Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
Episodes
August 3rd - What's new in Southern France?
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I am in southern France, where three splendid new openings have taken place this summer, and I suggest you add them to your list. Specifically, I am o...
August 2nd - Plans announced for returning to Rhodes
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Holidaymakers whose trips to Rhodes were cut short by wildfires have been offered a week’s free stay on the island by the Greek prime minister. Afte...
August 1st - Plane Etiquette with Simon Calder
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Airports are like hospitals and prisons: you really don’t want to be there, and when you are in one you just want to get out as quickly as possible....
July 31st - France's bewildering bargain public transport options
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
France has some weirdly inexpensive train tickets, for example the AVANTAGIO' FUTÉ deal in southwestern France this summer that offers flat fares fro...
Exploring the wonders of Perpignan
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To round off the week I have tracked down the centre of the universe – at least according to the great surrealist Salvador Dalí. It’s Perpignan r...
July 27th - Two pieces of good news
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Very glad to be the bearer of two pieces of good tidings for airline passengers. The Gatwick ground handlers' strikes are off this weekend and almost ...
July 26th - A note of caution for the Foreign Office's response to this summer's wildfires
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Unusually today, I am playing the part of the Foreign Office – to justify the wise decision not to warn against travel to Rhodes and other parts of ...
July 25th - Calls grow for Rhodes to be put on 'No Go' list
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Calls are growing for the fire-hit Greek island of Rhodes to be placed on the Foreign Office "no go" list. That would compel travel firms to cancel al...
July 24th - What lessons can be learned from the response to Greece's wildfires?
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the peak of the summer season, wildfires have raged in Rhodes – triggering the chaotic evacuation of thousands of holidaymakers amid distressing ...
July 21st - The great getaway gets underway
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many might remember the third Friday in July last year when the queues at Dover were huge for a range of reasons including Brexit. This morning I chec...
July 21st - A different region of Germany to possibly discover
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With extreme heat across much of southern Europe, travellers are looking for alternatives. I’ve been in western Germany’s Ruhr region, talking to ...
July 20th - With another round of RMT strikes, Britain's train woes rumble on
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm back with the pickets at London Euston station on the first day of the latest round of rail strikes. More than half of trains in England have been...
July 19th - How to cope with extreme heat on your holidays
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the busiest summer getaway since 2019 begins, travellers to southern Europe are experiencing extreme heat. An area of high pressure appears t...
July 18th - Could the package holiday be under threat?
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could the package holiday be under threat? That's the claim from Paul Charles, travel industry veteran and chief executive of the PC Agency. He tells ...
July 17th - Your train disruption for the week ahead
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rail industrial action resumes this week in England and here I am explaining what's happening. Monday-Saturday: The overtime ban by train drivers belo...
July 14th - Strike season continues
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm back at Gatwick Airport today to talk about the strikes that are being called for later this month, and in early August. Why are they happening? C...
July 13th - Drop off rip offs at the airport
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm at lovely Gatwick airport, looking at the thorny subject of drop-off charges. Are they a drop-off rip-off? Gatwick and Heathrow both emerged from ...
July 12th - Falling foul of Twitter scams and Easyjet claims
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I have been contacted by some villains who are trying to extract some cash from desperate easyjet passengers and here's how it works at the moment. As...
July 11th - What your rights are if your flight is cancelled
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today I'm covering some of the fall-out from the easyJet decision to cancel 1,700 flights over the summer – and in particular stressing your rights ...
July 10th - EasyJet axes more departures
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After weeks of last-minute cancellations to and from London Gatwick airport, easyJet has pre-emptively axed 1,700 further departures over the summer. ...
July 7th - More air-traffic control misery?
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More air-traffic control misery? So say some reports today. Staff at Eurocontrol – the omniscient organisation at the heart of Europe's skies – ar...
July 6th - Gatwick seeks to boost capacity
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
London Gatwick, the UK's second-busiest airport, has applied for permission to bring its standby runway into permanent use. Capacity could increase by...
July 5th - The verdicts come in on what could be the biggest revolution in the railway industry in a generation
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
July 4th - A not-as-easy-as-it-should-be train trip in France
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
July 3rd - New month, same story on the trains. The latest on strike action.
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 intract...
June 30th - What you can do when it all goes wrong on holiday
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What could possibly go wrong? From last-minute flight cancellations (or missing your flight) to overbooked hotels and empty car-rental lots, your righ...
June 29th - Travel agents: High Street or online?
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
June 28th - Your travel insurance questions answered
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 kno...
June 27th - Thinking of taking a cruise? Listen to this first
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 planne...
June 26th - Holiday tips: Which is the best way to use foreign currency?
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 yo...
June 23rd - What Brexit means for travel
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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?...
June 22nd - A journey through one of the world's greatest railway stations
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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. Tod...
June 21st - Mick Lynch speaks a year on from the start of national rail strikes action
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
June 20th - A flash sale for a European escape
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Quick! Eurostar has launched a summer flash sale on its intercity trains linking London with Paris, Lille and Brussels. Those very rare entities, £35...
