Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Do you have to be barking mad to take a dog from the UK to Continental Europe these days? I'm talking to Dr Julia Ferguson, who is in the south of France with her lovely dog Bonnie.This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talking to Jane West who represents Fiji, the South Pacific archipelago that's hard to reach but loads of fun when you get there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a railway pub different? Wetherspoon's The Lion & The Unicorn pub in London Waterloo is the company's biggest so far. I've visited on the pub's opening morning and talked to Barry Brewster of JD Wetherspoon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where's my plane? That call has gone out thousands of times this summer with so many delays. Flightradar24 can usually supply the answer – bringing an incredible amount of real-time aviation intelligence to the world. Ahead of the publication of a Flightradar24 puzzle book called You're the Captain (for which I have contributed the foreword) I have been talking to co-founder Mikael Robertsson and one half of the FR24 AvTalk podcast, Ian Petchenik.This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gatwick Airport is planning to add a second runway to improve resilience and capacity. I discuss how this could benefit travelers and the London aviation market, while also addressing the environmental concerns and potential hurdles the project might faceThis podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London bike wars: the cycles you can pick up here, and leave there. In the green corner, Anthony Smith, transport supremo, is championing the Lime electric bikes that are allowed to roam free (as are the people who hire them, within limits). In the red (and grey) corner, I am a true believer in Santander Cycles.This episode is free, much like the Independent travel newsletter. Subscribe now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm talking to Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary about record amounts of air rage; European Union plans to standardise cabin baggage; and how he expects air fares to fall during the autumn and winter.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm sitting down with Tony Wheeler, the co-founder of Lonely Planet who revolutionised travel guides with his iconic 1970s journey, Across Asia on the Cheap.Tony has now completed a dream trek through southern England, walking the entire length of the River Thames, from its source to the heart of London.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's bank holiday Monday in England and Wales, which spells chaos on trains, planes and automobiles.I take you through the weekend's troubles and what is being done to mitigate it.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What will the entry-exit system mean for car drivers and coach passengers using the UK's busiest ferry port, Dover? I've been talking to Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover. He says they can cope with the new rules on fingerprinting and facial biometrics until April 2025, but once things get busy new options are needed.This podcast is free, much like the travel weekly newsletter. Sign up now to have it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.