TV Great Continental Railway Journeys - Season 4 Episode 1 : Sofia to Istanbul Great Continental Railway Journeys - Season 4 Episode 1 : Sofia to Istanbul 8.4/10 by 11 users 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. Details Casts Posters Images Title Great Continental Railway Journeys - Season 4 Episode 1 : Sofia to Istanbul Alternative Titles 欧洲铁路纪行, 乘着火车游欧洲, 坐着火车游欧洲, En tren por el viejo continente, Junamatka Eurooppaan, Les trains du monde, Nagy kontinentális vasúti utazások, Trans Europe Express, Vel'ké kontinentálne cesty po zeleznici First Air Date 2012-11-08 Last Air Date 2025-04-04 Number of Episodes 57 Number of Seasons 8 Genres Documentary, Networks BBC Two, Casts Michael Portillo Plot Keywords , Self - Presenter Michael Portillo Episodes List Great Continental Railway Journeys Season 4 :Episode 1 Sofia to Istanbul Sofia to Istanbul 2015-10-16 Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway... Great Continental Railway Journeys Season 4 :Episode 2 Vienna to Trieste Vienna to Trieste 2015-10-23 Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway... Great Continental Railway Journeys Season 4 :Episode 3 Pisa to Lake Garda Pisa to Lake Garda 2015-10-30 Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway... Great Continental Railway Journeys Season 4 :Episode 4 Athens to Thessaloniki Athens to Thessaloniki 2015-11-13 Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway... Great Continental Railway Journeys Season 4 :Episode 5 The Black Forest to Hannover The Black Forest to Hannover 2015-11-20 Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway... Great Continental Railway Journeys Season 4 :Episode 6 Barcelona to Mallorca Barcelona to Mallorca 2015-11-27 Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway...