The World has teamed up with travel publisher Lonely Planet and the BBC Travel website to bring you a new audio feature. It’s called Talking Travel, and the idea is simple. We find interesting intersections between news and travel, and bring them to you in a bi-monthly podcast. The World’s Carol Hills brings the news. Our intrepid travel team includes Robert Reid and Tom Hall from Lonely Planet, and David Allan from BBC Travel.

 

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Talking Travel


Airports – Changi, Castellon, Templehof and more

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This week our topic is: drumroll please … airports. Good airports, bad airports, fun airports, airports that are a complete drag, airports that are remarkably small for the area they serve, the airport you never want to descend into again … ever and ghost airports, those big projects that politicians sometimes push with the promise of jobs – and that then just sit there idle. Download MP3 (28:10)

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Talking Travel: Aussie floods and your travel plans

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Download MP3 (27:37)

A president toppled and protests in the streets, mudslides rolling down mountains and killing villagers, and flood waters cresting through through the streets of a major city. Not exactly what Tunisia, Brazil and Australia (respectively) want during the height of their tourist season. American Airlines says ‘get lost’ to Orbitz and Expedia, and in the northern hemisphere, it’s still winter. How do you avoid getting stuck at the airport?

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Talking Travel: ‘Twas the weather nightmare before Christmas

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Imagine you’re in London and trying to get home to some other continent for the holidays. Suddenly there’s an unprecedented dump of snow, below zero temperatures (and we’re talking Fahrenheit!),  and  Heathrow grinds to a halt.  Well, that’s what’s happened to thousands of passengers now stranded at the airport, in hotels, on some friend’s floor.

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Talking Travel: TSA scanners cause controversy

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The new full-body scanners being used by the TSA have certainly ruffled some feathers of late. Are they a vital part of keeping the skies safe, or are they the latest scene in what some have called “security theater?” We’ll get the skinny from two seasoned travelers on this episode of Talking Travel.(Photo: Ralf Roletschek)

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Talking Travel: Halloween hijinks near and far

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In this episode of our travel podcast, we ponder some seriously scary Halloween destinations. We’ve got haunted castles in Transylvania, Mexico’s Day of the Dead, and even a major Halloween festival in Hong Kong. Listen in to find out where in the world to get spooked this Halloween. (Photo: Craig Heimburger)


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Talking Travel: Riding the rails all night long

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Imagine going to sleep as your train leaves Oslo, Norway, and waking up north of the Arctic Circle! Yes, the overnight train trip is alive and well in Europe, and in this episode of our Talking Travel podcast we’ll explore some of the best ones your money can buy. We’ll also talk about the joys, and pitfalls, of traveling as a couple.


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Talking Travel: Commonwealth Games in India

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This is Shera, mascot for the Commonwealth Games, which have started in Delhi. There have been major problems with venues leading up to the Games. Some countries even threatened to boycott. But, the Games are underway, and in this episode of our travel podcast, we’ll find out what’s to see in Delhi (besides netball and lawn bowls, of course).

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Talking Travel: London’s new bike rental scheme

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Forget the Tube, the double-decker busses, and the Black Cabs. London’s got a new mode of transportation. It’s called, lovingly, the “Boris Bike,” after the city’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, who also happens to be an avid cyclist. Lonely Planet’s Tom Hall tells you more about London’s new bike rental scheme on this episode of our Talking Travel podcast. (Photo: Mark Boyce)

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Travel Podcast: Russian wildfires, bears gone wild

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Images like this are a stark reminder of how the unusual summer heat and the accompanying wildfires, have seriously affected life in Moscow. In this episode of our Talking Travel podcast, Lonely Planet’s Robert Reid says Russia’s a big place, and you shouldn’t let the wildfires stop you from visiting the country’s many tourist destinations. We’ll also discuss air rage, and some animals that seem to want to pack their suitcases and take a holiday. (Photo: Sergei Gutnikov)

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Talking Travel: Congress debates Cuba travel ban

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Cuban streets might still be filled with American cars, but American tourists have been effectively banned from visiting the island nation for decades now. But the US Congress is now looking at a number of measures designed to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba. In this episode of our Talking Travel podcast, Lonely Planet’s Robert Reid and Tom Hall offer their assessments of what increased US tourism might mean for Cuba, and its people. (Photo: Dirk van der Made)

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Talking Travel: South Africa and The World Cup

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After almost a month of soccer, we’re down to four remaining teams in the World Cup. Many say the real winner of the 2010 tournament, however, is the host nation itself – South Africa. Lonely Planet’s Tom Hall helps us take stock of what the tournament means for South African tourism, today and tomorrow. It’s our Talking Travel podcast. (Photo: ER24 EMS (Pty) Ltd).

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Talking Travel: The Oil Spill and the Gulf Coast

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In this episode of our Talking Travel podcast, Lonely Planet’s Robert Reid talks about his recent trip to the Gulf Coast in Florida. Reid went down to assess the short-term and potential long-term damage to the region’s tourism industry. Each year, people from across the globe come to the area. Reid advises to not be too hasty in canceling your trip. (Photo: US House of Representatives)

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Talking Travel: Revisiting Haiti

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In this episode of our Talking Travel podcast, we speak with Paul Clammer, author of the Lonely Planet guide to Haiti. Clammer recently went back to Haiti, to assess the recovery efforts and to spend a week volunteering to help clear rubble in the town of Leogane. You can hear his impressions of where Haitians stand six months after the January earthquake. (Photo: Amy Bracken)

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Talking Travel: ‘We’re with the band…’

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In the latest episode of our Talking Travel podcast with Lonely Planet, we look back at the musical, and travel, legacy of that Master of Metal, Ronnie James Dio. Dio died on May 16 at the age of 67, but his music lives on around the globe. Lonely Planet’s Robert Reid managed to get an interview with Dio before the singer started his 2005 world tour in…wait for it…Siberia. Also, we try to hitch a ride on Iron Maiden’s “Ed Force One.” (Photo: rjforester via Wikipedia)

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Talking Travel: Revenge of the Icelandic volcano

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If we here on the Talking Travel podcast never hear the phrases “volcanic ash cloud” and “travel chaos” again, we’ll be happy. Unfortunately, if Eyjafjallajökull’s got anything to say about it, we’re in for a rough few months ahead. Maybe even more. In this episode of our podcast, Lonely Planet’s Tom Hall discusses the sheer scale of travel chaos caused by the volcano, and whether or not the ongoing eruptions, and disruptions, should make you switch your summer travel plans. (Photo by Boaworm via Wikipedia)

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