Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
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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 informati...
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Driving tests and dual citizenship: my conversation with rock legend Suzi Quatro
Today's podcast is rather different from usual. For the first time, I am talking about driving tests but not any driving test. This one involves the Q...
Dispatch from Kosovo, Europe’s youngest nation
Eighteen years ago, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia after years of turmoil following the break-up of Yugoslavia. Serbia still regards Kosovo...
British Airways’ pilot academy open for fresh applications tomorrow
In 2023 I covered the launch of the British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy: recruiting young people to be the pilots of tomorrow. I am delighted to b...
All change at European frontiers? Not exactly ...
From today, the EU’s “entry-exit system” is expected to be running at all Schengen area frontiers – bringing to an end the stamping of passports. The...
Beond: The new business-class only airline flying from London Heathrow to the Maldives from December 2026
Could you be tempted by the prospect of an exclusive 44-seat aircraft?
All-business-class carrier Beond is set to take passengers in some luxury...
Welcome to Derry/Londonderry, one of my favourite UK cities
My guest today is Charlene McCrossan of Martin McCrossan City Tours – which has been introducing tourists to this corner of the far northwest of North...
Tourism is coming slowly to Greenland, but that's part of the charm of it
Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, is currently enjoying over 14 hours of daylight, a figure that is climbing swiftly towards midsummer. But how much fun...
Hotels are magnets for criminals’ – so what needs to be done to make them more secure?
You will probably have heard of the shocking case of a woman who was sexually assaulted in a Travelodge by an attacker who was handed a key to her roo...
Travel without fear: the world should be accessible to everybody, no matter how you identify
To round off the week, I'm talking to travel expert Rob Staines about queer travel around the world. He and his partner have just returned from India...
Should British Airways be flying from airports such as Liverpool and Leeds Bradford?
That might look an odd question. In the past there have been links from these airports to London Heathrow, which were ditched because the slots could...
EU entry-exit system is stepping up – or is it?
The much-delayed digital borders scheme for the Schengen area is supposed to be up and running in full from 10 April – but Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief ex...
Travel Desk Tuesday with Natalie Wilson
Talking with my excellent colleague, senior travel writer Natalie, about a wide range of travel stories: the shocking business of hotel security, a ne...
King Charles III England Coast Path – meet the man who helped it happen
The 2,700 mile-long trail around the shore of England is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world. It gives unprecedented access to the...
Jet2 launches from Gatwick – and the company boss has plenty to say
Just when you thought London Gatwick couldn’t get any more competitive, Britain's biggest holiday company has launched at scale from the Sussex airpor...
'Dubai will come back – the influencers will see to that'
That's the surprising view of an eminent commentator on travel, tourism and geopolitics: the formidable all-rounder, Ash Bhardwaj, who has served arou...
Mind the doors – and the escalators, and other rail passengers
Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Gatwick Express, Southern, Great Northern as well as Thameslink – has brought out a new safety video which is des...
Travel Desk Tuesday with Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman
We talk about the effects of the Iran conflict on travel in the immediate and more distant future. Plus: how will it affect travellers' views on visit...
Views from the top: three aviation leaders assess the state of travel after three weeks of the unfolding tragedy in Iran
Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair and Kenton Jarvis, CEO of easyJet tell me how the crisis has affected their airlines, while Willie Walsh,...
Natural History Museum become the most popular UK tourist attraction in history
I'm talking to Bernard Donoghue OBE, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. Today he has revealed the stars of the visitor attrac...
Lost bags and inefficient airports: can things really only get better?
On a typical holiday plane with 160 passengers, one piece of checked baggage will go missing. That’s the shocking statistic from Sita, the IT provider...
Changing planes in the danger zone
I am reporting from Abu Dhabi airport, where I have been transferring between Etihad flights. Even though the Foreign Office is warning against travel...
Heathrow airport Terminal 4: the ghost hub
Today I'm reporting from London Heathrow Terminal 4. This is the main Middle Eastern hub at the UK's busiest airport. But with so many of its regular...
In Indonesia, let the train take the strain
Today I'm reporting from on board an express train on the Indonesian island of Java. It's a relaxing and fun way to get around this fascinating nation...
Video masterclass from award-winning cameraman Douglas Bolton
In the second half of our focus on the lens, this top cinematographer reveals the mistakes that people most often make when shooting video. Hoping you...
What will the current crisis mean for travellers in future?
In the first of a two part series, top cinematographer and photographer Douglas Bolton tells me how to take better stills – even if you are using your...
What will the current crisis mean for travellers in future?
“People will think, maybe I’ll fly Singapore Airlines next time.” So says Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, in the last episode of a travel trilo...
US and Israel didn’t think Iran would respond by hitting Dubai
The attack on Iran that began on 28 February closed the nation’s airspace, as well as that of neighbouring Iraq. But within hours, the whole Gulf regi...
How does the current disruption in the Gulf compare with previous crises?
Perspective is important in travel. There is one person who can put the current chaos arising from the US Israeli attack against Iran into context: le...
Esther, Queen of the Desert
I am in Broken Hill, New South Wales: the Silver City. Besides being a classic Australian mining town, it has been the location for some cult movies –...
We've got to get out of this place!
I have been talking to stranded travellers in Sydney – probably the location with the highest number of people keen to get to the UK, but scuppered by...
Could you be tempted by a political tour?
My guest today is Nicholas Wood, founder and director of Political Tours: friend of the podcast, to whom I talked to last May. Since then a vast amoun...
Finland: In the far-from-bleak late winter
Travel desk Tuesday – and today's excellent colleague just back from a big trip is Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman. She has returned from wintry...
Gulf crisis: my assessment of the aviation impact
Just before I boarded a flight to China, I set out the scale of the problem caused by the closure of the three biggest Middle East air hubs – And cons...
National Lottery Open Week is back from 7 to 15 March 2026
Each year, heritage venues and attractions funded by the National Lottery offer special deals for anyone who can demonstrate they have played the lott...
‘Heathrow’s third runway should have been built 10 years ago’
That's the message from Thomas Woldbye, chief executive of Europe's busiest airport, who is keen to build a third runway and opening it to flights wit...
Red tape gets even more tangled from today
For many British travellers who plan to travel to Ireland, or who happen to be dual nationals, red tape has become a lot more complicated from today....
First time in Africa for senior travel writer Natalie Wilson
Travel desk Tuesday – and the joy of working at The Independent is that my excellent colleagues are constantly returning from exciting places. Senior...
Mexico: UK Foreign Office issues urgent warning as flights are cancelled due to drug cartel violence
Many thousands of tourists are stranded in the resort of Puerto Vallarta after violence erupted following the killing of narcotics kingpin ‘El Mencho’...
"Huge, massive beautiful place" – welcome to Mongolia
Ulan Bator, the capital, is a busy, creative location, says Anna Butler – Tour Manager for Expat Adventure. She has lived in the vast land – six times...
Dual citizens may now be able to use expired passports to enter the UK
From Wednesday 25 February, people who are British but also citizens of another country were told they can travel to the UK only with a valid British...