Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

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 easily fall apart – don’t set your heart on arriving exactly when the Zeitplan says you will.Of course this podcast, is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British travellers and other “third country nationals” entering the EU will not be required to have their fingerprints and facial biometrics taken until 2024 at the earliest.Europe’s much-delayed entry/exit system (EES) was expected to take effect in 2021. It is currently due to commence in November 2023. But I understand that the electronic border scheme will not now go ahead this year because the database on which it depends will not be ready in time.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up to receive every Friday here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After leaving the European Union, the UK demanded British passport holders should be subject to strict passport checks and - soon - fingerprinting and facial biometrics on journeys to the EU.The time taken to administer these new procedures has led the British leg of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express to be cancelled. Today's travel podcast tells you all you need to know about the history of this celebrated train.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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 being done about it?This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 departure to the EU, less than 10 years since the issue date (all kids’ passports meet this test)On the intended day of return from the EU, at least 3 months until the expiry date.That’s all. Can everyone stop putting out misinformation, please?This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here and have delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rail services are getting back to normal in England, Wales and Scotland after widespread closures for engineering work over the four-day Easter weekend.But rail passengers in some parts of Britain face continuing problems as some lines will remain closed until June.Of course 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.

The adventurer and photographer Paul Goldstein is leading a trip to Baffin Island in Arctic Canada – seeking the perfect combination of Northern Lights and polar bears and extreme wilderness. I caught up with him before he went, safe in the warm embrace of his kitchen in Wimbledon.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up for it here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 slowing coach passengers down as passport checks slow everyone. But what I've actually found is people being prioritised today, with my coach being whisked through Dover past lines of cars and lorries.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - you can get it every Friday by subscribing here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 newsletter. Sign up here to get every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 due to enhanced post-Brexit checks.I bring you the travel forecast for the Easter weekend, amidst flight strikes and delays.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up now to get it straight to your inbox on Fridays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up now to get it straight to your inbox on Fridays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 delays. I take you through it all.Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 strike aimed at disrupting travel has begun.I've been counting how many flights were cancelled today - 78 so far. Of course 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 at Heathrow, where British Airways has cancelled 50 flights due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers. Multiple departures to Amsterdam, Hamburg, Nice, Prague and Zurich have been grounded, along with the inbound legs from those cities.Of course 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.

In today’s travel podcast, I talk with Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, about current travel bargains – and the "headwinds" facing travellers and the industry."It's frustrating – all we want to do and all our members want to do is be able to provide consumers with great holidays."Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 course 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.

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 strikes will be happening. Of course 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.

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 information.

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 Easter?Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 agency doing asking for a tip after it’s just taken over £100 from me? In this episode of the travel podcast, I ask America to have a word with itself over its tipping culture and how it doesn't help anyone.I won't be asking for any tips for the service of this podcast, neither with my newsletter, which is free delivery every Friday to your inbox. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 technology easing the time through border control and life in general at the airport and on board far more simple.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to have that in your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Security officers at Heathrow and Passport Office staff are both taking industrial action in pursuit of pay claims. My message: don’t panic.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can get every Friday by signing up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of you, I know, are the thrill-seeking kind that go off to far-flung places looking for adventure. Others of you sometimes have to travel to areas where unrest is frequent and a few of you wind up in dangerous situations by pure bad luck. Never fear though, in this episode I answer your questions on what to do when visiting dangerous places.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can get every Friday by signing up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The weather's not quite turned for the better, you've been at work for far too long already and summer holidays seem a mile away. What better time to visit the Mediterranean than now? I've done that exact thing and in this episode tell you about the joys of a mid-March getaway.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.

