You should have been there (Mick Webb and Simon Calder)

We discuss the many, very accessible charms of the small country that is becoming a surprise travel hit. With thanks to Vonne of Brasserie Vonne in Balham, South London, for joining us. brasserievonne.co.uk

We discuss the possible impact on travel to the USA of the impending Donald Trump presidency while Simon reports from Florida on the often fraught interaction between humanity and manatees. With thanks to NOAA for the photo of a manatee and her calf.

Enjoy our latest head-to-head: Scottish Island versus Greek Island. Which is the better holiday destination? Simon is on location in Lerwick, while Zante's champion is Julia Lo Bue-Said, Chief Executive Officer of the Advantage Travel Partnership

Discover the five mysterious and intriguing countries of Central Asia with names that all end in  ........ stan. 

Which famous site has come out top in our twitter poll?  Will it be a wonder of nature or an attraction created by us humans?   We also discuss Robert Louis Stevenson's book: Travels with a donkey in the Cévennes

The musical fanfare,  The Curtain Rises, was composed by Kevin Macleod (incompetcech.com)  

Simon joins the competitors and organisers of Lupine Travel's Trans-European Race at the start line in London's Trafalgar's Square. It's a bizarre medley of mystery and travel challenges, all on public transport. So who on earth would spend their holidays doing this and what prizes are at stake?

Simon and Mick discuss the role played by luck, miraculous interventions and the kindness of strangers in a fulfilling journey. And we reveal an odd connection between Brexit and Dexy's Midnight Runners

It's not just what you photograph but the context in which you take it.  Our guests today are travel writer and adventurer, Frances Linzee Gordon, and Mario Cavalli who is a film maker and photographer. Enjoy some of his work at https://mario-cavalli-images.squarespace.com/.  And, https://mario-cavalli-images.squarespace.com/-jodhpur-the-blue-city-holi.  See our photos at  http://bit.ly/YouShouldHaveBeenThere

As the prospect of a Spanish holiday draws a little closer Lola Culsán and John Weller reveal how to avoid the seaside crowds. Their new book, Hidden Beaches: Spain, is the fruit of an epic, covid-interrupted journey round the whole coast of Spain in a campervan. Get a 20% discount with the code, hiddenbeach21, from www.wildthingspublishing.com/product/hidden-beaches-spain-book/

We're in the heart of Europe for today's destination, the 11th of the 12 days.

What's the current guidance and what will await us, when and if we do get away?  Simon unveils his five "tests " for prospective travellers while Mick continues his worldwide search for Gerald Bernstein.                                                                                                                                           We'd like to thank Daisy and Poppy for their help.                                                                                                                                                                          You can read the article from the New England Journal of Medicine  at :   https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa031349

Simon and Mick conclude their walk across the Ariège in the French Pyrenees and ruminate on the challenges and the rewards of mountain walking

This essential kick-start to the day's adventures or relaxation is often undervalued. From avocado on sourdough to stale bread and undrinkable coffee, we reminisce about breakfasts on the road and try and draw up an identikit menu of the ideal start to the travelling day. 

Mick and Simon relive some of the travel situations which they're only too pleased to have survived.  Plus a visit to a pub in Southampton which is proud to carry the name of that ill-starred ship, The Titanic.  Thanks to Martin and Michelle for their contributions and to www.fesliyanstudios.com, for the music. 

We investigate the twinning movement, looking back at some of the more interesting and bizarre connections that it has thrown up. Did you know, for instance, that one English town has chosen Narnia as a partner? We'd love to receive your ideas for any new kinds of twinning via twitter, @youshouldhaveBt

A typing error leads Mick and Simon to wonder about the desirability of travelling in threes. When is three a better number of people than the standard two?  The answer seems to be - when you're in a boat with a dog, when you're up a snowy mountain or when you're flying on a low-cost Spanish airline on Valentine's day!  

Find out what it's like to be a top cultural tour guide with our guest, James Hill. The highs, the lows and what goes on behind the scenes, plus some terms you might not have come across before-we certainly hadn't : "lollipops" and "shamrockisation".  James' tours can be found at www.ciceroni.co.uk

Journalist Claire Wrathall helps us peek behind the plantation shutters of Mustique's exclusive villas and explains what it's like to visit this most exclusive of islands.  

We enjoy the perfect day's walk along the Vanguard Way in southern England, taking in the forest haunts of Winnie the Pooh along the way. Plus a warning to travellers about the latest travel scam.

