In today’s episode, I’m joined by Kaya Niedenthal of Currency Online Group to discuss the recent fluctuations in currency markets, how the strength of the pound and dollar impacts travel, and why cash still plays a vital role—even in an era dominated by plastic payments. We also delve into tips for getting the best rates and why some places still prefer good old-fashioned cash.     This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered to your inbox every...

You pay a fortune for a business-class ticket because you want to experience the sumptuous new comfort of the latest generation of the premium product – and then the airline changes the plane type and you're back with a seat that is almost prehistoric in modern aviation terms. Rob Burgess, founder of the frequent-flyer website Head for Points, is demanding a suite guarantee. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on...

Yesterday I was at Gatwick – today it's Heathrow, the one true hub airport in the UK. Within six months, transit passengers changing between international flights will need to pay £10 and fill in an online form for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – making the UK's policy completely at odds with other nations. Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris CDG, Istanbul, and Dubai will be celebrating yet another goal. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered to your...

Winter is coming – and for UK airports that can spell trouble. I'm at London Gatwick, talking to Chief Operating Officer Mark Johnston about preparations for ice and snow at the world's busiest single-runway airport. Plans include polar bears and yetis... This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel Desk Tuesday today features Ben Parker, UK travel editor (and secret surfer), who has returned from an island-hopping trip around Hawaii – where he learned about the links between Hawaiian royalty and the British monarchy. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By mid-October many of us are looking at options for winter sun. For my money, the optimum combination of great weather, ancient history and good value is to be found in Egypt. I'm talking to Philip Breckner, director of Discover Egypt, about the options – and the prospects of the much-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum opening later this month. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

The EU Entry Exit System has been postponed again. But when it is rolled out it could delay our entrance to the Schengen Area. Here's what it means for you ... This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The airline city-centre ticket office is making a comeback. In the 20th century, every airline had walk-in shops in all the major cities served. But that was in the bad old days of extremely high fares that could pay for lavish rentals in areas like Mayfair. They disappeared when online booking took hold. But this week Emirates has opened a fancy new store in Kensington, west London, where prospective passengers can try out posh seats and buy merchandise – and plane tickets. This podcast is...

England's worst motorway is the M42 south and east of Birmingham, according to a new survey of over 9,000 motorists by Transport Focus. I've been finding out more about this despised dual carriageway – and what can be done to improve the driver experience – with Alex Robertson, chief executive of the independent watchdog. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Simon Calder chats with Annabel Grossman about her intense skiing journey through the isolated landscape of Fins, Norway. Known as “Little Antarctica,” this region tests even the most experienced explorers. Annabel reflects on her trek, led by polar explorer Wendy Searle, and shines a spotlight on the untold stories of women thriving in extreme adventure travel. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted...

The Great West Way is a marketing enterprise for the corridor from London to Bristol – taking in Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Blenheim Palace, and the Roman Baths in Bath. Next year promises to be busy, with the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen. I heard more from Fiona Errington, head of marketing, and Florence Wallace, head of travel trade for the GWW. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See...

Ahead of the weekend, where's best to be a wine tourist around the globe? I'm talking to the doyenne of wine experts, Jilly Goolden – who has great things to say about English wine, and visiting vineyards in Sussex and the Cotswolds. But don't offer her a glass of prosecco ... This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finnair is an intriguing airline. The national carrier of Finland carved a Nordic niche offering great connections through its Helsinki hub between western Europe, including London Heathrow and Manchester, and east Asia – thanks to a fast track across Siberia. The closure of Russian airspace means it has had to rethink its strategy. I've been talking to Turkka Kuusisto, the new chief executive of Finnair. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every...

Cruise lines are often condemned for the environmental impact they have on the planet. But Ponant, the upmarket French small-ship expedition line, has a head of sustainability, Wassim Daoud, who is focused on cutting emissions – and the impact on nature and communities. He also talks about "training" tourists – we could do with more of that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a new feature, Travel Desk Tuesday, I talk to one of my excellent colleagues at The Independent about their recent journeys. First up: Natalie Wilson, who flew to Mallorca with some trepidation after a summer of writing about over tourism – but her worst experience was having to dine on KFC in her hotel room because all the restaurants had closed. Sign up for the Travel newsletter by The Independent, available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm at the British Museum in London where a blockbuster exhibition called Silk Roads has just opened – exploring the tangle of connections that linked communities as far apart as Scotland, Ireland, Ethiopia and Japan, as well as the more familiar lands of China, and central Asia. My guest is the world's foremost expert on the Silk Roads, and guiding mind for the new exhibition, Professor Peter Frankopan. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every...

I'm at London Waterloo, home of Network Rail. But I am not using the public WiFi – the system has been taken down since the landing page was replaced by a strange message about terrorist acts in Europe. It appears this was not a hack, but the act of someone working for the company that provides the landing page. Hopefully the system will be up and running by the weekend. Meanwhile, if you are using on-train WiFi, you may struggle to connect with the podcast ... Hosted on Acast. See...

Anna Hughes, the distinguished director of FlightFree UK, has been telling me about how she believes a frequent-flyer levy could and should work to reduce the amount of flights we take. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's travel podcast: How far would you fly in no-frills (dis-) comfort? Natalie Wilson, travel writer for The Independent, says she would gladly go all the way to Australia if it saved her cash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The all-knowing Rob Burgess, formidable founder of the Head for Points frequent-flyer website, explains the intricacies of business class flying within Europe; how you can sample long-haul comfort on a short-haul flight; and why you don't want to be further back than row 12 on a British Airways A320. This podcast is free, as is the Independent Travel weekly newsletter. Get up-to-date deals and news directly to your inbox by signing up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

It's all about booking horizons. How long in advance are people committing to holidays – and what "new" destination are in sight? Questions for Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, representing 750 travel agents. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have the good fortune to be on the Greek island of Poros in the company of Melanie and Andy McCreddie – Londoners who are in love with this place. Andy was first here, under less-than-optimal circumstances, but now they both love the island and its people. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Commuting can be no fun if you happen to use the morning rush-hour trains from Bedford to London. Here's the top 10 most crowded trains in England and Wales, just published. But the most concerning point of the new Department for Transport (DfT) figures is the degree of undercrowding, with barely half of seats filled on the average peak-hour service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most UK airports now charge for drop-offs and pick-ups at the terminal. They enforce the rule by imposing heavy penalties on motorists who breach the rules. But the leading consumer lawyer, Gary Rycroft, believes many of the "fines" imposed by airports – or the firms to which they have outsourced – may not have followed the correct procedure and may not be enforcible. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast....

Wizz Air says it will fly the narrow-bodied Airbus A321XLR from London Gatwick to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. What's the future for "long, thin" routes flown by, well, long, thin aircraft? I've been talking to long, thin Rhys Jones from the frequent-flyer website Head for Points. This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.