Great Continental Railway Journeys

Great Continental Railway Journeys79%

TV 2012-11-08 1h 0m Documentary
★ 8.5 / 10 · 10 votes
Ratings
Combined
78.5 %
3 sources
IMDb
8.2 /10
442 votes
Trakt
71 %
27 votes
TMDB
83 %
11 votes

Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide.

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Status
Returning Series
Runtime
1h 0m
Seasons
9
Episodes
76
Studio
BBC
Network
BBC Two
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Links
IMDb, TVDB, Wikidata
Created by
Michael Portillo
Cast
Michael Portillo Michael Portillo Self - Presenter Clive Lamming Clive Lamming Self
Season 1 2012 · 5 eps
  1. 1 London to Monte Carlo Leaving London behind, armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo follows the most popular route of the Edwardian traveller through France. His first stop is Paris, where… Nov 8, 2012 60m
  2. 2 Hungary to Austria Steered by his 1913 railway guide, on this journey Michael Portillo explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. Starting in Budapest… Nov 15, 2012 60m
  3. 3 Berlin to the Rhein Michael begins this journey in Berlin, the capital of Germany, which at the beginning of the 20th century was a powerhouse of science and technology. Led by his 1913 railway guide… Nov 22, 2012 60m
  4. 4 Switzerland Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Switzerland, whose remarkable railways helped make it a favourite with Edwardian tourists. He begins i… Nov 29, 2012 60m
  5. 5 Amsterdam to Northern France Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide to explore the dazzling cities of the pre-war Low Countries before tasting the delicacies of Brussels. He th… Dec 6, 2012 60m
Season 2 2013 · 6 eps
  1. 1 Madrid to Gibraltar Oct 27, 2013 60m
  2. 2 Turin to Venice Nov 3, 2013 60m
  3. 3 Dresden to Kiel Nov 10, 2013 60m
  4. 4 Copenhagen to Oslo Nov 17, 2013 60m
  5. 5 Prague to Munich Nov 24, 2013 60m
  6. 6 Bordeaux to Bilbao Dec 1, 2013 60m
Season 3 2014 · 6 eps
  1. 1 Tula to St Petersburg Nov 5, 2014 60m
  2. 2 Rome to Taormina Nov 12, 2014 60m
  3. 3 Warsaw to Krakow Nov 19, 2014 60m
  4. 4 La Coruña to Lisbon Nov 26, 2014 60m
  5. 5 Haifa to the Negev Dec 3, 2014 60m
  6. 6 Lyon to Marseille Dec 10, 2014 60m
Season 4 2015 · 6 eps
  1. 1 Sofia to Istanbul Armed with his trusty 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels east through the Balkans along the most exotic section of the route taken by the Orient E… Oct 16, 2015 60m
  2. 2 Vienna to Trieste In Vienna, Michael Portillo encounters a pre-Cold War spy and learns about the concert that caused a riot in 1913. He then travels the Habsburg imperial line across the Semmering … Oct 23, 2015 60m
  3. 3 Pisa to Lake Garda Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo visits Italy, where he experiences first-hand the nation's need for speed in a state-of-the-art Maserati sports… Oct 30, 2015 60m
  4. 4 Athens to Thessaloniki Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a Greek odyssey from Athens's port of Piraeus north to the city of Thessaloniki, captured the year befor… Nov 13, 2015 60m
  5. 5 The Black Forest to Hannover Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures deep into the Black Forest on a quest to discover the essence of Germany and discovers how Hansel and Gret… Nov 20, 2015 60m
  6. 6 Barcelona to Mallorca Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo returns to Spain to trace the early 20th-century roots of the Spanish Civil War, which divided his Spanish family and sent h… Nov 27, 2015 60m
Season 5 2016 · 6 eps
  1. 1 Transylvania to the Black Sea Sep 20, 2016 60m
  2. 2 Zermatt to Geneva Sep 27, 2016 60m
  3. 3 Tangier to Marrakech Oct 4, 2016 60m
  4. 4 Genoa to the Brenner Pass Oct 11, 2016 60m
  5. 5 Riga to Tampere Oct 18, 2016 60m
  6. 6 Rotterdam to Utrecht Oct 25, 2016 60m
Season 6 2018 · 6 eps
  1. 1 Kiev to Odessa Mar 8, 2018 60m
  2. 2 Batumi to Baku Mar 15, 2018 60m
  3. 3 Episode 3 Mar 28, 2018 59m
  4. 4 Episode 4 Mar 27, 2018 59m
  5. 5 Episode 5 Apr 3, 2018 59m
  6. 6 Episode 6 Apr 10, 2018 59m
Season 7 2020 · 6 eps
  1. 1 Salamanca to Canfranc Michael Portillo sports a strikingly modern edition of his Bradshaw’s Continental Handbook, dated 1936. His destination lies close to his heart: the ancient kingdom of Spain and l… Jul 29, 2020 60m
