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PODCAST

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast

The Independent

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.

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

5:58

October 13th - Entry-exit system arrives – and I try...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/13

I'm in Prague, tackling the Kafkaesque bureaucracy of the new Schengen area digital borders scheme.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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7:19

October 10th - Entry-exit system starts on Sunday –...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/10

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your

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5:38

October 9th - How to make the most of Mallorca

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/09

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See

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5:47

October 8th - How to start – and run – a successful...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/08

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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6:28

October 7th - "The universe is looking favourably on...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/07

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it

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6:23

October 6th - The amazing city tour that invites...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/06

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 entirelypro bonobasis – with a request that satisfied customers donate to a homeless charity.More details here:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563615153343#Nick also provides in-depth advice on public transport in Mallorca,https://www.facebook.com/groups/3028730957433776/This podcast is

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7:50

October 3rd - Flight cancellations – what is the best...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/03

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your

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8:14

October 2nd - The insider's guide to "status...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/02

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?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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7:19

October 1st - Is the Airbus A321 XLR the biggest...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/10/01

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 ...This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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7:04

September 30th - Play, a low-cost Icelandic airline,...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/30

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See

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7:16

September 29th - Entry-exit system: 'We're ready, so...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/29

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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7:53

September 26th - Meet Linger, the company that wants...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/26

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

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4:57

September 25th - All change for British travellers to...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/25

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4:08

September 24th - Gatwick – what will expansion mean,...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/24

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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5:16

September 23rd - Check out this guide to the Czech...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/23

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.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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6:07

September 22nd - Gatwick's second runway gets...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/22

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?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4:50

September 19th - Should the retirement age for pilots...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/19

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, believes the age limit can safely be raised.This podcast is free, as is

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7:13

September 18th - What happens in the wake of an...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/18

Flying is incredibly safe. But as we have seen over the past nine months, accidents happen with tragic consequences. I am talking to Elmarie Marais, the chief executive of GoCrisis – a company that works with airlines to prepare emergency procedures, and gets to work to care for the loved ones of the victims. As I make clear, aviation has an outstanding safety record.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast

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4:38

September 17th - Andorra in summer?

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/17

I am still in southwest France, specifically at Toulouse airport departure lounge, where I am talking to Jackie Banfill and Frank Epstein – who have been in the high Pyrenean co-principality of Andorra. I know the place mainly from winter, but they say it is glorious in summer.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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6:46

September 16th - What happens when your flight is...

Simon Calder"s Independent Travel Podcast ·

2025/09/16

I'm just on the French side of the Pyrenees, but I reached here – with my hiking friend Mick – after some extreme stress, when our Vueling flight from Gatwick to Barcelona was cancelled at the airport.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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437 results

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