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.
On a shiny 21st-century train with just one careful previous owner, I am talking to Richard Allan – managing director of Chiltern Railways – about new rolling stock for a network that currently relies on trains nearly half a century old.
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At London St Pancras International, hub for Eurostar – and one of three locations in the UK where passport control is carried out before departing for France – I caught up with Alex Norris, Minister for Border Security and Asylum.
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My colleague, senior travel writer Natalie Wilson, has been telling me more about the making of a film about training to be cabin crew.
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I'm in Prague, tackling the Kafkaesque bureaucracy of the new Schengen area digital borders scheme.
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This weekend it's not exact all change for British holidaymakers going to the European Union and wider Schengen area – but some of us will have our fingerprints and facial biometrics taken. I've been talking to Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs for Abta, the travel association, who – like me – has been reading EU directives and regulations on the subject for the past few years.
Today I'm talking to Alex Smith – who has lived and worked in the travel industry in Mallorca for two decades. Five years ago she created the YouTube channel Mallorca Under the Sun, helping prospective visitors to our favourite Mediterranean island. She's been telling me about the highlights of the island – and why it's worth getting out of the resort of Magaluf.
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Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel and Internova Leisure, tells me that this chain of travel agencies grew from a single branch in a suburb of Glasgow half a century ago. Its key difference: staying open later, seven days a week, which in 1975 was revolutionary.
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So says Jessica Harvey Taylor, head of press for the Spanish Tourist Office in the UK, who's been telling me about the increased appetite among British travellers for northern Spain – namely Galicia, Asturias and the Basque country. And on 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the north of the country from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, before ending at sunset on the island of Mallorca.
Meet Dr Nick Brown, resident of Palma in Mallorca. His day job is as data sleuth, but he also does all he can to help tourists make the most of the island that he has made his home. He offers tours on an entirely pro bono basis – with a request that satisfied customers donate to a homeless charity.
More details here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563615153343#
That's the discussion I've been having with my excellent colleague, global travel editor Annabel Grossman. In September we both had flight cancellations, and without a buffer that can trigger stress and disappointment. It's worth politely and respectfully pushing back to ask for better replacement flights. Best of all, have your flight cancelled on your homebound leg, with a day available.
Rob Burgess, founder of the frequent flyer website Head for Points, explains how to benefit from this quirk: could status with one airline earn you the equivalent of British Airways Silver with the help of a $199 payment?
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That's the belief of Rhys Jones of the frequent-flyer website Head for Points, who explains why the economics of the extra long range narrow-bodied twin jet makes it the perfect plane for many unserved routes. But watch out for meal times ...
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The carrier is telling passengers: “All flights have been cancelled.” Around 500 staff have lost their jobs. It follows former Icelandic carriers Primera Air and Wow Air into aviation oblivion; those airlines failed in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Last summer I talked to the chief executive, Einar Örn Ólafsson, who set out his vision. Sadly, it was not to be.
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That's the message from Yann Leriche, chief executive of Getlink – the company that runs Eurotunnel and LeShuttle car-carrying operation between Folkestone and Calais. He's been talking me through the planning and the experience once the EU's digital border scheme begins.
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Steve Wilson, founder of Linger, tells me that many legal and financial services firms are happy for their top people to take sabbatical – a break to help them re-energise – and he and his team can deliver life-changing experiences.
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Hi from London St Pancras International – most beautiful railway station in the world, and also the hub for Eurostar. I am talking to Simon Lejeune, Chief Safety and Stations Officer for the cross-Channel rail firm, about the big changes the impending entry-exit system will bring.
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My guest is Stewart Wingate, Vinci Airports Managing Director for United Kingdom, overseeing future development and strategic direction of London Gatwick, Edinburgh Airport and Belfast International.
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I am in Brno in the Czech Republic, where I have come to meet Kevan Vogler – a Canadian who has been living in his adopted homeland of the Czech Republic for more than 20 years, and is therefore the ideal person to write Culture Smart! Czech Republic: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture.
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I've been covering airport expansion in south-east England for decades. Could this finally be the moment when an additional runway is pressed into service, or will it get tangled up in controversy?
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That's the recommendation of the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Opponents say the airlines see raising the age limit as an attempt to deal with a temporary shortage of pilots. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency says the risk of a serious health incident on the flight desk increases with age, and that skills decline with the years.
But Willie Walsh, a former pilot himself and now director general of Iata, ...
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.