Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Escape from Portugal – what are the options?As Portugal closes down, the Faroes open up.And how long does passport control at Heathrow actually take?Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel industry responses to the extraordinary downgrading of Portugal to the amber list – and your rights if you are booked to travel imminently to Portugal.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The travel industry is in utter despair at leaks from government that indicate no more countries are being added to the "green list" and that Portugal is set to be moved to "amber" – with quarantine required of holidaymakers.My calls to the Department for Transport are going unanswered.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We still don’t know when the green list will change.Gibraltar starts warning travellers of the consequences of a trip across the border to Spain.And the tourism minister tells me: this British overseas territory is the safest place in Europe.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm looking at Heathrow's brand new Red List Terminal and what that means for airport operations and passengers.An on location report of the experience you can expect visiting Gibraltar.And it looks as though the expected Green List review we hoped for will not be arriving Thursday.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gibraltar is the tourism success of early summer – I’m at the airport to report for you.The public mood, though, seems to be anti-travel according to a ComRes poll for The Independent.And the weekend numbers at the start of half term spell gloom for the travel industry.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in the air – how different is the flying experience from Heathrow?As Europe turns green, is the UK going red?And what is the outlook for Eurostar in the coronavirus era?Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland opens up – but with a Brexit bite.Could the green list additions be limited by the length of queues at Heathrow?And why it pays to book ahead for train travel.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Update on green list announcement timing – I’ll bring you the latest.Bank holiday travel: what’s happening on the roads and railways?Jersey opens up for vaccinated travellers.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

France puts the UK on its version of the amber list.When will the new green list be announced – and which islands might make the cut?More on the rails: passenger numbers will return, the transport secretary assures me.Sign up to Simon's free weekly newsletter at independent.co.uk/newsletter and all the very latest is available 24hrs a day at independent.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.