June 19th - Myth-busting around air turbulence
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 start...
June 16th - Why people check in at the airport then choose not to travel
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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-runnin...
June 15th - A stroll through a royal garden in Denmark
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 forma...
June 14th - How to minimise air travel disruption
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
June 13th - These acronyms can help you with your travel
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Unravelling travel – and getting to the bottom of some of the unending acronyms that seem designed to confuse everyone. Today, it's Abta – the tra...
June 12th - The thorny issue of single-leg pricing
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Coa...
June 9th - Left high and dry aboard LNER's Aberdeen service
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
June 8th - Chaos, what chaos?
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
June 7th - Heathrow strikes amid a "major escalation" about pay
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
London Heathrow airport will see “disruption, delays and cancellations this summer” according to the Unite union. In a “a major escalation” of...
June 6th - My arctic adventure continues
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 nev...
June 5th - My difficult journey to Sweden
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
June 2nd - How to get the cheapest plane tickets
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’m on a plane to Sweden – flying Ryanair from Stansted to Vasteras, an approximation to Stockholm. I know some people will have paid less than me...
June 1st - Weigh before fly
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Would you tolerate standing on the scales at the airport?At present, airlines use “assumed mass” – typically 88kg per passenger. Air New Zealand...
May 31 - What to discover in Szczecin
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’m in Szczecin in northwest Poland – previously known as Stettin, when in German hands.It’s a fascinating city, as I have been hearing from Szy...
May 30th - The worlds largest passenger jet could be on it's way
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A new transatlantic start-up airline, Global Airlines, says it has acquired its first Airbus A380 SuperJumbo and will fly four of them between London ...
May 29th - How eGates work... and why they break
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When airport eGates work, they're wonderful! Step in, scan your passport and... whiz, you're through!But that didn't quite happen on Friday night and ...
May 26th - What rights you have if your flight gets cancelled
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My flight at Heathrow, to Prague, has just been cancelled – along with almost 200 other departures since the latest British Airways IT meltdown bega...
May 25th - Night and day in Ireland’s glorious west
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm in County Mayo, Ireland, getting a real night and day experience in Ireland's glorious west. In this episode, I visit Wild Nephin National Park an...
May 24th - France has banned certian short-haul flights
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“France has banned domestic short-haul flights where train alternatives exist, in a bid to cut carbon emissions,” I read. The report says routes w...
May 23 - Keeping tradition alive on the Wild Atlantic Way
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s travel podcast comes from Glencolmcille Folk Village on the raw northwest shores of Ireland, where I hear from manager Margaret Rose Cunning...
May 22nd - What this Irish National Park has to offer
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve been enjoying the sunshine in Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal, in the far northwest of Ireland, with Head Of Education & Learning...
May 19th - The future of train travel is in a state
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm at London Waterloo – the busiest railway station in the UK, and also the home for Network Rail and the Great British Railways Transition Team. T...
May 18th - The only place that Jimi Hendrix called home
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you love 18th-century classical music or 20th-century rock, a top London tourist attraction reopens today, 18 May 2023: the Handel Hendrix Hou...
May 17th - Why package holidays might have a renaissance
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“We’re seeing the rebirth of package holidays.” That’s the message from Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2 and Jet2 Holidays. He’s just an...
May 16th - Will we use space travel to get to Australia?
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a world where we can get from London to Sydney in two hours. It's a fantasy that the Civil Aviation Authority and the RAF have been working to...
May 15th - Suspected drone disrupts and diverts Gatwick Airport flights
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Flights from Gatwick Airport were halted this afternoon due to reports of drone activity close to the airspace.At least 12 inbound flig...
May 12th - Here's what you can do about the train strikes this weekend
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The latest round of rail strikes has begun, bringing 48 hours of misery for train passengers. It is especially aggravating for people hoping to travel...
May 11th - Talking Jerusalem with tour guide Ruth Ben Ami
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's travel podcast, I chat with tour guide Ruth Ben Ami in the heartland of humanity, Jerusalem. This podcast is free, much like my weekly news...
May 10th - A look back at the history of British domestic flights
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this day in 1919, the first commercial air service in Britain began – from Manchester to Southport, a distance of just 40 miles. In the 104 years...
May 9th - Why June is the perfect month to get away
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sun, sea and... school term! June is just weeks away now and it's a contender for one of the best months of the year to get away. In southern Europe y...
May 8th - Other than Simon, who can you ask for help?
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm always happy to answer your travel questions, and often do so! But, as my colleague Charlotte Hindle points out in this episode, I am only one man...
May 5th - More rail strikes are on the way
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Mind the gap," says King Charles in the Royal travel announcement that is playing out at stations across the kingdom this weekend. Does he mean the v...
May 4th - Heathrow strikes again
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Around 1,400 security staff have walked out at Heathrow airport two days ahead of the Coronation and the bank holiday weekend. Members of the Unite un...
May 3rd - The Inaugural Trans European Race
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm hearing from Dylan Harris, founder of Lupine Travel, about the inaugural Trans-European Race – which starts in central London on 5 August at 10a...
