Routes

At just 23, Alfie Watts has visited 96 countries, become the youngest ever winner of BBC's Race Across the World, and driven a tuk-tuk over 3,500 miles from London to Norway's North Cape for charity. He joins Jenni to talk about how travel transformed his life, from a disastrous first flight to Barcelona at 13, to a life-changing trip to Croatia that opened his eyes to how accessible the world could be.

Alfie shares stories from his tuk-tuk adventure, including being challenged to a race by a Dutch police officer, and reflects on his time on Race Across the World with best friend Owen. He also opens up about his work with mental health charity YoungMinds, and why he's now touring UK schools to show young people that travel is more attainable than they think.

From Petra at sunrise to a surprisingly pink sunset in Aruba, Alfie takes Jenni through some of his most unforgettable travel moments, plus a surprising confession about his secret love for Tenerife. Adventurous, honest and full of energy, this is a conversation about chasing the unknown and finding home in unexpected places.

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Dr. Amir Khan takes Jenni through his essential travel toolkit in this Quiet Coach episode of Routes from LNER, covering the snacks, tracks and hacks that get him through life on the road.

On the food front, Amir shares his love of air-fried chickpeas and reveals his mum's habit of packing enough home-cooked kebabs and samosas to feed the whole train carriage. Musically, he's an unashamed devotee of 90s R&B, and tells the story of once storming the stage at a TLC concert, determined to be serenaded by Chilli, only to be rugby-tackled by security along the way.

There's also a genuinely useful tip for anyone who gets eaten alive by mosquitoes on holiday, plus a confession about the time he nearly missed a flight in South Africa after squeezing in an airport massage.

From a childhood trip to Pakistan met by fifty excited relatives to a middle-of-the-night bear encounter in the Canadian Rockies, Dr. Amir Khan's life has been shaped by family, adventure and the pull of travel. In this episode of Routes from LNER, the GP and broadcaster joins Jenni on the train to Bradford to talk about growing up as the only boy among six sisters, why Yorkshire will always be home, and the trips that have stayed with him.

Amir reflects on his father's three-week bus journey from Pakistan to the UK, long before Amir himself made the trip and was welcomed with flower garlands and endless home-cooked meals by relatives he'd never met. He shares stories of backpacking through Central and South America during his medical elective, and working as a GP in the same Bradford community he grew up in.

There's plenty of talk about switching off too, from early starts on the LNER to London and his devotion to seat L13, to recent holidays in Mallorca and a bucket-list dream of tracing the Silk Route through Kazakhstan. Amir also opens up about the volunteer medical work in Malawi that humbled him, his love of running before sunrise, and why, no matter how far he travels, he could never live more than 40 minutes from his mum.

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From glaring at a stranger on a bus only to realise the music was coming from her own bag, to travelling with a flask of homemade broth, Andi Oliver joins Jenni Falconer on The Quiet Coach to talk snacks, self-care and the art of staying comfortable on the move. She explains her strong feelings about loudspeaker phone calls in the quiet coach, and why she's perfected a proper travel food routine after one too many sandwiches on tour.

Andi also opens up about her love of tracksuits and layers, her go-to playlists ranging from Stevie Wonder to Rachmaninoff, and her habit of working through entire TV series and audiobooks on long journeys. There's talk of her stout-braised oxtail pie collaboration, her years filming Great British Menu, and a shared appreciation for finding snacks nobody else in the family likes.

Warm, funny and full of personality, this is a conversation about comfort, curiosity, and making the most of time spent travelling.

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From childhood summers in Cyprus to a life-changing three-month stay in Antigua at sixteen, chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver has spent her life following food, family and heritage across the globe. In this episode of Routes from LNER, Andi joins Jenni on the train to Edinburgh to talk about growing up between cultures, the touring years that shaped her twenties, and why travel has always been tied to her sense of home.

Andi reflects on the childhood that took her from Kent to an outdoor life in Limassol, and the trip to Antigua as a teenager that reconnected her with her Caribbean heritage and reshaped how she saw herself in the world. She shares stories of touring Europe by train in her late teens as part of the band Rip Rig + Panic, becoming a young mum at twenty, and the deep bond with her best friend Nana that began with a hospital visit and a shared cigarette.

There's plenty of talk about food too, plus the recent trip to Malawi with WaterAid that left a lasting impression on her. Andi also opens up about her dream of running a beach bar in Antigua, annual family holidays with her daughter, and why she believes everyone should travel alone at least once in their life.

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From packing three suitcases at once for a cruise, a band tour and a Portugal getaway, to letting his wife always face forward on trains, Chesney Hawkes joins Jenni Falconer on The Quiet Coach to talk travel, timing and the occasional case of mistaken identity. He explains why he always heads for the quiet coach, and why punctuality matters so much to him.

