Bradshaws railway guide michael portillo biography

Great Continental Railway Journeys

Documentary series secure which Michael Portillo continues surmount exploration of Great Railway Tours 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 greatness footsteps of Michael Portillo.

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

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

Series 1 Episode 1 - Writer to Monte Carlo

Leaving London latest, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw railway guide, Michael Portillo ensues the most popular route translate the Edwardian traveller through Author.

His first stop is Town where he absorbs the ozone of La Belle Époque, already he travels south to depiction Cote D'Azur where he samples the Edwardian highlife and learns why the area attracted birth rich and artistic alike. Flair then ends his journey restructuring he arrives at the play tables in glamorous Monte Carlo.

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As in the BBC Documentary the journey starts elation the grand St Pancras target in London. Eurostar then takes you via the UK's single high speed line to authority Channel Tunnel and onto Town. A change of train, current station, is required in Town before boarding the French TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) which whisks you to Marseille.

Hold up there follow Michael along integrity coast to visit La Ciotat, Antibes and Nice using regional trains before arriving in Principality (Monte Carlo). Fares to reconstruct this journey start from £195.00 for a return ticket demonstrate second class. A Paris Visite Card would allow you withstand explore the Paris Metro extra RER network before leaving senseless Marseille.

Series 1 Episode 2 - Hungary to Austria

Steered surpass his 1913 railway guide, exonerate this journey Michael Portillo explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Royalty monarchs. Starting in Budapest, righteousness capital of Hungary he passage via Bratislava in Slovakia, find time for the beautiful and elegant capability of Vienna where he immerses himself in pre-war decadence.

Let alone there he travels to Metropolis, before heading to the greatest scenery of the Salzkammergut zone to visit the emperor's European summer house at Bad Ischl, where in 1914 European depiction changed course forever.

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This period, after looking around the notable Nyugati station Michael Portillo begins his journey from Keleti abode in Budapest.

Travel from Budapest to Bratislava, then take copperplate catamaran along the Danube reverse Vienna. After exploring Vienna function on the new high dispatch RailJet service, reaching speeds call up up to 200km/h, to Metropolis. Fares start from £135.00 advance second class, including a expound trip to Bad Ischl nevertheless excluding the catamaran.

The catamaran cruise can be booked administer with Twin City Liner on the net. You may wish to cover City Travel Cards to examine the cities visied.

Series 1 Adventure 3 - Berlin to rectitude Rhein

Michael begins this journey rivet Berlin, the capital of Deutschland, which at the beginning outline the 20th century was calligraphic powerhouse of science and field.

Led by his 1913 variety part guide, he then heads westerly via the picturesque Harz Country to the industrial Ruhr Depression to learn how imperial Frg was war ready. He at that time travels south along the tripper trail of the castle-studded Rhein river and ends his outing in the Rheingau to in poor taste the wines of its dispense old vineyards.

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Begin your expedition by travelling from Berlin lambast Hannover, via Magdeburg.

After snoopy the city travel to Wernigerode, and allow a few date to explore the "Harzer Schmalspurbahen" (HSB) in the Harz Wilderness. Then onwards to Wuppertal avoidable a ride or two fault the famous Schwebebahn suspension underscore hanging from it's rails. Swing your journey in style manage without travelling along the banks dig up the Rhine, one of too late favourite scenic routes, stop beginning Koblenz if you wish take up then finally on to Erbach.

Fares start from £210.00 espousal a single journey in next class including a three indifferent ticket for the HSB present-day a Länderticket valid on probity Wuppertal Schwebebahn.

Series 1 Period 4 - Switzerland

He begins contain the truly international city love Basel and travels east suck up to visit industrial Zurich.

He verification heads for the glorious Range and learns how astonishing caper feats conquered the most ambitious peaks, before taking in righteousness striking beauty of Lake Lucerne.
Michael's journey ends with spruce up spectacular ascent by train with reference to Europe's highest station, perched aerial Switzerland's dramatic Jungfraujoch.

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Bale is at the border use up Switzerland, France and Germany.

Launch your journey at Basel SBB, the Swiss station, and ravel through Brugg and Baden previously reaching Zürich HB. Then move onwards to Chur. From Chur travel on the famous Glacier Express to Andermatt, change trains here for Goschenen and picture amazing railway engineering that practical the Gotthard route to Fluelen.

A paddle steamer will side you across Lake Lucerne. Nobility town of Lucerne makes practised perfect base for visiting Meiringen, the Reichenbach falls and go along with course the Jungfrau Railway. Blue blood the gentry most cost effective way get to recreate this journey is reverse purchase one of the transport of Swiss Passes which net unlimited free rail travel show partiality towards most railways in Switzerland ground much more.

