Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

ABTA, the travel association, demands action now for dealing with future pandemics. Plus the importance of great people in the travel industry – and diversity. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three countries and four airports in 24 hours – where I am, where I’ve been and how I did it. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red list changes have taken effect. The highlights. Testing for travel to Spain for unvaccinated people who have recently had Covid. And Ryanair’s “six month” passport rule for British travellers to the European Union: made-up and unenforceable. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See aca...

PCR gets downgraded to lateral flow – are we any closer to knowing when, and what will it mean? Whatever happened to the plan for “quarantine free transit” at the world’s airports. And travel insurance for anywhere – for almost anyone. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

Portugal eases its testing rules for British visitors. Bulgaria opens up to travellers from the UK. And Singapore says Brits can come back in from 19 October. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Foreign Office no-go list has shrunk again, with Jamaica and the Bahamas now regarded as reasonable risks. No clues yet about when returning British travellers will be going with the lateral flow. And the mystery of the “world’s busiest air route”. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast....

British Airways and Ryanair celebrate an investigation being dropped. The no-go list has shrunk – what exactly does that mean? And parts of the travel industry now openly ridicule the government. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TUI says the good travel times are just around the corner The world’s most powerful passport is revealed. British Airways reveals its winter plans for the US. And it involves special guest Helen Coffey today! Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UK’s new high-speed rail route may lose its eastern promise. Flying in Europe: the UK remains way down in flights compared with two years ago. And Australia’s prime minister is in no rush to welcome international visitors. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Today bring changes for the better if you’re fully vaccinated, but for the worst if you are unjabbed. British Airways brings back the Airbus A380 “SuperJumbo”. And more BA news: short-haul flights from Gatwick next summer are back on the table. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acas...

The Depot opens next month – I’ve had a sneak preview of what will become one of Europe’s great attractions. One card for all the trains, buses and trams in the Netherlands. And more on the red list update expected this week. Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independent.co.uk/newsletters . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

Today: I’m in the Netherlands, where they do things differently – I’ll explain how. As the countdown to the next red list changes gets under way, how did the UK get where it is today in terms of extreme measures against so many nations? And my life’s work may be complete – I’ll tell you why … Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at  independ...

Australia opens up from November – but not to you and me. Turkey eases its testing rules for fully vaccinated British travellers. And Britain’s ID card ban – and why it matters. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heathrow is the last big UK airport to bring in a drop-off charge. Could the US bring in a mandatory vaccination rule for airline passengers? And United is “separating” from 600 staff who have declined to get vaccinated. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

Able to drive as far as Dover? Your problems could be only just beginning. Using a national ID card to enter the UK is about to be outlawed. And three months on, how great are the new “flexi season” tickets on the trains? Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Southeastern rail franchise is torn up amid fraud allegations – but don’t panic if you’re a passenger. South Africa is a cert to be removed from the red list in around 10 days’ time. And Egypt, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are removed from the Foreign Office no go list. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at inde...

London-Perth nonstop flights won’t start before Christmas after all. Ireland scraps its red list – some more information on the change. And plans by ministers to give Civil Aviation Authority powers to force refunds have been scrapped. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. S...

Ireland abruptly scraps its red list. Could the same happen in the UK? Reports of chaos at the airport – not here, but in Europe, with passengers flying back. Ashley Davies wonders: is it weird sharing a cabin on the Caledonian Sleeper from Edinburgh to London. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent...

Three months to Christmas Day – should you be making festive travel plans now? What’s happening with the new travel rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? And the strange case of a railway ticket that warns you it is not valid on a train that doesn’t exist. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at indepe...

Could you get your lateral flow post-arrival tests from Lidl? South African Airways back in the air. Good news … or not? And Ambre Plus – with a TPF of at least 50. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British Airways ditches its Gatwick short-haul operation. Those BA passengers stranded in Tashkent – are they due compensation? And the UK airport that lost almost £1,000 for every passenger it handled in a year. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

Red list reduces – but Foreign Office still warns against travel to Egypt. British Airways passengers stranded in Tashkent. And The Wizard of Oz – what’s that got to do with travel to France? Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

National Express and Megabus could be about to merge. More on the US opening up – with particular attention to the rules on jabs and kids. And my beautiful quarantine laundrettes: could Turkey and the US become the places for UK-bound travellers from Africa and Latin America respectively to shed their “red list” status? Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and...

The US opens up – so how can you take an American adventure? And I’ve been at Battersea Power Station for the opening of two new stations on the London Underground. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s the score for children returning to the UK – do they need to self-isolate or not? Some more detail on the government’s travel changes. And The Netherlands opens up – but with strings, or rather swabs, attached. Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletters and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...