The rail industry is facing cancellations and delays due to strike action, with the London Underground workers striking today and a national rail strike tomorrow. Seems like a good time to remind you as rail passengers of what you can expect and claim for in terms of compensation when trains are delayed or cancelled on you.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 in Turkey, in the wonderful Bodrum Peninsula, which I am finding full of surprise and in this episode I'll tell you all the bits worth exploring.This podcast is free, as is my newsletter, which you can get delivered inbox every Friday. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently airlines have been letting us down, with a lot of delays to journeys across the industry. It's a good time to be reminded of your rights as a passenger; when you claim for compensation due to delays and what is counted and not counted as a delay. Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here and have it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extreme wintry weather plus air-traffic control strikes in France spell a miserable day for many travellers. Problems are likely to continue into the weekend. Good luck, everybody.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. To get it delivered to your inbox every Friday, subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m in the Taurus mountains of southern Turkey, beside a tranquil reservoir, but the row over how much each passenger at the UK’s busiest airport should pay for the privilege is rumbling.Heathrow says the average £27.50 per person charge prescribed by the Civil Aviation Authority is not nearly enough to deliver the standards passengers deserve; airlines are furious and say the figure is way above other airports.The blunt truth is that Heathrow is more popular with passengers – and airlines – than any other airport on the planet, and that without the CAA cap charges would be stratospheric.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. To get it delivered to your inbox every Friday, subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Members of the RMT union working for Network Rail have called off their strike that was set to take place on 16 March. They called off the strike (along with overtime bans) while a referendum takes place on the latest offer.Many more trains will now run on that day. But strikes by staff at 14 train operators on 16, 18, 30 March and 1 April are set to continue.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. To get it delivered to your inbox every Friday, subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baggage, a sometimes fraught and confusing system many of us encounter when things go awry. In today's episode, I sit down and go through the post bag, answering your questions on baggage - how it works when things go wrong, who's responsible and how best to go about being reunited with your luggage.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. To get it delivered to your inbox every Friday, subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m on my way from London to Leeds – the pretty way, via Sheffield, using a £45 Advance ticket on East Midlands Railway to a station called Darton – where I will spend another £6 to complete the journey. Yes, it takes a good hour longer, but saves around £50.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday by subscribing here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm recording from a live test of the new Luton Airport DART system connecting the Parkway rail station with the terminal.I talk to Javeria Hussain who is chair of Luton Rising – the organisation that runs Luton Airport — about the new system.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday by subscribing here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Norse Atlantic is the new kid on the block from Gatwick to the US this summer. It might have a terrible name, in my opinion, but could it mean savings galore on travel to the United States?Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday by subscribing here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the first of March — Happy St David's Day — so I thought I should warn you about what you can expect if you're travelling around by train this month.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.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is about what to do if a passenger name is incorrect on a booking. Airlines are very eager that names be correct, while trains in the UK aren't bothered at all. In this episode, I guide you through what the rules are and what you can do about an incorrect name on a booking.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I regularly trawl the European Union site for news about the “ETIAS” scheme and have seen that they have quietly changed the target date.It turns out that British travellers to the EU will not need a £6 “eurovisa” until 2024 at the earliest.The scheme has been under development for at least the last seven years and was due to begin in 2021, but has been repeatedly postponed. 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.

Why has air travel become so fraught with difficulties?" So asks a reader. "50 years ago travelling by plane was exciting and reliable. Now it seems like an obstacle course." Well, I beg to differ about the Golden Age of Air Travel.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'm in Compiègne in northern France, which has a compelling chateau to rival Versailles and Fontainebleau, and also the 'Armistice Carriage' – the railway car where the German surrender in World War I and the French surrender in World War II were both taken.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.

How do you get the best seat on a plane? Well, I'll outline my strategy: I tend to get on last. But let me warn you that it doesn't always work. 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.

For the first time, I am trying the French notion of no frills trains. French railways has a budget brand called Ouigo. It uses the same high speed trains, but with higher density seating, no buffet car and strict rules on check-in and baggage. But for £10 from the deep south of France to somewhere near Paris, I’ll take it.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.

On today's travel podcast, I speak with wildlife guide and safari camp owner Paul Goldstein about how to get the most from a Safari.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.

On today's podcast, I chat with Manchester Museum Director, Esme Ward about what visitors can expect from the museum, having just opened its doors for the first time in almost 18 months after undergoing a £15m transformation project.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'm joined on today's podcast by my colleague Charlotte Hindle, and we're discussing how to get your money back when travel plans go awry.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.

Today's travel podcast is in praise of overnight sleeper trains – but many of them exist only because they are hugely subsidised by taxpayers.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.

Today is Valentine's Day and I'm joined by Travel Editor (and also, I like to think, Chief Romance Correspondent) of the Independent, Helen Coffey, to discuss the least and most romantic places in the world to travel.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.

In today's travel podcast, I answer the big question on everyone's mind: when will the next rail strikes...strike? 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.

The Home Office is warning British travellers to “prepare for disruption” during a strike by members of UK Border Force.I'm on the seafront at Dover, discussing the strike which is due to take place over the key February half-term weekend: Friday 17 to early on Monday 20 February.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.

In today's podcast, I sit down with award-winning photographer Paul Goldstein as he encourages people to improve their camera skills, and be more ambitious with their travel photography.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.