Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

It's Travel Desk Tuesday, in which one of my excellent colleagues fills us in on what's happening around the world – and, in this case, around the UK. Amelia Neath has done so much work on tourism taxes she's now our correspondent on the subject.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

Yvonne Moynihan has taken over running the British offshoot of one of Europe’s top three budget airlines (the other two being easyJet and Ryanair, where Ms Moynihan used to work). We talked about the move into Saudi Arabia, punctuality and service.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

Rejoice! For the first summer since 2006, passengers at some UK airports can leave all electrical items and liquids inside their cabin baggage at the security checkpoint. Al Titterington, Birmingham Airport Terminal Operations Director, has been telling me more.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

Ahead of the key England v Wales match in the Women's Euros in St Gallen, Switzerland, I have been assessing the cost of being a tourist in the Alpine nation. For more advice, I am talking to Alex Herrmann, director United Kingdom & Ireland for Switzerland Tourism – about Big Macs and much else.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

An entry fee for the Lake District on busy days, and the prospect of many more tourist taxes? I’ve been hearing from Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership – and an advocate for more funding and decision-making for local leaders.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

I've been back through the archive to bring you a report of the first departure from Waterford to London Gatwick – including an interview with chief executive Michael O'Leary from the end of 2019, which is entirely pertinent today.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

I'm talking to Adam Lechmere, publishing director of the Academie du Vin Library – which has just brought out The Smart Traveller's Wine Guide to Napa Valley, north of San Francisco in California.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

That's the contention from Rene Frey, chief executive of Rough Guides and Insight GuidesThis podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

When you buy a rail ticket, that's it: you just show up at the station and board the train. Flying should be like that. But instead, passengers are obliged to check in with the airline. I think the aviation industry could do away with it.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.