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Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Simon Calder is the Independent’s travel correspondent, the UK’s leading travel journalist. From news updates to discussions with experts, Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast will bring you all you need to know from the world of travel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel without fear: the world should be accessible to everybody, no matter how you identify

6 mins; April 02, 2026

Should British Airways be flying from airports such as Liverpool and Leeds Bradford?

7 mins; April 01, 2026

EU entry-exit system is stepping up – or is it?

6 mins; March 31, 2026

Travel Desk Tuesday with Natalie Wilson

8 mins; March 30, 2026

King Charles III England Coast Path – meet the man who helped it happen

6 mins; March 29, 2026

Jet2 launches from Gatwick – and the company boss has plenty to say

7 mins; March 27, 2026

'Dubai will come back – the influencers will see to that'

6 mins; March 26, 2026

Mind the doors – and the escalators, and other rail passengers

5 mins; March 25, 2026

Travel Desk Tuesday with Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman

7 mins; March 23, 2026

Views from the top: three aviation leaders assess the state of travel after three weeks of the unfolding tragedy in Iran

6 mins; March 23, 2026

Natural History Museum become the most popular UK tourist attraction in history

6 mins; March 19, 2026

Lost bags and inefficient airports: can things really only get better?

9 mins; March 19, 2026

Changing planes in the danger zone

5 mins; March 18, 2026

Heathrow airport Terminal 4: the ghost hub

5 mins; March 16, 2026

In Indonesia, let the train take the strain

7 mins; March 16, 2026

Video masterclass from award-winning cameraman Douglas Bolton

6 mins; March 12, 2026

What will the current crisis mean for travellers in future?

6 mins; March 11, 2026

What will the current crisis mean for travellers in future?

6 mins; March 10, 2026

US and Israel didn’t think Iran would respond by hitting Dubai

5 mins; March 09, 2026

How does the current disruption in the Gulf compare with previous crises?

6 mins; March 09, 2026

Esther, Queen of the Desert

5 mins; March 05, 2026

We've got to get out of this place!

5 mins; March 04, 2026

Could you be tempted by a political tour?

5 mins; March 03, 2026

Finland: In the far-from-bleak late winter

6 mins; March 02, 2026

Gulf crisis: my assessment of the aviation impact

6 mins; March 01, 2026

National Lottery Open Week is back from 7 to 15 March 2026

5 mins; February 26, 2026

‘Heathrow’s third runway should have been built 10 years ago’

6 mins; February 25, 2026

Red tape gets even more tangled from today

7 mins; February 25, 2026

First time in Africa for senior travel writer Natalie Wilson

7 mins; February 24, 2026

Mexico: UK Foreign Office issues urgent warning as flights are cancelled due to drug cartel violence

6 mins; February 23, 2026

"Huge, massive beautiful place" – welcome to Mongolia

5 mins; February 20, 2026

Dual citizens may now be able to use expired passports to enter the UK

6 mins; February 19, 2026

Forget travel with family or partner – the trend is to explore with friends

8 mins; February 18, 2026

Are you tempted to travel to the frozen north?

5 mins; February 16, 2026

Egypt: new opportunities in an ancient land

6 mins; February 16, 2026

'Please, let's get on with expanding Heathrow'

10 mins; February 13, 2026

The expert's guide to the great cities of the world

9 mins; February 11, 2026

View from the flight deck

6 mins; February 10, 2026

How does river cruising compare?

4 mins; February 09, 2026

Insider’s guide to Portugal’s Algarve

6 mins; February 09, 2026

Rome's most celebrated public space now costs €2 for admission

5 mins; February 05, 2026

Your audio guide to Argentina

6 mins; February 04, 2026

Insider tips on Buenos Aires

5 mins; February 04, 2026

Is flying really cheaper?

7 mins; February 02, 2026

China: 'Go before you get too old' – because so much walking is involved

6 mins; February 01, 2026

China visa for UK holidaymakers could be dropped as early as Monday, says top tour operator

6 mins; January 30, 2026

How do passengers feel about the luggage rules on budget airline?

5 mins; January 28, 2026

What are the world’s most useful currencies for travellers?

6 mins; January 27, 2026

Skyscanner expands its price-comparison service to include package holidays

7 mins; January 26, 2026

It's Australia Day – but how to make the most of the vast and distant nation?

