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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 and the Independent Travel Podcast will bring you all you need to know from the world of travel.
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 fro
Latest episode
July 4th - Could the guidebook be making a comeback?
04:59|That's the contention from Rene Frey, chief executive of Rough Guides and Insight GuidesThis podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.
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July 3rd - Check in is a 20th-century procedure that has no place in the modern era
04:12|When you buy a rail ticket, that's it: you just show up at the station and board the train. Flying should be like that. But instead, passengers are obliged to check in with the airline. I think the aviation industry could do away with it.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.July 2nd - Interrail deal: save 20% if you book by close of play on 3 July
06:23|I am reporting from a speedy Austrian train on the former route of the Orient Express - and talking about the many benefits of Interrail.You can get 1/5th off if you buy today or tomorrow.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.July 1st - Uber: how to rate drivers and how to tip, from an expert
05:04|An unusual way to start the month: talking to my friend Daniel Bettendorf outside the Art Inn in Linz, Austria, where we have cycled. Since the early day of Uber, he has been a regular user of the ride-sharing app – and has strong views on rating and tipping drivers, partly based on his knowledge of Game Theory as a mathematician.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.June 30th - Don't worry, travel happy: the message from top industry leader
05:33|On the eve of the peak summer months of July and August, Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, looks ahead to the main holiday season at a time of uncertainty.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.June 27th - When global geo-politics and your holiday converge ...
08:46|What a week it has been, as conflict surged and then waned in the Middle East – with dozens of flights cancelled and tens of thousands of people stranded by the sudden closure of Qatari airspace. To put current events in perspective, I'm talking to Jane Kinninmont, chief executive of UNA-UK – the United Nations Association. This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.June 26th - Celebrating Everest pioneer Howard Somervell
06:53|I'm at the Alpine Club in Charlotte Road, Shoreditch, London – where, between 11am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to 18 July 2025, you can find a fascinating exhibition of the work of Everest pioneer Howard Somervell.He was one of the world's best climbers – and an artist of high repute. And Graham Hoyland, who is writing a biography of Howard Somervell, provides a fascinating insight into his life and work.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.