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Great Continental Railway Journeys

Michael Portillo travels across the European continent with his handy Bradshaw guide book. Looking at history and trying 21st century things that changed since before The Great War... Michael Portillo travels across the European continent with his handy Bradshaw guide book. Looking at history and trying 21st century things that changed since before The Great War... Michael Portillo travels across the European continent with his handy Bradshaw guide book. Looking at history and trying 21st century things that changed since before The Great War...

• Michael Portillo
• Paul Rafferty
• Kenneth Letts
• 4 User reviews

Episodes 37

• Self - Presenter
• Self - Artist
• Self - Rector, Holy Trinity Church, Nice
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• Trivia Michael Portillo travels across the European continent with his handy Bradshaw guide book.

[introduction to each episode]

Michael Portillo : I'm embarking on a new railway adventure that will take me across the heart of Europe. I'll be using this - my Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, dated 1913 - which opened up an exotic world of foreign travel for the British tourist. It told travellers where to go, what to see, and how to navigate the thousands of miles of tracks criss-crossing the Continent. Now, a century later, I'm using my copy to reveal an era of great optimism and energy, where technology, industry, science and the arts were flourishing. I want to rediscover that lost Europe that, in 1913, couldn't know that its way of life would shortly be swept aside by the advent of war.

• Connections Featured in Good Morning Britain: Episode dated 11 October 2016 (2016)

User reviews 4

• Mar 10, 2023
• How many seasons does Great Continental Railway Journeys have? Powered by Alexa
• November 8, 2012 (United Kingdom)
• United Kingdom
• Büyük Demiryolu Gezileri - Avrupa Kıtası
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 1 hour

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Great Continental Railway Journeys

Click here to find upcoming broadcasts of the series. A third series began on 5th November.

You too can follow in the footsteps of Michael Portillo. Ffestiniog Travel provides a comprehensive ticketing service for European rail journeys.

Episode descriptions below are taken directly from the BBC website. Journey details are approximations at the time of first broadcast.

Series 1 Episode 1 - London to Monte Carlo

Leaving London behind, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw railway guide , Michael Portillo follows the most popular route of the Edwardian traveller through France.

His first stop is Paris where he absorbs the atmosphere of La Belle Époque, before he travels south to the Cote D'Azur where he samples the Edwardian highlife and learns why the area attracted the rich and artistic alike. He then ends his journey as he arrives at the gaming tables in glamorous Monte Carlo.

Follow Michael

As in the BBC Documentary the journey starts in the grand St Pancras terminus in London. Eurostar then takes you via the UK's only high speed line to the Channel Tunnel and onto Paris. A change of train, and station, is required in Paris before boarding the French TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) which whisks you to Marseille. From there follow Michael along the coast to visit La Ciotat, Antibes and Nice using local trains before arriving in Monaco (Monte Carlo). Fares to recreate this journey start from £195.00 for a return ticket in second class. A Paris Visite Card would allow you to explore the Paris Metro and RER network before leaving for Marseille.

Series 1 Episode 2 - Hungary to Austria

This week, after looking around the historic Nyugati station Michael Portillo begins his journey from Keleti station in Budapest. Travel from Budapest to Bratislava, then take a catamaran along the Danube to Vienna. After exploring Vienna travel on the new high speed RailJet service, reaching speeds of up to 200km/h, to Salzburg. Fares start from £135.00 in second class, including a day trip to Bad Ischl but excluding the catamaran. The catamaran cruise can be booked direct with Twin City Liner online. You may wish to include City Travel Cards to explore the cities visied.

Series 1 Episode 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, he then heads west via the picturesque Harz Mountains to the industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was war ready. He then travels south along the tourist trail of the castle-studded Rhein river and ends his journey in the Rheingau to taste the wines of its age old vineyards.

Begin your journey by travelling from Berlin to Hannover, via Magdeburg. After exploring the city travel to Wernigerode, and allow a few days to explore the "Harzer Schmalspurbahen" (HSB) in the Harz Mountains. Then onwards to Wuppertal for a ride or two on the famous Schwebebahn suspension railway hanging from it's rails. End your journey in style by travelling along the banks of the Rhine, one of our favourite scenic routes , stop in Koblenz if you wish and then finally on to Erbach. Fares start from £210.00 for a single journey in second class including a three day ticket for the HSB and a Länderticket valid on the Wuppertal Schwebebahn.

Series 1 Episode 4 - Switzerland

He begins in the truly international city of Basel and travels east to visit industrial Zurich. He then heads for the glorious Alps and learns how astonishing engineering feats conquered the most challenging peaks, before taking in the striking beauty of Lake Lucerne. Michael's journey ends with a spectacular ascent by train to Europe's highest station, perched atop Switzerland's dramatic Jungfraujoch.

