Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

On the eve of the last bank holiday weekend before Christmas, I'm in Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire – at the home of Andrew Smith, part of the crew of the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat – which does amazing work helping holidaymakers who get into difficult on the water. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See...

Adventurer, photographer and wildlife campaigner Paul Goldstein is walking, in a Bengal tiger suit, from Tigerton in northeast Scotland to Tiger Bay in Cardiff to raise money for animal protection. I caught up with Paul, his walking companions and support team, at Caldbeck in Cumbria. How has the walk been so far? This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to...

Every time I visit the US, I am fascinated by the differences between British and American habits. To get the latest, I have been talking to top cinematographer Douglas Bolton, who spends a lot of time in Colorado – and kindly offered me a lift along Interstate 70. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. S...

Natalie Wilson, senior travel writer, is back for Travel Desk Tuesday. We have sharply differing views on the best time to choose a flight – and I've also heard from West Midlands teachers Jilly and Glenda, who are firmly of the belief you should make the most of your time away. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Host...

The Dearing family and the Robinson family, from Beverley in East Yorkshire, enjoyed a dream holiday in Canada – until they reached Calgary the night before their planned nonstop Air Canada flight back to London Heathrow. They discovered that Air Canada had cancelled their flight and left them high and dry. They have been telling me their story ... This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's...

I'm in Aspen, Colorado – the mining town-turned-celebrity mountain resort. And I've been talking to Susan Farrugia, co-founder and chief operating officer of Cuvée, a company that promises luxury, privacy, and adventure in some of the most alluring destinations around the world – with prices up to $50,000 per night. How do you build a business like that? This podcast is free, as is Independent Tra...

Etihad, the airline based in Abu Dhabi, has launched the Extraordinary Challenge - a global competition promoting 15 new destinations. The first person to visit all 15 will win five million Etihad Guest Miles. But one of them is Sochi in Russia. I’ve been hearing more from Mark Potter, Etihad Airways’ Director of Loyalty. This podcast is free, as is Independ...

The second half of our total solar eclipse special with the astronomer Dr John Mason, who for decades has been leading trips to see the light go out. I have never heard him so passionate about the prospect of the 2 August 2027 total eclipse – the longest total eclipse of the century. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox....

One year from now, on 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the surface of the earth, from the Arctic across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain. The astronomical event, at the height of the tourist season, could provide an outstanding experience for millions. But the astronomer Dr John Mason, who has been leading eclipse trips for decades, says you need to be careful with your...

Denver Stapleton Airport – then the fifth-busiest in the world – closed down in 1995. The last flight out was Continental 34 to London Gatwick. You would never know an airport was here – everything has been demolished, except for the control tower, which has somehow survived. Sean Henson started running Tower Tours this year, and I joined him last Friday. This podcast is free, as is Independent Tr...

Bram Houtenbos is a charming Dutch financial services executive living in south London. He also self-identifies as a travel nerd. He is one of the foremost contenders in the Lupine Racing challenges that require contestants to get from A to B via a sequence of checkpoints using only terrestrial public transport (including taxis within cities). I caught up with him in the Estonian capital after an...

Booking.com chief executive Glenn Fogel believes so. He says a lottery arrangement could keep numbers down without disenfranchising less wealthy travellers. But could this cunning plan encounter problems? This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many airports have state-of-the-art scanners now, but only some of them are able to drop the annoying 100ml limit for containers of liquids, aerosols and gels. And we still seem some way from the "checkpoint of the future" at airports, where you don't even notice you're being security screened. An update from Richard Thompson, Vice President Portfolios, Innovation & Digital at Smiths Detection...

After my Explora I cruise that I reported on yesterday, I have today talked to my excellent colleague, cruise writer Marc Shoffman. He has just returned from a trip on Star Clipper, a tall ship where climbing the mast is part of the appeal This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

I have just spent an expensive but excellent week aboard the cruise ship Explora I. I talked to Martyn Moss, who has 28 years experience in the business and much of interest to say. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That's the title of the latest series from the great historian Bettany Hughes – being broadcast starting Saturday 2 August on Five at 6.30pm. I caught up with Bettany during her latest shoot, and she told me more ... This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thousands of airline passengers are waking up where they did not intend to be after the temporary shutdown of UK airspace on Wednesday. What are passengers' rights? This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talk to executive producer Dan Adamson about the new BBC series. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global travel editor Annabel Grossman tells me: the slightly posher seats and service are excellent, shame about the inflight food. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm overlooking the harbour in Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos. Even at 7.30pm, the heat is intense. Over the weekend we have seen more wildfires in Greece, as well as soaring temperatures in Turkey. What are travellers' risks, and options? This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

On 25 July 2000, all 109 passengers and crew aboard an Air France Concorde departing for New York JFK died when the supersonic plane crashed shortly after take-off from Paris CDG. Four people on the ground were also killed. Concorde was grounded shortly afterwards and, despite a short resurgence with British Airways, made her final passenger flight in October 2003. Leading aviation figure Jonathan...

I've been talking to Thomas Woldbye, chief executive of London Heathrow – the busiest airport in Europe. He explains why there won't be another runway until at least 2035 ... who will pay for the multibillion-pound project ... and what he plans for passengers in the meantime. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted...

With figures from aviation analyst Cirium, this coming Friday, 25 July, will see 3,255 flights out of the UK with 585,189 seats on board. Paul Charles, chief executive of PC Agency – and former Virgin Atlantic communications director – has advice for the days ahead, and advises visiting Puglia and Provence. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it...

It's Travel Desk Tuesday, and joining me today is The Independent's US Travel Editor, Ted Thornhill. He's been to the US and back in business class on United – by most measures, the biggest airline in the world. Besides the experience itself, he was in New York to learn about what is in store with the launch of Polaris Studio suites. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newslett...

I'm at the UK's busiest port, watching ferries zipping back and forth across the Channel while I talk to Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover. He has useful advice for a smooth journey to Calais or Dunkirk this summer. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...