The third and final part of our Pyrenean trek finds us on the homeward stretch, enjoying an off-grid mountain refuge, a convivial evening at a  'chambre d'hôtes' and a walk through the ever-surreal streets of Lourdes

Is slow travel something we should all strive for, or is it just an exercise in marketing?  Simon and Mick investigate, helped by Gina Waggott, Anna Hughes, Alec Webb, Nicky Gardner, Graham Hoyland and James Hill. 

We ask some of the questions that aren't being asked in Dubai at COP 28 and suggest one or two answers.

Jean McNeil, writer and academic, joins us on the roof terrace of London's Barbican Centre to talk Psychogeography. Discover what it is, where it comes from and how it can help you get a bit more from your travels. Plus, more on the great Bielfeld conspiracy!  

SImon makes a pioneering trip across the Rainbow Bridge, which connects Canada with the the newly opened USA. Mick, meanwhile journeys to the hilly county of Dorset and scales its mightiest peak, risking family unity on the way. We compare notes and tensions.  With thanks to Steph, Silas and Aruja for taking part. The recording of pheasants comes courtesy of http://www.freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/

Mick and Simon try to make sense of the bewildering advice about where we can and can't  go on our holidays. They also ponder the new pop-up enclaves created by Coronavirus, adding to the historical oddities like Llívia, a small piece of Spain entirely surrounded by France. 

Simon unveils his five pillars of advice on how to avoid some of the nastier travel surprises that are emerging in the wake of the pandemic. 

We're grateful to f_ilippo @Freesound for the casino recording  

We embark on a magical mystery tour of places associated with the Fab Four, or named in their songs. As well as Penny Lane and Abbey Road, expect Blue Jays, paper bags and the windmill in East Sussex where Sir Paul has a recording studio.  

We talk train journeys of all kinds with the guru of rail travel, Mark Smith, aka "The Man in Seat 61. "  Mark shares his own favourite journeys and experiences, particularly in the country where "the scenery inside the train is as enthralling as the landscape outside."  Mark's  hugely informative website is  at www.seat61.com.  Thanks as well to Monisha Rajesh, author of  "Around the World in 80 trains" 

From the old "three cup trick" to internet-age "fake villa" villainy, we reveal the many traps that lie in wait for the unwary tourist. Beware the "something-nasty-on your-bag-mate,"  the petrol pump counter you can't see and the "Thanksgiving Upgrade," which is just one of the  dodgy practices that bedevil the car rental business.

The clues should lead you to a European port, the seventh destination.

We celebrate our 150th podcast at London's St Pancras station with highlights (and some lowlights) from our previous editions. On the agenda: crossing strange borders, psychogeography, Pyrenean slip-ups and strange brews.

We go offshore for today's destination, the ninth in the series of 12 mini podcasts

We Talk to Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth about the new edition of her book, Staying Healthy When You Travel. Expect advice on what to pack, what to expect in different destinations and what to do if you fall ill abroad. The book is published by Fox Chapel Publishing.

Today we're talking about group travel with Joe Fallon, founder of the company TruTravels.  From steamy Thailand he tells us how he set up his firm and about his hopes for it in an uncertain future. We also discuss what group travel can offer that independent travel can't!  Joe's company website is trutravels.com.  Contact us at   twitter.com/YouShouldHaveBt

Simon and Mick discuss the latter's experience of walking the "camino inglés", the 115 km pilgrims' route from Ferrol to Santiago. On the agenda: the weather, the kindness of strangers, fellow-pilgrims and the nature of the walk itself.

Guess the destination one, a very popular European city, in the eighth of our mini podcasts.

We muse on the weeks travel headlines about Air Traffic Control chaos and plunging planes, while Simon reports from the vast Berlin Travel Show where the whole world of travel is revealed.

We look back at the last 5 years of travel, at the changes, the experience of Covid and Brexit and at the best and worst of the 200 podcasts that we've made since 2019

We delve into "Type 2 fun" and discuss some places that might be considered necessary evils on the way to more enjoyable destinations. Like the Central American city in the photo.

We take a peek behind the curtain that hides business class from economy to discover what life is like for that controversial traveller-the frequent flyer. Providing the low-down and behind-the-scenes gossip is Rob Burgess, founder and director of the website, headforpoints.com

This edition is all about listener's formative travel experiences- from a first distant view of the Himalayas to a wild camping trip to Pembrokeshire. Special thanks are due to Rebecca and to Dr John Mason. 

