Simon Calder

Simon Calder is a leading travel journalist and broadcaster, providing expert insights and consumer advocacy across major news platforms for over three decades. After publishing his initial budget travel guidebooks, including the acclaimed Hitch-hiker’s Manual: Britain, Simon Calder established himself as a dedicated voice in travel journalism. He further developed his expertise, earning a degree in mathematics from the University of Warwick, before transitioning into broadcasting as a radio engineer for the BBC in London. His on-air career as a travel expert officially commenced in 1980 on Simon Bates’ program ‘Studio B15’ on BBC Radio 1.

He maintains a highly visible presence across BBC programming, serving as the ‘Global Guru’ on BBC News’ ‘The Travel Show’ and a regular contributor to ‘Rip Off Britain.’ He frequently provides expert commentary on travel matters for other major radio and television stations, including Channel 5. His dedication to the field has led him to travel to over 120 countries, bringing a truly global perspective to his reporting. Calder’s significant contributions to travel journalism have earned him numerous accolades, including both the Outstanding Achievement and Broadcast Journalist of the Year awards at the 2012 Travel Press Awards. In the same year, he was recognized as the News Journalist of the Year for Print at the 2012 Business Travel Journalism Awards.

In 2011, he further demonstrated his broad knowledge by winning the Christmas edition of Celebrity Mastermind, with Concorde as his specialist subject, cementing his status as a leading authority in the travel sector.