Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Could Edinburgh airport be the first in the UK to offer pre-clearance for travellers to the US? That's the hope of today's guest, Gordon Dewar – chief executive of the Scottish hub. Allowing passenger...

12 Dec 20256min

My guest today is Kathryn Leahy, chief operations officer for the air-traffic control service, Nats. We talked about the impact of bad weather – such as Storm Bram – on air-traffic control. And lookin...

11 Dec 20257min

I've been hearing from the man responsible for improving reliability and attracting more people to the railway. Lord Hendy has strong views on how unifying tracks and trains will bring better services...

10 Dec 20257min

Dozens of flights and ferry sailings have been cancelled due to strong winds and heavy rain. British Airways cancelled its first wave of domestic departures, while Aer Lingus Regional has grounded man...

9 Dec 20255min

I have been hitchhiking for half a century. But in that time thumbing rides has shrunk from the mainstream method for budget travellers to get around to the most minority of sports – on the periphery ...

8 Dec 20257min

What's the best strategy for booking your travel to attend the FIFA World Cup next summer in the US, Canada, and Mexico?As soon as the draw is made, prices for flights and accommodation will skyrocket...

5 Dec 20255min

"AI and the internet will be a huge part of the future of travel." So says Andy Headington, CEO of digital travel marketing specialists Adido. LLMs – large language models, also known as AI – are also...

4 Dec 20256min

Continuing the theme of looking ahead to 2026: I have been talking to an old travel pal of mine, Brian Young. He is now EMEA managing director for G Adventures, but has enjoyed a lifetime of travellin...

4 Dec 20257min