Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The RMT union has suspended the planned national rail strikes on 30 March and 1 April. Could the long and bitter tangle of disputes be all over by Easter? Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When did the minimum gratuity on restaurant meals increase to 20 per cent? Does a coffee take-out really need a tip? And what is an online travel agency doing asking for a tip after it’s just taken over £100 from me? In this episode of the travel podcast, I ask America to have a word with itself over its tipping culture and how it doesn't help anyone. I won't be asking for any tips for the service...

Flying to the US has been transformed since Covid. My trip across from London Heathrow to Atlanta was the smoothest I have known for years, with new technology easing the time through border control and life in general at the airport and on board far more simple. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to have that in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

Security officers at Heathrow and Passport Office staff are both taking industrial action in pursuit of pay claims. My message: don’t panic. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can get every Friday by signing up here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of you, I know, are the thrill-seeking kind that go off to far-flung places looking for adventure. Others of you sometimes have to travel to areas where unrest is frequent and a few of you wind up in dangerous situations by pure bad luck. Never fear though, in this episode I answer your questions on what to do when visiting dangerous places. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, w...

The weather's not quite turned for the better, you've been at work for far too long already and summer holidays seem a mile away. What better time to visit the Mediterranean than now? I've done that exact thing and in this episode tell you about the joys of a mid-March getaway. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See a...

The rail industry is facing cancellations and delays due to strike action, with the London Underground workers striking today and a national rail strike tomorrow. Seems like a good time to remind you as rail passengers of what you can expect and claim for in terms of compensation when trains are delayed or cancelled on you. This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to g...

I'm in Turkey, in the wonderful Bodrum Peninsula, which I am finding full of surprise and in this episode I'll tell you all the bits worth exploring. This podcast is free, as is my newsletter, which you can get delivered inbox every Friday. Subscribe here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently airlines have been letting us down, with a lot of delays to journeys across the industry. It's a good time to be reminded of your rights as a passenger; when you claim for compensation due to delays and what is counted and not counted as a delay. Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here and have it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. S...

Extreme wintry weather plus air-traffic control strikes in France spell a miserable day for many travellers. Problems are likely to continue into the weekend. Good luck, everybody. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. To get it delivered to your inbox every Friday, subscribe here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m in the Taurus mountains of southern Turkey, beside a tranquil reservoir, but the row over how much each passenger at the UK’s busiest airport should pay for the privilege is rumbling. Heathrow says the average £27.50 per person charge prescribed by the Civil Aviation Authority is not nearly enough to deliver the standards passengers deserve; airlines are furious and say the figure is way above...

Members of the RMT union working for Network Rail have called off their strike that was set to take place on 16 March. They called off the strike (along with overtime bans) while a referendum takes place on the latest offer. Many more trains will now run on that day. But strikes by staff at 14 train operators on 16, 18, 30 March and 1 April are set to continue. This podcast is free, as is my weekl...

Baggage, a sometimes fraught and confusing system many of us encounter when things go awry. In today's episode, I sit down and go through the post bag, answering your questions on baggage - how it works when things go wrong, who's responsible and how best to go about being reunited with your luggage. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. To get it delivered to your inbox every Friday,...

Today I’m on my way from London to Leeds – the pretty way, via Sheffield, using a £45 Advance ticket on East Midlands Railway to a station called Darton – where I will spend another £6 to complete the journey. Yes, it takes a good hour longer, but saves around £50. Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday by subscribing here . Hosted on Acast. See...

Today I'm recording from a live test of the new Luton Airport DART system connecting the Parkway rail station with the terminal. I talk to Javeria Hussain who is chair of Luton Rising – the organisation that runs Luton Airport — about the new system. Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday by subscribing here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Norse Atlantic is the new kid on the block from Gatwick to the US this summer. It might have a terrible name, in my opinion, but could it mean savings galore on travel to the United States? Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday by subscribing here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the first of March — Happy St David's Day — so I thought I should warn you about what you can expect if you're travelling around by train this month. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is about what to do if a passenger name is incorrect on a booking. Airlines are very eager that names be correct, while trains in the UK aren't bothered at all. In this episode, I guide you through what the rules are and what you can do about an incorrect name on a booking. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here . Hosted on A...

I regularly trawl the European Union site for news about the “ETIAS” scheme and have seen that they have quietly changed the target date. It turns out that British travellers to the EU will not need a £6 “eurovisa” until 2024 at the earliest. The scheme has been under development for at least the last seven years and was due to begin in 2021, but has been repeatedly postponed.  This podcast i...

Why has air travel become so fraught with difficulties?" So asks a reader. "50 years ago travelling by plane was exciting and reliable. Now it seems like an obstacle course." Well, I beg to differ about the Golden Age of Air Travel. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm in Compiègne in northern France, which has a compelling chateau to rival Versailles and Fontainebleau, and also the 'Armistice Carriage' – the railway car where the German surrender in World War I and the French surrender in World War II were both taken. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

How do you get the best seat on a plane? Well, I'll outline my strategy: I tend to get on last. But let me warn you that it doesn't always work. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time, I am trying the French notion of no frills trains. French railways has a budget brand called Ouigo. It uses the same high speed trains, but with higher density seating, no buffet car and strict rules on check-in and baggage. But for £10 from the deep south of France to somewhere near Paris, I’ll take it. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subsc...

On today's travel podcast, I speak with wildlife guide and safari camp owner Paul Goldstein about how to get the most from a Safari. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.