Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

As a planeload of Virgin Atlantic passengers from Johannesburg find themselves flying away from London to refuel in Durban, my thoughts about how diversions are part of everyday life for the airline passenger.Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many, the thought of getting a bus between Britain's cities is the option of last resort and some would say buses have no future in Britain's infrastructure. I'm here on one of the busiest roads in the country for such buses to try and change those minds. The bus industry is going through extraordinary changes and can still play a significant role in the infrastructure of Britain's transport networks. I tell you what's happening and what it means for your travel plans.Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of us are digging out our passports again only to discover that they're not valid for as long as we thought. The Home Office is reporting an 'unprecedented' surge of applications for passports, creating a backlog that risks ruining holiday plans for some this summer. I talk you through the problem, how it's not being helped by either the government or the airlines as they grapple with Brexit rules and how you can avoid the delays and have that holiday.Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm on the Celebrity Beyond, a new cruise ship set to launch imminently and take its floating residents around the Mediterranean. It's a bold move, launching a new cruise ship, after the industry's torturous past few years as coronavirus ravaged ships and effectively brought all trips to a standstill for a number of months. But the Celebrity Beyond points to some thinking there's still plenty of life in cruise liner industry and I take a look at the reasons for optimism.Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm discussing the context around the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham's tweet showing high-end train tickets from Manchester to London to be more expensive than a range of long-haul air fares. Train tickets are indeed too expensive, but what should be done about it? Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In May 2021, the government announced its plans for the biggest reform to the railway in three decades, bringing it back together, after years of fragmentation, under Great British Railways – a new public body that will run and plan the rail network, own the infrastructure, procure passenger services, and set most fares and timetables. But will it work?Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country full of discoveries to be made - but the political and economic situation at the moment is giving many of you second thoughts about your travel plants to the country right now. I've enlisted the help of adventure tour guide and wildlife photographer Paul Goldstein on whether now is the time to visit.Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than one million train tickets are being slashed to as much as half-price in the “Great British Rail Sale”, and it is attracting a lot of interest. The government and rail industry are hoping the sale will boost ticket sales after the impact of the pandemic. But will it work? I explore what the sale is (deeply discounted Advance rail tickets between 25 April and 27 May) and what it isn’t (a solution to the problem of attracting vast numbers of people back to the railway).Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy bank holiday! Chances are if you're travelling by train you might be passing through London's Waterloo station. It's the UK's busiest train station and I'm here to give you a guided tour of its history!Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I am at London's Kings Cross, the only way to get to Scotland by rail this Bank Holiday.  Of course travellers should always choose train over plane, but often it's not as straightforward as that.Of course this podcast is completely free, as is my weekly travel email. You can sign up at independent.co.uk/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.