Simon Calder
This is the official site of travel journalist and broadcaster 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.
Watch Simon's travel videos
- UK Politics
- News Videos
- Paris 2024 Olympics
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- Sport Videos
- John Rentoul
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- Andrew Grice
- Sean O’Grady
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- Theatre & Dance
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Simon Calder
- Australia & New Zealand
- South America
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- Politics Explained
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- Today’s Edition
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- Fashion & Beauty
- Travel & Outdoors
- Sports & Fitness
- Sustainable Living
- Climate Videos
- Solar Panels
- Behind The Headlines
- On The Ground
- Decomplicated
- You Ask The Questions
- Binge Watch
- Travel Smart
- Watch on your TV
- Crosswords & Puzzles
- Most Commented
- Newsletters
- Ask Me Anything
- Virtual Events
- Betting Sites
- Online Casinos
- Wine Offers
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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.
Has the shadow of Covid finally departed?
Airport security U-turn means passengers face 100ml liquids rule AGAIN
Holidaymakers asked to pay twice for hotels after travel firm collapse
Dover-Calais ferries disrupted as a result of port workers’ strike
Euro 2024: How to follow England and Scotland in Germany this summer
British Airways turns away overbooked Taylor Swift fan
Why do airlines overbook flights and what happens if you’re offloaded?
‘EasyJet made a fool of me and then refused to admit passport mistake’
Airport security liquids rule – what is changing?
Birmingham Airport confusion with new scanners but old liquid rules
EasyJet turns 4-year-old away from Gatwick – but not from Southampton
West Coast Main Line: Key intercity routes closed
Across France for £1.35 per day: A new deal for young rail travellers
‘Sporrans off’ – Edinburgh airport warning to Scotland football fans
How can my unaccompanied grandkids make their French connection?
Plane forced to divert due to disruptive passenger and health case
‘Listen to the workers’ – Emirates boss attacks Boeing delivery delays
Passengers 5 to 1 in favour of mandatory seatbelt wearing on flights
Time for easyJet to reflect on how it deals with passengers
Can you help me get au fait with Beziers and beyond?
How to get the best exchange rates on your holiday money
Eurostar chaos for passengers after new UK Border Force IT failure
EasyJet missed 6 opportunities to admit wrongly turning away passenger
Is it safe to travel to Iceland after volcanic eruption?
EasyJet cost passenger almost £1,500 after wrongly denying boarding
Paying £1,000 a night at the Ritz? Loo roll included, says Booking.com
Singapore Airlines probe reveals 178ft drop in five seconds
New Saudi cruise line bans alcohol, CDs and certain magazines
Holiday money? Change sterling after election for best rates
Inside the ex-Aeroflot jet connecting Croatia with Korea
How to travel with food allergies: Flying rules and precautions
Can we transfer hotels without stumping up more?
Bank holiday travel: How bad will it be on trains, planes and roads?
Extreme turbulence is rare but the best precaution is extremely simple
Why don’t rail firms offer last-minute fares for half-empty trains?
Tory MP demands Brexit damage to school group tourism is eased
Busiest day for UK flights since 2019, with 2 taking off every minute
How elections hit travel and are MPs due refunds for cancelled trips?
How did clear air turbulence affect the Singapore Airlines flight?
Orient – but not express when geopolitics dictates the flight plan
Man killed in severe turbulence on flight from Heathrow
‘Tell EU to defer Entry/Exit system’ to avoid delays – Lords committee
Cut extra red tape for Heathrow airport transit passengers, Lords urge
Ryanair prices jump up 21 per cent as profits reach £1.6bn
How risky can the train connections be in Europe?
How a Ryanair flight with a dissident on board was diverted to Minsk
Ryanair boss calls Minsk diversion ‘a state-sponsored hijacking’
Revealed: Our changing travel tastes, by guidebook sales
Can we still go to the Euros without a financial penalty?
Virgin Atlantic tells stranded passengers to ‘find your own hotels’
‘poor visibility’ causes more than 20 flight cancellations at heathrow.
Cabin baggage confusion costs traveller £11,000 Antarctic cruise
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren to step down next year
Here’s how the Paris Olympics opening ceremony could hit your holiday
Tui boss reveals the next big Mediterranean holiday destination
Tui earns record revenue with prices for cruises soaring
City-centre airport terminals – why are they not more popular?
Could strikes hit your summer holiday? Simon Calder shares his verdict
Heathrow hits out at government ‘curtailing UK’s global connectivity’
What are the hidden depths I might find at Lake Ohrid?
Planes flown with one pilot in cockpit labelled ‘gamble with safety’
Lightning strike at Turkish hotel starts fire during ‘violent’ storm
M25 section reopens as National Highways issues update - live
The land of the free (bus) is getting more expensive
Why is the M25 closed again this weekend and how bad is the traffic?
Where do you recommend for a winter sunshine break?
Wizz Air says sorry after Amman snarl up – but denies Brexit to blame
Which airlines take top place for flying people to Eurovision?
Is it still safe to fly with Boeing after series of accidents?
May rail strikes: How does train drivers’ walk-out affect passengers?
Airport chaos as e-gates fail again – what went wrong?
Ryanair plasters plane with ‘Vote in the EU election’ slogan
Border Force gates back online after outage
Channel Tunnel: 30 years of not delivering continental connectivity
Hope for rail passengers as union boss says ‘we’re willing to talk’
Brighton revealed as the UK’s sunniest city – where does yours rank?
How do Asian flights pick the right way around the world?
Ryanair declares: We don’t do package holidays
Rail union leader ‘incredibly upbeat’ ahead of train drivers’ strikes
Can I claim after being refused on a flight because of name error
Simon Calder reveals the sunniest places in UK to take a holiday
May rail misery: Eight days of disruption from strikes and engineering
Airlines and airports warn liquids rules for cabin baggage still apply
Superfast or superslow? A tale of three airports
COMMENTS
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 .
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.
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 ...
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.
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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,...