Great Continental Railway Journeys

1. S01E01London to Monte CarloNovember 8, 2012 9.0Armed with his 1913 guide, Michael Portillo follows the most popular Edwardian route through France, stopping at Paris and the Cote D'Azur a
2. S01E02Hungary to AustriaNovember 15, 2012 9.0With his 1913 guide, Michael Portillo explores the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, domain of the famed Habsburg monarchs, visiting Budapest,
3. S01E03Season's bestBerlin to the RheinNovember 22, 2012 9.5Armed with his 1913 guide, Michael Portillo travels from Berlin, through the picturesque Harz Mountains and on to Rheingau, renowned for its
4. S01E04SwitzerlandNovember 29, 2012 9.0Michael Portillo explores Switzerland, taking in Basel, Zurich and Lake Lucerne before making a spectacular ascent by train to Europe's high
5. S01E05Amsterdam to Northern FranceDecember 6, 2012 8.5Michael Portillo explores the Low Countries and Brussels en route to his final destination in France - where the 1918 Armistice was signed.

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

1. S02E01Madrid to GibraltarOctober 27, 2013 8.5Michael Portillo returns to his native Spain as he follows the railway lines travelled by the intrepid tourists of the Belle Epoque.
2. S02E02Turin to VeniceNovember 3, 2013 9.0Michael Portillo takes the train from Turin to Venice. Along the way, he recreates the Italian Job, follows fashion in Milan and visits Shak
3. S02E03Season's bestDresden to KielNovember 10, 2013 9.5Steered by his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo explores Germany and learns how tourists in the early 20th century would have been visit
4. S02E04Copenhagen to OsloNovember 17, 2013 9.0Michael Portillo explores Scandinavia, braving one of the world's oldest rollercoasters, sampling a smorgasbord and test driving a vintage V
5. S02E05Prague to MunichNovember 24, 2013 9.5Michael Portillo explores Bohemia and Bavaria, sampling the sulphurous waters of Marianske Lazne and riding a piece of German railway histor
6. S02E06Bordeaux to BilbaoDecember 1, 2013 8.5Michael Portillo samples the delights of the French and Spanish Atlantic coast and learns how Britain's 'railway king' Edward VII made the r

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

1. S03E01Season's bestTula to St PetersburgNovember 5, 2014 9.0Michael Portillo travels through Russia, visiting the onion domes and icons of Tula and Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, before exploring the city
2. S03E02Rome to TaorminaNovember 12, 2014 9.0Michael Portillo takes the train down the spine of Italy from Rome to Sicily, visiting Naples, the island of Capri and the ancient hilltop t
3. S03E03Warsaw to KrakowNovember 19, 2014 8.0Michael Portillo journeys deep into central Europe to explore a country where east meets west: Poland. His voyage takes him to Warsaw, Pozna
4. S03E04La Coruna to LisbonNovember 26, 2014 8.0Michael Portillo retraces journeys in Spain and Portugal from the 1913 guide. He meets pilgrims from around the world on the trail to Santia
5. S03E05Haifa to the NegevDecember 3, 2014 9.0Following his 1913 Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo ventures beyond Europe to the Holy Land, where he visits Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the
6. S03E06Lyon to MarseilleDecember 10, 2014 8.5Michael Portillo follows a route recommended in Bradshaw's guide, journeying from the heart of France to the Mediterranean coast.

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

1. S04E01Season's bestSofia to IstanbulOctober 16, 2015 9.5Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo travels east through the Balkans along the most exotic section of the Or
2. S04E02Vienna to TriesteOctober 23, 2015 9.0Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels the Habsburg imperial line from Vienna across the awe-inspiring Semmering Pass,
3. S04E03Pisa to Lake GardaOctober 30, 2015 9.0Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo makes a grand tour of a favourite Edwardian destination - Italy - where
4. S04E04Athens to ThessalonikiNovember 13, 2015 8.5Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a Greek odyssey from Athens's port of Piraeus north to the city o
5. S04E05The Black Forest to HannoverNovember 20, 2015 9.5Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures deep into the Black Forest on a quest to discover the essence of Ge
6. S04E06Barcelona to MallorcaNovember 27, 2015 8.5Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo returns to Spain to trace the early 20th-century roots of the Spanish Civil War, whic

