The BEST episodes of Great Continental Railway Journeys
Every episode of Great Continental Railway Journeys ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Great Continental Railway Journeys!
All aboard! Armed with his trusty Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo explores Europe’s most beautiful, enchanting regions, uncovering how the railways have shaped the continent.
#1 - Vienna to Trieste
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/23/2015
Michael Portillo travels the Habsburg imperial line from Vienna across the Semmering Pass, a handmade railway line blasted through the Alps.
#2 - Stockholm to the Arctic Circle
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/10/2020
Michael makes a scenic journey from Stockholm to Abisko. Michael celebrates Midsummer in Marielund, learns to decorate a Dala horse in Mora and takes an icy dip in one of the country’s 96,000 lakes.
#4 - Pisa to Lake Garda
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/30/2015
Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide in hand, Michael Portillo visits Italy, where he experiences the nation's need for speed in a Maserati sports car.
#8 - Rome to Taormina
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/12/2014
Michael Portillo takes the train down the spine of Italy from Rome to Sicily, visiting Naples, the island of Capri and the ancient hilltop town of Taormina.
#9 - Tangier to Marrakech
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/4/2016
Michael Portillo takes in the sights, smells and tastes of north Africa as he travels from the Mediterranean port of Tangier to the Berber city of Marrakech.
#10 - Batumi to Baku
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/15/2018
Michael Portillo travels from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. Michael discovers a surprise 19th-century tea plantation in the West Georgian countryside.
#11 - Salamanca to Canfranc
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/29/2020
Michael Portillo sports a modern edition of his Bradshaw’s Continental Handbook, dated 1936. His destination lies close to his heart: the ancient kingdom of Spain and land of his father.
#13 - Prague to Munich
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/24/2013
Michael Portillo explores Bohemia and Bavaria, sampling the sulphurous waters of Marianske Lazne and riding a piece of German railway history made in Britain.
#14 - Tula to St Petersburg
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/5/2014
Michael Portillo travels through Russia, visiting the onion domes and icons of Tula and Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, before exploring the city of St Petersburg.
#18 - Amsterdam to Northern France
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/6/2012
Michael Portillo explores the Low Countries and Brussels en route to his final destination in France - where the 1918 Armistice was signed.
#19 - Haifa to the Negev
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/3/2014
Following his 1913 Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo ventures beyond Europe to the Holy Land, where he visits Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea.
#20 - Lyon to Marseille
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/10/2014
Michael Portillo follows a route recommended in Bradshaw's guide, journeying from the heart of France to the Mediterranean coast.
#22 - Zermatt to Geneva
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/27/2016
Armed with his railway guide, Michael Portillo travels from the Swiss Alps to Lake Geneva. He is caught up in a war zone and rescued from an avalanche by a puppy.
#23 - Riga to Tampere
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/18/2016
Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Guide, Michael Portillo ventures to the northernmost reaches of Europe, where he braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea.
#24 - Copenhagen to Oslo
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/17/2013
Michael Portillo explores Scandinavia, braving one of the world's oldest rollercoasters, sampling a smorgasbord and test driving a vintage Volvo.