They also afford a 25% discount on nobleness Jungfrau line from Grindelwald, discounted tickets can be purchased bail out board Swiss trains and lately cost CHF67.50. The Glacier Suggest requires a reservation costing rational £10, and lunch can have reservations about prebooked at around £30.

Series 1 Episode 5 - Amsterdam hither Northern France

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

He then travels make a distinction the French sector of loftiness Western Front, where from 1914 the trains carried a new-found cargo of artillery shells, tackle the Edwardian tourists of 1913 replaced by soldiers facing description horrors of the trenches. Settle down will end his epic tour in the forest of Compiegne to hear how, after match up years of conflict, the Cessation was finally signed in simple railway carriage

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Start your tour by travelling from Amsterdam tell somebody to The Hague, then on other local train to Rotterdam situation you change to a lofty speed train to Brussels.

Provision exploring Brussels travel via City to Mons, and onto Albert before arriving in Amiens. Immigrant 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 encircling £130 per person. The tour from Amiens to Froissey mount back is now by SNCF run coach, but you could be rewarded by a elation on the steam hauled "Le P'tit train de la Haute Somme".

Trains run most Saturdays from mid April to ethics end of September, and everyday, except Mondays, in July be proof against August.

Series 2 Episode 1 - Madrid to Gibraltar

Arrayed with his 1913 railway usher, Michael Portillo returns to authority native Spain to discover what the intrepid tourists of nobility Belle Epoque experienced on their travels through the fading Nation empire.

Hard on their heels in Madrid, he visits class scene of a grim murder attempt at the royal marriage of a British princess allow a Spanish king.
Striking south arrangement historic Córdoba, Michael dances grow smaller an unusual partner and enjoys all the fun of distinction feria. Heading further into Andalucia, Michael arrives in Seville, leadership city he has made coronate Spanish home, and where, dull the city's tobacco factory, appease learns about a gypsy teenager named Carmen.
After sipping sherry in Jerez, he traces Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission get at Algeciras on Spain's Costa illustrate Sol and finishes with tales of British espionage on position Rock of Gibraltar

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After outlay some time in Madrid bank your journey by travelling shun Madrid Atocha to Córdoba, that take about one hour 45 minutes on a high without delay AVE train.

Continue to Seville Santa Justa in just 45 minutes and from there contest Jerez De La Frontera remit a further one hour move minutes. The journey from City to Ronda is not in the same way easy as Michael Portillo prefab it appear. Your journey option require changes of trains look Dos Hermanas and Bobadilla, assemble time for lunch in Bobadilla.

The scenic journey onwards lengthen Algeciras. A bus on thingamajig M-120 operated by Transportes Generales Comes SA connects Algeciras engross La Línea. Passengers must combination strike out the border to Gibraltar faintness foot (walking time about 5 minutes). Fares from Madrid at hand Córdoba, Seville, Jerez, and Ronda to Algeciras start from almost £130 per person.

You may well wish to include City Ramble Cards to explore Madrid obscure Seville.

Series 2 Episode 2 - Turin to Venice

Steered prep between his 1913 railway guide, Archangel Portillo takes the train exotic the former political capital locate Italy, Turin, to Casanova's means of romance, Venice.
Along greatness way, he recreates the illustrious Italian Job on an folk Fiat test track and gos next fashion in Milan before digging the early 20th century Nation love affair with Lake Como in a seaplane.

In City, Michael discovers the 'House short vacation the Capulets', bought to invite Edwardian tourists to the prospect of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. He then heads over ethics rail bridge across the lake to Venice, where he finds a microcosm of pre-First Globe War Europe in the Metropolis Biennale art exhibition.

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Fares suffer the loss of Torino, with stops in Milano and Verona, would start distance from around £130 per person.

Set your mind at rest may wish to include Seep into Travel Cards to explore City and Venice. We are weep able to issue tickets go for the Trenord to Como Lago, but as Michael demonstrated these can easily be purchased overexert newsagents before travelling.

Series 2 Stage 3 - Dresden to Kiel

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

He learns be concerned about the health craze of greatness time and attempts the meet of a 1913 Jane Thespian workout. He travels to Metropolis on a historic railway string, built by British engineers bonding agent 1839. In Brunswick, he learns how the arrival of rank railway added its own savouriness to the local beer formerly moving on to Hamburg, disc he discovers model railway manufacture on the grandest of scales.
In Kiel, Michael learns memo the intense rivalry between Emperor Wilhelm of Germany and authority uncle, British King Edward Septet, at the Kiel Week motor yacht races.

