Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Nine years to the day after German rail operator Deutsche Bahn scrapped the Paris-Berlin sleeper train, a revived overnight service rolled into Gare de l’Est in the French capital. Simon Calder reports on the train's return and interviews the French Travel Minister about his thoughts. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm today speaking from a cafe in Tirana, taking stock of what's changed in Albania since my first trip in the 1980s. Albania has almost completely changed from my first visit, especially for the men with long hair amongst us. To find out a little more, I spoke with Mirela Kumbaro, Albanian Tourism Minister.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Find out more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With just two weeks to go to Christmas, I'm in Tirana airport giving you an update on how to avoid the dreaded 'Frenetic Friday' great getaway. In this episode I'll be talking about the situation at UK airports, across Britain's rail network and also what the situation will look like on the roads.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Brexit ban on tourists from the EU using ID cards has begun to be reversed. Insisting on passports almost obliterated school group travel to the UK. From next year the ban has been lifted for children attending French schools, with others likely to follow.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday, the day of a rail strike that wiped out almost all South Western Railway trains, London’s Northern Line shut down for an hour. With many travelers switching from rail to Tube, the closure was doubly damaging. It is not clear what caused the problem, and Transport for London has not responded to my request about it. But while I was part of the Tubeful of travelers wondering what was going on, I thought I should look at the best and worst Underground lines for cancellations.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe's biggest tour operator, Tui, is reporting souring profits and passenger numbers. Holiday bookings for the current winter are 11 per cent up from the same time last year. What does this mean? That your holidays won't be getting any cheaper.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great Ryanair boarding pass mystery. Has Ryanair come up with a new moneymaking scheme just in time for Christmas? That is the question that has been exercising a good few of you in the last couple of days. The short answer, according to an airline spokesperson, is no: “There is no new procedure in force.” But something odd has been happening. Here's what we know, and what I am guessing.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a miserable weekend for travelers in large parts of the UK, the working week has begun with more disruption. Thousands of airline passengers woke up on Monday morning where they did not intend to be after dozens of weekend flight cancellations. Rail firms are warning of major disruption on day four of an overtime ban by train drivers. Some roads in Cumbria and the Peak District are blocked due to snow, and the Met Office has issued four yellow weather warnings for Monday.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m speaking exclusively to Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, just after members voted overwhelmingly to accept a pay deal. But, he warns, strikes could be back next summer if negotiations in the New Year do not go well.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter - sign up to receive it every Friday here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's podcast, I'm stationed at Manchester Piccadilly, exploring the impending rail challenges this December. From driver strikes to altered schedules, I'll break down what this means for UK travellers and how to best navigate the disruptions.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.