MICHAEL Portillo is back and ready for more incredible rail journeys across Europe.
In the new episodes of BBC’s Great Continental Railway Journeys, Michael explores countries across former Yugoslavia and of course, some of the incredible train routes along the way.
Michael Portillo returns to venture through Europe on some of the most interesting locomotives[/caption]
Michael takes a journey on one of the most scenic routes in Europe[/caption]
Returning to the screen, Michael boards the trains that lead across Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
Michael spoke to Sun Travel about his favourite journeys and said it was the one that linked the cities of Mostar and Sarajevo.
Michael explained: “That journey came straight to my mind, it’s a railway that was quite recently rebuilt and restored using Spanish Talgo trains.
“They have short cars with one wheel set inside the other – so four wheels rather than bogies. The formation of the carriages gives it flexibility to go around bends.”
The journey from Mostar to Sarajevo descends through the Ivan Mountain, the Neretva canyon, and it’s actually considered one of the most scenic in Europe.
Michael added: “We descend 600 metres, go through 90 tunnels over more than 40 kilometres, it’s absolutely stunning.”
The train journey is cheap too, costing 14.10 BAM (£5.96).
In the show, Michael has the chance to stop off and explore some of the cities – and Sarajevo, made a big impression on Michael.
Found in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo might not be on your radar for a break yet, but with mountain and river views, it has it all.
And Michael insisted it will soon be a hit with tourists – especially as it’s so affordable. Sun Travel found a £45 hotel and place for three-course meals for £12.
Michael encourages holiday makers to consider Sarajevo[/caption]
The Mostar bridge has a sad but significant history[/caption]
Michael said: “Sarajevo is a beautiful city set within mountains on a river.
“It’s a long, thin town built on two banks of the river, and it was the setting for the Winter Olympics in the 1980s – it’s a stunning place, a very cosmopolitan, artsy city.”
Another city 72 kilometres south is the equally incredible Mostar, Michael added: “It’s beautiful, with an extraordinary bridge, it’s flat and inverted V-shaped.
“There’s a lot of symbolism to the bridge, it was smashed apart in the war, had a great hole in it and it’s been repaired. So you have an image of a country that has been pieced back together.”
Having presented Great Continental Railway Journeys for over a decade, Michael admitted the show has been such a big part of his life and “travelling by train has been an extremely good way to do it.”
When we asked Michael what some of his favourite routes were over the years, and while there were almost too many to name, one was more memorable than the rest.
He said: “Some of the most impressive construction of railways I’ve seen has been in Switzerland – they take them to the tops of mountains and are powered by a cog.
“They also run all year and in the mountains you’re dealing with a huge amount of ice and snow. One of the railways I went on during the Swiss journey was Pilatus which has a 48 per cent maximum gradient – it’s absolutely astonishing.
“You can’t see a lot in winter if its really snowy. But, if you go on a sunny day, there’s a spectacular view. And even in the spring you’ll be surrounded by meadows.”
Pilatus Railway is the steepest cogwheel railway in the world[/caption]
Michael also gave an honourable mention to another journey in Norway on the Flåm Railway that ends ends next to the biggest fjord in Norway, Aurlandsfjord.
The train has multiple stops along the way too, some of which allows you to get out and take photographs, like in front of the Kjosfossen waterfall.
British rail has also been a big part of Michael’s life and he revealed that he loved “travelling in the age of steam”.
He continued: “My family used to live in a London suburb, and twice a year we’d go up and visit my grandparents in Kirkcaldy, which is across the Firth of Forth which is one of the most spectacular bridges in Britain.
“The other way, we’d go to the Isle of Wight, nowadays it runs from Ryde to Shanklin. But back in the day it used to run as far as Ventnor.
“It used to be run by steam railway which for me was the most exciting part of all. There was a tunnel down from Boniface Downs through to Ventnor and when you went in, the entire carriage would fill with smoke.”
Great Continental Railway Journeys returns to BBC Two on Monday 10 March at 6.30PM.
This railway journey is one of the most breathtaking stretches of track in the UK.
And this railway in Budapest is entirely staffed by children.
Sun Travel’s favourite train journeys in the world
Sun Travel’s journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray
