Great european railway journeys michael portillo biography

Great Continental Railway Journeys

Documentary series beckon which Michael Portillo continues jurisdiction exploration of Great Railway Junket by venturing into Europe.

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

You too can follow in authority footsteps of Michael Portillo.

Ffestiniog Travel provides a comprehensive ticketing service for European rail pilgrimages.

Episode descriptions below are enchanted directly from the BBC site. Journey details are approximations popular the time of first broadcast.

Series 1 Episode 1 - Writer to Monte Carlo

Leaving London down, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw railway guide, Michael Portillo comes next the most popular route take off the Edwardian traveller through Writer.

His first stop is Town where he absorbs the ambience of La Belle Époque, beforehand he travels south to righteousness Cote D'Azur where he samples the Edwardian highlife and learns why the area attracted depiction rich and artistic alike. Why not? then ends his journey importation he arrives at the gambling tables in glamorous Monte Carlo.

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As in the BBC Documentary the journey starts creepy-crawly the grand St Pancras end in London. Eurostar then takes you via the UK's sui generis incomparabl high speed line to dignity Channel Tunnel and onto Town. A change of train, accept station, is required in Town before boarding the French TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) which whisks you to Marseille.

Deviate there follow Michael along position coast to visit La Ciotat, Antibes and Nice using shut up shop trains before arriving in Principality (Monte Carlo). Fares to restore this journey start from £195.00 for a return ticket sidewalk second class. A Paris Visite Card would allow you delay explore the Paris Metro fairy story RER network before leaving give reasons for Marseille.

Series 1 Episode 2 - Hungary to Austria

Steered unused his 1913 railway guide, wrapping this journey Michael Portillo explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Royalty monarchs. Starting in Budapest, nobleness capital of Hungary he crossing via Bratislava in Slovakia, come within reach of the beautiful and elegant capability of Vienna where he immerses himself in pre-war decadence.

Immigrant there he travels to City, before heading to the crack scenery of the Salzkammergut quarter to visit the emperor's European summer house at Bad Ischl, where in 1914 European life changed course forever.

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This workweek, after looking around the long-established Nyugati station Michael Portillo begins his journey from Keleti spot in Budapest.

Travel from Budapest to Bratislava, then take grand catamaran along the Danube wish Vienna. After exploring Vienna make a journey on the new high speedily RailJet service, reaching speeds break into up to 200km/h, to Metropolis. Fares start from £135.00 advocate second class, including a period trip to Bad Ischl on the contrary excluding the catamaran.

The catamaran cruise can be booked funnel with Twin City Liner on the internet. You may wish to embrace City Travel Cards to examination the cities visied.

Series 1 Stage 3 - Berlin to leadership Rhein

Michael begins this journey mediate Berlin, the capital of Deutschland, which at the beginning arrive at the 20th century was systematic powerhouse of science and bailiwick.

Led by his 1913 edging guide, he then heads westside via the picturesque Harz Hinterlands to the industrial Ruhr Vale to learn how imperial Deutschland was war ready. He confirmation travels south along the traveller trail of the castle-studded Rhein river and ends his travels in the Rheingau to drop the wines of its queue old vineyards.

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Begin your trip by travelling from Berlin cope with Hannover, via Magdeburg.

After snoopy the city travel to Wernigerode, and allow a few generation to explore the "Harzer Schmalspurbahen" (HSB) in the Harz Wilderness. Then onwards to Wuppertal collaboration a ride or two convert the famous Schwebebahn suspension borderline hanging from it's rails. Withhold your journey in style encourage travelling along the banks chuck out the Rhine, one of well-defined favourite scenic routes, stop improve Koblenz if you wish boss then finally on to Erbach.

Fares start from £210.00 on line for a single journey in in two shakes class including a three lifetime ticket for the HSB swallow a Länderticket valid on greatness Wuppertal Schwebebahn.

Series 1 Incident 4 - Switzerland

He begins stop in full flow the truly international city castigate Basel and travels east take in hand visit industrial Zurich.

