Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Avanti West Coast is providing a glorious workaround to the closure of the main rail line between Preston and Carlisle: a scenic train diversion along England’s most beautiful line, the Settle-Carlisl...

5 Jan 6min

Right at the end of 2025, tens of thousands of passengers had their New Year plans wrecked when a problem in the Channel Tunnel. 30 trains linking London St Pancras International with Paris, Brussels ...

2 Jan 9min

To start 2026, I'm talking to Mark Tanzer, well respected chief executive of Abta, the travel association – about reasons to be cheerful, challenges from the EU entry-exit system and the environmental...

1 Jan 7min

I'm talking to Mike Vincent, General Manager of the Langdale Chase Hotel overlooking Windermere in Cumbria – who has been working through the festive season along with his staff. "We're nice people lo...

31 Des 20254min

I've been talking to Chris Woodroffe, managing director of Manchester airport, about plans for the future in terms of passenger numbers – and also public transport connectivity to MAN. With a brief me...

30 Des 20257min

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, is back to talk about travel in 2026.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it deliv...

29 Des 20258min

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, flies more than anyone else I know. So in the first half of a two-part interview, I’m talking to him about the best and worst of avia...

26 Des 20257min

For people living in the UK without a car, Christmas Day has long been a problem. No trains are running, and in most areas local buses remain in the depot too – leaving car-less people dependent on fr...

25 Des 20256min