Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

More air-traffic control misery? So say some reports today. Staff at Eurocontrol – the omniscient organisation at the heart of Europe's skies – are threatening to strike. Historically the trade union involved, the Union Syndicale Bruxelles , has been about as unmilitant as it is possible to be. My interpretation is that it's more of a cry for help by overstretched staff in a difficult summer, and...

London Gatwick, the UK's second-busiest airport, has applied for permission to bring its standby runway into permanent use. Capacity could increase by 37% and be only one-fifth short of current Heathrow movement numbers. But environmental campaigners are outraged ... This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

In the biggest upheaval in the railway industry for a generation, the vast majority of railway stations in England will be left without ticket offices: that is the plan from the major train operators, with the blessing of government ministers. But disability campaigners claim the scheme will prevent disabled people from using the rail network entirely, while the boss of the biggest rail union insi...

After a few days travelling round by train, I can say it's not just British railway that has its problems. In France, I've found a bewildering array of rules and ticketing related barriers that means getting around on the various different services isn't as easy as it could be. Let me explain... This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to it here to get it delivered to your inbo...

Over a year on from the start of the first national rail strikes since the 1980s, the dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions appears as intractable as ever. July sees the resumption of industrial action aimed at more than a dozen train operators by both main rail unions. The unions say their members have not had a pay rise for four years and are demanding a decent, no-strings award that tak...

What could possibly go wrong? From last-minute flight cancellations (or missing your flight) to overbooked hotels and empty car-rental lots, your rights when it all goes Tango Uniform. This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel agents: High Street or online? I receive more complaints about online travel agents (OTAs) than any other part of the industry. So why would anyone ever book with them, and what are the potential pitfalls if you do? This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel insurance: it’s the part of travel that no-one likes to think about, but it’s also – for many trips – an essential. All you need to know on pre-existing conditions, EHIC and GHIC. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your rights on a cruise: Cruising can be a great escape, but things go wrong. In particular, what are your rights if the ship diverges from the planned itinerary? And, perish the thought, if you’re left standing on the quayside? This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here and have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holiday Money: cash, credit card, debit card? What’s the best way to handle your travel expenditure, and what pitfalls should you avoid? I answer your questions on the best ways to use foreign currency. 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 information.

I’m a loser – seven years ago I voted to Remain in the European Union, but was on the losing 48% side. So what has the 52% won in terms of travel? I’ve been taking a deep dive into the miracles of duty-free, domestic tourism and blue passports. If you like this podcast, subscribe here for my weekly travel newsletter. Free and arriving every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

One of the world’s great railway stations: London Blackfriars. Honest. It used to be a hub for European travel – with links to the Kent ports. Today it straddles the river Thames, with an entrance on both the north and south bank, and its glass sided platforms provide wonderful views of the capital. If you like this podcast, subscribe here for my weekly travel newsletter. Free and arriving every F...

It’s a year since the first national rail strikes since the 1980s began. I’ve been speaking exclusively to Mick Lynch, general secretary about the dispute so far, the deadlock and how it might end. I’m afraid that if you, like me, rely on railways for transport, it’s not sounding optimistic. This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Fri...

Quick! Eurostar has launched a summer flash sale on its intercity trains linking London with Paris, Lille and Brussels. Those very rare entities, £35 one-way tickets, are available from Monday to Friday from 10 July to 7 September, though with some other black-out dates and only on some less in-demand trains. Tempted? You have until 11pm British time on Thursday 22 June to avail of the deal, throu...

A British Airways flight from Singapore to London Heathrow hit such severe turbulence over the Bay of Bengal that the plane had to return to its starting point where possible damage was checked. Several BA cabin crew were injured in the incident, in the early hours of 16 June. One newspaper report was headlined: “We were in freefall for 1,000ft.” That did not happen. But just how dangerous is turb...

Today’s travel podcast. Why do people check in bags for a flight but then choose not to travel – and what happens next? I’m aboard a late-running British Airways Airbus A320 from Nuremberg in Germany to London Heathrow. Everything was going swimmingly until two passengers decided, at the last moment, not to travel. That triggered a sequence of events that ended up with us being almost an hour late...

For today’s travel pod, I’ve wandered into the garden of a royal palace – in Denmark, which means it’s access (almost) all areas without formality. Specifically, I’m in the exquisitely pretty town of Møgeltønder, location for Schackenborg Castle – where Prince Joachim, the second son of the Queen of Denmark, lives. The gardens are glorious, a wildlife symphony from melodic birdsong to staccato fro...

After becoming one of the tens of thousands, who had their flights cancelled this week, I’ve been thinking about how travellers can minimise their personal exposure to disruption. This podcast, unlike train tickets, is far more generously priced as it's free, along with my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Unravelling travel – and getting to the bottom of some of the unending acronyms that seem designed to confuse everyone. Today, it's Abta – the travel association – and Aito, the Association of Independent Tour Operators. What do they do for travellers, and why are they a good idea to be on your side? This podcast, unlike train tickets, is far more generously priced as it's free, along with my week...

Today’s travel podcast is on the thorny subject of single-leg pricing: whereby passengers wanting flexible, one-way off-peak tickets on the East Coast main line can save almost half compared with the fares prevailing last week. I believe it is the first significant step in untangling the incredibly complicated system of rail fares that confuse and deter prospective train travellers. But unless you...

I’m on the 9.52am train from Aberdeen to London King's Cross – the only one in the LNER timetable on which alcohol is banned, and then only as far south as Newcastle. “We expect a number of large groups to be travelling on this train,” says the train operator. “So to help make it a pleasant experience for everyone, we'll be operating an alcohol-free policy for part of the journey.” But drinking is...

With 31 days of security strikes threatened at Heathrow, I take a look at what measures will be used to limit the impact of the walk-outs. This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Heathrow airport will see “disruption, delays and cancellations this summer” according to the Unite union. In a “a major escalation” of a pay dispute, it is calling more than 2,000 security staff out on strike for 31 days between June and August. The action at the UK’s busiest airport is timed to coincide with busy family travel dates, including the start of the main summer holidays in Engl...

Part two of my Arctic adventure. In which a train goes missing, a bus stands in, another train has almost no passengers, connections are missed or never truly existed in the first place, many drivers are kind but some are not, and the Miracle of the Train whereby I was heading south from Oslo airport on an express that was due to leave two minutes before my plane from Bodo arrived. This podcast is...

I had a particularly odd journey to Luleå in Sweden. It began with a 25 minute late flight from Stansted, I was met by a train derailment in Arlanda but I did enjoy a taxi instead of a rail replacement bus. Then I had to negotiate with members of an extremely long security queue in order to board my Norwegian flight on time. Thanks to a few strokes of luck I arrived at my final destination but thi...