Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Thousands of people have been affected by the unexpected travel issues across the UK during the holidays. What has caused these scenes of chaos and confusion? I go over the biggest problems and how it has impacted travelers with long wait times and the possible risks of not making their destinations on time. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. Se...

As usual, no passenger trains ran in the UK on Christmas Day, with very few running into Boxing Day. Do you think that’s the right policy? Should everyone get time off on two low-demand days? Or is the Continental Europe approach, often with a near-normal service on 25/26 December, better? This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Simon Calder debates whether the national rail trains should run on Boxing Day and if it effectively eases travel stress. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm at the Church of St Nicholas celebrating the Christmas legend. If you come to this church you'll see a mural to Santa Claus. It wasn't until the late 20th century that archeologists decided to excavate this area and the result is exquisite, especially the Marble mosaics. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

I'm at from Kings Cross reporting on the problems with overhead wires after the havoc that Storm Pia caused yesterday. Not to mention the strikes in Paris. I also meet someone who might just be Britain's unluckiest passenger. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel pod here: How is Storm Pia affecting travel in this all-important week? I'm (once again) at London Waterloo. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Krakow is difficult to leave. Partly that is because this extraordinary city in southern Poland is so rich in culture, history and gastronomy. But it is also because the railway station is nigh-impossible to find, as I discovered on my way to the airport train. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A week before Christmas Day, and the strains in the UK’s transport industry are showing. I’m in a long security queue at Gatwick. With many train cancellations too, this looks like a tough week for travelers. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year one in 25 children at school in England was taken out of school for a holiday – resulting in a £60 fine for parents. Clearly, some parents see paying fines as worthwhile because of the enormous savings that can be made. Why are families penalised – and should the government clamp down on holiday prices? This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acas...

Cologne, Frankfurt, and Geneva should appear on the train departure screens from London by 2030, the boss of Eurotunnel has vowed. Yann Leriche, chief executive of the tunnel firm’s parent, Getlink, says he expects new entrants to start competing with Eurostar – and to double the number of direct rail routes from the UK. Eurotunnel is the infrastructure operator between Folkestone and Calais. It c...

Nine years to the day after German rail operator Deutsche Bahn scrapped the Paris-Berlin sleeper train, a revived overnight service rolled into Gare de l’Est in the French capital. Simon Calder reports on the train's return and interviews the French Travel Minister about his thoughts. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

I'm today speaking from a cafe in Tirana, taking stock of what's changed in Albania since my first trip in the 1980s. Albania has almost completely changed from my first visit, especially for the men with long hair amongst us. To find out a little more, I spoke with Mirela Kumbaro, Albanian Tourism Minister. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. Se...

With just two weeks to go to Christmas, I'm in Tirana airport giving you an update on how to avoid the dreaded 'Frenetic Friday' great getaway. In this episode I'll be talking about the situation at UK airports, across Britain's rail network and also what the situation will look like on the roads. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to...

The Brexit ban on tourists from the EU using ID cards has begun to be reversed. Insisting on passports almost obliterated school group travel to the UK. From next year the ban has been lifted for children attending French schools, with others likely to follow. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

On Wednesday, the day of a rail strike that wiped out almost all South Western Railway trains, London’s Northern Line shut down for an hour. With many travelers switching from rail to Tube, the closure was doubly damaging. It is not clear what caused the problem, and Transport for London has not responded to my request about it. But while I was part of the Tubeful of travelers wondering what was g...

Europe's biggest tour operator, Tui, is reporting souring profits and passenger numbers. Holiday bookings for the current winter are 11 per cent up from the same time last year. What does this mean? That your holidays won't be getting any cheaper. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

The great Ryanair boarding pass mystery. Has Ryanair come up with a new moneymaking scheme just in time for Christmas? That is the question that has been exercising a good few of you in the last couple of days. The short answer, according to an airline spokesperson, is no: “There is no new procedure in force.” But something odd has been happening. Here's what we know, and what I am guessing. This...

After a miserable weekend for travelers in large parts of the UK, the working week has begun with more disruption. Thousands of airline passengers woke up on Monday morning where they did not intend to be after dozens of weekend flight cancellations. Rail firms are warning of major disruption on day four of an overtime ban by train drivers. Some roads in Cumbria and the Peak District are blocked d...

I’m speaking exclusively to Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, just after members voted overwhelmingly to accept a pay deal. But, he warns, strikes could be back next summer if negotiations in the New Year do not go well. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's podcast, I'm stationed at Manchester Piccadilly, exploring the impending rail challenges this December. From driver strikes to altered schedules, I'll break down what this means for UK travellers and how to best navigate the disruptions. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Another bit of aviation jargon unravelled. Some listeners and readers have been in touch about “downgauging" – when an airline uses a smaller plane than planned. What happens if two dozen passengers are unable to travel as booked? The same rules apply as for overbooking. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Join me, Simon Calder, as I chat with Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, about their groundbreaking 100% sustainable fuel flight across the Atlantic. We discuss the significance of this pioneering step and its impact on the future of sustainable aviation. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

Wish it could be Christmas every day? Probably not if you, like me, rely on public transport, because on 25 December all the UK trains close down. But this year the long-distance coach operators are providing more intercity links than ever. And on Boxing Day, ScotRail will offer the highest number of trains for three decades. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get...

News has just broken that Eurostar trains from Amsterdam and Rotterdam to London will be canceled from June 2024 to January 2025. The Channel Tunnel passenger rail firm will still run London-Rotterdam-Amsterdam; the problem is space for London-bound frontier formalities while Amsterdam Centraal station is renovated. And Brexit is playing a part ... This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter....

Traveling home for Christmas by rail? Good luck. Festive engineering works mean two key London stations, Paddington and King's Cross, are closed on Christmas Eve. So unless you travel by 23 December to/from Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland (King's Cross) or the West of England/South Wales (Paddington), you could be scuppered. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe her...