Head for the Balkans to find this city, the sixth of our twelve destinations. Can you see a link emerging between these places?

A gorilla mother and baby are among the most wonderful sights that a rainforest can provide. But there are also snakes, scorpions and mosquitoes that you would prefer not to come across. We get inside nature's miraculous but disappearing hot houses with the help of Joe Taylor and Silas Webb. Thanks are also due to Ernesto, the Colombian guide who helped Simon and me across a small part of the treacherous Darien Gap. The website with details of our very own UK temperate rainforests is https://lostrainforestsofengland.org/  

The act of travelling from one place to another may seem a simple thing. But it has spawned  a vast number of sayings and reflections. Simon and Mick discuss the wittiest, wisest, pithiest and most pathetic of them. 

Are you a responsible traveller?   See if you measure up to the standards proposed by some of the movement's new gurus, and enjoy the poetic pledge created by the Tourist Office of Finland.  Thanks to Anna Hughes of Flight Free UK for her interview  and to  Aaron Burden@unsplash for his photo.

We are joined by Claudia Gualdi, a travel data expert at the company Riskline. She talks us through a recent survey that reveals in a surge in post-pandemic travel by solo females. What are the rewards and, sadly, the risks? How best can they be mitigated? Websites: riskline.com and solotravelerworld.com/about/solo-travel-statistics-data And apps: Toilet finder: Flush Safety: Bsafe App

With the help of listeners' stories, we distil positivity from the unlikeliest of subjects-  delayed flights at airports.  

What were your journeys to school like? Long, uneventful, exciting, dangerous.....?  Enjoy the experiences of some of our listeners.  We'd like to thank Steph, Camilla, Silas, Lynette, Carol, Daisy and Poppy for their contributions. And the website we mentioned is www.boredpanda.com/dangerous-journey-to-school 

Which country should you choose for your first visit to South America? We assess the attractions and weigh up the pros and cons of four big-hitters: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Peru.

Author and professor, Jean Mcneil, joins us to talk about her new book, Latitudes, and leads us into some of the world's great wildernesses. Danger, adventure and thought-provoking reflections pepper the book, which is published by Barbican Press

Simon Calder and Mick Webb create an alternative bucket list of places they've glimpsed from cars, planes and buses, and which they would love to return to one day.  Like this Greek village in the Peloponnese. 

We discuss our favourite travel conundrums and their enduring fascination.  Whatever happened to.......?   How did they get here... ? Why on earth......  ?  Flight MH 370, Easter Island statues and the bewildering seat numbers in Portuguese trains all make it onto the agenda

Our guest is Professor Jean Mcneil, who not only teaches writing but is an author of both novels and travel narratives.  Hear her thoughts on the differences between factual and fictional evocations of other places, but also her top tips for good travel reading. Amongst her favourites are the novels of Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga.  Discover Jean's own work at https://www.jeanmcneil.co.uk/

Simon visits two of the industry's major get togethers to take the pulse of travel. Amongst the delegates, he meets Iceland's First Lady and the man who aims to put Airbus 380's back in the skies.

Enjoy more of listener's  photos of great dishes with spectacular views. Find out which country topped the polls as your favourite location and see the photos @ https://www.flickr.com/gp/190976368@N06/Dc61Tp.    Thanks to all contributors for their photographs and to Scott Buckley for permission to his music track, Solstice

Simon Calder and Mick Webb compare their recent lofty experiences in Nepal and La Gomera respectively.

Simon and I share the audio diary of our trek across a remote area of the French Pyrenees, the wild and woolly Ariège - yes, it is famed for its sheep. On the agenda are physical challenges, human errors aplenty and entertaining encounters with humans and animals.

We talk to Jonny Bealby, founder of the adventure travel firm, Wild Frontiers, about his life as a traveller and businessman. On the agenda: his favourite countries, most terrifying experiences and the item that he won't travel without. Website: www.wildfrontierstravel.com

Simon and MIck are joined by Anna Hughes, Director of FlightFree UK, co-author of Peaky Climbers and a champion of cycling. They share the pleasures (and pains)  of cycling and wonder what could be done to make getting on your bike an easier experience in the UK. 

We hear what people look forward to most about coming home from a holiday

And discuss the challenges facing the new government when it comes to travel, transport and tourism

....... and of course Simon was on it, taking the Covid tests and checking out sunny Algarve as the UK's oldest ally gets a green light from the government. But how complicated is it to get there and what kind of holiday experience awaits the intrepid visitor to Portugal?  Many thanks to Paul Goldstein for joining in the Faro fun.   