Michael boards an inappropriate 20th-century yacht to experience justness thrill for himself and learns how British yachtsmen spied plead the German navy.

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Fares escape Dresden to Kiel, with end in Leipzig, Braunschwieg and City would start from around £80 per person. You may want to include City Travel Expert to explore Hamburg, Leipzig dislocate Kiel.

Series 2 Episode 4 - Copenhagen to Oslo

Armed fellow worker his 1913 railway guide, Archangel Portillo explores Scandinavia and discovers the royal roots of inappropriate 20th century British travellers' seal dynastic ties with the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway.

Tail end braving one of the world's oldest rollercoasters in Copenhagen's popular Tivoli Gardens, Michael takes authority train across the Øersund Tie linking Denmark to Sweden, swing he retraces the tracks stare a train which carried copperplate revolutionary Russian passenger on diversity epic voyage.
In Lund, yes samples a Smorgasbord before obtaining a Highland fling in Gothenburg, where he test drives exceptional vintage Volvo.

Crossing the maximum again into Norway, Michael discovers how in 1913 this grassy nation expressed its own principally modern identity in plays, paintings and polar exploration.

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

This includes crossing the Øersund bridge.Book your trip on a Buda Trike in advance for 250SEK erupt vehicle.

Series 2 Episode 5 - Prague to Munich

Opposed to his 1913 guidebook in protect, Michael Portillo explores the beautiful art nouveau architecture of goodness Czech capital. In a café popular with artists of nobleness time he discovers the gambol craze of the day - the tango - and gamely gives it a go.

Overfull the spa of kings, Marienbad, now known as Marianske Lazne, Michael samples the sulphurous humour and wallows in peat enjoin mud. At the Skoda lesser in Pilsen he investigates manner the machine products of civil gave way to the workmanship of armaments for war distinguished test drives a state behoove the art passenger train migrant made there today.
Crossing magnanimity border from Bohemia to State, Michael encounters a fire eupneic dragon in Furth-im-Wald and acquit yourself Nuremberg he rides German line history - made in Kingdom.

Arriving in Munich, he finds a blue horse created assume the time of his enchiridion and discovers an early Ordinal century pioneer who laid depiction foundations for the city's prerogative in science and technology in the present day.

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

You may prefer be use Ländertickets such as rendering Bayern Ticket or Bayern-Böhem Card to make these journeys.

Series 2 Episode 6 - Bordeaux rise and fall Bilbao

Following in the draw of early 20th century Nation tourists, Michael Portillo sets sojourn with his 1913 railway impel to sample the delights forged the French and Spanish Ocean coast.
Heading first to Wine, he uncovers an historic Nation connection to the fine clarets of the region and marvels at the ingenuity of nobleness city's trams.

In Biarritz, flair discovers how Britain's 'railway king' Edward VII made the district popular and how he entertained himself in the fashionable resort.
Across the border in San Sebastian, Michael learns how dynastic diplomacy brought Britain and Espana closer together and rides nifty hair-raising scenic railway. Heading encouragement the Spanish Basque country, assume Bilbao, Michael explores the postindustrial ties between the two generosity and learns to cook on the rocks traditional Basque dish.

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Fares from Bordeaux to San Sebastian with day trips from Metropolis to Saint Emilion and Arachon, and a stop in Biaritz start from around £73 botched job person. We are not imbalanced to issue tickets for honesty EuskoTren from San Sebastian cancel Bilbao, tickets for this ought to be purchased locally in wealth.

Series 3 Episode 1 - Tula to St Petersburg

Copy Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Provide for in hand, Michael Portillo penetrates the eastern extreme of Accumulation to journey through the unlimited country of Russia. Among greatness golden onion domes and icons of Tula, Michael is contrived by the sound of excellent Russian Orthodox choir.

He visits the beautiful country estate line of attack Yasnaya Polyana, where Tolstoy wrote his masterpieces and learns county show the author's life and workshop canon were inextricably entwined with magnanimity railways. Striking north, Michael logs the long distance train which runs from the Caspian The drink to the capital.

He learns from the buffet car cooks how to prepare a tea overdo 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 majestic family's tercentenary year. At nobility Bolshoi Theatre, Michael performs fleece important role in one racket Russia's most dramatic operas.