May 2nd - US finally drops Covid vaccine rule for foreign visitors
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
International travellers will no longer need to demonstrate to airlines that they have received Covid jabs from Friday 12 May.Florida’s theme parks,...
May 1st - Fresh travel chaos for May
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The month of May has begun with fresh travel chaos. Thousands of travellers hoping to return to the UK today at the end of the bank holiday weekend ar...
April 28th - What the effects of the latest rail strikes will be
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Travellers trying to reach the Eurovision Song Contest and the FA Cup Final by rail could find their trains cancelled by a series of strikes. The main...
April 27th - Exploring the Luton airport Dart shuttle
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’m at Luton Airport Parkway (yes, living the dream once more) to test the new Dart shuttle from the railway station to the terminal (not too impres...
April 26th - Why Sunak isn't satisfied with having "third country national" status
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After Brexit, the European Union gave us exactly what we wanted in terms of border formalities: "third-country national" status, the same as people fr...
April 25th - Find out which rental car is best for you
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's travel podcast is a version of car-pool karaoke – I'm discussing the best rental cars for work or pleasure with cameraman-director Douglas B...
April 24th - Making sense of travel industry acronyms Abta and Aito
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You're not alone if you don't know what Abta and Aito mean. You might see these acronyms being advertised by travel agents and I'm here to help you un...
April 21st - Eurostar's new promotion is well worth a look
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm at London St Pancras International station, to celebrate a useful and straightforward online promotion on Eurostar summer fares: until midnight ne...
April 20th - 'May Mayhem' coming to Heathrow airport
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Heathrow airport is set for “May mayhem” as security staff walk out again, according to the Unite union. The eight days of strikes are timed to co...
April 19th - Observations aboard German trains
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’m on the rails in Germany – where the trains have much to recommend them, but punctuality can be a problem. Seamless connections can all too eas...
April 18th - Delays to Europe's Entry/Exit System continue
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
British travellers and other “third country nationals” entering the EU will not be required to have their fingerprints and facial biometrics taken...
April 17th - Has Brexit murdered the Orient Express?
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After leaving the European Union, the UK demanded British passport holders should be subject to strict passport checks and - soon - fingerprinting and...
April 14th - Is the end in sight for rail strikes?
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could the long and bitter dispute that has caused chaos since last June finally be approaching an end game?This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsl...
April 13th - Signal failure disaster for London Waterloo station
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rail disarray once again, as most lines into Britain's busiest railway station are closed from the start of the morning rush hour. Why – and what's ...
April 12th - A reminder on passport rules. Again.
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Passports all over again. For travel with a British passport to the European Union, there are two – and only two – conditions:On the day of depart...
April 11th - Train misery continues
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rail services are getting back to normal in England, Wales and Scotland after widespread closures for engineering work over the four-day Easter w...
April 10th - Catching up with adventurer Paul Goldstein about his forthcoming trip to Canada
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The adventurer and photographer Paul Goldstein is leading a trip to Baffin Island in Arctic Canada – seeking the perfect combination of Northern Lig...
April 7th - It's a long way to Dover
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On what's shaping up to be the busiest Good Friday since 2019, I travelled by coach to Dover to see whether the issues reported during the week were s...
April 6th - Ferry, road and rail disruption over Easter
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Calder gives you the travel outlook amid ferry, road and rail disruption over the Easter weekend.Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly...
April 5th - What’s the travel outlook for the Easter weekend?
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s travel podcast is brought to you from Dover, where last weekend, around 20,000 coach passengers faced delays of 12 hours or more at the port...
April 4th - "Leave it in the bag"
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm at London City, the first airport in the UK (with a million-plus annual passengers) to ditch the rules on liquids and laptops at airport security....
April 3rd - Everything you need to know about the passport strikes
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Passport processing workers are beginning a five week strike, meaning if you're looking to get a British passport any time soon you may encounter dela...
March 31 - March has been miserable for travelling, will April be any better?
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
March has been miserable for many travellers. Will April be any better? Not at this rate. I've spent the morning at Heathrow airport, where the latest...
March 30 - British Airways cancels 50 flights due to French air traffic control strikes
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’m at Heathrow, where British Airways has cancelled 50 flights due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers. Multiple departures to Amste...
March 29th - The headwinds facing the travel industry
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s travel podcast, I talk with Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, about current travel bargains – and the...
March 28th - Discussing the Balkans with James Hill
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm at the New Deal Europe conference in central London, talking all about the Balkans and around with noted tour guide and historian, James Hill.Of c...
March 27 - How striking security staff at Heathrow will disrupt services
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Heathrow security staff are striking for three days, causing all kinds of problems for British Airways. I take you through what to expect and when the...
March 24th - Jasmine Birtles explains how to make the most of your holiday travel money
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 informati...
March 23rd - Peace on the railways?
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Eas...
March 22nd - America – we need to talk about tipping
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 agen...
March 21st - A most pleasant journey to America
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
March 20th - Heathrow and Passport Office strikes
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Security officers at Heathrow and Passport Office staff are both taking industrial action in pursuit of pay claims. My message: don’t panic.This pod...