Simon Calder

Simon Calder is the UK’s best-known travel journalist by a country mile and has become a trusted institution with the British public.

In the past year as the Covid comeback has continued and post-Brexit holiday travel has picked up in earnest, Simon’s output has been as prolific, reliable, and as necessary as ever.

He has championed travelers’ rights and fought their fights on countless occasions – and is rarely on the losing side of any disagreement because of his encyclopedic knowledge of the travel industry and its rules and regulations.

From the train strikes that have beleaguered British travelers for much of the past year to border queues at Dover, from holidaymakers caught amid soaring temperatures in the European wildfires this summer to airlines incorrectly enforcing passport validity rules for flights between the UK and EU countries, The Independent’s travel correspondent is an acknowledged expert and consumer champion.

Alongside his regular exclusive news stories and explainers, Simon also pens three weekly newsletters and records a daily travel podcast. He presents videos ranging from interviews with senior industry figures to inspirational 48-hour destination guides, and Independent TV’s regular magazine-style show, Travel Smart. He also answers readers’ questions ‘in app’ for The Independent Daily Edition as well as during regular live, virtual events that each attract hundreds of online viewers.

He is a familiar and trusted face on television, and appears as the country’s pre-eminent travel expert on multiple broadcast channels from the BBC to Sky News, and as a regular on shows including Lorraine and Good Morning Britain. With more than 300,000 followers across his X, Instagram, and TikTok accounts, Simon reached a diverse audience from multiple demographics with informative posts and videos.