Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

More air-traffic control misery? So say some reports today. Staff at Eurocontrol – the omniscient organisation at the heart of Europe's skies – are threatening to strike. Historically the trade union involved, the Union Syndicale Bruxelles , has been about as unmilitant as it is possible to be. My interpretation is that it's more of a cry for help by overstretched staff in a difficult summer, and I believe some kind of settlement will be reached – although that could conceivably include capping the number of flights. But it's against a background of air-traffic control stress that will cause problems through the summer.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up now to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Gatwick, the UK's second-busiest airport, has applied for permission to bring its standby runway into permanent use. Capacity could increase by 37% and be only one-fifth short of current Heathrow movement numbers. But environmental campaigners are outraged ...This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: that is the plan from the major train operators, with the blessing of government ministers.But disability campaigners claim the scheme will prevent disabled people from using the rail network entirely, while the boss of the biggest rail union insists it will “create the conditions for a muggers’ paradise on the railways”.Here's my assessment.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 of rules and ticketing related barriers that means getting around on the various different services isn't as easy as it could be. Let me explain...This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to it here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 intractable as ever. July sees the resumption of industrial action aimed at more than a dozen train operators by both main rail unions.The unions say their members have not had a pay rise for four years and are demanding a decent, no-strings award that takes into account the high level of inflation.Train operators and ministers – who must sign off any deal – say reforms are essential following the collapse of rail revenue, which they say is 30 per cent lower than before the Covid pandemic.The train drivers’ union, Aslef, is mounting “action short of a strike” in the shape of an overtime ban from 3 to 8 July inclusive. Hundreds of trains are being cancelled each day. Later in July – on 20, 22 and 29 – the RMT will be walking out again.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to receive it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What could possibly go wrong? From last-minute flight cancellations (or missing your flight) to overbooked hotels and empty car-rental lots, your rights when it all goes Tango Uniform.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 anyone ever book with them, and what are the potential pitfalls if you do?This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 know on pre-existing conditions, EHIC and GHIC.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 planned itinerary? And, perish the thought, if you’re left standing on the quayside?This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here and have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 your questions on the best ways to use foreign currency.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? I’ve been taking a deep dive into the miracles of duty-free, domestic tourism and blue passports.If you like this podcast, subscribe here for my weekly travel newsletter. Free and arriving every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Today it straddles the river Thames, with an entrance on both the north and south bank, and its glass sided platforms provide wonderful views of the capital.If you like this podcast, subscribe here for my weekly travel newsletter. Free and arriving every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 dispute so far, the deadlock and how it might end. I’m afraid that if you, like me, rely on railways for transport, it’s not sounding optimistic.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quick! Eurostar has launched a summer flash sale on its intercity trains linking London with Paris, Lille and Brussels. Those very rare entities, £35 one-way tickets, are available from Monday to Friday from 10 July to 7 September, though with some other black-out dates and only on some less in-demand trains.Tempted? You have until 11pm British time on Thursday 22 June to avail of the deal, through Eurostar.com or the Eurostar app.This podcast is free - as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to receive it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 starting point where possible damage was checked. Several BA cabin crew were injured in the incident, in the early hours of 16 June. One newspaper report was headlined: “We were in freefall for 1,000ft.” That did not happen. But just how dangerous is turbulence – and is it getting worse? I’ve been investigating.This podcast is hopefully turbulence free as well as being free to listen to, just like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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-running British Airways Airbus A320 from Nuremberg in Germany to London Heathrow. Everything was going swimmingly until two passengers decided, at the last moment, not to travel. That triggered a sequence of events that ended up with us being almost an hour late. An annoying waste of time for everyone; extra fuel burn doing the planet no favours; and lots of stress and expense as a result of missed connections.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 formality. Specifically, I’m in the exquisitely pretty town of Møgeltønder, location for Schackenborg Castle – where Prince Joachim, the second son of the Queen of Denmark, lives. The gardens are glorious, a wildlife symphony from melodic birdsong to staccato frogs. Along the main street, 12th-century Møgeltønder church is surely the most intricately beautiful in Scandinavia.