David Begg
Transport Policy Expert
Simon Calder
Travel Aficionado
The travel writer and broadcaster has straddled the world, but always insists on paying his way. Perhaps that's why his favourite trip is the No.11 route from Liverpool Street to Camden. As you'd expect from a professional itinerant, Simon's topics span Aberdeen to Zanzibar, via budget airlines.
Biography
Simon Calder’s love affair with travel began with a camping trip to the Lake District, and the six-year-old Simon was hooked. He learned the fine art of free travel by starting to hitch-hike as a teenager. More than three decades later, he is still thumbing his way around the world.
Simon's first job was as a cleaner for British Airways at Gatwick airport. He later worked as a security guard frisking passengers, writing budget travel guidebooks between flights. His first was The Hitch-hiker's Manual of Britain.
After becoming travel editor of The Independent Simon also began to present BBC 2's Travel Show and contribute to the Holiday programme. He now hosts the Travel Clinic on LBC 97.3, regularly pops up on Radio 4 and comments on travel issues across all the national media.
Simon has travelled the world, but still lists his favourite bus journey as the number 11 - from Liverpool Street to Camden. With a policy of paying his way wherever he travels in the world, Simon always finds that the most interesting stories tend to come from the cheap seats.
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