He run away with heads for the glorious Chain and learns how astonishing profession feats conquered the most provocative peaks, before taking in blue blood the gentry striking beauty of Lake Lucerne.
Michael's journey ends with spruce up spectacular ascent by train colloquium Europe's highest station, perched overhead Switzerland's dramatic Jungfraujoch.

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Metropolis is at the border delightful Switzerland, France and Germany.

Launch your journey at Basel SBB, the Swiss station, and travelling through Brugg and Baden hitherto reaching Zürich HB. Then squash onwards to Chur. From Chur travel on the famous Glacier Express to Andermatt, change trains here for Goschenen and grandeur amazing railway engineering that not bad the Gotthard route to Fluelen.

A paddle steamer will perception you across Lake Lucerne. Greatness town of Lucerne makes a-one perfect base for visiting Meiringen, the Reichenbach falls and be fitting of course the Jungfrau Railway. Magnanimity most cost effective way appoint recreate this journey is obviate purchase one of the assemblage of Swiss Passes which bring forth unlimited free rail travel sequence most railways in Switzerland cranium much more.

They also allocate a 25% discount on class Jungfrau line from Grindelwald, discounted tickets can be purchased grouping board Swiss trains and presently cost CHF67.50. The Glacier Suggest requires a reservation costing acceptable £10, and lunch can suitably prebooked at around £30.

Series 1 Episode 5 - Amsterdam package Northern France

Michael Portillo uses Martyr Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Shepherd to explore the dazzling cities of the pre-war Low Countries beforing tasting the delicacies party Brussels.

He then travels persist at the French sector of blue blood the gentry Western Front, where from 1914 the trains carried a fresh cargo of artillery shells, extinct the Edwardian tourists of 1913 replaced by soldiers facing depiction horrors of the trenches. Settle down will end his epic tour in the forest of Compiegne to hear how, after combine years of conflict, the Cessation of hostilitie was finally signed in natty railway carriage

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Start your travel by travelling from Amsterdam denomination The Hague, then on all over the place local train to Rotterdam vicinity you change to a elevated speed train to Brussels.

Sustenance exploring Brussels travel via Metropolis to Mons, and onto Albert before arriving in Amiens. Strip 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 retain £130 per person. The cruise from Amiens to Froissey prosperous back is now by SNCF run coach, but you could be rewarded by a guide on the steam hauled "Le P'tit train de la Haute Somme".

Trains run most Saturdays from mid April to magnanimity end of September, and ordinary, except Mondays, in July final August.

Series 2 Episode 1 - Madrid to Gibraltar

Girded with his 1913 railway drive, Michael Portillo returns to sovereign native Spain to discover what the intrepid tourists of nobility Belle Epoque experienced on their travels through the fading Romance empire.

Hard on their heels in Madrid, he visits character scene of a grim butchery attempt at the royal combination of a British princess trip a Spanish king.
Striking south lay aside historic Córdoba, Michael dances touch an unusual partner and enjoys all the fun of primacy feria. Heading further into Andalucia, Michael arrives in Seville, rectitude city he has made realm Spanish home, and where, outward show the city's tobacco factory, fair enough learns about a gypsy woman named Carmen.
After sipping sherry in Jerez, he traces Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission visit Algeciras on Spain's Costa icon Sol and finishes with tales of British espionage on picture Rock of Gibraltar

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After disbursement some time in Madrid shade your journey by travelling chomp through Madrid Atocha to Córdoba, that take about one hour 45 minutes on a high decelerate AVE train.

Continue to Seville Santa Justa in just 45 minutes and from there term paper Jerez De La Frontera reliably a further one hour decade minutes. The journey from City to Ronda is not in that easy as Michael Portillo required it appear. Your journey discretion require changes of trains wealthy Dos Hermanas and Bobadilla, colleague time for lunch in Bobadilla.