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 personal exposure to disruption.This podcast, unlike train tickets, is far more generously priced as it's free, along with my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unravelling travel – and getting to the bottom of some of the unending acronyms that seem designed to confuse everyone. Today, it's Abta – the travel association – and Aito, the Association of Independent Tour Operators. What do they do for travellers, and why are they a good idea to be on your side?This podcast, unlike train tickets, is far more generously priced as it's free, along with my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Coast main line can save almost half compared with the fares prevailing last week. I believe it is the first significant step in untangling the incredibly complicated system of rail fares that confuse and deter prospective train travellers. But unless you live in eastern Scotland, northeast England or Yorkshire, it could be a while before it comes to a station near you.This podcast, unlike train tickets, is far more generously priced as it's free, along with my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 south as Newcastle. “We expect a number of large groups to be travelling on this train,” says the train operator. “So to help make it a pleasant experience for everyone, we'll be operating an alcohol-free policy for part of the journey.” But drinking is banned on every ScotRail train, and at every Scottish station. In Northern Ireland, the legality of alcohol depends on what sort of train you are on. And on all public transport in London, drinking has been illegal for 15 years.Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Heathrow airport will see “disruption, delays and cancellations this summer” according to the Unite union. In a “a major escalation” of a pay dispute, it is calling more than 2,000 security staff out on strike for 31 days between June and August.The action at the UK’s busiest airport is timed to coincide with busy family travel dates, including the start of the main summer holidays in England and Wales, as well as the August bank holiday weekend. Here's my assessment.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 never truly existed in the first place, many drivers are kind but some are not, and the Miracle of the Train whereby I was heading south from Oslo airport on an express that was due to leave two minutes before my plane from Bodo arrived.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 but I did enjoy a taxi instead of a rail replacement bus. Then I had to negotiate with members of an extremely long security queue in order to board my Norwegian flight on time. Thanks to a few strokes of luck I arrived at my final destination but things could have gone badly wrong.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, and some will have paid more: that is the nature of pricing planes, trains and ships. How do companies set prices, and when exactly should you book? If I knew that …This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you tolerate standing on the scales at the airport?At present, airlines use “assumed mass” – typically 88kg per passenger. Air New Zealand is seeking 10,000 volunteers to ensure that these averages are still accurate. Yet if airlines knew exactly how much each passenger weighs, the captain could load fuel more accurately: reducing fuel burn, and the damage to the planet. Which major airline will be first to introduce the idea?This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Szymon Maksymiuk at the city’s tourist office – who explained that Szczecin has the newest “old town” in Europe – dating from the 1990s and still not finished.This podcast is free, like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to that here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 and New York/Los Angeles from next Spring. I'm not marking that in my diary just yet. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/airbus-a380-london-new-york-norse-los-angeles-b2347479.htmlOf course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Saturday when there were failings nationwide causing chaos for passengers trying to enter the country. So, how do these robotic border force agents work? And what happens when they go wrong?Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My flight at Heathrow, to Prague, has just been cancelled – along with almost 200 other departures since the latest British Airways IT meltdown began. From the airport, here's my take on what's been happening and your (and, on this occasion, my) rights.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 and Blacksod Lighthouse on the Mullet Peninsula, meeting Georgia MacMillan, who tells me a little about the the dark sky park and Mark Ruddy, who explains what there is to explore on the peninsula.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“France has banned domestic short-haul flights where train alternatives exist, in a bid to cut carbon emissions,” I read. The report says routes where trains can make the journey in under two-and-a-half hours have been banned – ruling out air travel between Paris and cities including Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux. Except that those cities have five, six and seven flights a day, each way, to and from Paris CDG. Here’s my take on trains replacing planes on shorter journeys.his podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s travel podcast comes from Glencolmcille Folk Village on the raw northwest shores of Ireland, where I hear from manager Margaret Rose Cunningham about keeping tradition alive – and how the Wild Atlantic Way has brought new eyes to the beautiful land- and seascapes of County Donegal.Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve been enjoying the sunshine in Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal, in the far northwest of Ireland, with Head Of Education & Learning Clare Bromley and Ranger Lee McDaid of Ireland’s National Parks and Wildlife Service.