Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

On today's travel podcast for The Independent, I am talking to Ranjiv Bhalla – founder and chief executive of Veenus Travel, which organises high-end heritage steam train journeys in the UK. What's the appeal of a Bristol to Plymouth day-trip costing nearly £1,000. Ranjiv says: you'll feel like a superstar.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.

I’m at London St Pancras International with transport guru, Thomas Ableman. How do Paddington, Marylebone and Euston compare – and which is his overall winner?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.

I’m at London St Pancras International with transport guru Thomas Ableman. How does he rate the station, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, and Victoria?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.

It's 30 years tomorrow since the first ever Eurostar train. I'm talking to the culture and history specialist from France 24, Florence Gaillard. We're talking about how the French look at the UK.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.

On Travel Desk Tuesday I'm talking to Ben Parker about Dorset about how it's become a cool trendy secret. Perched on the south of the UK, Dorset is a hidden gem between Devon and Cornwall. If you head there you could try Sherborne Abbey amongst the hills, or you could check out Shaftesbury or go in land and explore the area Thomas Hardy wrote about.

Today will see the first easyJet flight from Gatwick to Luxor take off, opening up southern Egypt to travellers. Philip Breckner, director of Discover Egypt, tells me about the opportunities around Luxor and Aswan on the Nile.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.

I am talking to Harald Henning, director of the German National Tourist Office in the UK, in a tiny Trabant car. Almost 35 years ago he bought one in Berlin for £25 and drove it to London as a competition prize. He recalls the unification of German – and talks about what makes the capital so special.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.

I'm in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, in the company of Roland Hunter – founder of The Mountain Company and an expert on trekking in the Himalayas.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.

I love a new niche guidebook and I'm particularly curious about Travel Guides For The Wine Curious. Today I'm interviewing Adam Lechmere, Publishing Director of Acadmy Du Vin, to find out more.