Chesney also shares the story of his mum's ringtone causing a scene in the middle of TK Maxx, and opens up about being a self-confessed stress-packer who somehow still manages to overpack shoes he never wears. In the "Snacks, Tracks & Hacks" segment, he reveals why hydration always comes first, how his wife keeps him stocked with healthy snacks, and why his train listening leans more towards political podcasts than his own back catalogue.

Plus, there's talk of his new album Living Arrows and a big local moment headlining The Long Walk Live in Windsor alongside Right Said Fred. Warm, funny and full of nostalgia, this is a conversation about staying grounded and never quite escaping The One and Only.

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From childhood summers on the beaches of the Algarve to chasing the Northern Lights on songwriting trips to Iceland, Chesney Hawkes has spent a lifetime shaped by movement, music and the road. In this episode of Routes from LNER, the singer joins Jenni on the train to Dundee to talk about growing up in a rock 'n' roll household, the whirlwind of pop stardom, and why travel has always fed his creativity.

Chesney reflects on a childhood surrounded by musicians, from learning piano on an instrument once owned by John Lennon to stepping over sleeping guests to get to the cereal cupboard. He shares memories of running wild as a "feral kid" during long family holidays in Portugal, and traces his journey from a first gig in a Brownie hut to starring alongside Roger Daltrey in Buddy's Song, the film that led to his breakout single "The One and Only" in 1991.

There's plenty of talk about travel too, from backpacking around the Seychelles and falling for the otherworldly landscapes of Iceland, to family trips to the Maldives and the Bahamas, and taking each of his three children on one-on-one holidays around Europe. Chesney also opens up about touring life, favourite haunts in Berlin and Munich, dropping his daughter off at St Andrews, and the renewed success of his latest album, Living Arrows, which has brought him back to Radio 2's A-list more than thirty years after his first hit.

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We’re back! Season 3 of Routes with LNER is arriving soon and we’ve saved you a seat.

Join Jenni Falconer for another season of incredible guests, who have the travel stories to prove that the journey really is everything.

Whether it’s a holiday that went hilariously wrong, a destination that completely changed how they see the world, or a journey they’ll never forget for all the right (and wrong) reasons, this season has it all.

So if you haven’t already, hit subscribe and make sure you don’t miss a single stop.

Routes from LNER. Season 3 arrives at your platform July 7th.

To find out more about our guests incredible journeys, head to lner.co.uk/routespodcast

From sunrise hot air balloons over Marrakesh to leaving his Nintendo behind on his very first family holiday, Olympic gold medallist Matty Lee joins Jenni Falconer on The Quiet Coach to share stories from a life shaped by travel, competition and big moments.

In this episode of Routes from LNER, Matty reflects on how travel has changed since retiring from diving, from fast-paced trips across Thailand to slower, more relaxed journeys closer to home. He shares what it’s like seeing the world without the pressure of competition, and why some of his most memorable experiences come from the simplest moments, like a peaceful sunrise high above the Atlas Mountains.

The conversation also explores the realities of elite sport, including the mental side of competing, the nerves that come with performing on the world stage, and how those experiences helped shape his path to Olympic gold. Along the way, Matty opens up about family, early travel memories, and the moments that stuck with him long after the medals.

Plus, in the “Snacks, Tracks & Hacks” segment, he reveals his go-to train snacks, why podcasts help journeys fly by, and the travel essentials he now swears by. From rolling clothes to noise-cancelling headphones and a game-changing eye mask. Relaxed, honest and full of personality, this is a warm conversation about slowing down, looking back, and finding a new rhythm after sport.

Olympic gold medallist diver Matty Lee joins Jenny Falconer on this episode of Routes from LNER, reflecting on a life that’s taken him from local swimming pools in Leeds to the very top of the Olympic podium.

Matty shares the journey from discovering diving as a kid, following in his brother’s footsteps, to competing on the world stage alongside athletes he once idolised. He opens up about the realities behind elite sport, from intense competition nerves and working with sports psychologists to the discipline required to perform under pressure, and the moment he realised it was time to step away from the sport at just 26.

The conversation also dives into life beyond diving: adjusting to retirement, rediscovering a love for travel, and swapping global competitions for quieter UK getaways. From team trips across the world and missed flight upgrades after Tokyo, to wholesome countryside escapes, Matty reflects on what travel means to him now. Plus, he shares stories of receiving his medal from the King, the one moment he regrets not saying hello on a train, and why sometimes doing nothing at all is exactly what you need.