  2. 2 Orleans to Reims Michael Portillo travels from the chateaux of the Loire Valley to the heart of the Champagne region at Reims. Beginning in historic Orleans, Michael follows his Bradshaw’s guide … Aug 5, 2020 60m
  3. 3 Berlin to Stuttgart Michael Portillo embarks on a rail journey through Germany, steered by a Bradshaw’s Continental Railway Guide published in 1936. His unique window on Europe between the world wars… Aug 12, 2020 60m
  4. 4 Palermo to Mt Etna Michael Portillo’s 1936 Bradshaw’s Guide brings him to the Italian 'treasure island' of Sicily, full of natural beauty and 'scenery of the greatest charm'. But the interwar guide … Aug 19, 2020 60m
  5. 5 Linz to Bratislava Michael Portillo travels by train through Austria and the Czech Republic, following his Bradshaw’s Continental Railway Guide, published in 1936. Michael’s journey takes him throug… Sep 2, 2020 60m
  6. 6 Stockholm to the Arctic Circle Michael Portillo embarks on a scenic, thousand-mile rail journey from the Swedish capital, Stockholm, to Abisko in the northern reaches of the Arctic Circle. Steered by his 1936 e… Sep 10, 2020 60m
Series 8 2025 · 20 eps
  1. 1 Pula to Pazin Michael Portillo mounts a valiant defence against fierce latter-day Roman gladiators in Pula's amphitheatre as he begins a journey across the Balkan countries of Croatia and Bosni… Mar 10, 2025 29m
  2. 2 Buzet to Pag Ably assisted by Lila, an expert labrador, Michael Portillo hunts for truffles in the Istrian countryside near the hilltop town of Buzet. Mar 11, 2025 28m
  3. 3 Knin to Split Michael Portillo’s railway adventure reaches the Dalmatian coastal city of Zadar, once an important Venetian trading hub and still a centre for the production of Maraschino cherry… Mar 12, 2025 28m
  4. 4 Sarajevo In Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia, Michael Portillo traces the fateful last journey in 1914 of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. Mar 13, 2025 29m
  5. 5 Mostar to Dubrovnik Michael Portillo enjoys a journey on the historic line from Sarajevo to Mostar, descending 600 metres through the Dinaric Alps, reflecting on the divisions which tour apart the ol… Mar 14, 2025 29m
  6. 6 Bergen to Flåm Michael Portillo embarks on a Scandinavian railway adventure from the Norwegian port of Bergen to the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Mar 17, 2025 28m
  7. 7 Myrdal to Heddal Michael Portillo’s rail journey continues on the Bergen Line, heading towards the Norwegian capital of Oslo, with its fine modernist architecture and 19th-century parliament build… Mar 18, 2025 28m
  8. 8 Larvik to Holstebro Michael’s saga resumes in Larvik on Norway’s southern coast, where he investigates the city’s prized natural resource, a distinctive blue rock named larvikite. Mar 19, 2025 28m
  9. 9 Aarhus to Odense Michael Portillo’s Scandinavian rail adventure reaches Denmark’s second city, Aarhus, an architectural playground with dazzling contemporary buildings set alongside historic half-… Mar 20, 2025 29m
  10. 10 Roskilde to Copenhagen Michael Portillo concludes his epic rail journey across Norway and Denmark, crossing an 18-kilometre box girder bridge between the islands of Funen and Zealand, known as the Great… Mar 21, 2025 29m
  11. 11 Maienfeld to the Rhine Gorge Michael Portillo is transported 150 years back in time to the tiny Alpine village home of Switzerland’s most famous child, Heidi, and heads to the Rhine Gorge, also known as the S… Mar 24, 2025 28m
  12. 12 Sedrun to Schwyz Michael Portillo ventures into the bowels of an immense hydroelectric dam to learn how the Swiss use their mountainous environment to power the country. Mar 25, 2025 29m
  13. 13 Zurich In Zurich, Michael has a brush with the absurd in the anarchic paintings of the Dadaists and visits the Grossmunster Church to learn about the rebellious pastor at the centre of t… Mar 26, 2025 28m
  14. 14 Rotkreuz to Brienz Michael Portillo scales the Swiss Alps on one of the the steepest cog railways in the world and visits the 19th-century fairy-tale Grand Hotel Giessbach. Mar 27, 2025 29m
  15. 15 Zweisimmen to Lausanne Aboard the Golden Pass Express, Michael Portillo wends his way in style down steep mountainsides from Interlaken to the Swiss Riviera. In Lausanne, he contends with a knife-wieldi… Mar 28, 2025 29m
