Advertise on podcast: You should have been there

We consider the perils of venturing off venturing off the beaten track, talk to an adventure tour organiser facing up to current hazards in Venezuela, Iran and now Greenland, and we meet..... the axolotl.

Do you recognise this flag? It's one of the destinations that Simon found out about at the Adventure Travel Show in London. We discuss real travel adventures where the guide books run out as well as less challenging but still unusual places away from the crowds.

We assess the past year in travel and anticipate the next one, with thoughts on destinations and technology as well as the giving of some self-indulgent travel presents.

Amazing travel experiences in which the laws of time are challenged , castles like "pastry shops for the soul" and the glacial progress of the new European Exit/Entry System.

We chat about the Sagrada Familia, the National Monument of Scotland and confront the brave new world of "frictionless travel" as promised by facial recognition technology

We discuss Spain's wealth of dramatic castles- the best to visit, the best to stay in and the one where you'll find the best pastries

Simon reports on his recent journeys to Lebanon, Northern Cyprus and Moldova. Also, we discuss the timeless allure of castles.

We try to make sense of the new entry /exit system that will affect UK travellers to Europe's Schengen area: what is it? when will it start? what will it mean for travellers, apart from delays?

Join us for a brief but steep hike through the Pyrenees in the footsteps of exiles and refugees and the hoofprints of sheep, cows and isards.

Join Simon and Mick on the nearest thing to a hill climb that South London can offer. But will it be a suitable rehearsal for their forthcoming trek in the Pyrenees?

We get to grips with two very different travelling dilemmas: can you get to the middle of nowhere and how can you combat the trickery and duplicity of car hire firms?

We track down traditional Spanish houses, search for great Airbnb's and report on a green ferry service across the Channel-by yacht.

We showcase listeners' anecdotes about bewildering showers, linguistic confusions and unexpected strandings. Thanks to Ginger Hendee for the photo (on Unsplash)

Simon enjoys Lithuania and falls prey to creeping delays and dynamic currency conversions during a whistle stop European tour. Meanwhile Mick takes part in a race across southern England- accidentally.

An underwhelming new dawn for our railways, an inadvertent phone error by an airport boss and the unveiling of a "slow" race across the world.