Simon Calder

This is the official site of travel journalist and broadcaster Simon Calder

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I talk about travel on a range of TV programmes, including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, ITV News, Sky News and CNN

Our film, From Alligators to Astronauts: go one step beyond Orlando won Best Broadcast Programme of the Year in the Travel Media Awards 2022.

Watch Simon's travel videos

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Simon Calder

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simon calder travel writer

Simon Calder is one of the UK's most trusted and recognised travel journalists, both for his editorial and his broadcast work across a variety of major platforms. His illustrious career, spanning nearly 30 years at The Independent, grew from humble beginnings - his first travel job was at Gatwick airport, where he cleaned aircraft for Laker Airways and later worked as a security officer. After a stint writing guidebooks on hitchhiking, Cuba, Central America and Amsterdam, he first became The Independent's travel correspondent in 1994, where he earned the moniker "the Man Who Pays His Way" because he doesn't accept free travel. Simon is a keen consumer champion, known for his work holding companies to account when they let holidaymakers down; since Brexit, he has single-handedly fought for UK airlines to implement the correct EU passport rules and for passengers unfairly denied boarding to be duly compensated. Besides his work online, he produces a daily podcast and presents films for The Independent, plus is often seen on the BBC, Sky News, ITV and more giving his expert advice or providing insight on the latest breaking travel stories. In 2022, Sue Perkins presented him with the Outstanding Contribution Award at the TravMedia Awards for his world-leading coverage of the travel rules during the coronavirus pandemic.

simon calder travel writer

Has the shadow of Covid finally departed?

simon calder travel writer

Airport security U-turn means passengers face 100ml liquids rule AGAIN

simon calder travel writer

Holidaymakers asked to pay twice for hotels after travel firm collapse

simon calder travel writer

Dover-Calais ferries disrupted as a result of port workers’ strike

simon calder travel writer

Euro 2024: How to follow England and Scotland in Germany this summer

simon calder travel writer

British Airways turns away overbooked Taylor Swift fan

simon calder travel writer

Why do airlines overbook flights and what happens if you’re offloaded?

simon calder travel writer

‘EasyJet made a fool of me and then refused to admit passport mistake’

simon calder travel writer

Airport security liquids rule – what is changing?

simon calder travel writer

Birmingham Airport confusion with new scanners but old liquid rules

simon calder travel writer

EasyJet turns 4-year-old away from Gatwick – but not from Southampton

simon calder travel writer

West Coast Main Line: Key intercity routes closed

simon calder travel writer

Across France for £1.35 per day: A new deal for young rail travellers

simon calder travel writer

‘Sporrans off’ – Edinburgh airport warning to Scotland football fans

simon calder travel writer

How can my unaccompanied grandkids make their French connection?

simon calder travel writer

Plane forced to divert due to disruptive passenger and health case

simon calder travel writer

‘Listen to the workers’ – Emirates boss attacks Boeing delivery delays

simon calder travel writer

Passengers 5 to 1 in favour of mandatory seatbelt wearing on flights

simon calder travel writer

Time for easyJet to reflect on how it deals with passengers

simon calder travel writer

Can you help me get au fait with Beziers and beyond?

simon calder travel writer

How to get the best exchange rates on your holiday money

simon calder travel writer

Eurostar chaos for passengers after new UK Border Force IT failure

simon calder travel writer

EasyJet missed 6 opportunities to admit wrongly turning away passenger

simon calder travel writer

Is it safe to travel to Iceland after volcanic eruption?

simon calder travel writer

EasyJet cost passenger almost £1,500 after wrongly denying boarding

simon calder travel writer

Paying £1,000 a night at the Ritz? Loo roll included, says Booking.com

simon calder travel writer

Singapore Airlines probe reveals 178ft drop in five seconds

simon calder travel writer

New Saudi cruise line bans alcohol, CDs and certain magazines

simon calder travel writer

Holiday money? Change sterling after election for best rates

simon calder travel writer

Inside the ex-Aeroflot jet connecting Croatia with Korea

simon calder travel writer

How to travel with food allergies: Flying rules and precautions

simon calder travel writer

Can we transfer hotels without stumping up more?

simon calder travel writer

Bank holiday travel: How bad will it be on trains, planes and roads?

simon calder travel writer

Extreme turbulence is rare but the best precaution is extremely simple

simon calder travel writer

Why don’t rail firms offer last-minute fares for half-empty trains?

simon calder travel writer

Tory MP demands Brexit damage to school group tourism is eased

simon calder travel writer

Busiest day for UK flights since 2019, with 2 taking off every minute

simon calder travel writer

How elections hit travel and are MPs due refunds for cancelled trips?

simon calder travel writer

How did clear air turbulence affect the Singapore Airlines flight?

simon calder travel writer

Orient – but not express when geopolitics dictates the flight plan

simon calder travel writer

Man killed in severe turbulence on flight from Heathrow

simon calder travel writer

‘Tell EU to defer Entry/Exit system’ to avoid delays – Lords committee

simon calder travel writer

Cut extra red tape for Heathrow airport transit passengers, Lords urge

simon calder travel writer

Ryanair prices jump up 21 per cent as profits reach £1.6bn

simon calder travel writer

How risky can the train connections be in Europe?