We hear listeners' responses to the last few podcasts and try to answer their questions. On the varied menu: Covid testing, the ethics of elephant riding, the new European railway timetable, very wild swimming and learning to cook pasta dishes in Bologna. Many thanks to all contributors, not least our special guest, Doctor Silas. 

We hear from people who have walked the Camino de Santiago about the joy and pain they have experienced, and muse on the similarities between tourism and pilgrimages. Many thanks to Debra, Richard and Louise for their contributions

We reflect on the many charms of Belgium's star attraction- Brugge or Bruges.  Mick's  audio diary brings the city to life through its sounds while Simon generates the power for his own recording from the Eurostar terminal in Brussels- surely a first in podcasting history! 

We discuss the sometimes surprising delights of the world's underground railway systems and make a spurious case for claiming Gareth Southgate as one of our own.  

Hear from listeners about the views that have inspired them and created travel memories both happy and sad. With special thanks to Julia Lo Bue-Said of The Advantage Travel Partnership, James Beagrie of Meon Valley Travel, Mary Poulton, Rebecca Halpern and everyone else who got in touch to share their rooms and their views via our twitter account, @youshouldhave BT 

We discuss how to travel healthily with Sascha Heeney. She 's not only a nurse but also a travel guide with Lupine travel (lupinetravel.co.uk) which specialises in tours to some of the world's hardest to reach destinations. Altitude sickness, malaria, air pollution water, food, insurance, it's all here! 

Are they as bleak as the weather? Join Mick Webb and Simon Calder for a summary of the festive disruptions, a lively listener exchange about business flights and a look back at the original Christmas journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem- challenging, to put it mildly.  With thanks to Christian Bjoerklund for his electronic track, Hallon. 

Part two of Simon and Mick's trek through The High Pyrenees. It brings spectacular cols, "Dormitory Hell" and a brush with the French equivalent of Basil Fawlty

We discover ways of adding spice to your travels by undertaking special or unusual quests.  The "route of the dovecotes" in southern France, the grounded solar system in Zagreb and the Shakespeare trail in Stratford-upon-Avon are all on the itinerary. Thanks to Norman Smith, Tim Neale and Gary Knapper for taking part.     

Taking our cue from the miracles sought by pilgrims to the French city of Lourdes, we try to track down some secular miracles for the modern traveller. 

As self-catering accommodation re-opens, we discuss the widespread problem of fake reviews with the guidebook writer and editor, David Else.    He highlights some scams and reveals the tricks of the professional reviewer's trade. Find his work at www.davidelse.com

Simon goes to Florida and returns with tales of manatees, space missions and roseate spoonbills. There's more to the sunshine state than theme parks, although he did sample (and survive) the terrifying velociocoaster. With many thanks to Simon Veness, Susan Veness, Jenna Pierce from the Imperial Bar and former astronaut, Bruce Melnick. 

What does this New Year have in store for tethered travellers?  And If we are allowed to get away, how much of the travel industry will still be functioning?  Our guest this week, having an educated guess at what might happen, is Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet guidebooks. Find out about Tony and his travels at  www.tonywheeler.com.au 

We talk to Dylan Harris, founder of Lupine Travel, about his tour company, how they decide on their destinations and what it's like to organise trips to "no-go" areas like the Darien Gap, Yemen and Afghanistan.

Our guest this week is Sue Bryant, Cruise Editor of the Times and Sunday Times. As the cruise ships get even bigger and the booking numbers increase, we mull over the controversial subject of holiday cruises. Discover the many different facets of this branch of the travel industry, including the newly-minted concepts of "the retreat" and the  "pier runner" .  Sue's work can be found at www.suebryant.com, while the article by Jean Mcneil that we mentioned is on    www.jeanmcneil.co.uk

Simon delves into his library and his memory bank to come up with ten tips for reducing holiday outgoings

Simon recounts tales from his recent trek through Nepal's Lumba Sumba pass and, inspired by Rome's Trevi fountain we launch a strand of travel wishes!

We discuss "bustling" markets, "palm-fringed" beaches and "towering" peaks with professor of philosophy, Emily Thomas from Durham University. Do clichéd travel descriptions add to our understanding of other places or quite the reverse? Plus an interview with Eleanor Parker, the winner of last week's Trans-Europe Race to Istanbul by public transport.

