Taking bikes on trains, tussling with tensators and the trouble with tea bags. We share our, and listeners', tales of travel's challenges.

We welcome weather presenter Jo Wheeler to discuss the part the wind plays in our travels. Should we pay more attention to its wily ways? And what on earth is a "medicane" ? Follow Jo on X @weatherdolly and send us a voice note to YouShouldHaveBeenThere@hotmail.com

We unveil the charms of this multinational and multicultural peninsula: food, drink, landscapes, historical sites and modern attractions. Is it the perfect holiday destination? Meanwhile, the great tea debate rumbles on.

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

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.

We discuss the merits of visiting Australia in the wake of Mick's trip to the less fashionable West and North of this vast country. On the agenda: strange pronunciations, marvellous marsupials, loud and lovely birds and the very important distinction between Salties and Freshies, just in case you meet a crocodile.…

We reveal some truths about the legendary Orient Express, including who was responsible for "murdering " it. Plus more travel miracles and updates for summer tourism. With Simon Calder and Mick Webb

We discuss the controversial new tax on day visitors to Venice and look ahead to the charms and challenges of this summer's travel, including the best month to make your get away.

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 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.

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.…

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 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 recounts the tale of his unbelievably cheap Irish journey and Dylan Harris of Lupine Travel reveals the rewards and challenges of running an adventure travel company.

We discuss listeners' thoughts on when their holiday really starts: as the front door closes, as you clear airport security, the train/plane/ferry begins to move.... ? With particular thanks to Cathy Adams of Times Travel and filmmaker, Ben Garfield

We showcase the strange restrictions encountered by listeners on their travels and compare our own recent visits to intriguing islands.

We hear listeners' tales of passport nightmares while Simon exposes a documentary faux-pas in a current Channel 4 drama series.

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

The final destination makes a fitting conclusion to the 12 part quiz. Find the place then work out what connects all the answers.

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

A lesser-known, UNESCO-recognised delight is the tenth destination of the quiz. Can you work it out?

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

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

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

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

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

Can you work out today's destination? A well-visited location with a well-loved building

Test your travel know-how and guess the third destination.

The second mini podcast of the quiz. Guess the destination and try and work out the link between all 12 places.

Test your travel know-how with the first mini podcast of our 12 part Xmas Quiz.

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.

We discuss the pros and cons of airport lounges and hear more from Pat Yale on the delights of slow travel to Turkey, including the unexpected charms of Belgrade. With many thanks to Nicola, Amanda, Laura, Nick, Gordon Stone and Pat Yale (@patyale on X)

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

Travel meets football in our guide to the 2024 Euros. Discover where to go, when to book and what to see in Simon Calder's essential guide to next year's football feast across the length and breadth of Germany.

Chris Christou joins us from the lovely Mexican city of Oaxaca to discuss his podcast- "The End of Tourism" - and his ideas about "radical hospitality." We also feature listeners' tales of entertaining experiences of changing money. Chris' website iswww.theendoftourism.com

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.

Writer Pat Yale joins us to talk about the pleasures of travelling overland from the UK to Turkey as well as what it's been like to live in the country for the past twenty five years. Pat's new book, "Following Miss Bell: Travels around Turkey in the Footsteps of Gertrude Bell," has just been published by Trailblazer Publications.…

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

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 continue our attempt to divine the future direction of travel, assisted by listeners.

We break out our crystal ball and hypothesise about the shape of travel in thirty years time. VTOL aircraft, jetpacks, autonomous vehicles, affordable rail travel ........ maybe.

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 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 "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…

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?

We welcome to the show Michael Motamedi, chef, digital nomad and influencer, who tells us what it's like to entrust his family's travel plans to a digital guide called Guide Geek. And we compare AI's take on Mykonos with a human view of it as a holiday destination. You can follow Michael's experimental journey at michaelmotamedi.com. And thanks for…

Snow, leaves, sun, swans, even trampolines. We investigate delays to planes and trains and discuss the bizarre causes and often ludicrous excuses.

We delve into this delightful holiday activity and suggest some of the best places to try it out. You don't need to go as far as Panama's San Blas Islands as the UK has island hops that are sometimes much easier than you'd think.

Lyn Hughes of Wanderlust magazine joins us to discuss the endless allure of islands and what it is that makes them so attractive. Is there one perfect example among the world's million chunks of offshore land?

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