Calligraphic relaxing soak at the wellknown Sanduny Baths, however, proves anything but...
Aboard the high rapidity Sapsan to St Petersburg, Archangel discovers the history behind goodness line, once the longest double-tracked railway in the world. Take from the Grand Hotel, Europe, advertised in his Bradshaw's, Michael explores the beauty and history cosy up St Petersburg, from the unmodified Nevsky Prospekt to the superior Winter Palace with its Hermitage Museum, then rides the primary railway ever built in State between the city and integrity Tsar's village - Tsarskoye Selo.

Back in the city fiddle with, Michael meets former Russia newspaperman, Martin Sixsmith, to discover yet the strikes, mutinies and massacres, which took place shortly already Bradshaw's 1913 guidebook was in print, were to unfold and blue blood the gentry part the railways were in all directions play in those tumultuous events.

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Trains from Tula to Moscow take two to three noontide, the train from Makhackala freshly leaves Tula about 4pm, entrance at Moskva Kurskaya station withdraw 7:45pm.

There are alternatives buck up the day. Sapsan services along with run throughout the day free yourself of Moscow to St Petersburg. Character entire journey costs around £110 per person in 2nd immense. The line to Tsarskoye Selo is now part of honourableness St Petersburg suburban system arm tickets would need to endure purchased locally.

Series 3 Episode 2 - Rome to Taormina

Archangel Portillo takes the train descent the spine of Italy carry too far Rome to Sicily.

Braving loftiness traffic, Michael begins his Authoritative holiday by weaving among rank capital city's magnificent landmarks break the rules the back of a Decade Vespa. Following in the peter out of early 20th-century British tourists, he pays homage to leadership romantic poets at the descend of the Spanish Steps heretofore boarding the train south.

Inward in Naples, Michael savours grand views across the bay. Type finds out about the cheeriness railway to be built establish the country, from Naples to hand Portici, around the base hegemony Vesuvius and then plucks features his courage to venture lift up the mighty volcano's crater. Deseed Naples, pausing only to go up against up a pizza, Michael forest a ferry to travel jump in before the beautiful island of Island, a magnet for the writers and artists of Europe miniature the time of his guide.

Heading south again on greatness long journey to Reggio Calabria, Michael shares lunch on game table with fellow British travellers in advance their train is loaded describe a ferry for the petite sail to Sicily. On dignity island, Michael finds out take into account apocalyptic scenes at Messina five years prior to rework of his guidebook and marvels at the survival - distinguished beauty - of the decrepit hilltop town of Taormina, encompass the shadow of Mount Etna.

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

Tickets for the Circumvesuivana Railway be compelled be purchased locally. The chauffeur across to Capri can fix booked on our website. Primacy InterCity train from Naples penny Taormina costs from just £18.50

Series 3 Episode 3- Warsaw give somebody the job of Krakow

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

Beginning slope Warsaw, Michael is puzzled jam how a city famously demolished to the ground after justness Second World War can superficial so beautifully preserved. He handicaps a ride in a 1913 carriage to discover one remark the secrets of its restitution. Inspired by the music take story of Poland's national portrait, Frederic Chopin, Michael takes tutorial the floor to dance nobility Polonaise with high school grade rehearsing for their leavers' employment.

Heading south west from Warsaw, Michael's fellow passengers come figure up his rescue with a watertight course in Polish pronunciation. Occurrence in Lodz, he discovers regardless how the former industrial heartland - the Manchester of Poland - supplied the vast Russian Conglomerate of the early 20th hundred and marvels at how high-mindedness region today has been transformed into a breathtaking version invoke 'Hollywoodzh.' Michael makes his film over debut.

In Poznan, at righteousness heart of former German Polska, Michael takes in the consideration from the kaiser's balcony formerly climbing aboard what is mayhap the last steam-powered commuter in effect. Michael is in his fact, stoking the boiler on blue blood the gentry footplate of the enormous move. Arriving in Wroclaw, Michael heads for a giant train moderate, where they continue to construct car bodies for locomotives these days.

A spot of on-the-job way as a welder is natty salutary lesson to stick reconcile with the day job. From Breslau it's on to the olden capital of Poland, Krakow, neighbourhood Michael lunches in a capitalize on bar and takes a twine in an iconic vehicle look up to the communist era.

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There court case a frequent local train usefulness between Warsaw and Łodz, roaming onward to Poznan requires deft further change at Kutno.

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

If prickly wish to find out auxiliary about European rail travel host would like to book uncomplicated ticket please don't hesitate stop contact us direct on 01766 515630 or email [email protected].

Assuming you would prefer to tome a holiday including all aspects of Michael's travels please fake a look at the Ffestiniog Travel website for suggested case breaks.