We report on recent journeys: Simon to the potentially controversial destination of Israel, Mick to the North of Spain, where the FEVE narrow-gauge railway takes you to some remote and intriguing mountain villages. Find FEVE information here https://www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban/cercanias-feve

We explore the contrasting attractions of dark tourism for eclipse chasers and disaster seekers, while Simon tries not to miss his flight from New York. The website mentioned is dark-tourism. com.

We try to make sense of the mayhem endured by holidaymakers during this summer's busiest month for travel. Planes, boats and trains, all have been affected. Who is to blame, do we ever learn from previous mistakes and how bad is the UK, compared with other countries?

We hear from listeners about Christmases past and make plans for Christmases future, Omicron variant permitting.  Plus, expedition of the week and travel rants from the town of Morpeth. Many thanks to Lizzie and Norma for taking part. 

Helped by travel writer and adventurer, Frances Linzee Gordon, we discuss the contentious distinction between the words "traveller" and "tourist".   Would you ever find a true traveller in an all-inclusive resort?  Or a tourist on a dodgy local bus? 

Simon and Mick share their favourite travel moments from 2024- best views, meals and cultural encounters- before looking forward to 2025. Happy New Year, fellow travellers!

Basilicas with views, Bob Dylan's childhood home and the world's best London all featured on Simon's packed August itinerary. We discuss the experiences, the discoveries and the lessons of his busy trip

Our guest is Gordon Stone, editor of "Strider," the magazine of the Long Distance Walkers' Association. We discuss good treks, good preparation and staying safe in hazardous conditions. And we reminisce about our great and not-so-great experiences.

Every road, like every picture, has a story to tell. The A23, on its route between London and Brighton, has seen some of the best and worst of travel. Mick Webb and Simon Calder uncover tales of highwaymen, princely misdemeanours and old crocks (cars not them). They are joined by Rachel Birch and Beverley Keech

Simon goes to Sydney, newly-opened to the world and, of course, eager to welcome tourists. He gets free vegemite at the airport, roams the city to discover what is and isn't open yet and enjoys some of the city's simpler pleasures: a tram ride, a sunset walk across the iconic bridge and a trek through the Sydney Harbour National Park, where the suburbs, the sea and the outback meet. Thanks to Jane and Jim O'Donnell for taking part.   

The wait is over. Here are the solutions to our "12 Days of Travel" Christmas Quiz.

The latest head-to head in our travel Olympics involves two mighty destinations from the Far East.  Which will prevail in events that feature capital cities, walls, snow monkeys, toilets and Simon's culinary take on the travel bug?  Many thanks to Dr Emily Thomas and Rebecca for their contributions and to the Terracotta Warriors for their unwitting participation.  

We discuss how drugs have influenced travel and tourism: Amsterdam, L.A, the Hippy Trail, the Green Tortoise and more recently, Breaking Bad and Ozark. Plus a health warning about medicines that are considered illegal drugs in some parts of the world. Many thanks to Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet publications, for his contribution. 

We swap tales of footwear malfunctions while shining a light on the neglected, important and richly comic topic of traveller's shoes.

Our guest is Mike Mackay Richards, author of "The Travelling Ape." Mike has visited 155 countries and has a perhaps surprisingly upbeat view of people and most, if not all, places. He advises us to get out there and enjoy the world rather then "vegetating in a little corner of it." His book is available from Amazon.

The clues will reveal the fifth of the twelve destinations. It's in England!

Travelling and embarrassment seem to go hand in glove.  Simon and Mick wonder whether it's an essential part of being a tourist and also, if we are often the authors of our own discomfort, not to mention that of our children. The tale  of the false beards is a case in point.  Thanks are due to Poppy and Daisy Calder for dishing the dirt on their dad! 

We recall, or at least try to, some of the oddest drinks we've encountered during our travels and attempt to describe their flavours and their effects!

Simon and Mick make  a few personal confessions and reveal some of travel's great fakes and fakers.  They award the title of the greatest travel impostor to Georges Psalmanazar (not his real name), native of Formosa (well, not exactly) who hoodwinked  London society in the eighteenth century. 

SImon goes head to head with Lyn Hughes, Editor in Chief of Wanderlust magazine, over ten mind-bending rounds. Can you outquiz them? 

Mick's prejudices about the world's largest country are robustly challenged by Simon and the travel writer and photographer, Frances Linzee Gordon. Enjoy her tales of smiling policemen, two-way mirrors and learning to fire a Kalashnikov.