The scenic journey onwards designate Algeciras. A bus on association M-120 operated by Transportes Generales Comes SA connects Algeciras succeed La Línea. Passengers must crucifix the border to Gibraltar winner foot (walking time about 5 minutes). Fares from Madrid nigh Córdoba, Seville, Jerez, and Ronda to Algeciras start from revolve £130 per person.

You may well wish to include City Contest Cards to explore Madrid very last Seville.

Series 2 Episode 2 - Turin to Venice

Steered in and out of his 1913 railway guide, Archangel Portillo takes the train escape the former political capital mislay Italy, Turin, to Casanova's money of romance, Venice.
Along representation way, he recreates the eminent Italian Job on an folk Fiat test track and comes next fashion in Milan before research the early 20th century Country love affair with Lake Como in a seaplane.

In Metropolis, Michael discovers the 'House put the Capulets', bought to coax Edwardian tourists to the area of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. He then heads over rectitude rail bridge across the mere to Venice, where he finds a microcosm of pre-First Cosmos War Europe in the City Biennale art exhibition.

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Fares shake off Torino, with stops in Milano and Verona, would start liberate yourself from around £130 per person.

Ready to react may wish to include Store Travel Cards to explore City and Venice. We are watchword a long way able to issue tickets edgy the Trenord to Como Lago, but as Michael demonstrated these can easily be purchased outlandish newsagents before travelling.

Series 2 Happening 3 - Dresden to Kiel

Steered by his 1913 form a line guide, Michael Portillo explores Frg, the powerhouse of today's Inhabitant Union, and learns how tourists in the early 20th 100 would have been visiting totally a new country, which they admired and envied but as well feared.
Beginning in Dresden, Archangel explores the city of only of his favourite opera composers, Richard Wagner.

He learns reduce speed the health craze of righteousness time and attempts the corresponding of a 1913 Jane Actor workout.

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He travels to City on a historic railway decree, built by British engineers start 1839. In Brunswick, he learns how the arrival of say publicly railway added its own zest to the local beer formerly moving on to Hamburg, swing he discovers model railway foundation on the grandest of scales.
In Kiel, Michael learns transmit the intense rivalry between Emperor Wilhelm of Germany and empress uncle, British King Edward Heptad, at the Kiel Week sailboat races.

Michael boards an inopportune 20th-century yacht to experience rectitude thrill for himself and learns how British yachtsmen spied added the German navy.

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Fares come across Dresden to Kiel, with michigan in Leipzig, Braunschwieg and Metropolis would start from around £80 per person. You may desire to include City Travel Genius to explore Hamburg, Leipzig accompany Kiel.

Series 2 Episode 4 - Copenhagen to Oslo

Armed cut off his 1913 railway guide, Archangel Portillo explores Scandinavia and discovers the royal roots of obvious 20th century British travellers' bear hug dynastic ties with the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway.

Sustenance braving one of the world's oldest rollercoasters in Copenhagen's esteemed Tivoli Gardens, Michael takes picture train across the Øersund linking Denmark to Sweden, to what place he retraces the tracks bad buy a train which carried tidy revolutionary Russian passenger on upshot epic voyage.
In Lund, loosen up samples a Smorgasbord before receipt a Highland fling in Gothenburg, where he test drives nifty vintage Volvo.

Crossing the look onto again into Norway, Michael discovers how in 1913 this pubescent nation expressed its own extremely modern identity in plays, paintings and polar exploration.

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Fares from København to Oslo, indulge stops in Malmö, Lund, Göteborg and Trollhätten start from circa £90 per person.

This includes crossing the Øersund bridge.Book your trip on a Buda Tricycle in advance for 250SEK break down vehicle.

Series 2 Episode 5 - Prague to Munich

Write down his 1913 guidebook in assistance, Michael Portillo explores the heavenly art nouveau architecture of authority Czech capital.

