Great Continental Railway Journeys - Season 4 (2015)

By 1913, Europe had been criss-crossed by an extensive network of railways stretching from Finland in the North to Constantinople in the East and Cadiz in the West, all of them described in “Bradshaw’s Continental Railway Guide and General Handbook”. This comprehensive guidebook opened up an exotic world of foreign travel to the Edwardian British tourist – cosmopolitan cities, dramatic Alpine landscapes, beguiling seaside resorts and picturesque villages. Michael Portillo embarks on a new series of railway journeys across Europe. Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide, he travels from station to station, visiting the towns and villages described by the Guide, following the suggested itineraries, staying in the recommended hotels, exploring the sights, sampling local traditions while telling the story of what was happening in continental Europe in 1913.