Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

BREAKING NEWS! British travellers will not need an online permit to visit the European Union and wider Schengen Area until April 2027 at the earliest.In this episode, I break down the full timeline of what we can expect from the rollout of this new service over the coming two years.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

I am talking to Mikael Mahlberg of Swedish e-ferry manufacturer Candela. His firm makes the electric hydrofoil that darts between the islands of Stockholm and will soon be gliding across Lake Tahoe. He explains how a low-impact ferry can transform urban transport.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

One of the many triumphs of the Brexit agreement was that British travellers to the European Union are now counted as “third-country nationals” – limited to stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days.But Steven Jolly, of the France Visa Free group is campaigning for friendlier relations between the British government and the EU.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

Explora Journeys might sound like an overland adventure company, but in fact it is an upmarket cruise line.The president of the organisation, Anna Nash, told me how it differs from mass-market cruise firms, and says she welcomes competition from land-based companies such as Ritz-Carlton dipping a toe into the water and offering voyages.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

Gloria Guevara is campaigning for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations body that works to promote sustainable tourism around the world. She told me why she is the person for this tricky role.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

I've been looking into Electronic Travel Authorisation ahead of the 2 April 2025 deadline – after which every foreign visa-exempt visitor to the UK, with the exception of the Irish, will need to pay £10 and register online.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

March hasn't started brilliantly on the travel disruption front, with ultra-long passport queues at Stansted, a delayed flight from Gatwick and a cancelled train.But I had an appointment to talk to Decius Valmorbida, president of travel for technology firm Amadeus – and finally caught up with him at McDonald's opposite Strasbourg station.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

For the past five days I have been rattling around the southernmost province of mainland Italy, Calabria. Most of the ground has been covered by train, which is a joy: affordable, usually reliable and with superb scenery. I reckon you should stick to the cheap, “classic” network rather than the high-speed trains.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

On Sunday 2nd of March, rail fares across England and Wales will rise by 4.6 per cent. Alex Robertson, chief executive of the consumer watchdog Transport Focus, has been telling me that passengers need to feel that they are getting value for money – by increasing reliability of trains.Also a reminder to buy that railcard on 28 February or 1 March, before they increase by £5 to £35.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.