You should have been there

We talk about the challenges of settling into French village life, review races across the world and wonder why we need a new airline linking the UK with the USA.

Join Simon on his tour of beautiful Croatian Islands and share your thoughts on holiday souvenirs, Voyages a trois and "Trevi Fountain wishes" for ways to make travel better.

Electricity blackouts, cancellations, widespread delays............We discuss how to hedge your holiday bets in an era of chaos and confusion. The photograph is of a work by the Argentinian artist, Pablo Suarez.

Enjoy our guide to the varied and often surprising charms of the country at the heart of Europe, and just a train ride from the UK.

One of the delights and challenges of a trip abroad is deciding where to eat. We discuss listeners' opinions on what to look for and what to avoid!

Mike Parker, author of the best selling "Map Addict," joins us to share his love affair with maps and his thoughts on the politics of cartography and the strong feelings that it provokes.

Author and professor, Jean Mcneil, joins us to talk about her new book, Latitudes, and leads us into some of the world's great wildernesses. Danger, adventure and thought-provoking reflections pepper the book, which is published by Barbican Press

Which country should you choose for your first visit to South America? We assess the attractions and weigh up the pros and cons of four big-hitters: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Peru.

We discuss legendary music museums, Chinese airlines, sustainable breakfast buffets and the pros and cons of travelling with donkeys. Thanks to Florian Giorgio for his photo on Unsplash

Foragers take on anti-foragers in the great breakfast buffet debate, we continue the train limerick challenge and feature a topical update on romantic destinations. The website for info on the Robert Louis Stevenson trail is chemin-stevenson.org and thanks to Jill Sauve for her photo on Unsplash

We welcome Mark Smith, well known as "the man in seat 61" to discuss the bicentenary of the first official railway journey, a gift from the UK to the world. Mark's guide to rail travel is at www.seat61.com And thanks to Roland Lösslein for his photo on Unsplash

We discuss the possible impact on travel to the USA of the impending Donald Trump presidency while Simon reports from Florida on the often fraught interaction between humanity and manatees. With thanks to NOAA for the photo of a manatee and her calf.

Simon and Mick share their favourite travel moments from 2024- best views, meals and cultural encounters- before looking forward to 2025. Happy New Year, fellow travellers!

We talk to Dylan Harris, founder of Lupine Travel, about his tour company, how they decide on their destinations and what it's like to organise trips to "no-go" areas like the Darien Gap, Yemen and Afghanistan.

Simon recounts tales from his recent trek through Nepal's Lumba Sumba pass and, inspired by Rome's Trevi fountain we launch a strand of travel wishes!

Simon Calder and Mick Webb compare their recent lofty experiences in Nepal and La Gomera respectively.

We wonder if Brown Bears are good or bad for tourism, hear listener Sally Naylor's tale of her split-second travel decision and discuss whether the world is becoming too samey.

Philosopher and travel writer, Professor Emily Thomas, joins us to provide a cerebral take on motorways and their service areas.

Thanks to David Dixon for his photo of the M 40 services on geograph.org.uk/photo/3299492

We look back at the last 5 years of travel, at the changes, the experience of Covid and Brexit and at the best and worst of the 200 podcasts that we've made since 2019