Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

I'm talking to Nicholas Wood, director of Political Tours, who organises trips to various frontlines around the world. The 2026 offering has just been published. It includes Taiwan, under threat from China; Poland and Lithuania, bordering on Russia; and the US for the mid-term elections late next year.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have been talking to Ruth Kelly, author of the review into the shutdown of Heathrow airport on 21 March, following a fire at the North Hyde electricity substation.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Air passengers’ rights rules have been around for a couple of decades now – spurring the creation of a side industry in claims handling. Companies such as AirHelp offer to pursue claims for delays and compensation on your behalf in exchange for a sizeable chunk of any payout. Today, though, AirHelp has launched a new app that monitors your flights for you and lets you know if there is trouble ahead. I have been speaking to the chief executive of AirHelp, Tomasz Pawliszyn.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A pan-European consumer group is urging the EU to force airlines to allow passengers to bring a wheelie bag on board planes as well as a smaller item without paying extra. Frankly I think they are on a hiding to nothing – and talking of hiding, the accusation that these are "hidden charges" does not stand up. Airlines are extremely clear about their baggage limits, and the costs for taking more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was on board the 6.14am train to Shepperton, along with the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander. What is the big idea behind renationalising the railways?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boss of Britain's biggest budget airline, easyJet, reveals pre-emptive action:Sharper turns between arrival and departure.Spare parts and planes judiciously deployed.More slack in crew rosters in case of air-traffic control delays.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have been talking once again to Gediminas Žiemelis, boss of Avia Solutions Group – which runs 14 different airlines including Ascend of the UK. He's been talking about how his company helps meet peak demand, but also warning of possible strikes in Scandinavia and France. Also: check in early is his advice, to swerve possible overbooking.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The transport tech giant Uber is to take on Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel – but you may need an Uber to reach the departure station in east London. Uber has teamed up with a start-up operator, Gemini Trains, to promote a planned rival service linking London with Paris and Brussels. If the partners are permitted to launch trains to Continental Europe, they will not start from the terminal at St Pancras – but six miles down the track at Stratford International.Chief executive of Gemini Trains, Adrian Quine, has been telling me more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people grumble at soaring air fares. But if an airline is setting fares at a preposterous level, such as £900-plus from London to Edinburgh, that's because it doesn't want you to buy it – rather, the hope is that a long-haul passenger will use it as part of a more lucrative trip. Aviation economist Oliver Ranson has been telling me more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fenix, which has just had its opening weekend, is a breathtaking new museum that explores the deep-rooted human instinct of migration. “In every family, there is a migration story to tell,” says director Anne Kremers. “As long as we exist as human beings, we move, we migrate, and we will always keep on doing that.”This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.