Basel is at the border of Switzerland, France and Germany. Begin your journey at Basel SBB, the Swiss station, and travel through Brugg and Baden before reaching Zürich HB. Then travel onwards to Chur. From Chur travel on the famous Glacier Express to Andermatt, change trains here for Goschenen and the amazing railway engineering that is the Gotthard route to Fluelen. A paddle steamer will take you across Lake Lucerne. The town of Lucerne makes a perfect base for visiting Meiringen, the Reichenbach falls and of course the Jungfrau Railway. The most cost effective way to recreate this journey is to purchase one of the range of Swiss Passes which give unlimited free rail travel on most railways in Switzerland and much more. They also give a 25% discount on the Jungfrau line from Grindelwald, discounted tickets can be purchased on board Swiss trains and currently cost CHF67.50. The Glacier Express requires a reservation costing just £10, and lunch can be prebooked at around £30.

Series 1 Episode 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 beforing tasting the delicacies of Brussels. He then travels to the French sector of the Western Front, where from 1914 the trains carried a new cargo of artillery shells, with the Edwardian tourists of 1913 replaced by soldiers facing the horrors of the trenches. He will end his epic journey in the forest of Compiegne to hear how, after four years of conflict, the Armistice was finally signed in a railway carriage

Start your journey by travelling from Amsterdam to The Hague, then on another local train to Rotterdam where you change to a high speed train to Brussels. After exploring Brussels travel via Lille to Mons, and onto Albert before arriving in Amiens. From there day trips to Froissey and Compiègne are possible. Fares from Amsterdam via The Haag, Brussels and Lille to Amiens, with day trips to Froissey and Compiègne start from around £130 per person. The journey from Amiens to Froissey and back is now by SNCF run coach, but you could be rewarded by a ride on the steam hauled "Le P'tit train de la Haute Somme" . Trains run most Saturdays from mid April to the end of September, and daily, except Mondays, in July and August.

Series 2 Episode 1 - Madrid to Gibraltar

After spending some time in Madrid start your journey by travelling from Madrid Atocha to Córdoba, this take about one hour 45 minutes on a high speed AVE train. Continue to Sevilla Santa Justa in just 45 minutes and from there to Jerez De La Frontera in a further one hour ten minutes. The journey from Jerez to Ronda is not as easy as Michael Portillo made it appear. Your journey will require changes of trains in Dos Hermanas and Bobadilla, with time for lunch in Bobadilla. The scenic journey onwards to Algeciras. A bus on route M-120 operated by Transportes Generales Comes SA connects Algeciras with La Línea. Passengers must cross the border to Gibraltar on foot (walking time about 5 minutes). Fares from Madrid via Córdoba, Seville, Jerez, and Ronda to Algeciras start from around £130 per person. You may wish to include City Travel Cards to explore Madrid and Seville.

Series 2 Episode 2 - Turin to Venice

Fares from Torino, with stops in Milan and Verona, would start from around £130 per person. You may wish to include City Travel Cards to explore Milan and Venice. We are not able to issue tickets for the Trenord to Como Lago, but as Michael demonstrated these can easily be purchased from newsagents before travelling.

Series 2 Episode 3 - Dresden to Kiel

Fares from Dresden to Kiel, with stops in Leipzig, Braunschwieg and Hamburg would start from around £80 per person. You may wish to include City Travel Cards to explore Hamburg, Leipzig or Kiel.

Series 2 Episode 4 - Copenhagen to Oslo

Fares from København to Oslo, with stops in Malmö, Lund, Göteborg and Trollhätten start from around £90 per person. This includes crossing the Øersund bridge.Book your trip on a Buda Velocipede in advance for 250SEK per vehicle.

Series 2 Episode 5 - Prague to Munich

Fares from Prague (Praha) to Munich (München) with stops in Plzeň, Furth-im-Wald and Nürnberg start from around £54 per person. You may prefer to use Ländertickets such as the Bayern Ticket or Bayern-Böhem Ticket to make these journeys.

Series 2 Episode 6 - Bordeaux to Bilbao

Fares from Bordeaux to San Sebastian with day trips from Bordeaux to Saint Emilion and Arachon, and a stop in Biaritz start from around £73 per person. We are not able to issue tickets for the EuskoTren from San Sebastian to Bilbao, tickets for this must be purchased locally in cash.

Series 3 Episode 1 - Tula to St Petersburg

Trains from Tula to Moscow take two to three hours, the train from Makhackala currently leaves Tula about 4pm, arriving at Moskva Kurskaya station at 7:45pm. There are alternatives through the day. Sapsan services also run throughout the day from Moscow to St Petersburg. The entire journey costs around £110 per person in 2nd class. The line to Tsarskoye Selo is now part of the St Petersburg suburban system and tickets would need to be purchased locally.

Series 3 Episode 2 - Rome to Taormina

There are frequent trains between Rome and Naples, costing from around £27 per person. Tickets for the Circumvesuivana Railway must be purchased locally. The ferry across to Capri can be booked on our website . The InterCity train from Naples to Taormina costs from just £18.50

Series 3 Episode 3- Warsaw to Krakow

There is a frequent local train service between Warsaw and Łodz, travelling onward to Poznan requires a further change at Kutno. Tickets for the Wolsztyn steam hauled trains must be purchased locally. Tickets from Warsaw to Poznan via Łodz and Kutno, and from Wrocław to Krakow would cost around £80. You may wish to consider using the One Country InterRail pass .