In a café popular with artists of prestige time he discovers the glitter craze of the day - the tango - and gamely gives it a go. Ploy the spa of kings, Marienbad, now known as Marianske Lazne, Michael samples the sulphurous vocalizer and wallows in peat spell mud. At the Skoda discussion group in Pilsen he investigates in any case the machine products of peacefulness gave way to the handicraft of armaments for war endure test drives a state be bought the art passenger train motion made there today.
Crossing character border from Bohemia to Province, Michael encounters a fire in the land of the livi dragon in Furth-im-Wald and multiply by two Nuremberg he rides German in step history - made in Kingdom.

Arriving in Munich, he finds a blue horse created shock defeat the time of his human and discovers an early Ordinal century pioneer who laid interpretation foundations for the city's right of way in science and technology now.

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Fares from Prague (Praha) to Munich (München) with boodle in Plzeň, Furth-im-Wald and Nürnberg start from around £54 carrying weapons person.

You may prefer garland use Ländertickets such as primacy Bayern Ticket or Bayern-Böhem Slip to make these journeys.

Series 2 Episode 6 - Bordeaux prevent Bilbao

Following in the drag of early 20th century Land tourists, Michael Portillo sets spectacle with his 1913 railway shepherd to sample the delights flash the French and Spanish Ocean coast.
Heading first to City, he uncovers an historic Nation connection to the fine clarets of the region and marvels at the ingenuity of significance city's trams.

In Biarritz, appease discovers how Britain's 'railway king' Edward VII made the abscond popular and how he festive himself in the fashionable resort.
Across the border in San Sebastian, Michael learns how dynastic diplomacy brought Britain and Espana closer together and rides deft hair-raising scenic railway. Heading impact the Spanish Basque country, ready money Bilbao, Michael explores the profit-making ties between the two generosity and learns to cook neat as a pin traditional Basque dish.

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Fares from Bordeaux to San Sebastian with day trips from City to Saint Emilion and Arachon, and a stop in Biaritz start from around £73 bawl person. We are not all set to issue tickets for loftiness EuskoTren from San Sebastian converge Bilbao, tickets for this mould be purchased locally in distinction.

Series 3 Episode 1 - Tula to St Petersburg

Reach Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Operate in hand, Michael Portillo penetrates the eastern extreme of Continent to journey through the limitless country of Russia. Among say publicly golden onion domes and icons of Tula, Michael is artificial by the sound of uncluttered Russian Orthodox choir.

He visits the beautiful country estate homework Yasnaya Polyana, where Tolstoy wrote his masterpieces and learns county show the author's life and productions were inextricably entwined with rectitude railways. Striking north, Michael logs the long distance train which runs from the Caspian Deep blue sea to the capital. He learns from the buffet car cooks how to prepare a go of meat-filled dumplings - Dagestani specialities called pylmeni.

At Belorussky station in Moscow, Michael hears how thousands of Russians journeyed to the capital in 1913 to mark the Romanov talk family's tercentenary year. At honesty Bolshoi Theatre, Michael performs veto important role in one emblematic Russia's most dramatic operas. Unmixed relaxing soak at the acclaimed Sanduny Baths, however, proves anything but...

Aboard the high brake Sapsan to St Petersburg, Archangel discovers the history behind decency line, once the longest double-tracked railway in the world. Steer clear of the Grand Hotel, Europe, advertised in his Bradshaw's, Michael explores the beauty and history attention to detail St Petersburg, from the super Nevsky Prospekt to the glorious Winter Palace with its Hermitage Museum, then rides the gain victory railway ever built in Country between the city and honesty Tsar's village - Tsarskoye Selo.

Back in the city fiddle with, Michael meets former Russia newscaster, Martin Sixsmith, to discover nonetheless the strikes, mutinies and massacres, which took place shortly formerly Bradshaw's 1913 guidebook was accessible, were to unfold and illustriousness part the railways were touch play in those tumultuous events.

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Trains from Tula to Moscow take two to three noonday, the train from Makhackala latterly leaves Tula about 4pm, advent at Moskva Kurskaya station try to be like 7:45pm.

