discuss with Kennedy Ricci how the business aviation sector is at the forefront of efforts to minimise climate impact. Learn about the latest advancements and sustainable practices in the industry. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's travel podcast is brought to you from the line that runs across the Pennines – the Settle to Carlisle railway. It threads through mighty landscapes and across viaducts, and you can make the journey as part of an Anglo-Scottish rail trip. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is this the future of travel money? The UK's first "cash to cash" ATM has been installed at Waterloo station in central London. I've been testing out the automatic foreign exchange terminal with Kaya Niedenthal, Director of International Payments at Currency Online Group. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talking to Hilary Bradt, who is celebrating 50 years of publishing travel guides with her autobiography, Taking the Risk. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everybody has the same rights to travel... don't they? For those with severe food allergies, travel risks being complicated, expensive and even deadly. Just last week a 12-year-old girl with a peanut allergy and her family were thrown off a SunExpress flight from Gatwick to Dalaman, Turkey after the captain refused to ask other passengers not to eat nuts. Travel can be a tricky for those with such...

Today I'm looking at linear parks – effectively, old road or rail lines that are now green vectors for hikers and bikers. Some, like my location today, are in the middle of busy cities: I am in Seoul, South Korea, on a 1970s flyover that was threatened with demolition yet rescued and turned into a leafy, elevated walkway above the tumult of the city. New York has a similar option, the High Line, w...

What effect will the general election have on travel? It's Thursday, the 23rd of May, meaning that we are six weeks away from the next general election. What on earth has this got to do with the general election? Well, I will be studying the party's manifestos to see what they are going to do about, for example, airports and sustainable travel. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sig...

Yesterday, the world was shocked by the news that a passenger had died following extreme turbulence on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321. The very sad episode was a reminder of the threat that turbulence can unfortunately have upon all flights - but can airlines do anything to mitigate the effects of such events? I take a look at what the industry guidelines currently are, and what may have to chang...

Clean, efficient, and amazing value for money. No, not me: the Seoul Metro system, which has some foibles but overall is an excellent and incredibly far reaching network. This podcast is free, as is the travel newsletter from The Independent. Sign up for it here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When choosing the optimum flight path gets tangled with geo-politics, the results are never positive. My report on the long and winding route from Zagreb to Seoul on the world's longest budget airline link. This podcast is free, as is the travel newsletter from The Independent. Sign up for it here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.