Details

In Great Continental Railway Journeys Series 1, released on DVD by Fremantle Home Entertainment on 29th April 2013, in a series of 5-hour long episodes, Michael Portillo journeys through a prosperous pre-war Europe with his trusty 1913 "Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide".

It was a time of emperors and kings, pomp and elegance and was a continent whose industrialists had created wealth, whose scientists and engineers were discovering and constructing the marvellous and whose artists were challenging old ways whilst intellectuals plotted revolution.

The Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide handbook opened up an exotic world to the Edwardian tourist; from glittering cosmopolitan cities, dramatic Alpine landscapes, to warm sparkling seas and picturesque villages. Following in their footsteps, Michael visits the towns, cities and villages listed by his Bradshaw's guide.

Travelling from station to station he stays in the recommended hotels, explores the magnificent sights, samples local traditions, takes in many of the continent's most spectacular rail routes and visits some of the central locations in the unfolding Great War story.

This series creates a stunning vision of Europe as it was in 1913 and discovers how a way of life and a landscape were changed forever when Europe went to war.

This 2 disc set features 5-hour long episodes covering 5 different journeys:

  • London to Monte Carlo
  • Hungary to Austria
  • Berlin to The Rhein
  • Switzerland
  • Amsterdam to Northern France