You should have been there

Simon delves into his library and his memory bank to come up with ten tips for reducing holiday outgoings

We are joined by travel journalist and hotel guru, Lucy Thackray to talk about new-look hotels and their prices. On the agenda are pods, pillow sommeliers, hangover cures and awful guests.  Follow Lucy's travels at    https://www.lucythackray.com/  and Twitter: @LucyintheSky22

Our guest this week is Sue Bryant, Cruise Editor of the Times and Sunday Times. As the cruise ships get even bigger and the booking numbers increase, we mull over the controversial subject of holiday cruises. Discover the many different facets of this branch of the travel industry, including the newly-minted concepts of "the retreat" and the  "pier runner" .  Sue's work can be found at www.suebryant.com, while the article by Jean Mcneil that we mentioned is on    www.jeanmcneil.co.uk

We reflect on the many charms of Belgium's star attraction- Brugge or Bruges.  Mick's  audio diary brings the city to life through its sounds while Simon generates the power for his own recording from the Eurostar terminal in Brussels- surely a first in podcasting history! 

We talk train journeys of all kinds with the guru of rail travel, Mark Smith, aka "The Man in Seat 61. "  Mark shares his own favourite journeys and experiences, particularly in the country where "the scenery inside the train is as enthralling as the landscape outside."  Mark's  hugely informative website is  at www.seat61.com.  Thanks as well to Monisha Rajesh, author of  "Around the World in 80 trains" 

We discuss hot locations for this year's travellers and some of the new trends and buzzwords that are making a splash.  Find out, for instance whether you are a set-jetter?    The website we mentioned is www.tripfiction.com. And the photo is of Marseille

Simon and Mick go head to head over 8 rounds. Can you do better than they did?   The website mentioned during the quiz is  "The Man in Seat 61 " https://www.seat61.com

Our guest is Professor Jean Mcneil, who not only teaches writing but is an author of both novels and travel narratives.  Hear her thoughts on the differences between factual and fictional evocations of other places, but also her top tips for good travel reading. Amongst her favourites are the novels of Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga.  Discover Jean's own work at https://www.jeanmcneil.co.uk/

We match France with Argentina to discover which of these football greats is the better travel destination. It's a game of dodgy decisions and dirty tricks with a thrilling climax

Are they as bleak as the weather? Join Mick Webb and Simon Calder for a summary of the festive disruptions, a lively listener exchange about business flights and a look back at the original Christmas journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem- challenging, to put it mildly.  With thanks to Christian Bjoerklund for his electronic track, Hallon.