You should have been there

Join Simon and Mick on the nearest thing to a hill climb that South London can offer. But will it be a suitable rehearsal for their forthcoming trek in the Pyrenees?

We get to grips with two very different travelling dilemmas: can you get to the middle of nowhere and how can you combat the trickery and duplicity of car hire firms?

We track down traditional Spanish houses, search for great Airbnb's and report on a green ferry service across the Channel-by yacht.

We showcase listeners' anecdotes about bewildering showers, linguistic confusions and unexpected strandings. Thanks to Ginger Hendee for the photo (on Unsplash)

Simon enjoys Lithuania and falls prey to creeping delays and dynamic currency conversions during a whistle stop European tour. Meanwhile Mick takes part in a race across southern England- accidentally.

An underwhelming new dawn for our railways, an inadvertent phone error by an airport boss and the unveiling of a "slow" race across the world.

We talk about the challenges of settling into French village life, review races across the world and wonder why we need a new airline linking the UK with the USA.

Join Simon on his tour of beautiful Croatian Islands and share your thoughts on holiday souvenirs, Voyages a trois and "Trevi Fountain wishes" for ways to make travel better.

Electricity blackouts, cancellations, widespread delays............We discuss how to hedge your holiday bets in an era of chaos and confusion. The photograph is of a work by the Argentinian artist, Pablo Suarez.

Enjoy our guide to the varied and often surprising charms of the country at the heart of Europe, and just a train ride from the UK.