

You should have been there
Mick Webb and Simon Calder
Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent and former BBC producer, Mick Webb, discuss the world of travel and delight in travellers' tales.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 28, 2022 • 30min
PODCAST 114 A PILOT'S VIEW OF CITIES
Our guest interviewee is airline pilot and travel writer, Mark Vanhoenacker. He talks about his new book, Imagine a City, recently published in the UK by Chatto and Windus and also shares some trade secrets. Would you have guessed that the first things he packs is a spork? Thanks to Mark for his photo of Cairo by night

May 16, 2022 • 21min
Podcast 113 PLATE WITH A VIEW: THE MAIN COURSE
Enjoy more of listener's photos of great dishes with spectacular views. Find out which country topped the polls as your favourite location and see the photos @ https://www.flickr.com/gp/190976368@N06/Dc61Tp. Thanks to all contributors for their photographs and to Scott Buckley for permission to his music track, Solstice

May 10, 2022 • 27min
PODCAST 112 PLATE WITH A VIEW
We discover listeners' rooms with views (with Greece clocking up a majority) and serve up the first helping of plates with views. With thanks to everyone who sent in pictures to our twitter account @ youshouldhave BT, and to Nicky Gardner, co-author of Europe by Rail magazine, for sharing her favourite view from a train.

May 2, 2022 • 23min
PODCAST 111 ROOMS WITH VIEWS
Hear from listeners about the views that have inspired them and created travel memories both happy and sad. With special thanks to Julia Lo Bue-Said of The Advantage Travel Partnership, James Beagrie of Meon Valley Travel, Mary Poulton, Rebecca Halpern and everyone else who got in touch to share their rooms and their views via our twitter account, @youshouldhave BT

Apr 25, 2022 • 29min
PODCAST 110 THE WEIRD WORLD OF CAVES
Bats, birds and bones, not to mention churches and cheese. We enter the twilight zone of caverns and grottoes to discover much more than stalactites and stalagmites.

Apr 19, 2022 • 28min
PODCAST 109 JOURNEYS WITH A MISSION
We discover ways of adding spice to your travels by undertaking special or unusual quests. The "route of the dovecotes" in southern France, the grounded solar system in Zagreb and the Shakespeare trail in Stratford-upon-Avon are all on the itinerary. Thanks to Norman Smith, Tim Neale and Gary Knapper for taking part.

Apr 13, 2022 • 29min
PODCAST 108 TOURING THE BALTIC STATES
Simon takes the temperature of travel in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, three small states in the menacing shadow of Russia and Belarus. Even so, he enjoys the scenery, the hospitality and a surreal cultural tour in the Estonian town of Sillamäe. With thanks to his guide, Valentina, and the anti-war protestors of Tallinn.

Apr 4, 2022 • 28min
PODCAST 107 DO YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR?
We discuss the real value of travelling with the help of listeners' descriptions of their most expensive holidays. But were these the most enjoyable ones? With special thanks to Jan Morris and Susan Latham

Mar 28, 2022 • 29min
PODCAST 106 GOOD TRIPS, BAD TRIPS
We discuss how drugs have influenced travel and tourism: Amsterdam, L.A, the Hippy Trail, the Green Tortoise and more recently, Breaking Bad and Ozark. Plus a health warning about medicines that are considered illegal drugs in some parts of the world. Many thanks to Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet publications, for his contribution.

Mar 21, 2022 • 29min
PODCAST 105 THE TROUBLE WITH LUGGAGE
We unpack the perennial travel problem of the incredible shrinking baggage allowance, with the help of listeners, previous contributors and the surrealist maestro, Marcel Duchamp. Thanks also to Rebecca Halpern, Sascha Heeney, Sarah Baxter and Tristan Gooley.