Sandi Toksvig has returned to screens with a brand-new travel series, Great Riviera Rail Trip, which premiered on Channel 4 on November 29, 2025. The four-part documentary follows the acclaimed broadcaster as she explores the French Riviera by train, uncovering the extraordinary stories, people and artistic legacies behind one of Europe’s most iconic coastlines.
The series combines breathtaking coastal scenery with deep historical insight, offering far more than a typical travel guide. Toksvig travels from sunlit harbors to historic estates, tracing the region’s connection to world-famous writers, artists and political exiles.
A Literary and Cultural Expedition
At each stop, Toksvig focuses not just on the landscape, but on the creative figures who shaped the Riviera’s identity.
One key episode features Sanary-sur-Mer, a seaside town that became a haven for great literary minds escaping rising fascism in the 1930s. According to BBC reporting cited within the series, Aldous Huxley, Thomas Mann and other famed exiles once called the town home. Toksvig reflects on their time there, imagining how they wrote and survived in the peaceful Mediterranean setting.
She also visits the gardens of novelist Edith Wharton, celebrating the connection between landscape and artistic imagination. Toksvig’s signature warm humor and storytelling skill bring history vividly to life.
How to Watch ‘Great Riviera Rail Trip’
All four episodes are available to stream now on Channel 4’s online platform, free for UK viewers who create a basic account.
Watching Outside the UK
International audiences can access the series by using a VPN set to a UK location, a common method for streaming region-locked British programming.
The series is compatible with:
Smart TVs
Streaming sticks like Roku or Fire TV
Mobile apps
Desktop browsers
This makes it easy for fans worldwide to join Toksvig along the glittering Mediterranean rail line.
A New Kind of Travel Television
Great Riviera Rail Trip embraces thoughtful travel rather than whirlwind sightseeing. Toksvig encourages viewers to slow down, listen and connect — celebrating the Riviera not just as a glamorous vacation destination, but as a crossroads of creativity, migration and resilience.
The series arrives at a time when audiences are seeking meaningful travel content, and it stands out for its rich storytelling and emotional depth. It also continues Toksvig’s tradition of showcasing travel that illuminates the human stories behind famous places.
With its mix of escapism, cultural insight and visual beauty, the series is already being praised as one of the season’s most uplifting releases.
