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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If the earth is actually curved, we’ll be able to tell
Fifty years to the day since the first British Airways Concorde took off with passengers on board, a final interview with Blake Scholl, founder of Boo...
Who knows where the tourists go?
Patricia Yates does: she is chief executive of Visit Britain, which has just delivered a major survey on the value of inbound tourism to the UK.
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Wish it could be Concorde every day? Hear what a leading environmental campaigner has to say
Back by popular demand: more on supersonic flying. But Anna Hughes, director of Flight Free UK, does not believe we should return to the era of breaki...
What is the market for supersonic flying?
All week I've been hearing about Boom Supersonic's plan for its Overture aircraft, 50 years after Concorde first flew with paying passengers. For an a...
New York? Sydney? Boom Supersonic wants to take you there more swiftly.
Blake Scholl, CEO and founder of Denver-based Boom Supersonic, tells me in part 4 of supersonic week, that the longer the route, the better the appeal...
Fly supersonic between London and New York for £4,000 return?
That's the plan from Blake Scholl, CEO and founder of Denver-based Boom Supersonic. In part 3 of supersonic week, he has been telling me about the pri...
Boom Supersonic's big idea for a small impact on the planet
Part 2 of my exclusive interview with Blake Scholl, CEO and founder of Denver-based Boom Supersonic. His Overture aircraft aims to be the first supers...
Welcome to Supersonic week! Will passengers ever break the sound barrier again?
It’s 50 years this month since the first-ever passenger flights on Concorde, the Anglo-French supersonic jet that travelled at 1,350mph. All this week...
In search of the UK's most beautiful railway station
I am stuck at Crewe, the rail junction in Cheshire, but I have been hearing from two of the presenters of an excellent new Channel 4 series, Britain's...
Greece: is it really a year-round destination?
Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in London, says Athens and Thessaloniki are excellent winter destinations – and al...
How tourism can help endangered species
My guest today is Paul Goldstein: photographer, expedition guide, and campaigner for protecting wildlife. He’s also author of a book out this week cal...
Travel Desk Tuesday: top tips for '26 from Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman
Uganda and northern Argentina are off the tourism mainstream, but high on Annabel's recommendations for the year ahead. Adventure travel in Africa and...
Preston to Carlisle – the pretty way
Avanti West Coast is providing a glorious workaround to the closure of the main rail line between Preston and Carlisle: a scenic train diversion along...
How the Eurostar chaos *should* have been handled
Right at the end of 2025, tens of thousands of passengers had their New Year plans wrecked when a problem in the Channel Tunnel.
30 trains link...
How to be a responsible tourist
To start 2026, I'm talking to Mark Tanzer, well respected chief executive of Abta, the travel association – about reasons to be cheerful, challenges f...
How does a hotel keep going through Christmas and into New Year?
I'm talking to Mike Vincent, General Manager of the Langdale Chase Hotel overlooking Windermere in Cumbria – who has been working through the festive...
The secret behind Manchester Airport's growth
I've been talking to Chris Woodroffe, managing director of Manchester airport, about plans for the future in terms of passenger numbers – and also pub...
Part 2/2 – 2026 predictions with travel CEO
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, is back to talk about travel in 2026.
This podcast is free, as is Independent...
Part 1/2 – From cake to caterpillars: Travel boss reveals 2025 highs and lows
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, flies more than anyone else I know.
So in the first half of a two-part inter...
Coming to a bus stop near you this Christmas Day?
For people living in the UK without a car, Christmas Day has long been a problem.
No trains are running, and in most areas local buses remain i...
Part 3/3 — Dubai airport CEO's advice to the UK
Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive of Dubai Airports, used to run Gatwick airport. In the third and final part of our conversation, the boss of the world...
Part 2/3 — The future of aviation according to Dubai airport boss
In the second part of my exclusive conversation with Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive of Dubai Airports, we gaze deep into the future of aviation.
Part 1/3 — How Dubai became the world's biggest international hub
Today and for the following two days, I am bringing you a conversation with the man who is responsible for more "passenger miles" than anyone else on...
Essential airline etiquette for the festive season and beyond
I'm joined by The Independent's US travel editor, Ted Thornhill, for his insights on the tricky business of reclining seats, sharing armrests, stowing...
Your city-break dream list for 2026 – part two
Amelia Neath, travel writer for The Independent, continues her romp through the best-value European city breaks for 2026. Today: the top five are reve...
What's on your city-break dream list for next year?
Travel writer for The Independent Amelia Neath has compiled a brilliant list of best-value European city breaks for 2026. It's another two-parter: tod...
Joy to the world – if you go by train
Travel desk Tuesday, and today senior travel writer Natalie Wilson is reporting on the Belmond British Pullman Christmas lunch trip from London Victor...
Guatemala 2026: risks and rewards
Starting a new year with a journey to a new destination is always rewarding, and one of the most memorable 1 January departures took me to Guatemala....
Fast track to America – from Scotland?
Could Edinburgh airport be the first in the UK to offer pre-clearance for travellers to the US? That's the hope of today's guest, Gordon Dewar – chief...
Looking ahead to smoother skies and swifter journeys
My guest today is Kathryn Leahy, chief operations officer for the air-traffic control service, Nats. We talked about the impact of bad weather – such...
All change: Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy on the future with Great British Railways
I've been hearing from the man responsible for improving reliability and attracting more people to the railway. Lord Hendy has strong views on how uni...
Storm Bram sweeps in, hitting trains, boats and planes
Dozens of flights and ferry sailings have been cancelled due to strong winds and heavy rain. British Airways cancelled its first wave of domestic depa...
On the road – again?
I have been hitchhiking for half a century. But in that time thumbing rides has shrunk from the mainstream method for budget travellers to get around...
Today: I'm in India, but looking ahead to the World Cup draw tonight
What's the best strategy for booking your travel to attend the FIFA World Cup next summer in the US, Canada, and Mexico?As soon as the draw is made, p...
What will AI mean for the future of travel planning?
"AI and the internet will be a huge part of the future of travel." So says Andy Headington, CEO of digital travel marketing specialists Adido. LLMs –...
Best beach, mountain, river, bar and country? Ask an expert
Continuing the theme of looking ahead to 2026: I have been talking to an old travel pal of mine, Brian Young. He is now EMEA managing director for G A...
Going Dutch? These are the highlights in the Netherlands in 2026
Subtract Amsterdam from the Netherlands and what's left would comprise a beautiful, diverse and cultured nation. I've been singing the praises of seco...
Advent begins: so what are the travel trends for 2026?
My first guest of the month is Rachel O’Reilly Director of Communications for Dertour UK – a company that includes Kuoni, Journey Latin America, Ingha...
Wizz Air's UK boss promises new routes from Luton to key holiday destinations – and restoring links with Ukraine
Wizz Air's UK Managing Director, Yvonne Moynihan, has been telling me about the year so far; Wizz Air's new "Class" product that will emulate British...
Could "solar sails" be the future for polar adventure voyages?
Exploring the Arctic is one of the greatest experiences open to tourists – visiting remote locations such as Svalbard and Greenland – but there are co...