You should have been there

We discuss hot locations for this year's travellers and some of the new trends and buzzwords that are making a splash.  Find out, for instance whether you are a set-jetter?    The website we mentioned is www.tripfiction.com. And the photo is of Marseille

Simon and Mick go head to head over 8 rounds. Can you do better than they did?   The website mentioned during the quiz is  "The Man in Seat 61 " https://www.seat61.com

Our guest is Professor Jean Mcneil, who not only teaches writing but is an author of both novels and travel narratives.  Hear her thoughts on the differences between factual and fictional evocations of other places, but also her top tips for good travel reading. Amongst her favourites are the novels of Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga.  Discover Jean's own work at https://www.jeanmcneil.co.uk/

We match France with Argentina to discover which of these football greats is the better travel destination. It's a game of dodgy decisions and dirty tricks with a thrilling climax

Are they as bleak as the weather? Join Mick Webb and Simon Calder for a summary of the festive disruptions, a lively listener exchange about business flights and a look back at the original Christmas journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem- challenging, to put it mildly.  With thanks to Christian Bjoerklund for his electronic track, Hallon. 

We are joined by Cleo Paskal, journalist, academic researcher and a pioneering digital nomad. On the agenda: Cleo's own travels and her thoughts about the new wave of visa-assisted laptop-toting workers who are not universally welcomed in their constantly-changing homelands.  Find Cleo on Twitter @CleoPaskal ,   or online at      https://www.fdd.org/team/cleo-paskal/

Join host as they chat with Rob Burgess, founder of headforpoints.com, about the world of frequent flyer miles, exploring the perks of business class flights through loyalty points like Avios. Delve into environmental impacts of travel, benefits of premium economy vs. business class, and the evolution of airline upgrades towards more innovative experiences.

We are joined, from her narrowboat home, by Anna Hughes, the director of Flight Free UK.  On the agenda are ways of travelling more responsibly and sustainably and how to at least mitigate the effects on the planet of our constant need to move around it.  The websites mentioned by Anna are flightfree.co.uk; byway.travel; raileurope.co.uk

We discuss our favourite travel conundrums and their enduring fascination.  Whatever happened to.......?   How did they get here... ? Why on earth......  ?  Flight MH 370, Easter Island statues and the bewildering seat numbers in Portuguese trains all make it onto the agenda  

Our audio guide includes where to go to find free transport and and when you can visit the world's great museums without  putting your hand in your pocket. Plus, we evaluate listener's miracles-do they stand up to our rigorous testing?