Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

For my final podcast for The Independent, I am talking to film director Ido Fluk about his new movie – which transported me back to 1970s Germany. a war-weary land where much was changing. Koln 75 tells the story of the best-selling jazz piano album by Keith Jarrett – who was cajoled to Cologne and onto the stage by a teenager named Vera Brandes. A great story, told with great care of time and place. 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.

Get up to speed with the help of data sleuth Dr Nick Brown, who believes that in time the EES will work well – but adds a warning or two about Etias. 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.

My guest today is Simon Woodroffe – the entrepreneur behind household names including YO! Sushi and Yotel, and also one of the original Dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den. He has been telling me about the travel aspects of his career: founding Yotel, sailing the South Pacific and creating an eco-resort in Thailand. His autobiography, YO! Man, is published on 4 June 2026 by Whitefox Publishing. 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.

Senior travel writer Natalie Wilson has just returned from her first trip to Tuscany and Umbria. She tells of being quoted €1,000 for a cab ride in Italy, and reports on her experiences of the EU entry-exit system. 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 European President has set out her vision for more integrated rail travel across Europe. Mark Smith, the international rail guru known as The Man in Seat 61, explains how ticketing appears to have gone backwards over the decades – but holds out some hope that rail travellers could be as protected in the event of disruption as airline passengers. 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.

Global travel editor Annabel Grossman has just returned from the Deep South of the US, exploring the state of Mississippi. She tells me about the music heritage, the tragedy of the human rights struggle and the joys of a road trip from Alabama through Mississippi to Tennessee. 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.

Today I am assessing the picture on aviation fuel, after easyJet boss Kenton Jarvis added to the airline leaders vowing to fly the full schedule this summer. No shortages of jet fuel visible, he says. But ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, many people are concerned about queues for the EU entry-exit system. And if you are staying in the UK and relying on rail, be warned of engineering works on several key lines. 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.

Today I'm talking to Matthew Valentine, Global Head of Sales for Havila Voyages – the enterprise that is serving the Norwegian shoreline from Bergen to Kirkenes on the Russian border in competition with incumbent Hurtigruten. Whether you go for the Northern Lights or the Midnight Sun, this is a magical trip – handily subsidised by the government of Norway. 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.

“In both Finland and Poland I somehow found myself as close as it is possible to be to Russia without actually crossing the border”. Global travel editor Annabel Grossman is frustrated that she cannot visit the world’s biggest country. Russia is waging an illegal war against Ukraine, and on the Foreign Office no-go list, but one day we will be able to return. I have prescribed some locations for exploring the vast expanses of the great outdoors. 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.

Direct flights from London Luton to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, begin on 8 June, and I am getting a preview of this fascinating nation. Today I have joined the outstanding tour guide Gevorg Rashoyan for a tour of Soviet Yerevan: Armenia was part of the USSR until 1991. Gevorg told me much 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.

Transport expert Thomas Ableman has been telling me about his vision for “joined-up” mobility in the UK – giving people the freedom to live without a car, even in a small village. “Mini Switzerland” is a project to bring Swiss-style integrated public transport to rural England – and to demonstrate that dovetailing buses with trains can boost ridership and the local economy, while increasing options for residents and visitors. 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.

Over the past few days I have heard several people speak very warmly about Pakistan - saying it is a much-misunderstood country full of wonders and diversity. To find out more, I have been talking to Saadia Baber, founder and CEO of Xperience Pakistan 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.

Dr John Mason, eclipse chaser extraordinaire, has been studying the astronomical event on 12 August, when a total solar eclipse will sweep down from Greenland to the northern half of Spain. While Scoresby Sound in Greenland has a high chance of clear skies due to a micro-climate, Dr Mason will be outside Burgos in northern Spain. The eclipse will be followed by the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. 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.

Chief executive of the Port of Dover, Doug Bannister, tells me about the investment made in preparing for the digital borders scheme in a location where frontier controls are "juxtaposed" – you check into France while still on British soil. And how is the half-term getaway looking? 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.

After Greece decided unilaterally to scrap biometric border checks for British visitors, the tourism minister has said the “UK fast track” will continue until the EU entry-exit system (EES) is improved. Olga Kefalogianni tells me today: “We aim to actually make sure that this facilitation is not just valid for this year.” Her hope is that technology will come to the rescue to enable a friction-free border crossing. 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.

Top cinematographer Douglas Bolton shares his secrets of transatlantic travel – basically, stay awake to bedtime. 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.

With so much uncertainty and confusion among travellers, I am talking today to the man who has led Abta, the travel association, for 20 years: CEO Mark Tanzer. "I don't anticipate from where we are today that there'll be large scale disruption for people," he tells me. "With everything going on in the world, it's a good time to have a holiday." 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.

Warnings of flight cancellations, a cruise with a killer virus on board, the EU entry-exit system ... Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, tells me of her frustration about warnings on summer travel that look wide of the mark. But she also says this is the industry of human happiness. 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.

Travel Desk Tuesday, and I am talking to Senior Travel Writer Natalie Wilson about two fresh concepts in the longhaul aviation world: Emirates' plan for en suite bathrooms in First Class, with Air New Zealand offering bunk beds in Economy. Do we need either? 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.

It is an extremely busy weekend on the travel front, and I am rounding up the headline. There are alarming reports of a small expedition ship off the coast of Cape Verde with cases of hantavirus. Worried airline passengers are contacting me about flight cancellations this summer: my message is, don't panic. The EU entry-exit system is unravelling across Europe, so be prepared for anything. Finally, Venezuela is now connected with the US for the first time by an American carrier for seven years, with American Airlines going in from Miami to Caracas. 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.