Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

My guest today is Paul Goldstein: photographer, expedition guide, and campaigner for protecting wildlife. He’s also author of a book out this week called Nine Lives: One Photographer, Nine Persecuted Species.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uganda and northern Argentina are off the tourism mainstream, but high on Annabel's recommendations for the year ahead. Adventure travel in Africa and South America sounds a joy – can't wait to find out for myself.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avanti West Coast is providing a glorious workaround to the closure of the main rail line between Preston and Carlisle: a scenic train diversion along England’s most beautiful line, the Settle-Carlisle Railway. I went on a test run with Avanti West Coast managing director Andy Mellors, and talked to him when the train paused at Appleby.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right at the end of 2025, tens of thousands of passengers had their New Year plans wrecked when a problem in the Channel Tunnel. 30 trains linking London St Pancras International with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Paul Charles, chief executive of the PC Agency, used to be director of communications for Eurostar – and gives me his no-holds-barred view of how events unfolded.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To start 2026, I'm talking to Mark Tanzer, well respected chief executive of Abta, the travel association – about reasons to be cheerful, challenges from the EU entry-exit system and the environmental impact of tourism. As well as: What's the point of Abta?This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.