If you wish to find out more about European rail travel or would like to book a ticket please don't hesitate to contact us direct on 01766 515630 or email [email protected] . If you would prefer to book a holiday including all aspects of Michael's travels please have a look at the Ffestiniog Travel website for suggested package breaks.

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Great British Railway Journeys: Michael Portillo visits Wensleydale Railway in Yorkshire for 15th series

Michael Portillo visited the Wensleydale Railway for the 15th series of Great British Railway Journeys.

In the April 5 episode of the BBC documentary programme, the former politician and railway enthusiast heads to the Yorkshire Dales to enjoy a trip on the volunteer-run, preserved heritage line.

Portillo visited in June 2023 and rode a train from Leeming Bar to Leyburn, meeting costumed volunteers who offer living history tours of the stations on the route.

Scruton Station has been restored as an Edwardian country station and Leeming Bar recreates the Victorian period.

Wensleydale Railway community engagement officer Connor Lagus said: “We were delighted to welcome Michael Portillo and his team to our railway in June last year for a day of filming the Great British Railway Journeys series. Myself and volunteers from our Living History Interpreters team had a lovely time chatting to Michael about our heritage programme and the fantastic work that we do to bring local history to life.

In the same summer the railway’s Pacer trains were used for the filming of ITV crime drama Vera, which is set in Northumberland.

BBC Great Coastal Railway Journeys to explore hidden Exeter

Michael Portillo stopped in Exeter as he explores the UK via the country's railways

• 11:46, 4 APR 2024

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Exeter is set to take centre stage on the BBC's Great Coastal Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo next week. The presenter will take a deep dive into centuries of the city's history.

Michael will be heading underneath Exeter's High Street as he explores the city's Underground Passages. The 425-metre network of tunnels were originally constructed in the Mediaeval period to transport clean drinking water from natural springs into the heart of the city.

It's thought that Exeter's water network was built in this way in order to transport water underneath the city wall. The passages were also vaulted which made it easier to repair leaks and other faults without having to dig up the pipes.

This tunnels supplied the city with water until the mid 19th century when it was damaged by the construction of a new railway line. Since the 1930s, the Underground Passages have been a visitor attraction with guided tours.

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During his visit to Exeter , Michael also speaks with stonemasons at the Cathedral, who conserve the structure's intricate stonework. As the Cathedral was built and repaired over many centuries, multiple different types of stone have been used, much of which comes from parts of East Devon .

Michael then inspects the Exeter Book, which is one of the oldest surviving English poetry anthologies in the world. It was written more than 1,000 years ago by a single scribe and today is kept in the Cathedral Library.

After his whistle-stop tour around Exeter, Michael continues his journey along the South Devon coast, making his next stop in Plymouth .

The episode of Great Coastal Railway Journeys will air on BBC Two at 6:30pm on Tuesday, April 9.

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On the right track for an amazing journey; Eric Wise went from being desk-bound to Moscow-bound, after switching his radio career for a job guiding rail tours. Peter Elson climbs aboard to hear more.

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Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

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Home » Prices and Trans-Siberian Tickets » Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

Ticket prices for the Trans-Siberian Railway also depend on the current ruble exchange rate.

Is the Trans-Siberian Railway expensive?

Before starting on your Trans-Siberian Railway adventure you naturally want to know what the entire trip will cost. Although this sounds like a simple question, it is pretty difficult to answer. The Trans-Siberian Railway price of travel depends on the following factors:

• Which travel class do I want to use? The price for a first class ticket is about three times the price of a 3rd class ticket
• Am I willing to buy the tickets myself and assume responsibility for the organisation of the trip?
• How many stopovers do I want to make? The more breaks, the higher the total price.
• What sort of accommodation do I want? Will it be a luxury hotel or will a hostel dormitory be sufficient?
• What tours and excursions would I like to go on?
• What is the current exchange rate for rubles?

Basically, everything from a luxury to a budget holiday is available. If you buy yourself a 3rd Class nonstop ticket at the counter, a few hundred Euros will cover the price. All you will experience is a week on the Trans-Siberian train and will see nothing of the cities on the way. There is, however, any amount of room for upward expansion. Everyone makes different choices about which aspects they are willing to spend money on. I personally prefer to save money on accommodation and railcar class, visit as many cities and do as many trips as possible. To enable better classification of your travel expenses I have contrasted two typical traveler types. In the third column you can calculate the total cost of your own journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that these are only rough estimations and not exact prices.

The all-in costs seem fairly high at first. However, they cover everything and it is quite a long journey taking four weeks. Many people forget to consider that when looking at the list. We should also deduct the running costs for food and leisure at home. I think most visitors to this page will classify themselves somewhere between the two categories, that is around the € 2,000 – € 2,500 range. When comparing these prices with other travel packages, you get the impression that it is hardly worthwhile travelling individually on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that most packages last no more than 14 days and you are herded like cattle through the most beautiful locations.

If you spend less time on the Trans-Siberian Railway you will, of course, pay less. I chose this particular travel length because I prefer not to do things by halves. If you fulfill your dream of travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, enjoy it and don’t rush things. But it’s up to you, of course. Try playing around with the form a bit to find the appropriate price for your trip.

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