Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

As the great summer getaway kicks off, journeys have been beset by issues while millions of Brits are expected to travel this weekend as the school holidays begin. Those attempting to travel by ferry to France from Dover are enduring waits of four hours or longer, with the port blaming the French for “woefully inadequate staffing”.The issue has been exacerbated by the extra checks at border control necessitated by Brexit, and I'll take you through what's happening.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter that you can subscribe to at: http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday I gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on how the present passport palaver is hurting prospective travellers.I told them how, in the last century, the Passport Office at times of stress would give people an extra six months or year on their passport, for free and instantly, on the spot. Now it seems that idea could be reborn.Of course, this podcast is free, much like my newsletter that you can have arrive in your inbox every Friday. Sign up at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I visited London Euston station in order to bring you the latest on how railway networks have been handling the aftermath of the UK’s hottest day.Of course, this podcast is free, much like my newsletter that you can have arrive in your inbox every Friday. Sign up at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I went to Paddington Basin – and Paddington station – in central London to observe how many trains were cancelled as operators deal with Britain's current unprecedented heatwave.As some – but by no means all – of the national rail network shuts down, I'm concerned about the reputation for reliability that the railway needs and deserves.Of course, this podcast is free, much like my newsletter that you can have arrive in your inbox every Friday. Sign up at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain is in the grips of an unprecedented heatwave, with records expected to tumble over the coming days. I've taken a look at the response by the transport networks and companies and give some advice on what's been altered to accommodate for the high temperatures.Of course, this podcast is free, much like my newsletter that you can have arrive in your inbox every Friday. Sign up at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It could be a very tricky summer to navigate Britain's rail systems, even when temperatures aren't hitting record levels. A host of rail unions have announced their strike dates after the RMT union staged their first walkouts in June. It will mean lots of disruption across Britain's network - here I run you through what's happening and what it's likely to do for passengers.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Civil aviation? Not any more at Heathrow, as Emirates rebels against the airport's demand to cut passenger numbers. It's a summer of discontent in the aviation industry so far and as schools break up for summer, it might be about to get worse. Will Heathrow's idea work or make any difference at all? And what could it mean for the future?As always, this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter which is delivered every Friday. Subscribe for that here: https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the school holidays in England and Wales approach, so many people are telling me that they are concerned about passports, and their expiry dates. I tell you the steps that you can take to avoid unnecessary issues.Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here: http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heathrow airport today announced a 100,000-a-day passenger capacity until September to try and deal with staff shortages in baggage and front-desk services that has been bedevilling the airline industry as we've all returned to flying with gusto. It sounds like a worrisome development, but I argue the case that no one should really be affected by the announcement, with safeguards and compensation hopefully covering all who are looking to travel through Heathrow this summer.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter that you can have delivered to your inbox every Friday. Details on where to subscribe can be found here: http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's podcast, I am in Ashford, Kent, to visit the ghost terminal that used to connect Eurostar trains between mainland Europe and the UK before the Covid-19 pandemic severely diminished passenger numbers.The building is a fascinating sight, let's hope this travel stop gets reconnected soon.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my newsletter which you can subscribe to http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.