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. The latter is the body that is supposed to be acting as a "guiding mind" for the nation's rail services. Reports this morning say that the legislation necessary to establish GBR won't happen before the next election. Add to that the latest strike called by the RMT, and there are few reasons to be cheerful about the near future of rail – and train travellers.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you love 18th-century classical music or 20th-century rock, a top London tourist attraction reopens today, 18 May 2023: the Handel Hendrix House, at 25 Brook Street, London W1. After a £3m restoration lasting nearly two years, the house where George Frideric Handel lived from 1723 until he died in 1759 has reopened in ravishing style. An adjoining flat at no 23 – and part of the same museum – is the only place that Jimi Hendrix called home. Olwen Foulkes, assistant researcher, showed me around for today’s podcast. The museum opens 10am-5pm from Wednesday to Sunday, admission £14.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“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 announced a very significant expansion for the company: opening a base at Liverpool John Lennon airport from spring 2024 with a big network of holiday flights Jet2 Holidays has taken over as the biggest tour operator in the UK from TUI – which is itself growing strongly next summer. Great news for holidaymakers. But is it a wise move for the company?This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 towards. The journey would involve space travel and sustaining a force of 6G on your body. One important thing to be sure of: whether humans could survive the journey. So, recently, a group of healthy participants between 30 and 80 years old were put under similar strains in a centrifuge. Thankfully everyone in the group survived. But does this mean we'll be zipping across the world in no time? Here's what I think.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flights from Gatwick Airport were halted this afternoon due to reports of drone activity close to the airspace.At least 12 inbound flights were diverted away from Gatwick for almost an hour while an investigation took place into the suspected drone.Gatwick is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, with little slack in the system when schedules unravel.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 to Liverpool for Eurovision. But dare I say it? There are a number of alternatives to rail travel for reaching Merseyside.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 since then, the range of UK domestic flights has waxed and waned.I'm at Luton airport, where EasyJet began in 1995 as a purely domestic airline with links to Edinburgh and Glasgow.As rail links have improved, links like this have reduced – but Northern Ireland and Cornwall continue to benefit from planes rather than terrestrial links.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 you can expect warm temperatures (although expect cool seas!), and inexpensive flights due to a full month of term time for schools.Also in this episode: what Rome and New York have in common. And, no, it's not a shared love of pizza.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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...So, with my mortality recognised, who else can *you* ask for help and travel advice?Whether you need to get money back after airline issues or need emergency travel, there are multiple examples of when you might need a helping hand, so listen now for a thorough overview of who can be of assistance.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"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 void between the train and platform – or the wide-as-ever gap between the rail unions and the government? More strikes next weekend, and overnight the RMT union announced that members had voted 91% in favour of continuing industrial action. What’s going on, what are the warring sides saying, and why is Saturday 13 May significant (apart from the obvious: Eurovision)?This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 union, mainly employed at Terminal 5, are striking in support of a pay claim. Signs in the terminal warn departing passengers: “There may be some security delays due to industrial action.”The Fast Track security lanes are closed, but queues for the first wave of departures on Thursday morning were not excessive.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter - subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 10am and concludes as soon as you can reach Istanbul. The distance as the crow flies – or the plane flies – is about 1500 miles. It’s quite a lot longer by public transport and walking, the only forms of travel allowed. Dylan reveals more ...This podcast is free, just like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

International travellers will no longer need to demonstrate to airlines that they have received Covid jabs from Friday 12 May.Florida’s theme parks, Manhattan’s restaurants and California’s road trips are now on the summer agenda for British travellers who have not been vaccinated against the virus.The rule will expire at the end of the day on Thursday 11 May – which is when America’s “Covid-19 public health emergency” officially ends.This podcast is free, just like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 are being told their flights are cancelled because of striking air-traffic controllers in France. On Tuesday the walk-out at HM Passport Office will be stepped up, and on Thursday security staff at Heathrow airport will walk out again. And later in May, national rail strikes resume. I give details on each and what you as a paying customer are entitled to if disrupted.This podcast is free, just like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.