Amazing Train Journeys

Philippe Gougler brings back to life the best moments of season 14. During his train journeys, he traveled through the most incredible landscapes. From the steppes of Kazakhstan to the Amazonian forest, via the hills of San Francisco and the alleys of Vietnam, the globetrotter made new astonishing encounters. He crossed paths with a Kazakh shaman with a strong character, German "iron fingers" competitors, an Amazonian tribe who made him undergo an initiation rite, and even a Brazilian Spiderman.

Laos, a long brand new railway line has recently been launched, in a country that had not really known the train for decades. Philippe Gougler travels by train, from north to south via Luang Prabang, known for its dozens of Buddhist temples. He will have the chance to be invited to one of them to spend a day with the monks. Further east, near the Vietnamese border, another facet of the country's history opens up to him, a darker one. Laos is the country that has been the most bombed in the world. During the Vietnam War, between 1964 and 1973, the United States dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs. Nearly 50 years later, every day, men and women are still clearing mines.

Philippe Gougler travels nearly 10,000 kilometers from France to Vietnam. A country of legends where it is good to take the train. Philippe notably passes through the capital Hanoi where the train winds and weaves through the narrow streets of the city, at the edge of the houses. In the northwest of the country, he discovers the country of the Hmongs and its landscapes of rice terraces. In the center of the country, Philippe follows the trail of an ancient lost railway. In the Hue region, few people remember this train built at the time by the French, which was heading towards the neighboring country, Laos. A train which, in the colonial era, was part of a gigantic project: to connect all of Indochina by rail.

Philippe explores Uruguay, a small country with a rich railway history. He takes the only passenger train between Rivera and Tacuarembó, popular with the inhabitants of the pampas. His path crosses that of the gauchos and their traditional asado. In Paysandú, he discovers a 1929 Ford converted into a draisine. In Montevideo, the capital where more than half the population lives, he observes an Umbanda ceremony on the beach and travels in a train of enthusiasts on poorly maintained tracks. His journey ends in Punta del Este, a chic seaside resort, where he participates in the tasting of the largest paella in the world.

Philippe Gougler travels across Brazil, starting with the bustling trains of Rio where vendors, masseurs, and even the larger-than-life Spiderman rub shoulders. He observes the quest for the perfect tan in working-class neighborhoods. His journey continues on the world's largest train, crossing the Amazon. There, he meets the Sateré Mawé tribe and their rite of passage involving poisonous ants. In Campos do Jordao, he discovers a "Brazilian Europe" and its culinary adaptations. The adventure ends on the Atlantic coast, where Philippe experiments with a sand-yacht train, powered solely by wind.

Philippe Gougler goes to Kazakhstan, a huge country, often synonymous with long train journeys. Aboard a sleeper train, he meets a local celebrity, a bodybuilder with a trim beard and a keen sense of humor. In Almaty, the country's former capital, he was surprised by the greenery and modernity of the city, particularly its metro, each station of which offered a unique setting. On a high-speed train heading to Astana, the capital, he meets a former French teacher, an opportunity to talk about Kazakh culture.

Philippe Gougler leaves for a trip to Slovenia, a small European country wedged between sea and mountains. And what better way to discover this little-known country than by train? To begin, he boards a small mine train which will take him under the mountains to discover sunken tunnels. There are also everyday trains, and the more unusual ones, which climb the mountains with cars on board as well as auto-trains which run on railway tracks dating from the Austro-Hungarian era.

Philippe Gougler begins his stay on a station platform where most of the travelers are in traditional Bavarian outfits. They all go to Munich for the beer festival, the famous Oktoberfest. Philippe will meet amazing waitresses there who can carry up to twelve mugs at once. Then, head to the south of the region where a rack railway takes travelers and hikers to the summit of Germany, the Zugspitze. This is an opportunity for Philippe to discover typically Bavarian landscapes, such as Neuschwanstein Castle. Back in Munich, he learned that Bavaria was also an industrial region. Trains even enter factories. Finally, the rail globetrotter takes the ICE, the German TGV, for the north.

Philippe Gougler begins his discovery of San Francisco with the emblematic “cable cars”, these trams which climb the steep hills of the city, offering panoramic views. He also discovered other, more modern ways of getting around, such as autonomous cars, driverless vehicles that navigate the streets of San Francisco. Philippe then boards the Coastal Starlight, a legendary line offering spectacular views from the California coast to Santa Barbara. The globetrotter's journey continues in San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge, symbol of the city. Finally, he crosses the majestic forests of giant sequoias by steam train.

In the Andes, sublime, almost mystical trains run, crossing the mountains and descending to the Pacific. There are few places in the world like this, places whose immensity, isolation, and mystery make you want to see further, to travel again and again. Philippe Gougler begins his journey through the Andes by Lake Titicaca and a train like no other: a rail bus. The journey continues to the heart of the largest salt desert in the world: the Salar de Uyuni. Then, head to Chile and the Pacific coast aboard one of the freight trains that cross the Andes and travel through unique settings.

Bolivia is a country that flirts with the sky, a country perched high, sometimes at over 6,000 meters above sea level, a country above all where the scenery is breathtaking. Philippe Gougler decided to approach this truly unique country from the bottom, at an altitude of 400 meters, where the vegetation is abundant, in the city of Santa Cruz, the departure station for the country's main cities: La Paz, Sucre, or Cochabamba. In Bolivia, trains are rare and take their time, and the charm of the journey lies in the unique scenery they cross and in the encounters.