simon calder travel writer

How a Ryanair flight with a dissident on board was diverted to Minsk

simon calder travel writer

Ryanair boss calls Minsk diversion ‘a state-sponsored hijacking’

simon calder travel writer

Revealed: Our changing travel tastes, by guidebook sales

simon calder travel writer

Can we still go to the Euros without a financial penalty?

simon calder travel writer

Virgin Atlantic tells stranded passengers to ‘find your own hotels’

‘poor visibility’ causes more than 20 flight cancellations at heathrow.

simon calder travel writer

Cabin baggage confusion costs traveller £11,000 Antarctic cruise

simon calder travel writer

EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren to step down next year

simon calder travel writer

Here’s how the Paris Olympics opening ceremony could hit your holiday

simon calder travel writer

Tui boss reveals the next big Mediterranean holiday destination

simon calder travel writer

Tui earns record revenue with prices for cruises soaring

simon calder travel writer

City-centre airport terminals – why are they not more popular?

simon calder travel writer

Could strikes hit your summer holiday? Simon Calder shares his verdict

simon calder travel writer

Heathrow hits out at government ‘curtailing UK’s global connectivity’

simon calder travel writer

What are the hidden depths I might find at Lake Ohrid?

simon calder travel writer

Planes flown with one pilot in cockpit labelled ‘gamble with safety’

simon calder travel writer

Lightning strike at Turkish hotel starts fire during ‘violent’ storm

simon calder travel writer

M25 section reopens as National Highways issues update - live

simon calder travel writer

The land of the free (bus) is getting more expensive

simon calder travel writer

Why is the M25 closed again this weekend and how bad is the traffic?

simon calder travel writer

Where do you recommend for a winter sunshine break?

simon calder travel writer

Wizz Air says sorry after Amman snarl up – but denies Brexit to blame

simon calder travel writer

Which airlines take top place for flying people to Eurovision?

simon calder travel writer

Is it still safe to fly with Boeing after series of accidents?

simon calder travel writer

May rail strikes: How does train drivers’ walk-out affect passengers?

simon calder travel writer

Airport chaos as e-gates fail again – what went wrong?

simon calder travel writer

Ryanair plasters plane with ‘Vote in the EU election’ slogan

simon calder travel writer

Border Force gates back online after outage

simon calder travel writer

Channel Tunnel: 30 years of not delivering continental connectivity

simon calder travel writer

Hope for rail passengers as union boss says ‘we’re willing to talk’

simon calder travel writer

Brighton revealed as the UK’s sunniest city – where does yours rank?

simon calder travel writer

How do Asian flights pick the right way around the world?

simon calder travel writer

Ryanair declares: We don’t do package holidays

simon calder travel writer

Rail union leader ‘incredibly upbeat’ ahead of train drivers’ strikes

simon calder travel writer

Can I claim after being refused on a flight because of name error

simon calder travel writer

Simon Calder reveals the sunniest places in UK to take a holiday

simon calder travel writer

May rail misery: Eight days of disruption from strikes and engineering

simon calder travel writer

Airlines and airports warn liquids rules for cabin baggage still apply

simon calder travel writer

Superfast or superslow? A tale of three airports

COMMENTS

  1. Simon Calder - Wikipedia

    Simon Peter Richie Calder (born 25 December 1955) is a freelance UK travel journalist and broadcaster. He works for various news and travel publications as well as being travel correspondent for The Independent .

  2. Welcome to my site - Simon Calder

    The travel industry provides more choice and better value than ever – though sometimes things go wrong, and I do what I can to keep firms in line. In the UK, we are in the lucky position of enjoying the most competitive travel industry in the world.

  3. Travel Advice - Simon Calder

    Travel Advice. I record a daily podcast for the Independent which usually looks at the day’s news. I also run Instagram Live broadcasts on Saturdays and Sundays at 17.30. In 2023 I have added some podcasts that tackle consumer travel issues and rights, like how to get your money back when things go wrong, or what to do if your booking isn’t ...

  4. Biography - Simon Calder

    After a brief stint teaching Maths in Crawley, and a longer stint as radio engineer at the BBC in London, Simon became a freelance travel correspondent for The Independent in 1994. Soon afterwards he began presenting for BBC2’s Travel Show.

  5. Writing - Simon Calder

    I write a weekly column and a weekly newsletter for the Independent, covering current travel stories, answers to common travel questions and my understanding of up-to-date travel rules & regulations.I also write for the Evening Standard.

  6. Who is Simon Calder? Travel expert in profile | The Independent

    Simon Calder is The Independent ’s travel correspondent, having joined the newspaper in 1994. During his tenure at The Independent, he has witnessed momentous changes in the travel...

  7. Simon Calder: How my life as a journalist has changed

    Since joining in 1994, The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder has gone from filing by phone and floppy disk to podcasts and live-streams – and, he says, it’s never been more fun.

  8. A day in the life of travel writer Simon Calder

    A day in the life of travel writer Simon Calder. Journalism, I have learned during a long and entirely pleasurable career, is really quite simple. It is all about talking to people: seeking...

  9. On Screen - Simon Calder

    I talk about travel on a range of TV programmes, including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, ITV News, Sky News and CNN. Our film, From Alligators to Astronauts: go one step beyond Orlando won Best Broadcast Programme of the Year in the Travel Media Awards 2022.

  10. Simon Calder | The Independent

    Simon Calder is one of the UK's most trusted and recognised travel journalists, both for his editorial and his broadcast work across a variety of major platforms. His illustrious career,...