  16. 16 Nantes to Lorient Michael Portillo’s rail travels take him to the north west corner of France, where he explores the beautiful regions of Brittany and Normandy and learns of their connections with … Mar 31, 2025 28m
  17. 17 Brest to St Brieuc Michael Portillo’s railway journey reaches the naval port of Brest, home to France’s oceanographic fleet. He also learns how to make a sweet, buttery Breton cake called kouign-ama… Apr 1, 2025 28m
  18. 18 Rennes to Mont Saint-Michel Michael Portillo’s railway adventure reaches Rennes, capital of Brittany. At the Lycee Emile Zola, he hears how the school was used as a military court for the second trial of Alf… Apr 2, 2025 29m
  19. 19 Bayeux to Argentan In Bayeux, Michael Portillo admires the Bayeux Tapestry, the 70-metre-long work of art commissioned to record William the Conqueror's conquest of England and the Battle of Hasting… Apr 3, 2025 28m
  20. 20 Lisieux to Giverny In the apple orchards of the Calvados region, Michael Portillo discovers how the classic digestif has been distilled since 1865 at the Pierre Huet estate. Apr 4, 2025 29m
Series 9 2026 · 15 eps
  1. 1 Cagliari to Porto Flavia Michael Portillo embarks on a stunning railway adventure through the western Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica, beginning in Sardinia’s capital, Cagliari. May 18, 2026 29m
  2. 2 Mandas to Laconi Michael Portillo’s railway tour of Sardinia heads inland towards the island's dramatic mountain landscapes, which he discovers were frequented by DH Lawrence. May 19, 2026 29m
  3. 3 Nuoro to Macomer Michael Portillo continues his Sardinian railway adventure, arriving into Mamoiada to investigate the town’s extraordinary pagan traditions. May 20, 2026 29m
  4. 4 Ajaccio to Vizzavona Michael Portillo’s railway journey through the islands of Sardinia and Corsica sees him leave Sardinia and arrive into Corsica, the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean. May 21, 2026 28m
  5. 5 Vivario to Corte Michael boards one of Europe’s most dramatic railways, which winds through Corsica’s breathtaking mountainous landscapes. May 22, 2026 28m
  6. 6 St Pancras to Brussels Michael boards the Eurostar at London’s St Pancras International, bound for the Belgian capital, Brussels. May 25, 2026 29m
  7. 7 Brussels to Ghent Michael Portillo’s Belgian rail journey continues in the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders. He discovers Antwerp's historic diamond industry and visits a Van Eyck masterpiece in G… May 26, 2026 29m
  8. 8 Knokke-Heist to Bruges Continuing his Belgian tour, Michael Portillo heads to the beach resort of Knokke-Heist and the world’s longest coastal tram, which enjoys splendid views across the North Sea. May 27, 2026 29m
  9. 9 Brussels to La Louvière Michael Portillo’s Belgian journey takes him back to Brussels to examine a dark chapter in the country’s past: the brutal seizure of the Congo under King Leopold II. May 28, 2026 29m
  10. 10 Namur to Florenville On the final leg of his Belgian journey, Michael Portillo travels to Namur, capital of Wallonia, to discover a citadel dating back to the 10th century. May 29, 2026 28m
  11. 11 Sopron to Keleti Michael Portillo begins his Hungarian adventure in the far north west of the country in the town of Sopron. Jun 1, 2026 28m
  12. 12 Budapest Exploring Hungary's capital city of Budapest by tram, Michael Portillo travels to the extraordinary open-air museum of Memento Park in the suburbs. Jun 2, 2026 28m
  13. 13 Huvösvölgy to Kobanya Continuing his travels in Budapest, Michael Portillo begins in the small town of Huvösvölgy, where he encounters a surprising railway run almost entirely by children. Jun 3, 2026 29m
  14. 14 Szeged At Budapest’s historic Nyugati station, Michael Portillo explores its sumptuous royal waiting room, built specially for the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph I and his empress… Jun 4, 2026 28m
  15. 15 Eger to Hortobágy On the last leg of his journey, Michael Portillo arrives in the historic city of Eger. At its famous castle, he discovers how Ottoman invaders were defeated by an outnumbered Hung… Jun 5, 2026 29m
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