This episode of The Travel Show with Simon McNeill-Ritchie reviews the chaotic end to 2025 and looks forward to travel trends and challenges in 2026.

Join Simon McNeill-Ritchie this week for his Thanksgiving Special. Mama Martha shares her secret ingredients for a family feast in Arkansas. Plus stories about the origins of Thanksgiving and, of course, the latest international travel news.

The BBC, President Trump and Pantomime Villains, Disruption at Heathrow Airport, Thanksgiving at the End of the US Government Shutdown - for now - and A Walk Across the Desert in Morocco

A Greek Classic, with Nancy Connolly in ecstasy about her recent visit to Athens. As well as early-release prisoners in the UK, flight cutbacks in the US and back to the drawing board for Bristol Airport. Plus all the other international travel news.

Taking a Hike with Old Friends, Gatwick gets the Go-Ahead, Paying to Keep the Middle Seat Free, drones and cyber attacks, hurricanes and typhoons.

Simon’s Travel Show highlights Malta’s fortified islands. Guest Fee Mowbray recalls Mdina’s “Silent City,” Valletta’s cannons, and Gozo’s Neolithic temples, recommending late September for ideal weather. International news covers a cyber-attack at Brussels Airport and failures in Dallas. Simon reports Ryanair cutting capacity in Spain over fees, contrasted with Thailand’s plan offering free domestic flights to boost tourism.

Seeking escape from turbulent news, Simon interviews Tudor Morgan, an Antarctic ambassador for HX Hurtigruten, about the awe of expeditions, wildlife, citizen science, and sustainable hybrid ships. The news focuses on European industrial action, with France’s government collapse triggering ATC strikes. Simon also reports on Dubai Airport’s biometric smart tunnels and debunks the myth that Tuesday flights are always cheapest.

Broadcasting from Bath, Simon McNeill-Ritchie’s Travel Show mixes reports of industrial unrest with the joys of active leisure. As strikes affect French airspace and airlines cut capacity, Bristol Airport highlights recruitment and charity success. The episode explores booming European cycling and hiking holidays, driven by e-bikes and post-pandemic demand, and notes the diplomatic closure of the British Embassy in Cairo.

Simon ends summer with industrial news and future travel planning, reporting on looming West of England transport strikes and Ryanair’s strict baggage rules. Travel agent Janette Spirowski recalls a holiday disaster at a flooded hotel and shares tips for autumn breaks and Christmas markets. Later, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson discusses her new aviation accessibility report, urging better training, equipment, and dignity for passengers with reduced mobility.

This episode covers extreme weather disrupting travel, from European heatwaves and wildfires to floods in Mexico City. Simon shifts to positive local news with James Power from Bristol Airport, explaining new scanners that allow liquids and electronics to stay in bags. Emily Critchley spotlights Montenegro, from Budva’s old town to the Bay of Kotor. Simon ends with Virgin Trains challenging Eurostar.