Catch up TV
Series 9: 13. Huvösvölgy to Kobanya
Continuing his travels in Budapest, Michael Portillo begins in the small town of Huvösvölgy, in the hills above the city, at a surprising railway run almost entirely by children, dating back to the communist era. All of the staff, except for the train drivers, are volunteers aged ten to 14.\n\nBack in the city, he visits the former home of Béla Bartók, one of Hungary’s most famous pianists and composers, and learns how the country’s folk music inspired his work.\n\nNext, Michael heads across the Danube to the headquarters of the low-cost airline Wizz Air, one of the country’s post-communist success stories. At the pilot academy, he endures a stressful emergency landing and tries his hand at flying a plane.
Source: BBC 2
Most recent episodes of Great Continental Railway Journeys
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 13. Huvösvölgy To Kobanya
Continuing his travels in Budapest, Michael Portillo begins in the small town of Huvösvölgy, in the hills above the city, at a surprising railway run almost entirely b ...
28-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 12. Budapest
Exploring the capital city by tram, Michael Portillo travels to the extraordinary open-air museum of Memento Park in the suburbs. He discovers how a collection of imposing Sovie ...
27-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 7. Brussels To Ghent
Michael Portillo’s Belgian rail journey continues in the Dutch speaking region of Flanders.\n\nIn Antwerp, he discovers the city's historic multibillion-pound diamond indu ...
26-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 11. Sopron To Keleti
Michael Portillo begins his Hungarian adventure in the far north west of the country in the town of Sopron. He learns how a picnic for European unity on the Austrian border attr ...
26-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 6. St Pancras To Brussels
Michael boards the Eurostar at London’s St Pancras International, bound for the Belgian capital, Brussels.\n\nIn the city centre’s sumptuous Theatre Royal, he learns ...
25-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 5. Vivario To Corte
Michael Portillo’s Mediterranean railway adventure reaches its finale in Corsica as he boards one of Europe’s most dramatic railways, which winds through the island& ...
22-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 4. Ajaccio To Vizzavona
Michael Portillo’s railway journey through the islands of Sardinia and Corsica sees him leave Sardinia and arrive into Corsica, the most mountainous island in the Mediterr ...
21-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 3. Nuoro To Macomer
Michael Portillo continues his Sardinian railway adventure, arriving in Mamoiada to investigate the town’s extraordinary pagan traditions. In a menacing mask, black sheeps ...
20-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 2. Mandas To Laconi
Michael Portillo’s railway tour of Sardinia heads inland towards the island's dramatic mountain landscapes, which he discovers were frequented by DH Lawrence, who is rever ...
20-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 1. Cagliari To Porto Flavia
Michael Portillo embarks on a stunning railway adventure through the western Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica, beginning in Sardinia’s capital, Cagliari.\n\nM ...
19-05-2026
BBC 2
Most popular episodes of Great Continental Railway Journeys
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 1. Cagliari To Porto Flavia
Michael Portillo embarks on a stunning railway adventure through the western Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica, beginning in Sardinia’s capital, Cagliari.\n\nM ...
19-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 5. Vivario To Corte
Michael Portillo’s Mediterranean railway adventure reaches its finale in Corsica as he boards one of Europe’s most dramatic railways, which winds through the island& ...
22-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 2. Mandas To Laconi
Michael Portillo’s railway tour of Sardinia heads inland towards the island's dramatic mountain landscapes, which he discovers were frequented by DH Lawrence, who is rever ...
20-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 7 (shortened Versions): Episode 2
Michael continues his rail journey through Spain with his 1930s Bradshaw’s guide. At the Museo Reina Sofia, Michael hears how the bombing of a small town in the Basque reg ...
24-06-2024
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 4. Ajaccio To Vizzavona
Michael Portillo’s railway journey through the islands of Sardinia and Corsica sees him leave Sardinia and arrive into Corsica, the most mountainous island in the Mediterr ...
21-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 3. Nuoro To Macomer
Michael Portillo continues his Sardinian railway adventure, arriving in Mamoiada to investigate the town’s extraordinary pagan traditions. In a menacing mask, black sheeps ...
20-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 6. St Pancras To Brussels
Michael boards the Eurostar at London’s St Pancras International, bound for the Belgian capital, Brussels.\n\nIn the city centre’s sumptuous Theatre Royal, he learns ...
25-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 9: 7. Brussels To Ghent
Michael Portillo’s Belgian rail journey continues in the Dutch speaking region of Flanders.\n\nIn Antwerp, he discovers the city's historic multibillion-pound diamond indu ...
26-05-2026
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 2 - Reversions: 8. Copenhagen To Oslo: Part 2
15-01-2018
BBC 2
Great Continental Railway Journeys
Series 8: 19. Bayeux To Argentan
At the medieval town of Bayeux, Michael Portillo heads for the Bayeux Tapestry Museum to admire the striking 70-metre-long work of art commissioned to record William the Conquer ...
26-09-2025
BBC 2