Philippe travels to Mozambique, a little-known gem in southeast Africa, where he will discover dreamlike scenery... Between sublime plains, unforgettable safaris, and the Indian Ocean, trains will take Philippe Gougler in the footsteps of the famous navigator Vasco da Gama. In 1498, he stopped on the island of Mozambique, off the coast of the country, which became a Portuguese colony, a major turning point for world trade on the route to India...

Belgium, our neighbors, the friends we love to tease but to whom we always return with a smile on our faces. Philippe Gougler will travel along one of the densest railway networks in the world, passing through Namur, Brussels, Antwerp, and not forgetting the Belgian coast on the North Sea coast, and its longest tramway in the world... A wonderful journey for Philippe in this country we think we know well, but which has many surprises in store for us!

Heading north to the United States for a journey across the plains and snow-capped mountains, largely following the spectacular route of the Empire Builder, a legendary train that crosses the Rockies in a magical setting. First stop in Chicago, where the extreme cold requires unusual solutions. Here, the rails are literally heated by setting them on fire. Then head to the frozen expanses of Lake of the Woods, on the Canadian border. Here, the train gives way to another way of life: cozy ice fishing. But Philippe Gougler won't be at the end of his surprises because, still on the frozen lake, he discovers an igloo-shaped bar and a surprising tradition that speaks volumes about the local festive spirit.

Philippe Gougler begins his journey through the Philippines in its capital, Manila. An electric and bustling city, in which the Spanish, American, and Chinese influences that have marked its history are clearly visible. He makes his first encounter in the subway, through which he learns a lot about Filipino romantic relationships. Then, at nightfall, in a working-class neighborhood, he tastes the famous balut, a very special duck egg. In the small town of Legazpi, an astonishing day awaits him. He accompanies teachers who are moving their school from village to village on the rails. Then he leaves for the island of Negros, in the sugar region, near the city of Silay, where he boards the only steam train in the Philippines.

The most charming way to travel to Singapore is by train—but not just any train. Meet the Eastern & Oriental Express, a legendary train featuring carriages over 50 years old; it is a veritable luxury hotel on rails. It offers a rail journey through the heart of the rainforest, taking our globetrotting traveler all the way to the city-state of Singapore.

Here is a city… unlike any other. And for good reason: it straddles two continents! Europe on one side, Asia on the other, and in between… flows the Bosphorus. It is a bustling, vibrant global metropolis that Philippe Gougler sets out to explore by rail. His journey begins with the historic T2 tram—heading to Taksim Square, the beating heart of Istanbul—and the tiny F2 funicular, one of the smallest in the world, which climbs one of the city’s many hills in just two minutes flat. This rail network allows Philippe to traverse Istanbul, discover the amazing "rope-poured" tea technique and the practice of ear-cleaning with fire, and reach the sprawling Grand Bazaar, home to carpet sellers who are masters at backgammon. Not to mention the YHT—Turkey’s high-speed train—which Philippe boards to travel to the major city of Konya in the southeast, the birthplace of the famous Whirling Dervishes and their hypnotic dance.

When traveling to Montenegro on the Adriatic coast, people usually go for a holiday—for the beaches, mountains, lakes, and charming villages—but what interests Philippe Gougler, our globe-trotting train enthusiast, is, of course, the trains! One thing is certain: the trains departing from the capital, Podgorica, have retained a distinctly Soviet feel... On the agenda for this episode: the extraordinary Ostrog Monastery—carved into the rock and seemingly suspended over the void—an unlikely nap contest, the magnificent Lake Skadar, and Kotor, the city of cats.

In winter, Kazakhstan is a land of vast white expanses and temperatures that can plummet to -40 degrees. Philippe Gougler begins his journey in the east of the country with a surprising encounter: along a frozen river, a group of people has gathered for a cold-exposure club. Bundled up warmly, Philippe watches these outdoor enthusiasts take dips in the river and roll around in the snow. While on a night train to the capital, Astana—the second-coldest capital in the world—Philippe meets a fellow passenger who tells him about some rather surprising Kazakh traditions.

Malaysia is a fascinating land of adventure. Deep in the jungles of Borneo—amidst orangutans and proboscis monkeys—small railway lines cut through the rainforest. Along these tracks, one encounters "motorized trolleys": simple wooden platforms on wheels, propelled by motorcycles. It is a unique and authentic mode of transport that allows locals to get around with ease.

Philippe Gougler’s journey begins in Fort Myers aboard the Murder Mystery Train, an immersive theatrical train where passengers turn into investigators for the duration of the trip. Next, he heads to Daytona Beach to discover a "drive-in church," where worshippers attend services from their cars. The journey continues on the Brightline, a high-speed train connecting Orlando and Miami. He then sets course for the Everglades, an ecosystem unique in the world; there, he meets the Miccosukee tribe and learns their techniques for approaching alligators. In Orlando, he immerses himself in the futuristic world of the Walt Disney World Resort monorail—a true aerial artery. Before wrapping up his journey in the Florida Keys, Philippe steps into the shoes of an astronaut during a visit to Cape Canaveral.

Welcome to Angola. Philippe Gougler sets out to discover this little-known African nation and its truly unique railway lines. Along the way, he meets the nomadic Mucabal tribe—who live alongside and for their cattle—and the Mumuila people, known for their distinctive hairstyles. His journey takes him to the mysterious, abandoned Tiger Island and on to the capital, Luanda, on the Atlantic coast, with a stop at the spectacular yet little-known Kalandula Falls.