Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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 PakistanThis podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

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.