The Worst Episodes of Great Continental Railway Journeys

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1. #1 Worst Episode
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   #1 - London to Monte Carlo

   S1:E111/8/2012

   Leaving London behind, armed with his 1913 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.

   Director:Dave Minchin

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Dave Minchin

   Writer:Unknown
2. 

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   #2 - Hungary to Austria

   S1:E211/15/2012

   Steered by his 1913 railway guide, on this journey Michael Portillo explores the once-great empire of Austria-Hungary, domain of the famous Habsburg monarchs. Starting in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, he travels via Bratislava in Slovakia to the beautiful and elegant city of Vienna, where he immerses himself in prewar decadence. From there, he travels to Salzburg, before heading to the magnificent scenery of the Salzkammergut region to visit the emperor's Austrian summer house at Bad Ischl, where in 1914 European history changed course forever.

   Director:Cassie Farrell

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Cassie Farrell

   Writer:Unknown
3. 

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   #3 - Berlin to the Rhein

   S1:E311/22/2012

   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.

   Director:Cassie Farrell

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Cassie Farrell

   Writer:Unknown
4. 

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   #4 - Switzerland

   S1:E411/29/2012

   Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Switzerland, whose remarkable railways helped make it a favourite with Edwardian tourists. 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.

   Director:Dave Minchin

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Dave Minchin

   Writer:Unknown
5. 

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   #5 - Amsterdam to Northern France

   S1:E512/6/2012

   Michael Portillo uses George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide to explore the dazzling cities of the pre-war Low Countries before 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.

   Director:Cassie Farrell

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Cassie Farrell

   Writer:Unknown
6. 

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   #6 - Madrid to Gibraltar

   S2:E110/27/2013

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   Director:Tom Richardson

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Tom Richardson

   Writer:Unknown
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   #7 - Turin to Venice

   S2:E211/3/2013

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   Director:Tom Richardson

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Tom Richardson

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   #8 - Dresden to Kiel

   S2:E311/10/2013

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   Director:Dean Griffiths

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   Director:Dean Griffiths

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9. 

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   #9 - Copenhagen to Oslo

   S2:E411/17/2013

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   Director:Dean Griffiths

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Dean Griffiths

   Writer:Unknown
10. 

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    #10 - Prague to Munich

    S2:E511/24/2013

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    Directors:Dave Minchin, Tom Richardson

    Writer:Unknown

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    Directors:Dave Minchin, Tom Richardson

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11. 

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    #11 - Bordeaux to Bilbao

    S2:E612/1/2013

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    Director:Hayden King

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Hayden King

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12. 

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    #12 - Tula to St Petersburg

    S3:E111/5/2014

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    Director:Tom Richardson

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Tom Richardson

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13. 

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    #13 - Rome to Taormina

    S3:E211/12/2014

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    Director:Dave Minchin

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Dave Minchin

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14. 

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    #14 - Warsaw to Krakow

    S3:E311/19/2014

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    Director:Tom Richardson

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Tom Richardson

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15. 

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    #15 - La Coruña to Lisbon

    S3:E411/26/2014

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    Director:Cassie Farrell

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Cassie Farrell

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16. 

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    #16 - Haifa to the Negev

    S3:E512/3/2014

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    Director:Dave Minchin

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Dave Minchin

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17. 

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    #17 - Lyon to Marseille

    S3:E612/10/2014

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    Director:Tom Richardson

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Tom Richardson

    Writer:Unknown
18. 

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    #18 - Sofia to Istanbul

    S4:E110/16/2015

    Armed with his trusty 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo travels east through the Balkans along the most exotic section of the route taken by the Orient Express. His journey begins in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, and includes stops in the ancient city of Plovdiv, the region of Rumelia, and former capital of the Ottoman Empire Edirne. Arriving in Istanbul, Michael takes a trip on the Bosphorus - a much-coveted stretch of water - finds out about Turkish delight and travels along the Marmaray metro line, which connects European and Asian Istanbul via a tunnel beneath the Bosphorus.

    Director:Dave Minchin

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Dave Minchin

    Writer:Unknown
19. 

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    #19 - Vienna to Trieste

    S4:E210/23/2015

    In Vienna, Michael Portillo encounters a pre-Cold War spy and learns about the concert that caused a riot in 1913. He then travels the Habsburg imperial line across the Semmering Pass, a line blasted through the Alps. In Graz, the former politician ventures underground at the Lurgrotte Caves to find out about a famous rescue operation of the past, then in Slovenia discovers how an earthquake in Ljubljana prompted its citizens to assert their national identity in architecture and art. Arriving in the Italian port of Trieste, Michael savours the imported coffee that fuelled a cafe culture.

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