7 mins; January 25, 2026

Liverpool John Lennon airport sets a new passenger record

7 mins; January 23, 2026

Michael O'Leary on Elon Musk, air traffic control and drinking at airports

7 mins; January 22, 2026

If the earth is actually curved, we’ll be able to tell

7 mins; January 21, 2026

Who knows where the tourists go?

7 mins; January 20, 2026

Wish it could be Concorde every day? Hear what a leading environmental campaigner has to say

7 mins; January 19, 2026

What is the market for supersonic flying?

8 mins; January 15, 2026

New York? Sydney? Boom Supersonic wants to take you there more swiftly.

8 mins; January 14, 2026

Fly supersonic between London and New York for £4,000 return?

8 mins; January 14, 2026

Boom Supersonic's big idea for a small impact on the planet

6 mins; January 13, 2026

Welcome to Supersonic week! Will passengers ever break the sound barrier again?

7 mins; January 11, 2026

In search of the UK's most beautiful railway station

4 mins; January 09, 2026

Greece: is it really a year-round destination?

5 mins; January 07, 2026

How tourism can help endangered species

6 mins; January 06, 2026

Travel Desk Tuesday: top tips for '26 from Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman

5 mins; January 06, 2026

Preston to Carlisle – the pretty way

6 mins; January 05, 2026

How the Eurostar chaos *should* have been handled

9 mins; January 01, 2026

How to be a responsible tourist

7 mins; December 31, 2025

How does a hotel keep going through Christmas and into New Year?

4 mins; December 30, 2025

The secret behind Manchester Airport's growth

7 mins; December 29, 2025

Part 2/2 – 2026 predictions with travel CEO

8 mins; December 28, 2025

Part 1/2 – From cake to caterpillars: Travel boss reveals 2025 highs and lows

7 mins; December 25, 2025

Coming to a bus stop near you this Christmas Day?

6 mins; December 24, 2025

Part 3/3 — Dubai airport CEO's advice to the UK

6 mins; December 23, 2025

Part 2/3 — The future of aviation according to Dubai airport boss

6 mins; December 22, 2025

Global vision: how the boss of Dubai airport sees the world

7 mins; December 22, 2025

Essential airline etiquette for the festive season and beyond

6 mins; December 18, 2025

Your city-break dream list for 2026 – part two

6 mins; December 17, 2025

What's on your city-break dream list for next year?

6 mins; December 16, 2025

Joy to the world – if you go by train

7 mins; December 16, 2025

Guatemala 2026: risks and rewards

6 mins; December 15, 2025

Fast track to America – from Scotland?

6 mins; December 11, 2025

Looking ahead to smoother skies and swifter journeys

7 mins; December 10, 2025

All change: Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy on the future with Great British Railways

7 mins; December 10, 2025

Storm Bram sweeps in, hitting trains, boats and planes

5 mins; December 09, 2025

On the road – again?

7 mins; December 08, 2025

Today: I'm in India, but looking ahead to the World Cup draw tonight

5 mins; December 05, 2025

Best beach, mountain, river, bar and country? Ask an expert

7 mins; December 03, 2025

What will AI mean for the future of travel planning?

6 mins; December 03, 2025

Going Dutch? These are the highlights in the Netherlands in 2026

6 mins; December 01, 2025

Advent begins: so what are the travel trends for 2026?

6 mins; November 30, 2025

Wizz Air's UK boss promises new routes from Luton to key holiday destinations – and restoring links with Ukraine

5 mins; November 27, 2025

Could "solar sails" be the future for polar adventure voyages?

6 mins; November 26, 2025

What a way to go to India – reminiscing about overland travel 50 years ago

7 mins; November 25, 2025

Cambodia, a nation transformed

6 mins; November 24, 2025

'Your primary audience is you in 10 years. That's who you're writing your updates for'

9 mins; November 23, 2025

Why a short hop from Newcastle to London Heathrow might involve going around in circles

6 mins; November 20, 2025

Keeping the skies safe – and open

7 mins; November 19, 2025

I'm on the train – and the wifi is superb

5 mins; November 18, 2025

Indian autumn: Sophie Dickinson is just back from her first trip to the world's most populous country

6 mins; November 17, 2025

Women are extremely under-represented in senior roles in aviation – how could that change?

5 mins; November 17, 2025

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Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

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