Season 4 ranked & reviewed

1. S05E01Transylvania to the Black SeaSeptember 20, 2016 8.3With Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo ventures east through Romania. He encounters a bloodsucking vampire
2. S05E02Zermatt to GenevaSeptember 27, 2016 8.0Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. Along the way, he is caught up
3. S05E03Tangier to MarrakechOctober 4, 2016 7.7Michael Portillo leaves Europe behind to take in the sights, smells and tastes of north Africa as he travels from the Mediterranean port of
4. S05E04Genoa to the Brenner PassOctober 11, 2016 8.0Michael Portillo embarks on an action-packed adventure from the Italian Riviera to the Austrian Alps with his Bradshaw's 1913 Guidebook in h
5. S05E05Season's bestRiga to TampereOctober 18, 2016 9.3Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures to the northernmost reaches of Europe, where he braves t
6. S05E06Rotterdam to UtrechtOctober 25, 2016 7.7Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo heads for the Netherlands, where he roots around the world's larg

Season 5 ranked & reviewed

1. S06E01Kiev to OdessaMarch 8, 2018 8.5With his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo ventures east to a land which a century ago was part of the Rus
2. S06E02Batumi to BakuMarch 15, 2018 9.0Steered by his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels one of the most stunning rail routes of the world, through the forme

Season 6 ranked & reviewed

1. S07E01Salamanca to CanfrancJuly 29, 2020 8.5Michael Portillo sports a modern edition of his Bradshaw's Continental Handbook, dated 1936. His destination lies close to his heart: the an
2. S07E02Orleans to ReimsAugust 5, 2020 8.5Beginning in historic Orleans, Michael follows his Bradshaw's guide to the magnificent stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of Sainte-Croi
3. S07E03Berlin to StuttgartAugust 19, 2020 8.5Michael Portillo embarks on a rail journey through Germany. In a vast stadium, Michael hears how new rail lines were constructed to transpor
4. S07E04Palermo to Mt EtnaAugust 26, 2020 9.0In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the futurists and feasts on a Sicilian speciality - spaghetti and sardines.
5. S07E05Linz to BratislavaSeptember 2, 2020 9.0Michael travels through Austria and the Czech Republic, exploring a dark era in history. At Prague Central Station, Michael meets a woman wh
6. S07E06Season's bestStockholm to the Arctic CircleSeptember 10, 2020 9.7Michael makes a scenic journey from Stockholm to Abisko. Michael celebrates Midsummer in Marielund, learns to decorate a Dala horse in Mora

Season 7 ranked & reviewed

1. S08E01Pula to PazinMarch 10, 2025—Michael Portillo mounts a valiant defence against fierce latter-day Roman gladiators in Pula's amphitheatre as he begins a journey across th
2. S08E02Buzet to PagMarch 11, 2025—Ably assisted by Lila, an expert labrador, Michael Portillo hunts for truffles in the Istrian countryside near the hilltop town of Buzet.
3. S08E03Knin to SplitMarch 12, 2025—Michael Portillo's railway adventure reaches the Dalmatian coastal city of Zadar, once an important Venetian trading hub and still a centre
4. S08E04SarajevoMarch 13, 2025—In Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Michael Portillo traces the fateful last journey in 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and
5. S08E05Mostar to DubrovnikMarch 14, 2025—Michael Portillo enjoys a journey on the historic line from Sarajevo to Mostar, descending 600 metres through the Dinaric Alps, reflecting o
6. S08E06Bergen to FlåmMarch 17, 2025 8.0Michael Portillo embarks on a Scandinavian railway adventure from the Norwegian port of Bergen to the Danish capital of Copenhagen.
7. S08E07Myrdal to HeddalMarch 18, 2025 8.0Michael Portillo's rail journey continues on the Bergen Line, heading towards the Norwegian capital of Oslo, with its fine modernist archite
8. S08E08Larvik to HolstebroMarch 19, 2025 8.0Michael's saga resumes in Larvik on Norway's southern coast, where he investigates the city's prized natural resource, a distinctive blue ro
9. S08E09Season's bestAarhus to OdenseMarch 20, 2025 8.5Michael Portillo's Scandinavian rail adventure reaches Denmark's second city, Aarhus, an architectural playground with dazzling contemporary
10. S08E10Roskilde to CopenhagenMarch 21, 2025 8.0Michael Portillo concludes his epic rail journey across Norway and Denmark, crossing an 18-kilometre box girder bridge between the islands o
11. S08E11Maienfeld to the Rhine GorgeMarch 24, 2025—Michael Portillo is transported back in time to the tiny Alpine village home of Switzerland's most famous child, Heidi. He then heads to the
12. S08E12Sedrun to SchwyzMarch 25, 2025—Michael Portillo ventures into the bowels of an immense hydroelectric dam to learn how the Swiss use their mountainous environment to power
13. S08E13ZurichMarch 26, 2025—In Zurich, Michael has a brush with the absurd in the anarchic paintings of the Dadaists and visits the Grossmunster Church to learn about t
14. S08E14Rotkreuz to BrienzMarch 27, 2025—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 Hot
15. S08E15Zweisimmen to LausanneMarch 28, 2025—Aboard the Golden Pass Express, Michael Portillo wends his way in style down steep mountainsides from Interlaken to the Swiss Riviera. In La
16. S08E16Nantes to LorientMarch 31, 2025—Michael Portillo's rail travels take him to the north west corner of France, where he explores the beautiful regions of Brittany and Normand
17. S08E17Brest to St BrieucApril 1, 2025—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
18. S08E18Rennes to Mont Saint-MichelApril 2, 2025—Michael Portillo's railway adventure reaches Rennes, capital of Brittany. At the Lycee Emile Zola, he hears how the school was used as a mil
19. S08E19Bayeux to ArgentanApril 3, 2025—In Bayeux, Michael Portillo admires the Bayeux Tapestry, the 70-metre-long work of art commissioned to record William the Conqueror's conque
20. S08E20Lisieux to GivernyApril 4, 2025—In the apple orchards of the Calvados region, Michael Portillo discovers how the classic digestif has been distilled since 1865 at the Pierr

Season 8 ranked & reviewed

1. S09E01Cagliari to Porto FlaviaMay 18, 2026—Michael Portillo embarks on a stunning railway adventure through the western Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica, beginning in Sar
2. S09E02Mandas to LaconiMay 18, 2026—Michael Portillo's railway tour of Sardinia heads inland towards the island's dramatic mountain landscapes, which he discovers were frequent
3. S09E03Nuoro to MacomerMay 18, 2026—Michael Portillo continues his Sardinian railway adventure, arriving into Mamoiada to investigate the town's extraordinary pagan traditions.
4. S09E04Ajaccio to VizzavonaMay 18, 2026—Michael Portillo's railway journey through the islands of Sardinia and Corsica sees him leave Sardinia and arrive into Corsica, the most mou
5. S09E05Vivario to CorteMay 18, 2026—Michael boards one of Europe's most dramatic railways, which winds through Corsica's breathtaking mountainous landscapes.
6. S09E06St Pancras to BrusselsMay 25, 2026—Michael boards the Eurostar at London's St Pancras International, bound for the Belgian capital, Brussels.
7. S09E07Brussels to GhentMay 25, 2026—Michael Portillo's Belgian rail journey continues in the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders. He discovers Antwerp's historic diamond industry
8. S09E08Knokke-Heist to BrugesMay 25, 2026—Continuing his Belgian tour, Michael Portillo heads to the beach resort of Knokke-Heist and the world's longest coastal tram, which enjoys s
9. S09E09Brussels to La LouvièreMay 25, 2026—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 Con
10. S09E10Namur to FlorenvilleMay 25, 2026—On the final leg of his Belgian journey, Michael Portillo travels to Namur, capital of Wallonia, to discover a citadel dating back to the 10
11. S09E11Sopron to KeletiMay 26, 2026—Michael Portillo begins his Hungarian adventure in the far north west of the country in the town of Sopron.
12. S09E12BudapestMay 26, 2026—Exploring Hungary's capital city of Budapest by tram, Michael Portillo travels to the extraordinary open-air museum of Memento Park in the s
13. S09E13Huvösvölgy to KobanyaMay 26, 2026—Continuing his travels in Budapest, Michael Portillo begins in the small town of Huvösvölgy, where he encounters a surprising railway run al
14. S09E14SzegedMay 26, 2026—At Budapest's historic Nyugati station, Michael Portillo explores its sumptuous royal waiting room, built specially for the Austro-Hungarian
15. S09E15Eger to HortobágyMay 26, 2026—On the last leg of his journey, Michael Portillo arrives in the historic city of Eger. At its famous castle, he discovers how Ottoman invade

Season 9 ranked & reviewed