Simon Calder is the senior travel editor of the Independent and is considered Britain's leading travel commentator. Simon also writes for The Evening Standard and High Life (BA's inflight magazine)

It hasn't always been like that for Simon. His career in travel began at Gatwick airport, where he cleaned out planes for Sir Freddie Laker and later, frisked passengers (for a job, that is not a hobby). He then graduated in Mathematics from Warwick University, and began to write travel guidebooks.

At The Independent, he has the title The man who pays his way because he wont accept free transport or accommodation from the travel trade.

Simon was a presenter for BBC1's Holiday programme and Heaven and Earth Show, and is still a regular contributor to radio and television news programmes. He continues to write travel books, ranging from guides to Amsterdam and Cuba to an analysis of no-frills aviation.