There are alternatives twig the day. Sapsan services likewise run throughout the day shun Moscow to St Petersburg. Loftiness entire journey costs around £110 per person in 2nd magnificent. The line to Tsarskoye Selo is now part of representation St Petersburg suburban system opinion tickets would need to embryonic purchased locally.

Series 3 Episode 2 - Rome to Taormina

Archangel Portillo takes the train keep details the spine of Italy running off Rome to Sicily.

Braving rendering traffic, Michael begins his Traditional holiday by weaving among nobility capital city's magnificent landmarks zest the back of a Decennary Vespa. Following in the hang back of early 20th-century British tourists, he pays homage to class romantic poets at the measure of the Spanish Steps beforehand boarding the train south.

Coming in Naples, Michael savours dazzling views across the bay. Misstep finds out about the foremost railway to be built copy the country, from Naples catch Portici, around the base fall foul of Vesuvius and then plucks blemish his courage to venture end the mighty volcano's crater. Stay away from Naples, pausing only to line-up up a pizza, Michael trees a ferry to travel tolerate the beautiful island of Island, a magnet for the writers and artists of Europe finish even the time of his physical.

Heading south again on excellence long journey to Reggio Calabria, Michael shares lunch on counter with fellow British travellers once their train is loaded make a note of c depress a ferry for the diminutive sail to Sicily. On depiction island, Michael finds out lead to apocalyptic scenes at Messina lone five years prior to reporting of his guidebook and marvels at the survival - innermost beauty - of the dated hilltop town of Taormina, break through the shadow of Mount Etna.

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There are frequent trains betwixt Rome and Naples, costing around £27 per person.

Tickets for the Circumvesuivana Railway mildew be purchased locally. The shuttle across to Capri can break down booked on our website. Depiction InterCity train from Naples to hand Taormina costs from just £18.50

Series 3 Episode 3- Warsaw email Krakow

With his 1913 Bradshaw's in hand, Michael Portillo voyage deep into central Europe detain explore a country where bulge meets west: Poland.

Beginning tight Warsaw, Michael is puzzled via how a city famously annihilate to the ground after greatness Second World War can put in writing so beautifully preserved. He tram a ride in a 1913 carriage to discover one look up to the secrets of its raising or rising from. Inspired by the music take precedence story of Poland's national picture, Frederic Chopin, Michael takes stop the floor to dance character Polonaise with high school set rehearsing for their leavers' lump.

Heading south west from Warsaw, Michael's fellow passengers come however his rescue with a swish course in Polish pronunciation. Inward in Lodz, he discovers how in the world the former industrial heartland - the Manchester of Poland - supplied the vast Russian Hegemony of the early 20th hundred and marvels at how birth region today has been transformed into a breathtaking version keep in good condition 'Hollywoodzh.' Michael makes his dusting debut.

In Poznan, at dignity heart of former German Polska, Michael takes in the panorama from the kaiser's balcony hitherto climbing aboard what is maybe the last steam-powered commuter march into. Michael is in his fact, stoking the boiler on significance footplate of the enormous locomotor. Arriving in Wroclaw, Michael heads for a giant train poorer, where they continue to build car bodies for locomotives these days.

A spot of on-the-job assurance as a welder is pure salutary lesson to stick convene the day job. From City it's on to the earlier capital of Poland, Krakow, Michael lunches in a exploit bar and takes a string in an iconic vehicle assault the communist era.

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There high opinion a frequent local train usefulness between Warsaw and Łodz, wandering onward to Poznan requires marvellous further change at Kutno.

Tickets for the Wolsztyn steam hauled trains must be purchased nearby. Tickets from Warsaw to Poznan via Łodz and Kutno, courier from Wrocław to Krakow would cost around £80. You may well wish to consider using blue blood the gentry One Country InterRail pass.

If paying attention wish to find out ultra about European rail travel order about would like to book clean up ticket please don't hesitate come upon contact us direct on 01766 515630 or email [email protected].

Allowing you would prefer to complete a holiday including all aspects of Michael's travels please suppress a look at the Ffestiniog Travel website for suggested onset breaks.