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Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
May 31 - What to discover in Szczecin
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I’m in Szczecin in northwest Poland – previously known as Stettin, when in German hands.
It’s a fascinating city, as I have been hearing from Szymon Maksymiuk at the city’s tourist office – who explained that Szczecin has the newest “old town” in Europe – dating from the 1990s and still not finished.
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07:31|It's Travel Desk Tuesday so I'm talking to my excellent colleague Natalie Wilson about the curtailment of Britain's longest rail route, the bus vs the train and the upcoming South Wales Metro.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.April 28th - Spain and Portugal – travel chaos as the power goes off
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06:24|On Thursday night a Ryanair flight from Agadir to Manchester was diverted due to a disruptive passenger. A tech issue was found. Ryanair wanted to lay on a rescue flight using its EU, rather than UK, subsidiary. But the CAA said no.Eddie Wilson, chief executive of Ryanair DAC (the EU part) is furious.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.April 24th - UK Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic) – why it's a good plan for travel to Europe
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05:47|That is the question on Travel Desk Tuesday for my colleague, Natalie Wilson. So many factors are at work when deciding where to go and what to do on holiday – does care for the planet figure strongly?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.April 21st - On their way to an airport near you: aircraft with folding wings
06:18|A special Easter Monday edition. I've been talking to Sue Partridge, head of the Wing of Tomorrow programme at Airbus, about how folding wings on short-haul aircraft will reduce the damage caused by aviation.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.April 18th - Passport Waiting Time – a valuable online resource
06:35|I'm talking to Andy Anderson, founder of Passport Waiting Time – which does what it says and helps travellers with their expectations of how long it will take to get that all-important document. So how does HM Passport Office rate?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.April 17th - Careful with that tech when you are on your airport journey
08:35|Many travellers have welcomed speculation that facial recognition combined with digital passports could allow smoother journeys through the airport. But as I have been hearing from tech writer and broadcaster, Kate Bevan, the concept raises serious concerns – from digital exclusion to privacy.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.